Help needed

[Reds_Redneck_Garage]

I have a 2000 explorer xlt that im having a few problems with. First and most importantly I'm having a problem with my tranny not going into gear in 2x4 but always spinning all 4 tires in 4x4. Obviously I am getting power through the tranny for the back wheels to turn but it' sits motionless in 2x4. When in 2x4 it sounds like I spun my drive shaft so it makes the common grinding sound. No sounds come apparent when in 4 wheel. I don' know what to make of it as I just put a new trans ,motor and transfer case in the beast with a completely rebuilt front and rear diff. Any help would be awesome. The motor is a 4.0 SOHC and trans is a 5R55E collectively they have 2000 miles. The rear diff has 1500 on it and front has about 800 on it. Transfer case has only 100 on it so it' more or less brand new

 

[drdoom]

In auto4x4 does it hold in PARK? Because that sounds like a bad transfer case.

 

[Reds_Redneck_Garage]

In 4x4 everything works. If it was the transfer case wouldn't I not have 4x4 only 2x4? I have done some research and with the engine and trans being new I have not done anything with the computer. It' still the original for 2000 so I was kinda thinking that could be the problem but at this point I have no idea. I have put $10,000 into it over the past year. Not sure what else could go wrong with it...

 

[drdoom]

Not necessarily. The range shifting collar coming disengaged has sidelined more Explorers than VB gaskets, timing chains, or thermostat housings.

In auto 4x4 and high 4x4 the ridiculously small teeth provide the only drive line connection downstream of the transmission. When in 4x4 low, that collar is buried so far into the planetaries it cannot slip.

The symptoms of this failure mode in brief might be described as: In normal driving in Auto, when releasing the accelerator or coasting, grinding occurs. Once the teeth are rounded off as a result, complete disengagement occurs. This is the condition where PARK won't even hold. When this happens you can still shift to low range and move the truck.

I'm not certain that this is your problem, but if you desire more info, Google it. You will find plenty. It is such a common and well known problem, you can even find articles from drivetrain trade publications, and in that industry they have basically identified the design flaw as the case housing being made from magnesium as opposed to the preferred aluminum alloy.

Best wishes.

 

[Reds_Redneck_Garage]

Not necessarily. The range shifting collar coming disengaged has sidelined more Explorers than VB gaskets, timing chains, or thermostat housings.

In auto 4x4 and high 4x4 the ridiculously small teeth provide the only drive line connection downstream of the transmission. When in 4x4 low, that collar is buried so far into the planetaries it cannot slip.

The symptoms of this failure mode in brief might be described as: In normal driving in Auto, when releasing the accelerator or coasting, grinding occurs. Once the teeth are rounded off as a result, complete disengagement occurs. This is the condition where PARK won't even hold. When this happens you can still shift to low range and move the truck.

I'm not certain that this is your problem, but if you desire more info, Google it. You will find plenty. It is such a common and well known problem, you can even find articles from drivetrain trade publications, and in that industry they have basically identified the design flaw as the case housing being made from magnesium as opposed to the preferred aluminum alloy.

Best wishes.

That' sounds exactly like what was happening. My question is how long would it take for it to fail to this point? Right after I dropped the new motor in place I noticed park didn't want to set all the way. It would click until what I thought the parking fork would finally lock up. I figured when I got the trans put in the company I outsourced to didn' set it correctly and it just wasn' engaging correctly. More info would be awesome if you don' mind

 

[drdoom]

Sorry I don't know how long it will hold up, no one can answer that. I have popped mine I think three times. First two times I did minimal repairs, lasted 15,000 miles first time, 30,000 miles the second time. After that I ponied up to pay a top machinist for bushing work, and put more hard parts internally. It has been robust and reliable for over 60,000 miles.

These transfer cases are easy to remove and rebuild, very simple internally.
There are great threads over in the transmission sub-forum.

 

[Reds_Redneck_Garage]

Sorry I don't know how long it will hold up, no one can answer that. I have popped mine I think three times. First two times I did minimal repairs, lasted 15,000 miles first time, 30,000 miles the second time. After that I ponied up to pay a top machinist for bushing work, and put more hard parts internally. It has been robust and reliable for over 60,000 miles.

These transfer cases are easy to remove and rebuild, very simple internally.
There are great threads over in the transmission sub-forum.

I plan to just order a new trans case. Just curious if I could have caught it a while back. I did the engine swap back in September/ October and park was slipping from then on. Finally stopped in December so it was being damaged for a while. Do you think that' why it was slipping park and do you think just stuffing a new trans case under the truck will fix my problems? Honestly I am starting to get tired of throwing money at something I have already put so much time and money into. Just wanna be sure that' the problem before I go ahead and do it. As well as I have a foot of snow on the ground and its negative temperatures outside where I have to do the work.


Also when I lifted off the gas it would grind and almost spool up and when eased back on the throttle it would slam me back into gear pretty hard. That was happening the day it went down up to the point when it kinda lurched a couple times and then nothing.


My other problem was a leaking injector and too much air from a split in the tube from the ait box to the throttle body. I have fixed both of those problems....for now...

 

[drdoom]

I do find it rather unusual that a new transfer case would fail in only 100 miles.

 

[Reds_Redneck_Garage]

here is a pic of the transfer case. I talked to the shop who did the work and they had only replaced the fluid levels in it. They will no longer be doing work for me. So my recent information about the truck were wrong. The transfer case is original.

 

[Reds_Redneck_Garage]

View attachment 154189 here is a pic of the transfer case. I talked to the shop who did the work and they had only replaced the fluid levels in it. They will no longer be doing work for me. So my recent information about the truck were wrong. The transfer case is original.

Here are some more pics from under the vehicle and the walk around view of it as well

 

[Reds_Redneck_Garage]

Update

I have ordered a new transfer case and it will be in Thursday. I will let you know friday when I get it on if it has fixed my problem. Wish me luck

 

[drdoom]

Did you get it repaired yet?

 

[Reds_Redneck_Garage]

Kinda. Still have to put driveshafts back on but weather hasn' been gentle

 

[Reds_Redneck_Garage]

So finally got the time and got some good weather. Transfer case is in and has fixed all of my problems. Thank you for everything and hopefully I won't need to come back for a while except to help others