A4LD tranny trouble??

[rwall6]

Please help me!! I have a 1991 ford a4ld trans when i put it into drive today at the bank it would not go into gear. Reverse works fine. If i gun the gas to over 3000 rpms it will go into gear. Once it is runing it drives like it has no prblems shifts great etc. Then when I put it in park and try to go back into drive or od or any forward gear for that matter it will not engage unless I rev the engine as I stated before. Does anyone out there know why this is happening? It did not give any warning before this happend. Could it be the vaccume modulator?? Maybe it needs tranny service?? PLEASE HELP!!

 

[MrShorty]

This could easily be the result of low fluid. The first thing I would do is check the fluid level and go from there.

 

[rwall6]

fluid level is fine. That was the first thing I checked. I wish it would have been that simple.

 

[Brain]

Sounds like a sticky valve in the valve body if the fluid level and condition are OK and the filter is clean. Possibly a sticky govenor...

How many miles on it and have you changed the filter (lately or ever)?

 

[rwall6]

I have only had it two weeks. I will be having it serviced on saturday, I do not know if it has ever been done. It has only had one other owner so who knows?? In answer to your question it has 114,000 miles.

 

[rwall6]

ok here is the new deal. Changed out fluid and filter. Looked like someone had put oil instead of tranny fluid into it! No shavings to speak of. But guess what still won't go into drive gear. And to top it off it won't even go into gear when you rev the engine! But of corse reverse still works like a dream. Any more ideas out there???

 

[TSTONE]

what makes you think it was oil? fried tranny fluid turns black

i second the sticking valve idea though

 

[rwall6]

did not smell like tranny fluid at all did smell like oil or maybe even brake fluid, all that aside how do you fix the sticking valve or check to see if it is that?

 

[lifeguard379]

dose it work if you start from 2nd?

 

[rwall6]

no only gear that will engage is reverse.

 

[Brain]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98027&page=3&pp=20
Check out the fourth post from the bottom. That is a picture of the govenor assembly. It can be removed and replaced with the tranny still in place (so I've read). Glacier's post is very helpful in that it has great pictures. You can do a search on "govenor" so that the relevant word is highlighted in red bold type. Cleaning it with brake cleaner is the easiest way (q-tips and acetone didn't get all the stuff). Check out the page following that one also.

Have you checked the vacuum modulator? Those have a tendency to get old and leak also (especially stock units). It controls a valve using engine vacuum.