Bad Torque Converter?

[Sonicmasd]

Hi everyone, long post warning:

I did a transmission service a month or two ago and followed some detailed instructions that are posted on the forum but that I can't seem to find right now. I dropped the pan, removed the filter, rotated the engine with a 15/16 socket on the crank so that the torque converter bolt lined up with the access hole, removed the bolt and drained the torque converter. I got 5 qts out of the pan and 6 out of the torque converter.

Then if I remember correctly, the instructions said to add a few quarts (not sure how many anymore but probably 3-6) into the dip stick after reassembling everything. Turn on the vehicle and cycle through all gears and not to be alarmed if some of them don't shift. This process was to get the fluid back into the TC easier I think. Then top off with your remaining 6ish quarts.

After doing this my transmission hesitates when going from Park to Drive. There is a lag of 1-2 seconds when the gas is pressed for the first time and then it jumps forward. After it is in drive it shifts fine through all other gears and you can even put it back into park and then drive without a problem. But if you turn off the engine the process repeats.

I just figured that maybe I was a little low on fluid so I checked the dip stick and added 1/2 qt and that seemed to help the issue. But then I had an oil change and tire rotation done on Saturday then took the Explorer on a 150 mile road trip on Sunday and noticed immediately that it shakes while accelerating. If I stop accelerating and just cruise it is much better and the problem doesn't really show up until at least 40+ mph.

Any ideas? I'm thinking: tires not rotated correctly (long shot and unrelated to transmission jumping into drive), driveshaft u-joint (again, unrelated to tranny jump), and bad torque converter (fits both symptoms).

I know that the new fluid can mess up transmissions because of the new detergent but I didn't think it would happen to me because this vehicle has had 3 tranny fluid changes in it's life. But the last one was 100k miles ago at 111k so in retrospect I should have just done nothing or at most just the pan fluid.

Any one have anything to add, maybe I'm missing something? I don't want to believe that my faithful transmission might be on her last leg!

 

[Sonicmasd]

I just wanted to update this thread in case anyone has a similar experience now that I've got the Explorer fixed.

1. The hesitation to go into 1st was solved by adding Lubgard's 2oz shutter fix and 10oz auto trans protectant fluid.

2. The vibration was completely unrelated and just a really unlucky coincidence that happened around the exact same time as when I did the tranny fluid change so it really confused me and made me think it was tranny related. Turns out one of the drive shaft ujoints was bad - totally destroyed. Replaced the u joints for $20 and the Explorer is driving as smoothly as new again.