Official A4LD Problem Thread!

[Viper Command]

I called around to some of the transmission shops around here, and they wouldn't sell me a TC, but would rebuild my trans for an estimate of 500.00+, So I called ORiellys and ordered a reman TC with one year warn. for 129.00

I'll have it monday.

Robert

Too bad your not in so. cal. I get TC's for $70.00.
$500.00 to rebuild sounds like a soft part rebuild. but a good deal none the less.

 

[Tomslick66]

Delayed engagement and low gear slips when cold

2WD 3.0 1995 mileage somewhere over 140K, (that's where the worm gear broke)

I had hard shifts between 1st and second all day, every day. It would take maybe 30 seconds to go into gear when I first started the truck for the day and it would slip in lower gears until warmed up.

Cleaned the MAF with CRC MAF cleaner and HOCUS POCUS! my transmission got it's mind right! I don't know if the brand of cleaner makes any difference so use what you can find as long as it's specifically for MAF sensors.

Who woulda thunk the MAF would have anything to do with the tranny?

 

[Andres629]

I have essentially the same problem as Tomslick had. First start the truck after sitting for a couple hours or so, will not want to shift from first. After I rev it at about 3500-4k for a little and let off, she'll shift. It doesn't like to stay in second so much, so second is a hard shift and is short lived, and on to 3rd. Haven't dropped the pan yet as it is a DD for now, but upon inspection (AKA checking fluid level :icon_rofl the fluid is still a nice red color, and does not smell burnt whatsoever. I swapped in a 4.0 rad and Expo cooler along with an inline filter. I'm thinking maybe I have to adjust the bands? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[GrizzleGut]

I have an '86 2wd 2.9 A4LD and im at a loss of what to do. When cold starting, it will go into gear fine, but as soon as it warms up it will no longer go into gear. I have checked fluids and they are fine. Before this happened i was having trouble with it leaking tranifluid after driving it for several miles (90 miles or so highway). Talked to my local auto shop and was told it would be $1000 to rebuild. That aint happening! If any of you can give me an idea of what i might be able to do or look into it would be appreciated. Would like to fix it myself if possible or even worth it.

 

[Viper Command]

I have an '86 2wd 2.9 A4LD and im at a loss of what to do. When cold starting, it will go into gear fine, but as soon as it warms up it will no longer go into gear. I have checked fluids and they are fine. Before this happened i was having trouble with it leaking tranifluid after driving it for several miles (90 miles or so highway). Talked to my local auto shop and was told it would be $1000 to rebuild. That aint happening! If any of you can give me an idea of what i might be able to do or look into it would be appreciated. Would like to fix it myself if possible or even worth it.

Your trans is overheating and dumping the heat expanded fluid, it is overheating because of slipping clutches.
your torque converter, bands, forward clutch packs can be the problem.

The O-D servo is on the outside of the trans closest to the bell housing. look for a round cover about 2.5 inches round. remove the snap ring, fenagle the cover out (dont scrach the bore or you will have an external leak), the moving portion of the servo is black rubber w/ a pin attached to the center, inspect the lip seals large and small for cracks, splits, missing rubber, firmness (if its hard it needs replacing) if you find any of thies, it needs replacing. take the servo and the cover to your local trans shop and get a new one also get a new O ring for the cover.

the valve body may be leaking and not applying adaquite pressure to the forward drums, there could be bad seals at the drums, and the drums could be leaking past the O ring seal.

T.C. when its a cold startup and you hear a wineing tapping sound comming from the floorbord and gets more pernounced with RPMs and load but quiets down when warmed up you T.C. is bad


Hope this helps...

 

[GrizzleGut]

Your trans is overheating and dumping the heat expanded fluid, it is overheating because of slipping clutches.
your torque converter, bands, forward clutch packs can be the problem.

The O-D servo is on the outside of the trans closest to the bell housing. look for a round cover about 2.5 inches round. remove the snap ring, fenagle the cover out (dont scrach the bore or you will have an external leak), the moving portion of the servo is black rubber w/ a pin attached to the center, inspect the lip seals large and small for cracks, splits, missing rubber, firmness (if its hard it needs replacing) if you find any of thies, it needs replacing. take the servo and the cover to your local trans shop and get a new one also get a new O ring for the cover.

the valve body may be leaking and not applying adaquite pressure to the forward drums, there could be bad seals at the drums, and the drums could be leaking past the O ring seal.

T.C. when its a cold startup and you hear a wineing tapping sound comming from the floorbord and gets more pernounced with RPMs and load but quiets down when warmed up you T.C. is bad


Hope this helps...

Thanks Viper. From what you described it sounds like it must be my T.C. thats bad. Will let you all know how things go as soon as i get time to work on it.

 

[Viper Command]

Thanks Viper. From what you described it sounds like it must be my T.C. thats bad. Will let you all know how things go as soon as i get time to work on it.

If you havent replaced your TC yet, try to replace your trans filter with a screen type filter and replace your fluid in the pan.

