Official A4LD Problem Thread!

[astroboy]

explorer trans

hi i have a 99 explorer with a bad engine and i got a2000 explorer with 50k for the engine it is 4x4 could i use the trans if i have the tail shaft changed note i have the ecm as well ?

 

[Robert_1967]

hi i have a 99 explorer with a bad engine and i got a2000 explorer with 50k for the engine it is 4x4 could i use the trans if i have the tail shaft changed note i have the ecm as well ?

you would have to gut both trans and change the shaft, they are too different lengths, the 4x4 is shorter then the 2wd.




Robert

 

[Blue88]

A4LD Hard shifts/slip/OD wont work

88 BroncoII 4X4 with A4LD and automatic transfer (push button 4wd). slips a little when engaging in first. Shifts really hard into second. Slips and stutters from second to third. Sometimes it won't shift and I have to put the gas down to get it to shift. Then it shifts really hard. Trans won't even shift into O/D, so I cruise at 60 running 3k rpm. Looking to swap in a Mitsu 146 5-speed or Mazda M5OD-R1. Any advice?

 

[Robert_1967]

88 BroncoII 4X4 with A4LD and automatic transfer (push button 4wd). slips a little when engaging in first. Shifts really hard into second. Slips and stutters from second to third. Sometimes it won't shift and I have to put the gas down to get it to shift. Then it shifts really hard. Trans won't even shift into O/D, so I cruise at 60 running 3k rpm. Looking to swap in a Mitsu 146 5-speed or Mazda M5OD-R1. Any advice?

use the M5OD, it better.




Robert

 

[jdanbarnes]

My A4LD has problems with the 1-2 selanoid not engaging, then the clutches fused so I only had forward. I could drive it around in neutral, but no reverse. It's currently in the garage, working to get the tranny out, got a salvage one for replacement. 1990 4.0 4x4 Ranger.

 

[mobile madness]

use the M5OD, it better.




Robert

Too bad no one can find them.

My problem is un resolved. my a4ld will not shift into second untill the engine warms up. If I manually put it into second and throw it into drive or overdrive it drops back into first and the rpms sky rockets. I can start out into drive and floor the basterd till the fuel gets shut off from over reving.

I would totrally throw a m50d or hd in there but I can't find any or have the time to do so.

 

[JMG]

Hi guys, new member here.

I am trying to help out a woman that teaches with my wife. She has a 1992 Ranger 3.0 2wd auto. The truck was purchased new by her dad who gave it to her husband before he died. Then after her husband died, the truck was given to her daughter. What I'm saying here, is the truck is worth nothing to you or I, but to them it is priceless, and as such, it will get all the attention it needs.

The daughter drove it for a while but started having transmission issues and took it in for a service. 3 months later it would only reach a top speed of 25mph so she parked it, where it stayed for 6 months until I towed home last weekend. Before I towed it I checked the fluid level. It was full but it looked like engine oil that had done 20,000 miles and was horribly burnt smelling. I started it and managed to get it to drive up on the dolly but it needed a lot of revs and was making some dodgy rattling noises. I couldnt be sure it that noise was transmission/torque converter or exhaust heat shields or cat.

Tonight I pull off the pan and filter and it is disgusting in there. There is no way the fluid and filter in here was only driven for 3 months. This looks all original even down to the Ford stamped filter. (She didnt take it to a dealer for the tranny service) The magnet had about a 1/4 - 1/3 inch of thick black sludge on it and the rest of the pan had a 1/8 inch thick black coating on it. There were some tiny metal fragments and 3 pieces of what looked like a meatl ring. Think a piece of solid core wire in a loop. It was broken with one piece crushed flat. The filter was semi blocked with metal fragments, some copper colored. However, looking into the tranny, everything else I could see looked spotless with no metal fragments anywhere I could see. The dripping fluid even looked cleaner with a much better red color to it.

So at the moment I'm kind stuck in which way to go. I am tempted to put the new filter in and the pan back on and drive it to see if it drives better or to just tear it out now and rebuild it. If it isnt fixed, then I'm still only out $39 and about 60 minutes but I'll know whats what.

Looking briefly at the service manual the diagnosis points to it possibly being the torque converter. If I put it all back together I can do some diagnostics on it and narrow down the cause.

So what is the consensus here?

 

[Robert_1967]

Hi guys, new member here.

I am trying to help out a woman that teaches with my wife. She has a 1992 Ranger 3.0 2wd auto. The truck was purchased new by her dad who gave it to her husband before he died. Then after her husband died, the truck was given to her daughter. What I'm saying here, is the truck is worth nothing to you or I, but to them it is priceless, and as such, it will get all the attention it needs.

