95 Explorer that needs trans

[sifordguy]

My 95 Eddie Bauer 4.0l 4x4 needs a trans. I cannot do the work myself and am exploring what my options are to get my truck back on the road. The truck has 210k miles on it so I am not willing to spend the almost 4k that a shop wants to install a rebuilt trans.

I found a 4r55e for sale from a wreck for $200 and I have a local shop willing to do the install for around $350. For $600 I think I am willing to take the gamble that the trans from the other truck is good but I have a couple of questions that I thought some of you guys might be able to shed some light on for me....

1) Should I buy a new converter even though the trans I am buying has one in it? I don't think this should raise the 'labor only' price I got from my shop and am wondering if this might increase my chances of success with the used transmission.

2) Am I making a HUGE mistake by NOT considering a rebuild kit for the old trans? I don't know what this would do to the cost since I have no clue how long it takes to install a rebuild kit or how difficult it is. Is this something that a novice can even consider attempting if the trans is out of the vehicle?

3) Am I a complete moron? The truck has had 210k relatively trouble free miles (no major repairs to date) and does not really owe me anything. Am I throwing good money away by trying to fix it on short money and should I just give up and sell/donate the way it is and get on with my life? ( I really have an emotional attachment to this truck and it clouds my judgement!).

Thanks for reading!

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! $200 isn't a bad price for a transmission if it's in good shape. How many miles does the transmission have? The torque converter is probably in the same general shape as the rest of the transmission. You could invest in a rebuilt one for peace of mind, but keep in mind that the rest of the transmission is still used. You could save some money if you do the work yourself. Is there a warranty on this transmission? You could rebuild your old transmission as a spare.

 

[sifordguy]

I don't know much about the other trans. Just that it was working in a truck with 110k miles on it and the truck was wrecked in a rear end collision. It was not able to be tested after the wreck. I guess my concern is that the input shaft or something was bent in the accident which would make $200 go from a good deal to a complete waste.

One question that I forgot to ask in my original post, although I am pretty sure I know the answer. Is there any way to test a transmission that's not installed for proper operation?

 

[BrooklynBay]

There are ways of doing it with compressed air by removing the valve body, and using a test plate. Another device made by Rotunda is a transmission tester which tests the electrical aspects of it. The air test uses air in place of hydraulic fluid going into certain sections to see if clutch packs engage.

 

[sifordguy]

Well...I'm going to take a shot. Bought a trans from a wreck off ebay for $200. Shop says to figure about $350 for installation. The only crappy part is I gotta 2 hour drive to the guys house to get the trans.

Maybe I can get the bad trans back from the shop and attempt a no pressure slow rebuild on my own. Just hope I get lucky and theone I am buying works.

Wish me luck!!

 

[sifordguy]

Delay going into D

Well the shop that did the install for me said the trans I bought is working but there is a slight delay going into gear. They also put some Lucas additive in it and said they use it a lot in these transmissions. I thought I had seen something about the delay and what it meant...can someone point me in the right direction?

Thx

 

[BrooklynBay]

Your valve body end plugs could be leaking. Check this link for more information: http://www.transmissionpartsusa.com/4R44E_5R55E_Valve_end_plug_kit_p/400-03794713k.htm

This link is similar, but is for a different transmission: http://www.transmissionpartsusa.com/A4LD_Valve_body_end_plug_kit_1985_95_p/400-05694714k.htm

 

[sifordguy]

Argh....

Well it looks like the trans I bought is no good. I only drove the truck a couple of blocks from the shop and parked it. It is slipping like an elephant on ice skates.

Now I have TWO transmissions that need to be rebuilt and one truck that still is not driveable...lol

I still may try to rebuild my factory original but now I have no choice but to do all of the labor myself since I just chucked $700 down the drain. Could make for a nice long thread. Why can't I just get it through my head that the truck is deaad???

 

[BrooklynBay]

Find out if there is a guarantee on the transmission.

 

[sifordguy]

sadly no brooklyn. This was a $200 ebay purchase...I knew I was taking a gamble

 

[BrooklynBay]

I guess you could rebuild it yourself. You could save some money since you could take parts out of a couple of transmissions if they are good.

 

[OldSchoolFord]

If you are in the NYC area, there HAS to be a local bone yard that has a tranny for you at a good price. Most junk yards will at least guarantee that it will work. Also, shop around for a Rebuilt that you install yourself. I just bought a '94 in great shape with 178K miles! If you like the truck, keep it rollin' !!! Check Craiglist, lots of exploreres being parted out. Car-Part.com is a great web-sight for finding used parts in junkyards. check it out
http://www.car-part.com/
Good luck, Chris

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! Thanks for making your first post helpful to everyone.

 

[96eb96]

Well the shop that did the install for me said the trans I bought is working but there is a slight delay going into gear. They also put some Lucas additive in it and said they use it a lot in these transmissions. I thought I had seen something about the delay and what it meant...can someone point me in the right direction?

Thx

Don't skip the obvious...Are you sure the filter is torqued up correctly? Is it a NEW MOTORCRAFT filter or the old one? Did they drop the pan? Were the two rubber O-rings placed on the filter(that would cause slipping and delayed engagements.) also, check the fluid level. A new tech did that in a place I worked in and the customer had your exact symptoms. We put the Orings in and it ran like new. Its suspicious that you were able to drive a few blocks with no problems but the slipping started after parking it. With low fluid/ missing or loose O rings the pump may not be able to pull fluid up to the VB after a start, since the level may be a tad lower as it circulated into the cooler and trans. The delayed shift is the pump struggling to suck fluid into your valve body to engage 1st gear. Guess what happens if you have low fluid or no sealing O ring....

See my other post about dropping your pan and inspecting the filter....