A4LD 4 speed transmission.

[FORDBOYpete]

Having finally killed an OEM, A4LD, A/T in my '95 Aero XLTN [w/ 4.0L Cologne V6 & RWD] I sent two Transmissions to a "rebuilder" to make 1 out of 2.
One was an AWD version with few miles on it, in pristine condition, taken out of another 95 4.0L with subframe & floor structure issues. It had been eaten away by salt. But the Engine and drive-train & other hard parts were great.
The Other was OEM 2Wd or RWD version from my 95 which I ran to death in a scant quarter million miles of working it to ruination. I've hauled as much as 14,000 lbs on a 2 axle 16'-0" Flatbed tag trailer. I got my "rebuilt/ re-assembled unit back & installed it post haste. It was not assembled correctly. In 45-50 miles it was in worse condition than when I removed it to repair, in 1st place.
I waited 3 weeks to get it back. I had it a week & returned it to the rebuilder that was a month and a half ago. I waited 7 of last 9 weeks for not much.
Last week in desperation I found a A4LD in a '92 Exploder that technically is virtually the same transmission as my Aerostar, with a few exceptions. They are major exceptions. The shifting linkage is upside down, Bracket that holds Shift & TVR or "kickdown" cables is at the rear where tail shaft housing bolts to the main case. Bracket is in two pieces. Dipstick is totally different.
Brackets are easy, just use an Aerostar bracket from right vintage mount it in the front bosses where it belongs & all is well.
Shifter & kick down levers must face pointing upward. Both can be flipped over but, that is not correct. They are not identical levers, well TVR is same lever, or close enough it doesn't matter. But shift lever is not correct. Even if you fudge it in there, the location of cable pivot in relation to shaft the lever rotates on is off, or of a different distance so it skews detent spacing of the detent at lever on the column & detent gate internally inside the transmission at the Valve Body.
The levers must be changed to coincide or match vehicle it is being used in, which requires dropping A/T pan & valvebody then swapping parts from an Aerostar with those from an Exploder.
A neat upgrade is trash your A4LD Torque Converter & replace it with one from a 4R44E. It's a "slip fit", "bolt on" upgrade conversion you'll be amazed at the performance increase between those 2 different Torque Converters. I had paid to have this job performed and I wound up doing it myself until 2230Hrs or 10:30 Pm, monday night at my friends place of business (automotive repair facility).
Now I can drive my faithful Aero the 40 odd miles to the rebuilders shop and get all my stuff back, with the exception of what I paid for the first repair he did that put me in the bind I've been in for nearly 2.5 months now because of a Know Nothing, Do Less, A/T rebuilder, who's dumber than a box of rocks.

I'm Good, my Aero's good and I learned a lot at this rodeo Fo' Sho. . . .
Thought I'd share this tale with you. Hope it never goes like this for you.

CIAO

FBp

 

[BrooklynBay]

Did you take any pictures to show a comparison between the swapped parts?

 

[FORDBOYpete]

Time is OF the ESSENCE as usual,

No photos yet, but I had planned to do a pictorial when I get my other 2 units back from jerk who put me in my predicament in 1st place.
They're my original Aero' A4LD/ RWD + a pristine, spare A4LD/AWD I sent for a parts unit. All he needed do was pull internal mainshaft cluster from AWD, replace "short" AWD Output shaft & Tail Housing with RWD shaft & housing from my original Aero A/T, do seals & gaskets, "set it up/adjust it", pressure test it & give it back so I could reinstall it. That turned into the story of grief above.

I'm planning to place both units side by side, plus brackets & levers from Exploder A/T, then represent them in an "order" of progression. I'll include both pans & filters as they are different. Also with the AWD being better pan of two [in my honest opinion]. It is deeper & holds about a qt more fluid. With A4LD's the more & the cooler fluid is, better it runs and longer it lasts, [again IMHO].

This A/T scenario has put the kaibosh on my Front Hub & Rotor project I've been trying to get accomplished, and a Headlamp Retrofit piece I've wanted to document in either photos or Video on a disk, also.

This isn't a great time of year for me to be involved with "projects". As I am already involved with a Military Museum based on NAVAIR & History, plus our Veteran's Day Events we host & present, a "Big Band" Hangar Dance & Annual Vet's day parade, then there are holidays, the family, colder weather and the folks who insist on coming to FL to visit this time of year and so forth.

For those interested go to: www.delandnavalairstation.org & visit our "site", also click on our facebook link in our main menu. You can visit & see where a lot of my time & energy goes. . . Among all the other stuff. Yeah it sounds like a grandious excuse, but I assure all it's true & very real. I am invested in our military personnel & what they've done & are doing now.

We support all military personnel, especially USN NAVAIR. We are restoring a WWII TBF-1 Avenger War Bird, BU 01747, Maintaining a Grumman F-4B-"D" fitted, BU 161426, plus preparing a 50's, T2V Lockheed, SeaStar for display along with all the other stuff involved with "running" an active Museum. Please "visit" our site & our facebook page too. Watch an F-14B get 2 sonic flashes in length of a carrier deck, check out our photo albums & so forth. It's really worth a look, while there explore it. Become a "friend" of DNAS Museum while @ facebook too, it's free, we won't bother, or ask anything of YOU except that you: Support & Thank Our Military Personnel.

I'm way off track here, but I felt I needed to do a little explaning. I believe Objects At rest Tend to Stay At Rest and Objects In Motion Tend to Stay In Motion, so given the choice of doing nothing or doing all I can, there is no choice really, is there?

THANX for your patience & understanding,
CIAO Y'all

FBp