MindBender0001
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- January 1, 2013
- Messages
- 105
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Pateros, WA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '93 Explorer
I'll try to make this short. About a year and a half ago we bought our x for $1,000. Drove it home about 40 miles on freeway. Wife drove it home. All was well. Next day, she said it wouldn't shift out of first till about 3500 RPM. I get home and check fluid level. Full, but I've never smelled ATF as burnt as this. Did a redneck flush and filter. There was so much crap in tranny that I didn't even know there was a magnet in there. Alright. Rebuild time. Took it to a shop that's been around for 30-plus years. Hell. They did my Camaro tranny when I was in HS.
When we picked up tranny, he told us, VERY specifically, to ONLY use Dexron 3....both me and my friend looked at each other with that same look. Yep. According to the shop, the soft parts they put in were designed for Dexron 3, NOT Mercon. Cool. Whatever he says. Only issue we had after that was the slow 1-2 shift. CEL codes also show a TCC error...can't remember what, but I think it was TCC lockup failure. Drove the x down to his shop. He test drove it, and I went along. He said the 1-2 shift is just how these tranny shift. If I want it firmer, I could adjust the modulator. He also strongly suggested an after market cooler.
Now we've moved 250 miles away, over two mountain passes, and its a lot hotter here. Triple digits. While we were moving, my wife made numerous trips between old house and new, loaded to the gills, full tank of fuel. No OD except on flat or downhill. No problems. Stock cooler.
Here's the fun part. Winter here is sub-zero, summers triples. Tranny started puking fluid (NOT BURNT FLUID) from the vent hose from the tranny, but not until summer heat hit. Checked fluid level and it needed half a quart. Topped it off. Next time she drove it, same thing. This time a quart. As I added the quart, I could hear it BOILING from the vent tube. Oh ****aki. Shut her off, let her cool off. Topped it off and drove the 20 minutes downhill to our place. Puked again. Installed a 10,000 GVW oil cooler. No help. As long as she keeps it out of OD, it doesn't puke, but the x also won't pull a hill any faster than 45. I have a Samurai with a 4 and I can pull the same hill at 70. I'm THIS CLOSE to dropping the A4POS and putting in a stick.
Are there any ideas out there that I might try before venturing into the 5-spd swap? Governor in tail housing for 1-2 shift, also the VB mods (I would think the shop already did that)....another cooler....I REALLY hate autos, but she REALLY hates manuals. This is her rig.
Any help, well, helps.
Thanks in advance.
Bender
Oh. It does have a warranty, but by the time I pull it, make a trip to drop it off and another to pick it up, I'm gonna spend enough in gas to cover the parts for a swap, and the tranny will already be out.
When we picked up tranny, he told us, VERY specifically, to ONLY use Dexron 3....both me and my friend looked at each other with that same look. Yep. According to the shop, the soft parts they put in were designed for Dexron 3, NOT Mercon. Cool. Whatever he says. Only issue we had after that was the slow 1-2 shift. CEL codes also show a TCC error...can't remember what, but I think it was TCC lockup failure. Drove the x down to his shop. He test drove it, and I went along. He said the 1-2 shift is just how these tranny shift. If I want it firmer, I could adjust the modulator. He also strongly suggested an after market cooler.
Now we've moved 250 miles away, over two mountain passes, and its a lot hotter here. Triple digits. While we were moving, my wife made numerous trips between old house and new, loaded to the gills, full tank of fuel. No OD except on flat or downhill. No problems. Stock cooler.
Here's the fun part. Winter here is sub-zero, summers triples. Tranny started puking fluid (NOT BURNT FLUID) from the vent hose from the tranny, but not until summer heat hit. Checked fluid level and it needed half a quart. Topped it off. Next time she drove it, same thing. This time a quart. As I added the quart, I could hear it BOILING from the vent tube. Oh ****aki. Shut her off, let her cool off. Topped it off and drove the 20 minutes downhill to our place. Puked again. Installed a 10,000 GVW oil cooler. No help. As long as she keeps it out of OD, it doesn't puke, but the x also won't pull a hill any faster than 45. I have a Samurai with a 4 and I can pull the same hill at 70. I'm THIS CLOSE to dropping the A4POS and putting in a stick.
Are there any ideas out there that I might try before venturing into the 5-spd swap? Governor in tail housing for 1-2 shift, also the VB mods (I would think the shop already did that)....another cooler....I REALLY hate autos, but she REALLY hates manuals. This is her rig.
Any help, well, helps.
Thanks in advance.
Bender
Oh. It does have a warranty, but by the time I pull it, make a trip to drop it off and another to pick it up, I'm gonna spend enough in gas to cover the parts for a swap, and the tranny will already be out.
