OK, my tranny is going to die...prepare me..

[Tim K]

for well over a year now I have had the CLANK when I put it in reverse. I am now starting to get a CLANK from time to time when accellerating from a stop or slow pace. I have had a couple of episodes of OD light blinking but no codes showed up. My tranny fluid was all burnt and I had it flushed last week. I know that with my luck my tranny will be dead in under 2 months. What do I do when it dies? I would consider trading it in before it dies, but I don't think I like the 2000/01 Explorers as much as my 97. Oh woe is me...woe is me.

Obviously saving money to replace it when it dies is a good first step, but what do I do when the poor thing kicks the bucket? Where do I go about getting another tranny? Junkyard? Local AAMCO? The trustworthy service station in my neighborhood? The DEALER (gulp)? New or Rebuilt? Help!

I only mention the Dealer b/c I know the owner and he sold me my truck at cost and maybe he can get me a decent deal on a new tranny (or a new truck...vrrm vrrrrm).

 

[Tim K]

afterthought

hmmm...the more I consider a new truck the more it makes sense. My payment is (gasp) $500/mo (9.9% apr) with 11 months left. Ford is now offering 1.9% APR for 60 months (or 2.9% plus $750 cash back) through April. At that rate my payments would be over $50 less per month and I would have a NEW Explo under warranty....but I would have to trade it in before it dies though...


hmmmm.

Does it make sense financially to "start over" or when the time comes, should I pay for a new tranny (probably $2000) and be happy that I own my truck next year? I haven't invested time or money in real mods so its not like I will lose anything...

(check http://www.fordvehicles.com/programs/ for finance deals in your area)

 

[CHH777]

Are you sure that "CLANK" is coming from the tranny? Could it be worn u-joints.

Anyway, it's easy to talk yourself into buying a new truck under those circumstances (1.9 % APR, etc). Sometimes I wish I could buy a new Explor... Naaaaa.

 

[Tim K]

I am not sure...

I don't know what the clank is....just with my luck, it will be the tranny. How can I find out if it is just the U-Joints?

 

[MyExp]

STOP. Before you think it is the tranny let me tell you about my truck. I have the same clank when I put it in reverse or drive. I also have a clank when accelerating sometimes.

This has been happening for about two years. When I changed my tranny fluid about two years ago it was pretty bad, but my tranny still seems to be okay. It does take a while to shift into reverse sometimes but that is all.

I think the problem is in the driveline somewhere and not the tranny.

BC

 

[Bigcheck1]

get a new truck. i'm on my 4th tranny now. 3 in 4 days actually. long friggin story. if you think you cna get a good deal on a new one before your tranny goes get it. if you get it replaced go to the dealer, they are more knowledgable in my experiences

 

[mdrut]

I've got 120,000 miles on my drivetran.. Iservice it regularly and don't abuse it, we'll I try not to abuse it. I have the same clank and 90% of the other explorer owners do to.. I had it checked out a couple of years ago and the dealer told me it was due to the design of the driveshaft and rear chunk..the driveshaft being hollow, amplifies the ring and pingion and also any u-joint noise..There is a product on the market, can't remember the name, that makes a addative for limited slip rear ends, and it does quite it down some and gets rid of the low speed pop..

 

[MikeP]

Tim I too periodically have a "clank" and/or "ping" sound which probably comes from the drive line on my 91 XLT with about 128,000 miles (and have this sound for some time). I thought I saw a maintenance item to lube the rear driveshaft slip yoke and the right driveaxle slip yoke to prevent some of this noise. On the maintenance schedule this is a task to be done every 30,000 miles. My question is, hmmmm, when was the last time this slip yokelub job was done on my Explorer? Mike with 91 XLT4x4 in Seattle

 

[leebo]

Get it fixed....and fix it now. My tranny went out with no warning coming home from Truckhaven. I ended up sitting in a small town in Calf. for 5 hours. Then I still had to tow it home. The cost you are looking at may be a tad bit high. I've been quoted about a grand to rebuild mine, however I'd still have the same problem as before, a weak tranny. I'd say with it being as close as it is to being paid off......keep it. Then in a year you'd have one explorer ready for the trail, and then you could go get a new one for the road.

