Tranny Emergency = Project "X"

I need some help...I got my 91 Project X running and went to throw it in gear and nothing....in any gear, not even a hint of RPM change...the fluid is good and full and i looked underneath and seen this...the tube above the exhaust in this pic come around the bell housing and drops straight down by the drivers side...
What does this go to???any ideas on what else may be wrong besides this disconected tube???

Overflow tube, not to worry.

dam, i was hoping it had something to do with why she won't move...thanks..still needing help then on what could bewrong with this truck...i was originally told it had a seized motor from putting it into 4wd and going froading without locking the hubs...i already bought a donor motor for it but for some reason i decided to try and start it...it idles perfect...
there is some dull even clanking or even ticking noise and the truck won't move in any gear or change rpm....

i have never ever drove an X and have no idea where to start...i thought maybe if i had it in park, locked the hubs and pushed the 4x4 switch and even tried the low switch...the lights for the switches don't even lite up...i'm also wondering if there are tranny relays...or if something is broke between the motor and tranny...i have never had a vehicle not at least try to go into gear...after letting it run for a good 20 minutes it finally changed rpm putting it into gear but still nothing...

Just to clarify things a little, this vehicle is a 91 with an A4LD. Is this correct? You said that you never drove an Explorer before. Did you just buy a dead 91 with the intention of rebuilding it? As far as you know, the engine idles, but it won't shift into any gear? Did you check the linkage to the transmission? Did you drop the pan to check the Z link? You mentioned that it was a 4X4. The transfer case might be the culprit (possibly a broken shift fork) if the transmission checks out Ok after examining the linkage, and Z link.

91 4x4 xlt...no idea on the tranny at all...the linkage is hooked up and working..i bought the truck as i was told it had a seized motor and the tranny was fine...i bought a donor motor from someone else to put in it...my surprise it started up...there is no drain plug on the pan but when i open it i'm sure to see some signs...if not, what do you think??? btw, is the 4wd switch suppose to lite up...could it be a bad relay by any chance??

I doubt that a relay would cause it not to engage into gear. The A4LD only has 2 solenoids (TCC, and OD), so the shifts are hydraulic except for overdrive. Read Glacier991's thread on the Z link: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155599. It's # 31 in my list of useful threads.

ok, say i drop the pan...if it is something clogging the filter which i doubt, other than metal shavings as the tranny fluid looks good...how expensive could this get...??? if it's going to kill me i'll park it till i got time...

A clogged filter or cooler could restrict fluid circulation. A bad O ring around the filter could cause air to get sucked in instead of ATF. The sump has to draw fluid without any restriction. Maybe somebody put the wrong filter into it? The 4X4 filter has a deep sump while the regular filter is much more like a flat screen.

so this is all easily reached from the pan...sounds cheap...what about the bent fork??? that sounds costly??? and i'm not sure if you are up on my post but how i came acrossed this truck as it was to have a newly rebuilt tranny and motor and someone went froading and pushed the 4wd and didn't lock the hubs..thats how they supposedly seized the motor...as i mentioned motor works ok...idle, temp, oil pressure good as a newly rebuilt...but i do hear like a rattling as i'm hoping for now, in the bell housing area and not from the oil pan area...it sounds like an old pick up's round filter cover when it's loose and rattles....it disapears when i throttle it but it's there again at idle...

well, here it is...i started opening it up and i smelt something burnt...the fluid is pretty dark and seemed watery but no water or any seperation in oil...here's the pics...now what are we thinking??? can we clean the pan and how much for a new filter??? the particulates were more like sand...at least they were dark and gritty like sand....

Check the price of a filter, and gasket on WWW.TransmissionPartsUSA.Com. Check the torque of the valve body bolts, and look for pieces of flaked off valve body gasket.

already checked...20-30 bucks....besides the grit it looks fine...

i went and got a new fram filter for it...it is the exact match of what came out of it and the design looked better than my other 3 choices from 3 stores....i'm going to put that on now and try it but i was wondering if this problem might have taken the pump??? if so, how big a deal and how much money????

update:
if you look at the last pic ,the bottom filter large inlet has a flat spot in it the width of a pair of pliers and when i took the bolt off, the filter came with it...when i put the new one on it locked into place...and yes, the pan had lots of metal on the magnet....after the filter change and fluid install...it's the same but actually a little noisier....the sound is coming from the bell housing and it is clearly a rattle....any help would be appreciated...but for now, i need to load up the ranger and head to pismo...thanks brooklyn for your help....

Burned fluid and grit do not make me happy. I'd change out the fluid and add the filter but in all honesty you may be living on borrowed time with this tranny.

The noise could be coming from a bad pump or torque converter.

sorry, just got back from pismo beach...i changed the filter and the fluid, 3 quarts....the rattle is definate now and when it revs the rattle speeds up too...so if it needs a pump and maybe torque converter, how much will it cost??? i am thinking i'll just have to have a shop rebuild it to be safe...anyone know an exploder friendly shop in o.c.???

PM 410Fortune, he had his done by some good shop in OC when he lived out here.

You could look up a local certified shop on WWW.ATRA.Com.