TN_Explorer
Active Member
- Joined
- October 27, 2004
- Messages
- 76
- Reaction score
- 1
- City, State
- Manchester, TN
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 5-1991's; 1-94; 1-2000
OK, we’ve pulled the VB off and disassembled it and ordered our parts. I purchased the Sonnax Indexer (part #56947-01) and Sonnax Boost Valve upgrade (part #56947-02K). I also got a new TCC lockup solenoid and 3-4 shift solenoid (about $20-$25 each). Of course a new filter and I bought a tub of reassembly grease. I got all these from DACCO (dead link). I later purchased the Trango Jr kit from Transmission Exchange Company (Rebuilt transmissions transmission parts transmission kits). I have mixed feelings about this kit, which I will discuss further on. Of course I neglected to get the pan gasket, and after I got it all reassembled I had to make run for transmission fluid, but hey, I needed the break. With all the parts assembled, I covered my table with white paper (I have an end roll of newsprint from the local paper – cheap and useful for thousands of things!). I set up another table located away from my assembly station to do the cleaning so I wouldn’t contaminate the VB. I also kept all rags away from the VB as I worked, as I have been told lint from rags can make a transmission malfunction.
One of my first steps was to open each baggie and polish any aluminum plugs. Most had some scuffing, so I shined them up using WD-40 and fine (2000 grit) sandpaper. I was surprised to find this fine a grade sandpaper in the auto section of WalMart, and I grabbed a couple of packs. After polishing the plugs, I put them back in the baggies, and set them aside. Note – I did not polish any of the valves themselves as they all appeared to be in beautiful condition. I checked them for freedom of movement as I installed them and all moved smoothly and freely.
One of the valve body modifications in both the Superior kit and the Transgo kit involves drilling a 1/16†passage. This was the only physical modification I made to the VB itself:
(dead link)
Now begins the reassembly. I opened each labeled baggie one at a time at my cleaning station, sprayed it down with Brakleen (I actually use ChemTool B-12, which I like better), then blew it dry with air, & put the cleaned parts in a disposable aluminum pie pan. Then I took the clean parts over to my assembly table & lightly greased them & put them into their bores. The numbering on the pix correlates to the valve numbers in the Ford factory manual.
First is the TCC lockup solenoid & valve. In the picture you see a piece of aluminum in approximately the location I found it with respect to the valve. I believe this was the cause of my transmission problems. If your transmission has this piece in it, discard it!
Here’s a picture of the reverse servo. This is the only place I can see that might have been the source of the foreign piece of metal.
Moving on, we install the 3-4 shift valves & solenoid into bores 201 and 202. As recommended in the A4LD Rebuild Diary, I bowed the retainer plate on the 3-4 shift solenoid (easily done by hand – don’t overdo it!) to keep the solenoid butted tightly against the VB.
The new 3-4 solenoid was slightly different than the old one, as shown here:
Next is the 2-3 shift valve in bore 203:
Note the small spring that sits on that first valve way down in the bore. Here’s an easy way to get it in there correctly:
It bugged me that the retainer washer did not look like it was seating completely, so I pulled the valve back out & just set the retainer in its slot. Nope, it won’t go down any further, that’s what it’s supposed to look like.
From here it’s pretty routine. Just go to the cleaning station, clean the next valve, come back to the assembly table, grease it & install it. Do remember to check for freedom of movement.
Next is a picture of the manual valve with the Sonnax indexer. The valve just slides into its bore and the indexer slips over it with the cutout facing the valve body. This simple piece was the cause of my worst error. When putting the VB in the car, I managed to get the shift linkage through the indexer but not the valve, resulting in no shift at all – had to take it back apart & correct this. It’s somewhat difficult to get that link rod through both pieces while lying on your back trying to hold the VB with one hand & get a bolt started. Just check this before you put the pan back up!
