Official A4LD Problem Thread!

[Roger]

Did ya do a shift kit? If ya got an adjustable modulator on it, might try backing the screw off a half turn or so. Also, are the cats still on it? If the cats are starting to plug, it will show up more at late second engine and road speeds, causing low manifold vachum there, and making the shift late. Does it seem to matter if its very light throttle, or moderate to heavy acceleration?

No shift kit, I don't THINK the modulator is adjustable (I didn't know you could even get one!). My son will be home tomorrow and I'll check. Cats? we gutted them. It was down on power and just seemed choked, so we gutted them. We will replace them with a high flow soon, when we add a Flowmaster. Moderate to heavy. Under light throttle it seems to shift just fine.

Thanks brotherman...:icon_thumby:

 

[Ronin]

My situation is I was driving doing 55 mph and all of a sudden the engine revs freely like it is in neutral. I am in gear, but no forward movement. As the truck is slowing down I start shifting it into different gears to see if anything works. Nothing. As I almost come to a stop, it all of a sudden catches and I am able to accelerate. I manually shift back up through the gears, but when I put it into OD the engine revs freely again. So I leave it in Drive and limp it home.

I park it in the driveway and check the trans fluid. Fluid is full, red, and doesn't smell burnt. I jump back in and I have no forward gears, but I do have reverse. Don't have time to mess with it so I leave it for a couple of days.

Find time to do some more checking. No leaking fluid, no forward gears, but still have reverse. I decide to try the transfer case. 4-hi, still nothing. 4-low and I have forward movement except for in OD. I put it back into 2WD and I still have forward movement in all gears except for OD.

So what does this mean and how do I fix it?:icon_confused:

 

[Fordman]

The pressure controller is easy, pull the pan and there it is.

I hate my truck and my life.. my dad won't even let me take my truck apart to find out why my 4r44e won't shift or drive properly.. makes me want to throw it off a damn cliff, thatnks for the help fordman I figure that's the problem and I need to take the tranny out of the truck to get to it but now I have no way to do it.. my only source of transpertation is ruined( thanks alot dad)

 

[Fordman]

I really dont know if the machining is the same, but I suspect no.

I have a spare A4LD trans to rebuild that has the two solenoid valve body. Can I rebuild it and simply replace the two solenoid valve body for the single solenoid valve body presently in my truck? Sure would simplify things. My trans is going down, and I would like to get this one built up so I can simply bolt it in and go.

Or can the two solenoid valve body be converted to a single solenoid valve body?

 

[Fordman]

First guess, overdrive clutch and/or od overunning roller clutch.

My situation is I was driving doing 55 mph and all of a sudden the engine revs freely like it is in neutral. I am in gear, but no forward movement. As the truck is slowing down I start shifting it into different gears to see if anything works. Nothing. As I almost come to a stop, it all of a sudden catches and I am able to accelerate. I manually shift back up through the gears, but when I put it into OD the engine revs freely again. So I leave it in Drive and limp it home.

I park it in the driveway and check the trans fluid. Fluid is full, red, and doesn't smell burnt. I jump back in and I have no forward gears, but I do have reverse. Don't have time to mess with it so I leave it for a couple of days.

Find time to do some more checking. No leaking fluid, no forward gears, but still have reverse. I decide to try the transfer case. 4-hi, still nothing. 4-low and I have forward movement except for in OD. I put it back into 2WD and I still have forward movement in all gears except for OD.

So what does this mean and how do I fix it?:icon_confused:

 

[Ronin]

First guess, overdrive clutch and/or od overunning roller clutch.

Can you direct me to a resource on how to fix that?

Thanks for quick reply Fordman.

 

[Fordman]

First, I,d verify the shifter is adjusted properly, it could cause it, but I suspect its internal. Basically, youll need to pull the tranny and tear it down. The ATSG manual is the most informative for the job, and I believe it is on file on this site.

Can you direct me to a resource on how to fix that?

Thanks for quick reply Fordman.

 

[Ronin]

First, I,d verify the shifter is adjusted properly, it could cause it, but I suspect its internal. Basically, youll need to pull the tranny and tear it down. The ATSG manual is the most informative for the job, and I believe it is on file on this site.

Thanks Fordman. Wish it was the shifter, but it is not. It is definitely internal to the trans. So I have some work ahead of me. Thanks again.

 

[Fordman]

woops...

Somewhere I stated that the 4.0 had a heaftier od clutch, but that was wrong. It has a heaftier forward clutch. I am going to put a list of clutch specs together from 85 to 91, and assume 92 to 94 are same. The year Ford changed the clutch thickness was 1990, and if you use pre 90 clutches in a post 90 tranny, and visa versa it will fail.

 

[pianoman2]

I have a spare A4LD trans to rebuild that has the two solenoid valve body. Can I rebuild it and simply replace the two solenoid valve body for the single solenoid valve body presently in my truck? Sure would simplify things. My trans is going down, and I would like to get this one built up so I can simply bolt it in and go.

Or can the two solenoid valve body be converted to a single solenoid valve body?

Short update. I tore the spare A4LD apart, all the clutches and bands look new. The clutch frictions still have the writing on them. It has the snap together sunshell, and the center support with the needle bearings. Not sure why it was tossed. Will pressure check everything before reassembly.

Also took the trans (A4LD) out of my truck and found the overdrive band burnt. (again) but the frictions and steels still with the printing still on it. When I adjusted the overdrive band, I torqued to 10foot pounds, then backed out 1 1/2 turns. Still too tight? No other damage found in the trans out of the pickup.

Any tips to keep the over drive band from burning again? Am I not adjusting it correctly? Could I have a valve on the valve body leaking or a bad servo?

