94 auto A4LD not shifting properly between 1-2

[Roadstump]

I have a 1994 XLT with 241,000 miles and have the engine purring like a kitten after excercising some of the suggestions on this forum....now it's time to tackle the transmission...the very item that makes me think I need to rid myself of this truck before it dies completely.

Here is the situation and I know it has been addressed several places already I still seek advice.

At around 200k miles the transmission A4LD started slipping badly. Mostly in reverse and sometimes in drive I would have to rev the engine to get it to drop into gear and then it was a huge clunk.

I took it to the shop (local mechanic) where they indeed fixed the reverse problem. What they could not fix was the intermittant shifting from 1-2. They offered the option of rebuilding, replacing or just drive it like it is because it's not really hurting anything if I can put up with it. 40,000 miles later I am ready to hand it off to my son as his first car and would really like to deal with this problem.

Sometimes, if accelerating slowly and steadily it will shift 1-2 perfectly. Other times, usually when trying to take off on a hill or acclerate fast it will refuse to shift at all. The only way to get it to shift is back off on the RPMs and then acclerate again and it works. All other gears work great including OD. The one other possible scenario I noticed is that when downshifting to passing it will not want to shift back up to the higher gear, again, back off the rpms and it drops in. This occurs at highway speeds.

I am a garage tinkerer. I have read several of the A4LD diaries and feel like I can tackle anything I will not have to remove a transmission or engine.

Can I assume that since the shop could not fix this that the band was probably ok leaving there and that my problem points to the VB or governor? The one part of the I have a 1994 XLT with 241,000 miles and have the engine purring like a kitten after excercising some of the suggestions on this forum....now it's time to tackle the transmission...the very item that makes me think I need to rid myself of this truck before it dies completely.

Can I assume that since the shop could not fix this that the band was probably ok leaving there and that my problem points to the VB or governor? The one part of the A4LD Valve Body rebuild diary that is left out is how to actually remove and reinstall it from the car? Can it be done? Haynes manual is worthless since it just says...take it to a pro.

If I missed a thread on how to remove and install maybe someone could just point me in the right direction.

 

[Glacier991]

Removal and install is covered in the A4LD Rebuild Diary. You CAn remove and install it... just need a 1/4 inch inch lb torque wrench.

 

[Roadstump]

Ok, I dug deep into both the A4LD rebuild diary and the A4LD VB rebuild diary and I feel confident, with all this information, that I can do this job. I kept a note pad handy while studying and came up with this list of parts.

Sonnax indexer
Sonnax Booster valve upgrade
TCC lockup solenoid
3-4 shift solenoid
SPX microfelt filter
pan gasket
transgo SK A4LD Junior kit
ATSG manual

I want to have everything on hand before tackling this since I will be ordering on the internet. Is this the entire list, other than solvents or items I can get at the local parts house...(rural small town) I read about other lipped seals vs. o-rings and such never saw a kit for that or possibly I don't know what I am needing. Please advise.

Also, given my symptoms, is it your expert opinion that I am going to solve my problem?

 

[BrooklynBay]

There is also the ATSG update manual. This shows the updates since the original book was published. WWW.TransmissionPartsUSA.Com sells those Viton "D" rings as a kit (one large, and one small"). There are 2 types of VB gaskets. There is a thicker one which is good for old valve bodies which might have a small amount of warpage. Harbor Freight sells the 1/4" torque wrench. A new TCC "sock style filter screen is good to use. They also sell high radius relief valves. Another part which is a good idea to replace is the shift selector seal. There is also an end plug kit with O rings. You also need VB cleaning spray (or just plain WD-40). Brake cleaner is good to use first, but you will need the WD-40 to lubricate the parts, or they will bind while assembling everything.

 

[Glacier991]

The A4LD Bore O-ringed end plugs are new since I did the Diary. I recommend them.