2000 5.0 Tranny "thump"...?

[35Remmy]

Our 2000 Explorer, 5.0 (I don't know what tranny this truck has) started to have a problem.

My wife first described it like "it feels like I'm going over rumble strips".

I took it for a drive tonight and it's definitely the transmission (200K miles).

When it drops into OD and you gradually try to make it downshift, I'm getting a well-defined "thump" or "thump-thump". Like it's hitting before it downshifts.

Fluid is not burnt but definitely looks worn and needs to be changed.

Any ideas?

 

[Turdle]

It sounds like a torque converter clutch issue to me. The last shift you feel is actually the torque converter locking.
If you let off the gas from cruising speed, then accelerate do you feel it also?

 

[35Remmy]

JT, no it's not. It's only doing this when you're in OD and you press the gas pedal more to make the transmission downshift. That's when I get the thump.

Do you think changing the tranny fluid/filter could remedy this?

 

[Turdle]

If it was me I would try it before taking it in to be repaired.