Broken Band

[Willard]

See here's the problem-

I'm a college student that doesn't have the money for a full rebuild. I'm just really needing to get this thing back on the road again, and I need it done yesterday. I'm not looking for an everlasting transmission here, there's a good chance I won't have this vehicle for more than a year or two from now. If it lasts me that long, I'm happy.

It's really hard to justify spending money on this truck at all, but I have no other choices most of the time.

So, thinking about it, would I theoretically be able to get by replacing the one band, doing some VB work (Transgo kit, and the sonnax upgrades), all new seals and gaskets, and calling it good? I realize the best thing here is to just rebuild, but that's really not an option.

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

See here's the problem-

I'm a college student that doesn't have the money for a full rebuild. I'm just really needing to get this thing back on the road again, and I need it done yesterday. I'm not looking for an everlasting transmission here, there's a good chance I won't have this vehicle for more than a year or two from now. If it lasts me that long, I'm happy.

It's really hard to justify spending money on this truck at all, but I have no other choices most of the time.

So, thinking about it, would I theoretically be able to get by replacing the one band, doing some VB work (Transgo kit, and the sonnax upgrades), all new seals and gaskets, and calling it good? I realize the best thing here is to just rebuild, but that's really not an option.

Everything you are describing of doing here is not far behind from a full rebuild. To replace the band you will have to take the transmission out any way.

If you are looking for a quick, easy and cheap fix, I would just start scouting around a yard for another used A4LD somewhere that you could pick up for a couple hundred and swap it in.

 

[Willard]

Everything you are describing of doing here is not far behind from a full rebuild. To replace the band you will have to take the transmission out any way.

If you are looking for a quick, easy and cheap fix, I would just start scouting around a yard for another used A4LD somewhere that you could pick up for a couple hundred and swap it in.

I would, but the only junkyard close around here gets away with murder as far as prices go.

To put it in perspective, it cost me ~$600 for a hood, grille, stone deflector, and front bumper for my explorer.

Unfortunately my options for auto parts in this town aren't great.

Edit: What I'm trying to do here is keep the cost of parts below $200 at the maximum. So far after playing around I'm up to $150 with the band, seals and gaskets, and valve body upgrades.

This price won't include the fluid cost (although and investment in itself), and i already have a new filter. So is this feasible? I'm looking at transmissionpartsusa.com, best prices I can find on stuff.

 

[tbe2002]

You can pull the trans very easily without a trans jack. I have done it twice and put it back in twice without it. I also just used regular jack stands too on the highest setting. Worked for me, but I am also pretty skinny. lol.

 

[CDW6212R]

R&R'ing the trans will be the hard part. In the trans you won't have the tools to do the clutch 0piston seals. Working with the accumulators in the side of the trans is usually hard. Take your time with the VB and keeping things clean. Look for material inside the VB especially, if it is not perfectly clean inside, don't install the trans.

Buy a ATSG manual for the A4LD also, you will need that, and it should be only about $15.

 

[Willard]

Ok, so I've decided for now to not worry too much about what to do to it, I'll pull it first and see what I have. I'm trying to get this done as fast as I can, but I don't wanna rush things and end up with a transmission that still doesn't work.

So I'm gonna at least get ready to pull it this weekend, and open it up when I get the chance and see exactly what I've got. What sucks is this next week I'm gonna have no spare time, I have class every day and will have to work from 6-11pm every day as well. So that'll be over 80 hours next week between school and work, not counting homework/study time.

Once I get going on this I'll keep you guys posted so you can help me make the right decisions here.

You guys have been great help thus far, I am starting to gain a little confidence that I can actually do this now.

Oh, and CDW, I'll definitely buy the ATSG manual for it. That is one thing that's already on the list. Come to think of it, I may order it now...

 

[BrooklynBay]

There is also an update manual which is good to get. It has information that is not in the first manual. Did you take a look in this site's classified section? You might find a good transmission. You could always rebuild your old transmission, and save it as a spare. Don't forget to buy a rebuilt torque converter, and flush the cooler lines.

 

[Willard]

Ok, so it took me almost a month, but it's out and apart. I've had health problems, and I'm a full time student and employee, so spare time is scarce.

Anyways, except for the band, most everything else looks great. The fluid is obviously a little dirty, but there is no scoring on any bearing surfaces or thrust washer surfaces and everything is in order. Well, the Intermediate servo is toast as well, chunks came out when I removed it. But it was getting replaced anyways.

So I'm happy with what I'm seeing, I'm gonna do some minimal stuff and get it back together. I'm just amazed an original A4LD with 215k+ on it looks this good inside.

I do have one question, what's a good way to improvise a way to get the clutch packs apart? I'll look in Glacier's thread by I want to see if there is other ideas. I also have one valve stuck in the valve body, I think it's the last one (216?). Any ideas for this?

 

[BrooklynBay]

You have to use a clutch pack compressor tool. As for getting stuck valves out of the valve body, check my thread on a brute force method:http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217267. This thread is # 80 in my list of useful threads.

 

[Willard]

Awesome link BB. I've got some things to try now, and I guess it was bore 216, and it was the inner plug that the other guy had trouble with.

I was thinking Glacier had some sort of improvised clutch pack compressor he used?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Some guys make their own. This is a post from # 63 in my list of useful threads: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1807740&postcount=13. There are 2 types. One is the handheld type in that link, and the other is a floor mounted production model with a step on pedal.

 

[Willard]

I have ordered parts now and they are on there way. If I can get this thing back to normal function I will be ecstatic. Been driving a half broken trans for about three years now.

 

[Willard]

Ok, I'm still plugging away at this believe it or not, spare time is not plentiful for me. I'm also taking my time because I don't want to screw this up.

One question though, with the torque converter off, should I be able to rotate the splined portion of the pump (I'm assuming at least) by hand? I'm talking about the larger splined portion the input shaft goes through. I can't move it, I thought that was what spun the pump.

I haven't had the pump apart, it worked fine before, so I'm hoping this is right. The torque converter spins freely when put on that shaft.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Do you think that the pump gears are seized?

 

[Willard]

I don't see why they would be, they worked fine before the transmission was pulled, and I didn't open up the pump. I'm just wondering if I should be able to turn that snout by hand.

 

[BrooklynBay]

You could check the pump gears if you have the pump alignment tool to realign them.

 

[Willard]

But I don't. Oh well, I really have no reason to think the pump is bad, so I'm gonna roll with it. I get paranoid sometimes, I'm mostly afraid right now of having to pull it again after this ordeal.