Bizzare acting trans

[Alaskanredneck]

I have been all over the threads trying to find anything like this.
Here’s my problem, my trany died on my 91 EB 4.0 X and the Ford dealership that I worked at told me to replace it would be around $2800 employee cost. will I didn't have that kind of money so I checked around the junk yards they would all warranty the one they sold for 90 days but wouldn't cover labor to install it if it didn't work. So I found a guy on CL that had an X that was t-boned that I could drive it make sure it worked and then he would take it out. Plus his was a bit less expensive. So I throw it in the back of my ex and have to towed to Ford after 3 weeks it’s finally done. So I go pay for it and drive it home on the way out of the dealership it won’t shift out of first gear. I get to the stoplight and when it turns green I hit the gas high rpms very slow movement like 1 or 2 mph. so I limp into a parking lot to check if they put fluid in it. It looked fine so I try to take it across the street to my employer’s lot and low and behold it works fine, so I head home. On the way home it won’t shift in to 2nd until it has sat at 3k rpms for 10 to 15 seconds. I finally get it home and pissed off I leave it for the night. Getting back to it the next day I check the fluid level ... fine so I sit in it and run it through the gears then take it for a test drive now it seems to work a lot better when its warmed up but starting out cold it runs like crap not shifting or shifting hard. If I manually run through the gears while I drive first seems ok goes right in to second doesn’t seem to do anything in third or od.
I checked it after the drive and it was a qt low on atf so I added a qt. I took it on the highway today went 65mph at almost 4k rpms but on the way back od kicked in and dropped to three. when I got home and parked it I noticed some atf on the ground and checked it 1 qt low again. Now it was not driving like this when it was in the other truck so I don’t know what happened between then and now. That’s my whole story I wanted to add everything so I didn’t leave any little detail out that might give a clue to what’s going on. Please if anyone can help I would so much appreciate it and I can get my wife off my back about fixing it instead of junking it.

 

[tbe2002]

Sounds like the governor is sticking. That is very common on the A4ld. And it is very common on a rebuild if the trans lines were not cleaned well enough before the shop installed the new/ used tranny. If u are loosing tranny fluid the modulator could also be bad, U can verify that by disconnecting the vacuum line that goes to the tranny and seeing if there is any fluid in there.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Take TBE2002's advice. I was going to suggest the governor, and modulator.

 

[Alaskanredneck]

I dont think they cleaned anything they just ripped the old one old, slammed the new one in and drove it to its parking spot and said pay us. So how do I check the gov? Do you know if these parts are expensive/ difficult? Can I use the gov or mod off the old trans I did keep it? I'll check the vacuum hose today, darn the late April snow

 

[Alaskanredneck]

Oh I forgot it also seems pretty gutless on take off like its trying to start out in second or something? Also if the modulator is bad where is the fluid going I was down a qt after a drive and I didn't see a trail and after it sat for a few hours I lost maybe a 16th of a qt on the ground so where is the rest of the qt thats gone off my dipstick?

 

[tbe2002]

If u do a search for the governor and the vaccum modulator, there are some pretty good write ups on this site on how to replace them. The trans fluid will be going into the engine and the is being burned. I had some of the same issues. These trans are only comptuer controled for torque converter lock up and Overdrive. Have u tried to drive in the regular "d", besides not haveing over drive is the sluggishness not as bad? I had an issue where the solonid for Overdrive was messing up so it would make me start in OD 1st gear, wow that was slow. lol.

 

[BrooklynBay]

# 45 in my list of useful threads has information on replacing the governor: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155582

 

[Alaskanredneck]

Ok so I noticed something else when the trans is cold the fluid on the dipstick is a little over full but once it has warmed up its on the very bottom of the dipstick. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Also I was lazy and paid my hard earned money to have the guys at the dealership install this trans so I am going to take it back tomorrow and talk to the service manager, but I want to have a leg to stand on as to why I think it was a bad installation job and not a bad used trans. If any of you know why the fluid is doing that or if I should ad more fluid please let me know. If all else fails I guess I'll have to break into this thing myself. Also checked the vacuum hoses on the under hood side no fluid that I could see and when I got underneath I saw trans fluid leaking from what looked like around the bell housing but I'm not sure I will clean it and recheck it.

