Matt's '92/'99 4X4 V8/4R70W swap!

Vehicle: 1992 forest green Ford Explorer 4X4

(<Frikin Sweet)

Drivetrain: '99 GT-40P 5.0(4.9)L 302----4R70W Automatic

Well i got my engine so i guess its time to start a project thread! The timeline on this is pretty loose. but as soon as possible cause the ole 4.0 is making wierd noises.

EDIT: DO NOT be STUPID like me! Don't get a 2wd drivetrain to go into a 4wd vehicle! The transmission output shaft length is different and will require a full trans teardown to retrofit. Luckily one of the other awesome members of the forum has the parts I need to convert. But you may not be so lucky. I doubt most junkyards would sell you Just the shaft and housing. Would rather you buy the whole transmission.

Plans:
Full teardown and rebuild
Keeping the gt-40's
New gaskets,pistons,cam,bearings,lifters, the works.
Maybe new crank
maybe strokin it
build for future forced induction
Transfer case: Hhhhhhmmmmmmm... maybe bw1354(dont wanna) or 4406 if i can fit it between the frame rails
plans will definitely evolve as we go along

here the pics

cant wait to get this thing runnin!

 

[seth247]

Got the trans up on stands and the pan off and cleaned.

Yep the plug was there. so first time this pan has been dropped.

Pan magnet covered in a grease ball of fine metal fillings

So my pan had this sticker on the out side. if you cant read the picture it says
"US and Canadian dealers only,
1998 4R70W Early Concern Definition,
PRIOR TO REPAIR See TSB 97-17,
void after January 31st, 1998."

What is that all about?

Also, does this pump housing look Overly clean compared to the gritty bellhousing around it to anyone else? Perhaps it is a replacment? or is it normal for it to look clean?

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Call the 1-800 number and ask. It what it says...

Closest thing I can find online is something about deceleration and stalling in warm weather, but it's not even related to that style transmission. But again, I'm not an expert at finding what the TSB means. I've tried googling but am coming up short.

 

[410Fortune]

one of my 4r70w's had that sticker also, I believe it was something to do with a TSB fix that was performed on your unit.

yes the pump housing should be that clean, looks like your unit was upgraded from the factory with some updates
what year is this trans again?

Call the number! I never did....... I just had it rebuilt overnight and called it good

 

[seth247]

alright folks the garage is warming up as we speak and I'm about to give this trans the what-for.

 

[seth247]

phew that can make you tired fast!

got all the guts out and the 4wd tailshaft and tailhousing in and on respectivley.

Even got around to disassembling the direct clutch and dropping in the new altos after some ATF soakage.

guess what... the intermediate clutch frictions mic'd out to the same thickness as the new replacments, exactly.

And i didn't even bother mic'ing the direct clutch frictions cause I COULD STILL READ THE PART NUMBER ON THEM!!!!!!1!!!1!11!11!!1!!!!

goes to re-iterate glaciers point that, baring catastrophic failure or misuse, there really is no real "useful life" for frictions in an auto trans.

but im having fun anyway and at least i'm learning new things.

i have about 22 pics for you guys so far and ill post them in a second.

edit: scratch that ill do it tomorrow night after i finish the trans. its too late right now.

 

[seth247]

well folks i have what you might call a delima.

a leftover snap ring that doesnt seem to go anywhere. i took the whole transmission BACK apart and nope it goes nowhere.

Problem is, i'm willing to testify that i DIDN'T pull this snap ring OUT OF MY ASS.

so it must have come from the transmission.

it aint no little one neither. its 7-friggin-inches across. the second biggest one in the whole thing, too big to go into any of the clutches, except maybe the intermediate, yet the intermediate clutch HAS NO SNAP RING, so it doesnt go there.

the size of the thing indicates it would go into the case, like the biggest one that holds in the planetary support does, yet there is no place in the case where it fits snugly.

pissin me off.

 

[410Fortune]

ouch!!! Rebuild kit come with a new one?

 

[Spdrcer34]

When in doubt, STUDY the pics....THEN the manual....THEN the shop...


Ryan

 

[seth247]

no the rebuild kit didnt come with any snap rings.

i went through and studied every picture ive takin so far, took one everytime i removed something, and i cant find hide nor hair of this thing.

sent pics and measurements to glacier, hopefully the masterrebuilder can save me!

here it is.

 

[seth247]

sorry the pic is soo big, i wanted the ful resolution for glacier, once i find this things home ill resize it.

 

[410Fortune]

sanp ring? Isnt that a ring from part of the clutch pack?

 

[seth247]

It's like the clutch pack snap rings but is biggere around than any of the clutches.

 

[Willard]

Is there a center support? I don't know if the 4r70w has one, I'm an A4LD guy. It looks a lot like what would hold a center support in to me.

Edit: Nevermind, you already mentioned the planetary support one, so I'm assuming you already installed it...

 

[seth247]

Yeah there is a planetary support.

But it has a different snap ring that's even bigger.

I have an idea where it might go but I'm waiting on a reply from glacier.

 

[seth247]

ok glacier says it's a "retaining ring" used for keepin the reverse band in place during assembly.

Which is why I couldn't figure it out, I'm assembling my trans on it's side so the ring isn't needed particularly.

Now I can finish the trans Monday when I get back to my dads.

 

[CDW6212R]

Excellent progress there. Keep going slow with it, cleanliness and being thorough with everything is the key. Did you buy the seal and piston tools, how did you R&R those? I noticed last year that the prices are almost double from before.

 

[seth247]

No I haven't bought any instalation tools.

Not worried too much about changing seals except the ones i can get too.

All the rubber seals are still soft and Im not spending a hundred dollars on a set of overpriced pieces of plastic. I hate stuff like that, they know you need them, so they charge out the ass for something that cost 28 cents a set to make in china.[/rant]

Anyway, don from your pictures I notice your mains are studs instead if bolts.

Is this a strength improvement over the bolts?

One would think that studs would be weaker unless they were bigger than the Bolts. Because of the weaker threads.

I have yet to purchase my mains fasteners.

 

[Spdrcer34]

Studs are STRONGER than bolts.

The studs are screwed into the block, fully engaging the medium to coarse threads. The top of the stud has a much finer thread that is much better for these type of precision torque applications.

With the stud engaged proplerly in the block, the stud will stretch like it is designed to do. Where as, a bolt will pull unevenly on the holes in the block AND stretch the bolt.

Ryan

 

[CDW6212R]

The tools for the trans used to be about $100 total, the seal installers were under $40 then(I got a deal at $25). You can get away without going into the drums only if the whole trans is extremely clean, and not high mileage. It sounds like you have such a trans, very good.

Bolts for the heads and main caps are fine and appropriate for normal or mild applications. Studs are better for more expensive or powerful engine builds. For example, I would buy those studs before doing roller rockers. The stock rocker arm bolts are weak for higher rpm,s than stock, but fine for say under 5500rpm. The point is to not over rev an engine past the reliable limit of the rocker bolts, thus an auto trans is great for us. Let the trans do all of the shifting, put the effort into the PCM tuning to make it shift right for the best performance.

 

[seth247]

I think I will get studs for my mains. Since they are notnmuch more expensive.

This trans does seem to be in good shape. Except for some wear on the dog ears and slots that I'm that I'm not terribly worried about.

Bushings are all in good shape. Still can see factory markings on some clutch frictions.

Hopefully will last me for a long time.

I'm enjoying a sinus infection at the moment so I May not get to the trans tonight. But maybe.