'91 Transmission Worries...maybe

[have2goski]

I have a 1991 4 door 4x4 w/ 175,000 on it

It shifts into reverse really slow. When I start it up and put it in reverse to pull out of the driveway, it takes anywhere from 5-10 seconds to engage. It is only in reverse though. The OD,D,2,1 all work fine and shifts right in no problem w/o hesitation. I recently had a flush and fill and it helped for about a week but it is still doing it. I had checked the fluid every couple of days to make sure the level was up and no air bubles purged themselves out or anything. As of yesterday when i came home the fluid is good to go, nice and red and at proper level.

I had the transmission rebuilt about 50,000 miles ago.

Does this seem like an indicator that it is going to go out again and need another rebuild?

I am getting ready to tackle a bunch of body work and a piant job on my baby, but if the tranny is gonna go, maybe I would be better off putting all that money in a newer vehicle. I love my explorer and really like the old 1st gen body style.

any thoughts would be appreciated.

I am fully aware of everyone's thoughts about quality of the tanny in these things, so please just don't tell me the A4LD isn't worth a handful of rusty nails

 

[Redrig]

your answers here on the site somewhere but i forget where and what it is. if i remember correctly that could be a worn u-joint or something. i dont think your trannys gonna go again.

 

[have2goski]

thanks for the reply

I have been searching around but some of what i found seems to apply and some of it doesn't

I have read that it could be a number of different things. I'm exactly sure how to go about checking them though. I am by no means an "qualified" mechanic but i have a book and a garage that has just about tool i could need. Iwoulod like to know if there is a way for me to check a couple of the things with taking up valuable shop time. I don't mind getting dirty and can usually figure things out.

saw a couple people mention VB's and possibly the pump, seals here and there, got a little confused reading it all so i thought i would post.

thanks again for the post, hopefully somebody will have the answer i need and know how for me to check it.

 

[Glacier991]

A delay into Reverse AND first, is a symptom of the servo seal leak problem. FORD solved this with a double lip seal (after the pro's started doing that themselves using a similar seal from a FORD C-6.) I am curious though why it only happens in R. Frankly... as the owner of a 200K miles EX, I just accept that for what it is and go with the flow. Frankly, I doubt you have anything serious. Opera House is the res ex on these things, and when he reads this I am sure he'll have some cogent thoughts. Me ? I'd not lose a lot of sleep over it. At this point anyway - not a harbinger of bad things, IMHO.

Happy Exploring

Chris

 

[Opera House]

If it is the low/reverse servo

You should also have a problem with low engine braking. Try stopping at the top of a lonely hill, put transmission in manual 1 and let it roll down the hill without any gas. RPM should follow the speed. If it keeps going faster and the engine stays at idle, this inicates a servo problem. The O ring is easy to replace, just four bolts. I cringe everytime I hear the word "rebuild", You just never know what you really got. Maybe the seal is leaking. For procedure look for low/reverse servo, I think on page 3, sixth post down of these 50+ posts.
This thread is located at:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=60887&goto=newpost

 

[have2goski]

thanks

i will try to find a hill and see what i got. Hopefully it is something small like that.

I saw that thread before. Maybe i will read it again to see if i can pull anything else out of it.

thanks again

 

[have2goski]

Hey opera House or others.

I looked through that thread again and I am having trouble finding how to replace that low/reverse servo o-ring. You said the procedure should be there on the second page in the middle. I can't seem to find what i need.

Could sombody please post how to do it, even if you copy it out of another thread. I can't seem to understand how to actually go about changing this o-ring. and pictures are always worth a thousand words, or something like that.

Plus you guys with the rebuild manuals. IF there is a page with some sketchs on this maybe scan them and post or i can get you my email.

Thanks alot, i think i am gonna be able to keep my truck if i can get this figured out.

 

[Opera House]

It is on page 3, sixth post down

Sorry