Another transmission install with no reverse

[daisyrocky]

Hi again, spent three days removing and installing another tranny since the store agree to give me another rebuilt and another new torque converter. After install, truck ran fine have reverse and all gears for two miles and OD light started flashing. Put truck back on ramps. Check valve body and fluid torque to 90 in. pound. Now no reverse but truck runs fine on forward only and no more chattering. Valve body is the same new one with all new solenoids from last week install. Reverse band is springy when I poked it with screwdriver and I see reverse servo has new o ring, what else could it be? This 95 Explorer is draining the life out of me.

 

[ragajungle]

I read somewhere that the transfer case may be the issue...

 

[PopRichie77]

When you torqued the valve body, did do it in the proper sequence? Also did you torque to say 65 inch pounds all bolts and then 90? Did the wiring on the valve body come with the trans?

 

[daisyrocky]

Yes I did, I had the manual torque sequence page with me under the truck and torque it 73 in then 90 in pound. 23 bolts and 4 bolts last on the reverse servo. Maybe rebuilting and upgrading the new VB with a shift kit the next step?

 

[PopRichie77]

Do you have manual low and does it have engine braking ? If the answer is yes then the low, reverse servo and band are working. If working then it is a valve body problem, reverse valve may be sticking. Also does manual 2nd work?

 

[daisyrocky]

It had engine braking and all just for a couple of miles but when the OD flashing I made a u turn and went back home very disappointed. It went straight to limp mode. The other rebuilt transmission problem last week was the "stator pump" it was chewed up and that's the reason another torque converter was given as replacement. I'll check the valve body again in the morning. Thank you for all the help and will post back with results.

 

[BrooklynBay]

What was the code? The O/D light was flashing, so there has to be a code. Did you check the alignment of the range sensor?

 

[daisyrocky]

I will have the code in the afternoon when my mechanic friend gets off work and borrow his Snap On scanner. I did not have the alignment tool for the range sensor and just took a snapshot of the original position where it was at.

 

[daisyrocky]

127.00 for that alignment tool by OTC SPX. Cost that much for a piece of metal?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Did you check the reverse lights to see if they turn on when you put it in reverse?

 

[daisyrocky]

I did, at first it didn't have the lights but had reverse. When I went to make adjustment the truck didn't start. Then I adjusted it till I have reverse lights then no reverse ever since. I've retorque the valve body this morning and still no reverse and the truck will hardly goes past 40 mph at 2800 RPM. I've am at the time being removing the valve body and plan to give it a kerosene bath and cleanup the bores and springs. I've also notice when I remove the "new valve body" EPC solenoid the plunger/ spring is kind of stiff and not springy like the original old one. it will hardly move up and down compared to the old one.

 

[daisyrocky]

What is holding the EPC plunger/ spring besides the "horseshoe clip"? Thanks.

 

[PopRichie77]

Would try to help but I don't know what you are referring to (plunger) if you mean the plug right after the EPC solenoid, these are sometimes tight and hard to get out, they should be tight to prevent leakage. Many of the valves and bore end plugs are hard to get out and you should not scratch them or sand in any way, or they will leak. Remove the valve in the EPC bore and then the spring should fall out.

 

[daisyrocky]

Went to mechanic friend and he hooked up Snap-on scanner. NO CODE on the transmission at all. Did it twice because I told him it was flashing like crazy yesterday and this morning. He told me to redo valve body again. Took me five hours to cleaning it up with kerosene, removed all solenoids, check balls, compressed air drying and left out in sun drying for 2 hours. I've just finished cleaning up the valve body, ohm checked all solenoids, retighten retorqued all bolts again, 2 and a half gallons of fresh fluids again. Got reverse driving off the ramps after startup. Went around the block, no reverse again, truck reving to 3000 rpm and doing only 45 mph. But no OD flashing this time. What the heck going on. I've ordered the TRS alignment tool this morning and won't get here till next week. Will the range sensor cause this? I'm about to give it up after 2 transmissions in 2 weeks. Thank you all.

 

[daisyrocky]

Update: Got kind of upset and when out to truck and sat there and tried reverse again. It took about 4 time shifting into all gears and it finally got reverse but feel kind of like slipping. Shift to drive to move forward a little and back onto reverse, gone again. What is causing this???

 

[92Explorer4.0]

we had a dodge pick that had a problem like urs. to tranny out about 6 times to have it looked at and taken apart to replace stuff on. after beign fed up with it and all our class took it to a tranny shop and come to find out it was 2 quarts low on atf. we was checkn in in park not neutral like the book said. so try checkn the fluid with it running in neutral and c what happens. hope that helps. James

 

[daisyrocky]

Just drive the darn thing and 2nd and 3rd gears gone. Back to the garage.

 

[daisyrocky]

Like to thank everyone for their inputs. I'm going to take a couple of days off from this nightmare before deciding weather to take it to a shop or dive back in. The truck now has only 1st gear and nothing else. It's on the second rebuilt tranny and second new torque converter, third sets of valve body and solenoids. Local Sears ran out of their compression gauge till Tuesday, 5 new gallons of Castrol Dexron was used, tubes of Bengay and Icy Hot was used up, Money running dry. Any suggestive inputs on what else to check or change on this tranny issues besides waiting for that alignment tool to come in the mail. Thank you all again.