The daughter drove it for a while but started having transmission issues and took it in for a service. 3 months later it would only reach a top speed of 25mph so she parked it, where it stayed for 6 months until I towed home last weekend. Before I towed it I checked the fluid level. It was full but it looked like engine oil that had done 20,000 miles and was horribly burnt smelling. I started it and managed to get it to drive up on the dolly but it needed a lot of revs and was making some dodgy rattling noises. I couldnt be sure it that noise was transmission/torque converter or exhaust heat shields or cat.

Tonight I pull off the pan and filter and it is disgusting in there. There is no way the fluid and filter in here was only driven for 3 months. This looks all original even down to the Ford stamped filter. (She didnt take it to a dealer for the tranny service) The magnet had about a 1/4 - 1/3 inch of thick black sludge on it and the rest of the pan had a 1/8 inch thick black coating on it. There were some tiny metal fragments and 3 pieces of what looked like a meatl ring. Think a piece of solid core wire in a loop. It was broken with one piece crushed flat. The filter was semi blocked with metal fragments, some copper colored. However, looking into the tranny, everything else I could see looked spotless with no metal fragments anywhere I could see. The dripping fluid even looked cleaner with a much better red color to it.

So at the moment I'm kind stuck in which way to go. I am tempted to put the new filter in and the pan back on and drive it to see if it drives better or to just tear it out now and rebuild it. If it isnt fixed, then I'm still only out $39 and about 60 minutes but I'll know whats what.

Looking briefly at the service manual the diagnosis points to it possibly being the torque converter. If I put it all back together I can do some diagnostics on it and narrow down the cause.

So what is the consensus here?

If there are pieces of copper in the pan, then it's time for a tranny, there are copper bushings and copper washers in the tranny, you could try and change the filter, and fluid, but I don't think that will solve your problem.

also only a 3.0 tranny will fit, it's not like the 2.8,2.9, and 4.0, only the 3.0 will fit a 3.0, same as a 2.3 will only fit a 2.3

Robert

 

[JMG]

Yes, there were one or two copper or brass looking flecks.

I tried searching car-part.com for a 3.0 tranny and it says there are 3 kinds, mechanical speedo, and electronic with and without splines on the output shaft. When I was under there tonight, I forgot to take a look at the rear of the tranny to see if it was a mechanical speedo or not. I do have a picture of the stamped part numbers though, so using those, how could I find out which version of tranny I have?

Also, should I rebuild (my first time) buy recon or a junkyard replacement?

 

[Robert_1967]

If it was me, and this is what I did when I first got my BII with a broken pump, I dropped the tranny, took a bunch of pictures, and then also using the Tech Forums from TRS, I found which years would work with my 89, I then went to Pull-A-Parts, and found a tranny, for 80.00 with a 30 day warranty, and IF I had treated the tranny right I would still be using it (they aren't built to tow with, and so far I have done a lot of towing), I just changed out that tranny for the one that came with mine, just had to change the pump.


So drop your tranny, take pictures with a cell phone, and then head to the local junk yard, and grab one.



Robert

 

[JMG]

$80?!!!!

If I want one with 150,000 miles, I'll pay maybe $350 for it around here! I was looking at one with 68K on it for $650 last night.

 

[Robert_1967]

$80?!!!!

If I want one with 150,000 miles, I'll pay maybe $350 for it around here! I was looking at one with 68K on it for $650 last night.

The local Pull-A-Parts in Knoxville, TN. only charges 80.00 with the 30 day warranty, if I had to pay 350.00 for one, it better have at least a one year warranty on it, and there is no way I would pay 650 for one.


where is "around here"?



Robert



posted from my laptop while playing with a iPhone 3g to see if it works.

 

[JMG]

The local Pull-A-Parts in Knoxville, TN. only charges 80.00 with the 30 day warranty, if I had to pay 350.00 for one, it better have at least a one year warranty on it, and there is no way I would pay 650 for one.


where is "around here"?



Robert



posted from my laptop while playing with a iPhone 3g to see if it works.

Sorry, around here is Michigan. I found one for $150 this morning that had 212K on it and was not working. Umm, how about NO!

It sounds like its cheaper to buy down there and freight it up.


Couple of further questions:

How high does the truck need to be jacked up to wiggle this out?
Does the exhaust have to be removed?
Any gotchya's that dont look obvious before starting?
Does the engine need to be supported or will it rest on the mounts and stay put?

 

[Robert_1967]

Sorry, around here is Michigan. I found one for $150 this morning that had 212K on it and was not working. Umm, how about NO!

It sounds like its cheaper to buy down there and freight it up.


Couple of further questions:

How high does the truck need to be jacked up to wiggle this out?
Does the exhaust have to be removed?
Any gotchya's that dont look obvious before starting?
Does the engine need to be supported or will it rest on the mounts and stay put?