 

[Tim K]

Oooooooooh

That would be a dream. Juice up my 97 for offroading...and have a nice new 2001 for "comfort cruising". Of course, If I could afford to do all of that, much of my "cruising" would be done in the 2001 Corvette that I would buy...and park next to the 2001 Lexus LS-400 in my 20 car underground parking garage...

DAMN, I woke up again....why can't this be real!

 

[JAXBOSS]

tranny going

had my 92 in the shop at AAMACO and they wanted $2200.00 for a compl rebuild. I asked what the parts were costing and then did a search on the net to compare. Turns out almost every major part(torque conv,etc.) were wayyyyyy over the prices i found on the net. I brought this to the area managers attention and also emailed Headquarters. Long story short, got the job done for $1300.00 and a promise from me not to tell anyone.

 

[carrotcloud]

...put a "for sale" sign in the window - $6000. Take a $50 loss - the loss would be greater for what you would get for trade-in. Just my two cents worth....

 

[NoBoundaries]

Tim, also keep in mind (and no offense to anyone) you are hearing about all these tranny problems from pre-95 Explorer owners. What kind of engine do you have? Chances are that you do not have the same bad (no offense) tranny that plagues many of the 91-94's. I have over 100,000 miles on my truck, it still drives like it did 70,000 miles ago. It has many silly little things that make me wonder if its going bad. When I accelerate it makes a sucking sound like a diesel engine does when it accelerates, when I'm at idle the rpm's drop ever once in a while and makes the truck rattle a little, and many other things that can and do make me paranoid. The truth is, I take care of my truck very well and try not to abuse it. I can't invision something happening to it anytime soon. Maybe some of the little clanks and tings will be something to cause me problems down the road, but the truth is, they probably won't.
Vehicles get old and you worry about them, I know the feeling. You begin to notice things a little more because its not the same car you bought so many miles ago. You can either run yourself ragged with every vehicle you own simply by this very fact. If it's not this car after a while it will be the next one. You'll start to see little things that weren't there before. You should always save some money for your vehicles cause you never know what can go wrong. Whether the money goes to an insurance deductable or new tranny.
All I'm saying is don't rush yourself into a decision like buying a new vehicle because no matter what, your just going to bring your same worries with you. Believe me, I worry about my tranny going all the time because it seems to be a short coming for our trucks, but I prepare myself for what could happen so when it does (or doesn't), I can deal with it without worry.
Sorry about my rambling, Tim, I'm not saying your paranoid or anything, I'm just saying that your truck only has 83,000 miles on it. That's 17,000 less than me, you really shouldn't worry too much. Truth is, you have another 17,000 miles till you have to start worrying!Dead Link Removed
Save your money, if needs be look around for some deals now on trannys. When you find a good one at a good price that you can afford, buy it and keep it in storage until the inevitable comes.

[Edited by NoBoundaries on 01-20-2001 at 09:26 PM]

 

[leebo]

Originally posted by NoBoundaries
Chances are that you do not have the same bad (no offense) tranny that plagues many of the 91-94's.

This is very true. Ford did redo the tranny on the newer explorers. They are better, but in my mind they're still not the best. I know that me taking it on the trails doesnt help a darn thing, as well as all the stop and go I have to do. I can honestly say that while my explorer sits in the driveway till they come and pick it up to rebuild it I miss the heck out of it. Without a doubt I'd say keep it and enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine.

 

[FMExplorer]

Tranny probs...

Tim,
I have recently had my tranny rebuilt and it cost about $2200. I had a few things done to beef it up a bit (and learned there are more things that can be done). 1 - I had a shift kit put in. This will make the tranny shift harder, but less wear and tear on the components inside. Cost about $150 for parts for this kit. Another upgrade I wish I had done is a braking system. Somewhere on this site there is a guy that can rebuild the tranny so it works similar to a manual - when going down hill it will slow you down like a manual one will. Check around before making a hasty decision. My vote is to put the money into the tranny and not buy a new one. Don't look at the payments. Look at it this way - you own yours outright now (or just about). As soon as you drive the new one off the lot you are upside down - or have invested a lot of cash to keep from being upside down. Keeping this one running and in good condition will get you the Vette and 20 car garage sooner

Jon M

 

[MikeP]

Tim Here is the link to the writeup about u-joints, slip-yoke lubrication, etc. to reduce the "clunk" noise in the drive line.
Dead Link Removed
That web site has a lots of good stuff on Explorer maintenance and repairs. Mike 91XLT 4x4 in Seattle