Bore 207 (bottom right side of the VB) has what I would call two sets of valves – I actually had them in two baggies. First picture is the kickdown valve going into bore 207:
Then put the reverse engagement control valve into the same bore:
Bore 208, showing the Sonnax boost valve modification:
Back to the routine:
[
That’s it! Now all you have to do is put the separator plate back on. Remember the two spring loaded valves and the screen near the TCC lockup solenoid. (From the directions in the Transgo kit it sounds as though all VB’s may not have the screen.) And the check valves. I confess I got so excited at this point I put the separator plate back on without all of these innards. At least when I started inventorying the empty baggies I discovered this oversight and didn’t put it back in that way! The instructions with the Transgo kit were very clear on the valve locations, and they differ depending on application, so no picture. (Actually, at this point I was so glad to be done I forgot to take one).
At this point I will discuss the Transgo mod. It consists of a box of colored springs, two drill bits, and instructions. I could not decipher which springs went into which valve bores. As an example, the boost valve was to have a “blue and white†spring. There was no single spring that was blue and white, but the kit had two different size white springs, either of which would have fit. It also referred to an orange spring, but there was not an orange spring that I could see. As a result, I did not use any of the Transgo springs other than the reverse solenoid modification. The A4LD diary has a good write-up with pictures on the reverse mod, so I will refer you there. I did follow the instructions in the kit and drilled holes recommended in the separator plate to firm up the shifts – although I was skeptical and nervous, this turned out to be the most rewarding mod – more in the conclusion. The kit came with two drill bits. BE SURE to measure these bits. One was 1/16†or .062, and the larger was .089. You cannot drill .055 with either of these. There was one other place that called for .072, but I did not have a bit that would do this, so this was the only one I did not drill. My last complaint is that although the kit was very clear on where to put the check balls, it called for an extra (5th) check ball “even if the
VB did not originally have one,†but there weren’t any check balls included in the kit. I debated leaving it out, but ended up getting one at the local transmission shop. Just an annoyance having to take an hour out & drive down there – they gave it to me for free.
I then put the valve body back in the Explorer. I counted out the 5 long bolts & put them where they go. Then put the 19 medium length bolts in their holes. The single short bolt goes under the spring tensioner for the shift comb. The little clip goes over the 3-4 shift solenoid to hold it securely. I was careful to get the Z-link properly installed, but watch out! When I wiggled the VB around to get it seated in position, the Z-link would pop out of position. It took me several tries to get it all back up where it belonged. It was only after it didn’t work that I took it all back apart and found the Z-link through the Sonnax indexer, but not through the valve itself. An easy check – once you get a few bolts in, try to move the manual valve & make sure it’s locked into the linkage. It’s NO fun lying on your back in a pool of ATF with it dripping in your face as you try to fix a stupid mistake!
Conclusions:
1. After cleaning & modifying the VB, this Explorer with 178,000 miles shifts better than the 3-month old factory rebuilt transmission I put in my wife’s Explorer. (Wish I had done this to hers & saved that cost!)
2. The shifts are snappy, but not harsh as I expected. There is NO lag between shifts. If you keep off the go pedal, it shifts 1-2 at 15 and 2-3 at 25. If you stand on it, the shift points are higher, but just as quick. Under hard acceleration it shifts into overdrive at about 60 almost like shifting into another gear – no lag. If I stay out of it, the overdrive point is just under 50, a little higher than before. I would like it to go into overdrive at 45, but all in all no complaints. On the freeway it will run 70 MPH at 2200 RPM. Before the VB work it was 2900 RPM at 70.
3. I paid my dues and became an ELITE Explorer as a result of the help I received from these forums. I received incredible encouragement and help from Glacier991 – I feel like he’s an old friend, and we’ve never met. (Although I did live in Sacramento in a previous geologic age, and fished in Bodega Bay.)
4. I found that soaking your hair in ATF three times per day leaves it soft and supple with attractive red highlights. I anticipate this will become a new fashion rage.