 

[BrooklynBay]

It might be your front seal leaking. There is no way to get to it other than removing the transmission, and the torque converter.

 

[Alaskanredneck]

Darn well I'll have the dealer look at it again and let yall know. Thanks everyone for all your help!!!

 

[Alaskanredneck]

By the way does anyone have any idea why the fluid would be high on the dipstick when its cold and just a drop on the end of the dipstick when its cold?

 

[NHale623]

By the way does anyone have any idea why the fluid would be high on the dipstick when its cold and just a drop on the end of the dipstick when its cold?

Are you sure you worded this question correctly?

 

[Alaskanredneck]

I know it sounds strange but like I said when the trans is cold the atf is a bit over the full mark but when the trans is at normal opp temp there is just a drop on the end of the dipstick. It just does not make any since to me at all. Anyone have any clue what this means?

 

[NHale623]

When you're checking the fluid level, is the car idling?

 

[Alaskanredneck]

Yes both when cold or hot I always have it running when I check it. so where does the ATF go when it when at a hot idle?

 

[BrooklynBay]

This is one of the links in # 14 in my list of useful threads: Dead Link Removed

 

[Alaskanredneck]

I tried to access the web link that you posted Brooklyn but I could not open it on either Mozilla foxfire or internet explorer, seems like there web sight is down. If it is the application chart or how to add atf to a transmission I am fully aware of how to do this but I have now shown 2 trans tech at two different shops whats going on with my truck and they're both baffled as to what is going on. I'm just hoping someone else has had these problems and was able to resolve them. I have heard everything from the filter may not have been installed with the o-rings correctly to the torque converter may not have been put on right (I didn't know that torque converters were that hard to install) So please if anyone would know why my recently installed trans would not shift from first to second with out sitting at 3k rpms for several seconds and same with second to third unless its warm then it still sometimes doesn't want to shift sometimes third is a bit elusive as well even when at op temp and od is a damn hermit hiding in his cave, or why my atf is full when cold then almost empty when at op temp then back to full once cooled down, none of which occurred in the 93 X that I took the trans out of a month ago , then please tell me before my wife kills me for spending so much money.
P.S. could not cleaning out the cooler lines really cause all these problems?
P.P.S. Thank you all so much sorry I'm just getting frustrated with this truck at the moment everyone that has responded I really do thank you for tryin to help me.

 

[JohnJ]

Maybe you've got a torque converter draining down when it sits? Either way, you want to check the level only when it is hot. If it reads full cold and low hot, then it is not full.

Also, if you have a slight seal leak and don't want to go through the trouble of replacing that seal right away consider adding an ounce or so of xylene/xylol to the fluid.

 

[Alaskanredneck]

Huh is there any way to tell if the converter is draining down and what causes one to do so ? Also what is xylene/xylol?

 

[JohnJ]

Well, basically, if you check your automatic transmission fluid after 20 minutes of driving (fully warmed up) and get the level correct, then you let it sit overnight, start it up, and the level is way high the torque converter is draining back. I don't know the Ford trannys, but there should be some sort of check valve in there to prevent this and it may be worn.

Xylene aka xylol is an aromatic solvent that is a component of gasoline and is used in the production of synthetic rubbers and plastics. It has the property of causing synthetic rubbers to soften and swell. This softening and swelling tends to stop minor seal leaks. The Benjamin Moore store here sells it for $5 and change for a 1 quart bottle. It smells very nice, but try not to spill any indoors at it tends to cause a headache if inhaled.

I have a 4T60-E in one of my other vehicles so I had to put some in recently to get the valve body going again. One half ounce was enough to restore it's seals and get me from a tranny that wouldn't engage at all to working perfectly. In my experience it can take about 2 weeks for the rubber to absorb the xylene. Toluene is a much faster working alternative but will evaporate and stop working due to the temperatures in the tranny.