 

[Bent Bolt]

Also took the trans (A4LD) out of my truck and found the overdrive band burnt. (again) but the frictions and steels still with the printing still on it. When I adjusted the overdrive band, I torqued to 10foot pounds, then backed out 1 1/2 turns. Still too tight? No other damage found in the trans out of the pickup.

Suppose to be 10 IN / LBS not Ft/LBS

Any tips to keep the over drive band from burning again? Am I not adjusting it correctly? Could I have a valve on the valve body leaking or a bad servo?

What does the surface of the coast clutch drum look like ? Put a straight edge to it to make sure it's flat. Check the rubber seal of servo piston . Should be nice and soft. If not or in doubt , change it.

 

[Shran]

I haven't officially had one die yet but the one in my '88 has always done weird stuff. Lost overdrive for a while, then it just came back, no idea why. I am also burning through ATF like crazy...it's toast in about 10,000 miles. Usually it starts slipping real bad going up big hills and heats up. Pan has lots of really fine metal stuck to it, filter is always full of chunks of something non metallic. I don't do any towing or even wheel it...just drive back and forth to work. Just thought I'd share my experience.

 

[Fordman]

The bands adjust to like 20 inch pounds, then back off 2 turns. I think that may be why it burnt.

Short update. I tore the spare A4LD apart, all the clutches and bands look new. The clutch frictions still have the writing on them. It has the snap together sunshell, and the center support with the needle bearings. Not sure why it was tossed. Will pressure check everything before reassembly.

Also took the trans (A4LD) out of my truck and found the overdrive band burnt. (again) but the frictions and steels still with the printing still on it. When I adjusted the overdrive band, I torqued to 10foot pounds, then backed out 1 1/2 turns. Still too tight? No other damage found in the trans out of the pickup.

Any tips to keep the over drive band from burning again? Am I not adjusting it correctly? Could I have a valve on the valve body leaking or a bad servo?

 

[pianoman2]

The bands adjust to like 20 inch pounds, then back off 2 turns. I think that may be why it burnt.

The bands adjust to like 20 inch pounds, then back off 2 turns. I think that may be why it burnt.


Quote:
Originally Posted by pianoman2
Short update. I tore the spare A4LD apart, all the clutches and bands look new. The clutch frictions still have the writing on them. It has the snap together sunshell, and the center support with the needle bearings. Not sure why it was tossed. Will pressure check everything before reassembly.

Also took the trans (A4LD) out of my truck and found the overdrive band burnt. (again) but the frictions and steels still with the printing still on it. When I adjusted the overdrive band, I torqued to 10foot pounds, then backed out 1 1/2 turns. Still too tight? No other damage found in the trans out of the pickup.

Any tips to keep the over drive band from burning again? Am I not adjusting it correctly? Could I have a valve on the valve body leaking or a bad servo?

More details... Both transmissions are completely apart now. The spare transmission needs both servos, both are cracked and hard as rocks. The transmission out of my truck also needs servos, but found an unusual problem I haven't seen. In the governor area one of the passages that goes from the governor down through the case to the valve body area had a hole in it allowing the fluid to spray out towards the tailcone area. Looked at the spare case and it is intact. I'll see if I can get some pics of it later, but I don't ever remember seeing this happen to an A4LD. With this hole, I don't think the governor could allow enough line pressure to properly shift this trans. Answers a whole lot of questions.

Going to order the new servos on Monday along with two new bands. All the drums and clutches still look like new, and pressure checks so far find no leaks. Maybe now this creature will operate better and last longer.

 

[Bruce]

Suppose to be 10 IN / LBS not Ft/LBS

It is 120 inch pounds which =10 foot pounds then back off 1 1/2 turns.

This is what is recommended by the shift kits.

 

[pianoman2]

It is 120 inch pounds which =10 foot pounds then back off 1 1/2 turns.

This is what is recommended by the shift kits.

That is what the transgo shift kit recommended. I'll have to dig deeper to make sure.

 

[Bent Bolt]

That is what the transgo shift kit recommended. I'll have to dig deeper to make sure.

Transgo does NOT say that.

They have a different method which works quite well. Turn adjusting screw in untill snug, back off until rear drive shaft will JUST turn both ways, tighten lock nut

 

[pianoman2]

Transgo does NOT say that.

They have a different method which works quite well. Turn adjusting screw in untill snug, back off until rear drive shaft will JUST turn both ways, tighten lock nut

Then I stand corrected.:icon_thumby: Won't be the last time. My wife is good about correcting me too.:icon_rofl:

 

[Fordman]

Got a bad habit of trying to recall from memory, but at my age...not a good idea. My method is tighten it light to snug, with a short wrench, back off 2. The 90-91 4.0 trannies usually used a double wrap that backed off like 3.5 or 4 turns. 92 went back to regular od band. This is a real confusing thing, since one doesnt know if the band could have been replaced, and may lead to od failure.

The bands adjust to like 20 inch pounds, then back off 2 turns. I think that may be why it burnt.

 

[Zachalanche]

My A4LD suddenly lost reverse one day and I had to push the truck out of my garage. roughly 50 miles later the transmission started to slip in the forward gears. by the time I managed to get home it would barely move at all, but the odd thing was that reverse was once again working. I swapped in a 5 speed and couldn't be happier.

Looking back I think the whole thing may have been a result of high temperatures. 2 days prior to the failure, I was hauling dirtbikes up a fairly steep hill on a 100+ dregree day. the transmission had about 145,000 miles on it. not sure if my A4ld is rebuildable or not, but its still sitting in my garage if anyone wants to try.