5. I have almost totally eliminated any rust problems with my tools.
6. This experience has given me renewed confidence in my abilities. There is almost nothing I won’t do, but sometimes with disastrous results. In this case, I met with great success. I spent about $200, versus having a shop repair the transmission for $1500. And since I took it apart TWICE, I figure my overall savings at about $2800.
7. For anyone even considering doing this, my advice is: If you are even thinking about it, you can do it. Just take it slow and easy. If at all possible, have a friend or partner. An extra pair of eyes, and a helping hand would have helped avoid the errors I made doing it by myself. If you can take pictures along the way, by all means do so. Take advantage of these forums and the great folks that post to them. And if I can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to let me know!
Thanks everyone!
-- Mike
One of my first steps was to open each baggie and polish any aluminum plugs. Most had some scuffing, so I shined them up using WD-40 and fine (2000 grit) sandpaper. I was surprised to find this fine a grade sandpaper in the auto section of WalMart, and I grabbed a couple of packs. After polishing the plugs, I put them back in the baggies, and set them aside. Note – I did not polish any of the valves themselves as they all appeared to be in beautiful condition. I checked them for freedom of movement as I installed them and all moved smoothly and freely.
One of the valve body modifications in both the Superior kit and the Transgo kit involves drilling a 1/16†passage. This was the only physical modification I made to the VB itself:
(dead link)
Now begins the reassembly. I opened each labeled baggie one at a time at my cleaning station, sprayed it down with Brakleen (I actually use ChemTool B-12, which I like better), then blew it dry with air, & put the cleaned parts in a disposable aluminum pie pan. Then I took the clean parts over to my assembly table & lightly greased them & put them into their bores. The numbering on the pix correlates to the valve numbers in the Ford factory manual.
First is the TCC lockup solenoid & valve. In the picture you see a piece of aluminum in approximately the location I found it with respect to the valve. I believe this was the cause of my transmission problems. If your transmission has this piece in it, discard it!
Here’s a picture of the reverse servo. This is the only place I can see that might have been the source of the foreign piece of metal.
Moving on, we install the 3-4 shift valves & solenoid into bores 201 and 202. As recommended in the A4LD Rebuild Diary, I bowed the retainer plate on the 3-4 shift solenoid (easily done by hand – don’t overdo it!) to keep the solenoid butted tightly against the VB.
The new 3-4 solenoid was slightly different than the old one, as shown here:
Next is the 2-3 shift valve in bore 203:
Note the small spring that sits on that first valve way down in the bore. Here’s an easy way to get it in there correctly:
It bugged me that the retainer washer did not look like it was seating completely, so I pulled the valve back out & just set the retainer in its slot. Nope, it won’t go down any further, that’s what it’s supposed to look like.
From here it’s pretty routine. Just go to the cleaning station, clean the next valve, come back to the assembly table, grease it & install it. Do remember to check for freedom of movement.
Next is a picture of the manual valve with the Sonnax indexer. The valve just slides into its bore and the indexer slips over it with the cutout facing the valve body. This simple piece was the cause of my worst error. When putting the VB in the car, I managed to get the shift linkage through the indexer but not the valve, resulting in no shift at all – had to take it back apart & correct this. It’s somewhat difficult to get that link rod through both pieces while lying on your back trying to hold the VB with one hand & get a bolt started. Just check this before you put the pan back up!
Bore 207 (bottom right side of the VB) has what I would call two sets of valves – I actually had them in two baggies. First picture is the kickdown valve going into bore 207:
Then put the reverse engagement control valve into the same bore:
Bore 208, showing the Sonnax boost valve modification:
Back to the routine:
[
That’s it! Now all you have to do is put the separator plate back on. Remember the two spring loaded valves and the screen near the TCC lockup solenoid. (From the directions in the Transgo kit it sounds as though all VB’s may not have the screen.) And the check valves. I confess I got so excited at this point I put the separator plate back on without all of these innards. At least when I started inventorying the empty baggies I discovered this oversight and didn’t put it back in that way! The instructions with the Transgo kit were very clear on the valve locations, and they differ depending on application, so no picture. (Actually, at this point I was so glad to be done I forgot to take one).