 

[dopesticky]

problems after rebuild

I have a 92 RANGER XLT 4.0, when i got the truck it had a dead trany (a4ld), having never rebuild a tranny i thought it sounded like a fun project, so i did the rebuild replacing all the seal, clutch packs, OD band, intermediate band, OD housing, and put in a trans go shift kit, and cleaned everything, after putting it back in to my surprise it worked, first tested drive went great.
i got about 750 miles on it and Ive stopped babying it, but Ive notice that when in rev if i give it to much throttle it fells like the band is slipping, was going to pull it back out and replace the rev band but then ive notice that if i give it full throttle in drive on pavement the whole truck shakes violently and fells like its come from tranny, but full throttle on grass or mud peals out just fine.
fluid level good, still has good color, mabye i little darker then its should be, and as long as i baby it when starting out it fells fine, all other shifts fell good (even at full throttle). still a newbie when it comes to tranny and don't want to take all apart agine to fix the wrong thing, any help would be great, thanks

 

[Viper Command]

but then ive notice that if i give it full throttle in drive on pavement the whole truck shakes violently and fells like its come from tranny, but full throttle on grass or mud peals out just fine.

The shaking/shuttering is coming from the trans, the forward clutch are slipping and gripping due to drum pressure on the clutch packs.
there are many causes:
low pressure in the valve body, under sized O ring to the drum, pinched O ring to the drum, drum diafram leaking and or blown, not enough clutches-steels loaded in the drums.

 

[Andres629]

I have essentially the same problem as Tomslick had. First start the truck after sitting for a couple hours or so, will not want to shift from first. After I rev it at about 3500-4k for a little and let off, she'll shift. It doesn't like to stay in second so much, so second is a hard shift and is short lived, and on to 3rd. Haven't dropped the pan yet as it is a DD for now, but upon inspection (AKA checking fluid level :icon_rofl the fluid is still a nice red color, and does not smell burnt whatsoever. I swapped in a 4.0 rad and Expo cooler along with an inline filter. I'm thinking maybe I have to adjust the bands? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Bump? Sorry, I have not actually fixed this yet...

 

[dopesticky]

The shaking/shuttering is coming from the trans, the forward clutch are slipping and gripping due to drum pressure on the clutch packs.
there are many causes:
low pressure in the valve body, under sized O ring to the drum, pinched O ring to the drum, drum diafram leaking and or blown, not enough clutches-steels loaded in the drums.

well thanks for the help, I'm dreaded doing another tear down, but hopefully it will be easy the second time, I'll start with the valve body if that don't work ill do the rest, at least now i have an ideal what I'm looking for, then agine i might cut my losses and put in a 5 speed in. another question will the Mazda M50D-R1 bolt right up, and is it my only/best option (92 Ranger 4.0L).
im going take this hole thing as a leaning experience,

 

[Viper Command]

Bump? Sorry, I have not actually fixed this yet...

You have a fluid problem, its low and or the filter is cloged. Replace the filter w/ a screen type and be shure to install bolth O rings on the filter.

If this does nothing for you then you need a overhaul.

 

[Andres629]

Okay, thanks. That's what I figured, probably the filters were clogged. Thank you for for replying!

 

[jfroh1992]

i have a 94 that i put a clutch in. i somehow got air in the clutch line. i have tried putting the front end up in the air and bleeding it backwards. nothing is working! can anyone help me?

 

[Viper Command]

your posting in an a4ld problem page ('83-'94 automatic trans)

http://therangerstation.com/tech_library/bleedclutch.htm
this should help.

 

[crusin93]

Well I've read this entire thread and feel rather fortunate I not experiencing these blow out issues. Sounds frustrating. However, I am experiencing the strange 3-4 shift and then repeat 3-4 shift phenomon at speeds above 45 mph. It's a strange feeling. Almost like the a4ld can't make up it's mind what gear to be in, 3rd or OD. Above 60mph the problem dissapears. It Seems to be more evident when the ambient tempature is above 80f. No problems with the fluid or slippage. Someone else mentioned this and did not get a response. Any ideas? 87' 2.9 4x4 a4ld

 

[Viper Command]

Well I've read this entire thread and feel rather fortunate I not experiencing these blow out issues. Sounds frustrating. However, I am experiencing the strange 3-4 shift and then repeat 3-4 shift phenomon at speeds above 45 mph. It's a strange feeling. Almost like the a4ld can't make up it's mind what gear to be in, 3rd or OD. Above 60mph the problem dissapears. It Seems to be more evident when the ambient tempature is above 80f. No problems with the fluid or slippage. Someone else mentioned this and did not get a response. Any ideas? 87' 2.9 4x4 a4ld

What gear/tire combo are you running?

Does it feel like a full downshift or a sub (small) down shift?

to test it after it does the downshift, drop the shifter into 3rd. and watch your RPMs.

let me know if it downshifts more.

One last thing does your speedo bounce?

 

[crusin93]

3.73's 235x75x15"
small quick changes aprox 1.5 seconds between shifts
happens too fast to manually downshift between
no bounce in speedo

 

[Viper Command]

Ill do some testing with my a4ld and see if I can copy your problem agin...

her a4ld did the same thing but it also lost 1st gear so I did a full overhaul and shift kit, no more overdrive bounce shifting.

Ill let you know what I find very soon.

 

[electriken]

O/D Adjustment Screw Fell Out Driving my 85 Bronco II yesterday I had my O/D go out. When I got it home I crawled under and found that the O/D adjustment screw had backed all the way out! It was just hanging there. Not having vast knowledge of transmissions is this something that I an just screw back in and adjust it to specs? Or am I looking at pulling the tranny to fix?