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troubleshooting Somewhere on this site you will find a Ford transmission manual which has a very thorough troubleshooting section. Had to go there a lot back when I was having transmission problems. One guy pulled his Ford tranny apart 3 times before he found the problem. Turned out it was...

Bravo this may save someone else a lot of trouble.

One of my old Datsuns had a baffling misfire problem for a long time. Turned out to be a defective fusible link near the battery. Found it by accident when I wiggled the wire and the radio came on. Good luck hang in there.

My wife's 89 aerostar had the same problem and I just got through fixing it. Yep it was the sender. The junk yard man had about a hundred Ford pump/sender units on the shelf and he let me look through them. Finally found one from a 93 Aerostar. Gave him 20 bucks. Turned out the pump was better...

That sounds like a linkage problem. I would crawl under there and see if things are working properly when you move the shifter.

Bravo! Brooklyn Bay nailed it back in post #20: "Check the front pump gears".

Another suggestion: Reassemble the pump to the bell housing and take it to a transmission shop for alignment before you torque the bolts. However they will probably tell you it needs a new bushing.

cheap pump tool This is frowned upon by the experts but I used a 1" PVC pipe coupling to align the pump on my a4ld. Dangerously close to perfect inside and out. Hasn't leaked a drop yet.

OMG zero psi

Friend I would not throw money at it and fix stuff that ain't broke untill you are sure what the problem is.

If it suddenly quit without warning it is probably the torque converter. Happens quite often on Fords.

Mike that shaft is inside the torque converter and is not repairable by ordinary mortals. You just have to buy a new torque converter. The good news is you don't have to rebuild the transmission. When I tore mine apart it was like new inside(212,000 mi). Nothing to fix in there. If the...

Sizzla if you get it fixed post an update I would like to hear about it.

Imp When I tore apart my wife's Aerostar a4ld at 212.000 (turns out I didn't need to it was broken splines in the torque converter) it was almost like new inside. Clean, no metal,no chunks,no damage. She said she had never changed the fluid. Maybe it was because she never used the overdrive .

Update. This story has a happy ending. Found a guy named Wilson who had the same problem with an Aerostar. He took the torque converter to an AAMCO shop and their certified expert checked it out and said it was good. Pulled his tranny apart 3 times before he figured out it was a bad torque...

Update. This thread started back in 2008 and I jump started it again in 2010. I hate it when a thread leads to nowhere. The original poster lost all forward gears but had reverse. I lost all gears without warning so I misspoke when I said I had the same problem. It took me a few months but...

Update. It was the torque converter. torque converter 170.00 gaskets and seals 50.00 transmission fluid 35.00 time spent tearing apart transmission: priceless

Update. I hate it when a thread leads to a dead end. It was the torque converter. Broken splines in the turbine shaft. Fooled me because it checked out ok according to the manual. Do a pressure check before you pull it.

Yup that is why I had good pressure but no drive.Used a 200 lb pressure gauge from an air compressor.

Mike I was looking for something else when I saw your post. Had the same thing and it took me several months to figure it out. Broken splines on the torque converter turbine shaft. Fooled me because it checked out OK according to the manual. Very common occurance with Ford transmissions...

Too much information.

You guys must have a government job if you can afford a new transmission. I was planning to spend about $159.

If you need a pump alignment tool for an a4ld and are too cheap to just buy one this is for you. I took my dial calipers down to Lowe's and started measuring stuff in the plumbing department. What do you know a 1" pvc pipe coupling is dangerously close to perfect inside and out. My wife's...

Thanks. I would like to refer back to post #15 where this all started: "....tranny is clean clutches look new....no visible damage... etc." That is where I am right now. Is this the tranny you burned the clutches on?In only 9 months? Please explain. Rob Carter carpenter/roofer/builder age:60

You may be right, but I want a second opinion. Some questions:Why would a clutch suddenly fail without warning? What is your track record as a transmission builder? Why buy anything on Ebay? Have you ever actually installed a torque converter on the engine first? Are you kidding me?

212,000

My tranny lost forward and reverse suddenly without warning at about 35 mph. When/if I rebuild it I will take apart the clutch packs but I don't think that is the main problem. I have read a number of guys who rebuilt theirs and it didn't fix the problem. When I put that tranny back in I want...

You can edit that spelling by clicking on "edit".

Thanks for the reply. The pressure reading was 65 to70 in the forward grars and 110 in reverse which is pretty good. If the seals were bad pressure would be low right? I checked the play in the clutch packs and it is still within specs. Also put air pressure on the apply holes and they work...

Drat. Another dead end.I too have the same problem with an a4ld. Took it apart and couldn't find anything wrong with it.Did the pressure test and it was good. BTW I used a pressure gauge I got off of an air compressor. I was hoping it was the TC but it seems to be ok. If you ever find the...

Yer right BrooklynBay should have checked the pressure before I pulled it. I reassembled it as is and put it back in. Put on a pressure gauge from an air compressor. Crawled under there and moved the shift lever by hand while watching the gauge. It reads 65 to70 in all positions except reverse...

Thanks BrooklynBay for the pointers on how a thread works. I am a rookie at this. I see you are the owner of at least 5 Aerostars. Well my opinion of the Ford Aerostar has improved over time as I have found it to be dependable (212k}, economical, versatile and user friendly. Yer right...

Thanks Maniak for the input. I read through all the a4ld rebuild diaries before I decided to tear it apart. Here is what I found: Nothing! Looks like new inside. No metel jn the pan. The clutch packs all worked when I put air on the apply hole. The pump is good. Took apart the valve body. Clean.

I have the exact same problem with my wife's 89 aerostar. So I tore it apart and this is what I found: Nothing! Almost like new inside. No it is not out of gas or low on fluid. I'm thinking torque converter. Does this thread continue somewhere?

My wife had this Aerostar minivan when I met her at church. It had a "I love a child with autism" bumper sticker. I fixed the starter for her.And then the brakes. And the heater. Water pump. Door handle. Etc. It ran fine but then one day the transmission quit without warning which is why I have...