At this point I will discuss the Transgo mod. It consists of a box of colored springs, two drill bits, and instructions. I could not decipher which springs went into which valve bores. As an example, the boost valve was to have a “blue and white†spring. There was no single spring that was blue and white, but the kit had two different size white springs, either of which would have fit. It also referred to an orange spring, but there was not an orange spring that I could see. As a result, I did not use any of the Transgo springs other than the reverse solenoid modification. The A4LD diary has a good write-up with pictures on the reverse mod, so I will refer you there. I did follow the instructions in the kit and drilled holes recommended in the separator plate to firm up the shifts – although I was skeptical and nervous, this turned out to be the most rewarding mod – more in the conclusion. The kit came with two drill bits. BE SURE to measure these bits. One was 1/16†or .062, and the larger was .089. You cannot drill .055 with either of these. There was one other place that called for .072, but I did not have a bit that would do this, so this was the only one I did not drill. My last complaint is that although the kit was very clear on where to put the check balls, it called for an extra (5th) check ball “even if the
VB did not originally have one,†but there weren’t any check balls included in the kit. I debated leaving it out, but ended up getting one at the local transmission shop. Just an annoyance having to take an hour out & drive down there – they gave it to me for free.
I then put the valve body back in the Explorer. I counted out the 5 long bolts & put them where they go. Then put the 19 medium length bolts in their holes. The single short bolt goes under the spring tensioner for the shift comb. The little clip goes over the 3-4 shift solenoid to hold it securely. I was careful to get the Z-link properly installed, but watch out! When I wiggled the VB around to get it seated in position, the Z-link would pop out of position. It took me several tries to get it all back up where it belonged. It was only after it didn’t work that I took it all back apart and found the Z-link through the Sonnax indexer, but not through the valve itself. An easy check – once you get a few bolts in, try to move the manual valve & make sure it’s locked into the linkage. It’s NO fun lying on your back in a pool of ATF with it dripping in your face as you try to fix a stupid mistake!
Conclusions:
1. After cleaning & modifying the VB, this Explorer with 178,000 miles shifts better than the 3-month old factory rebuilt transmission I put in my wife’s Explorer. (Wish I had done this to hers & saved that cost!)
2. The shifts are snappy, but not harsh as I expected. There is NO lag between shifts. If you keep off the go pedal, it shifts 1-2 at 15 and 2-3 at 25. If you stand on it, the shift points are higher, but just as quick. Under hard acceleration it shifts into overdrive at about 60 almost like shifting into another gear – no lag. If I stay out of it, the overdrive point is just under 50, a little higher than before. I would like it to go into overdrive at 45, but all in all no complaints. On the freeway it will run 70 MPH at 2200 RPM. Before the VB work it was 2900 RPM at 70.
3. I paid my dues and became an ELITE Explorer as a result of the help I received from these forums. I received incredible encouragement and help from Glacier991 – I feel like he’s an old friend, and we’ve never met. (Although I did live in Sacramento in a previous geologic age, and fished in Bodega Bay.)
4. I found that soaking your hair in ATF three times per day leaves it soft and supple with attractive red highlights. I anticipate this will become a new fashion rage.
5. I have almost totally eliminated any rust problems with my tools.
6. This experience has given me renewed confidence in my abilities. There is almost nothing I won’t do, but sometimes with disastrous results. In this case, I met with great success. I spent about $200, versus having a shop repair the transmission for $1500. And since I took it apart TWICE, I figure my overall savings at about $2800.
7. For anyone even considering doing this, my advice is: If you are even thinking about it, you can do it. Just take it slow and easy. If at all possible, have a friend or partner. An extra pair of eyes, and a helping hand would have helped avoid the errors I made doing it by myself. If you can take pictures along the way, by all means do so. Take advantage of these forums and the great folks that post to them. And if I can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to let me know!
Thanks everyone!
-- Mike