This is how I do it, I run the front wheels up on to a set of wheel ramps, then I jack the back up to where I can get under the truck pretty easy, I'm 6'4" tall and 280 pounds, I have found it easier to unhook the down tubes from the exhaust manifolds, and then also unhook behind the cats, this way when I use my trans jack to hold the trans and remove the cross member, these drop our of the way to where I can use very long extensions and remove the trans bolts, BUT first.

you must remove the starter (be sure to unhook the battery first thing) and then remove the four nuts that hold the flex plate to the TQ, then you can unhook the shifter cable and wires, plus the speed'O cable/wires, then remove the drive shaft, THEN you can remove the bolts that hold the trans to the engine.

almost forgot, you need to unhook the trans cooling lines, before you hook this back up to a "new" trans, blow them out really really good.

after they are all out, remove the dip stick tube, one of the trans bolts hold this in, pull the trans back, lower the jack a little and then wiggle the trans a little, lower the jack some more, cuss it a little, then pull some more till you clear the front frame member, then lower the jack all the way down, then pull the trans out from under the truck.

when it's out, stand up, give it a mean look, give it a little kick, and get something cold to drink.:icon_thumby:

I can remove one in under 1.5 hours if nothing bad happens, and it isn't burning up hot out side.



Robert




posted from my laptop while downloading movies.

 

[CamoRanger94]

Had an A4LD in my 92 ranger changed the trans fluid and started slipping hardcore. My solution was swap in a 5 spd. Oh and make sure to keep your computer on the swap for some reason mine would not run with the 5 spd computer

 

[JMG]

http://www.onlinetransmissionparts.com/servlet/the-206/HD-Upgrade-Package-for/Detail

Thoughts?

 

[Robert_1967]

well, you would know whats in the transmission, and it does come with a new TQ, If you have the cash, and tools to rebuild, go for it, try checking the same kit at Rockauto.com first.




Robert



posted in 100 years

 

[Ryannn]

Well, it's not a good sign when there is a specific portion of a forum dedicated exclusively to your transmission!

I have a 1992 Ranger four-wheel drive with a automatic transmission. Overall it very happy with this truck, but as of late the transmission has been giving me some problems, and you may have read about this in an earlier thread that I had posted.

Briefly, to summarize, I had the tranmission fluid changed by Jiffy Lube, and shortly thereafter when towing a small boat my transmission had spewed forth a fairly large quantity of red fluid.

My original assumption is that this was overflow fluid, as performed by the service center, and indeed the rate of discharge had decreased, but never ceased.

I had brought it into the mechanic for visual inspection, thinking that perhaps it was the overflow tube, or the dipstick tube but there was no obvious sign of the fluid leakage, except for between the bell housing in the engine block, an area such as would be disclosed by a failure of the front pressure seal.

I decided to watch and wait, and simply check the fluid level frequently.

However it continued to leak, especially under load.

Given the fact I don't have the time to pull transmission myself, I contemplated bringing it in, but that's a fairly expensive job on a fairly old truck.

Thus I decided to roll the dice and try some transmission sealer, which miraculouly appears to have worked. The prayer might have done the trick, as it were.

I realize that this is likely only temporary, but a least a limited time to save money for new transmission seal.

Hopes this helps somebody.

Bill

We took a work truck to Jiffy lube for a service and two days later the tranny went out. I'm not sure if these guys put the right fluids in. I will not take anything to them again. It was a newer truck

 

[Shran]

We took a work truck to Jiffy lube for a service and two days later the tranny went out. I'm not sure if these guys put the right fluids in. I will not take anything to them again. It was a newer truck

Would you trust a doctor who gets paid $7.25 an hour and has no education to perform surgery on you? Jiffy Lube type places are full of idiots that don't care. I would NEVER let them do any sort of work on my vehicles.

 

[Ev 1988]

I have a 1987 Ford ranger STX 4X4 Extended Cab that has a A4LD My problem is I have NO Gears except Neutral I had My great uncle Bob Chandler run a dianostics test and I found out the clutch is shot And the bands are broke Now I got a hold of a transmission guy Names John Evans Over at a private garage in Leadwood Mo He said he can rebuild it for $700 And up I found a FULL Rebuild kit at O'Reilly Auto Parts part number (FOA4LD) They want $1,837 And a $100 Core charge Now heres the problem I CANT Afford that And they said there IS Another kit out there I went to Auto Zone They have a kit for $300 $50 Core Charge OR I can pay $1,420 for a new transmission That has a 3 year warranty $400 Core Charge But I want to keep my Original Transmission The truck has 57,701.9 Original Miles The transmission Was rebuilt by Ford Motor Co. back in 06 But they only replaced the bands and the Over Drive gear My question is How hard is it to rebuild my OWN Transmission And what tools Ill need Im wanting to rebuild my OWN Stuff instead of paying people $1,000s of dollars for work