Explorer makes this winding/clanking sound when coasting.

[Zinith]

I've had my 93 explorer for almost about a year now. And it has always made this winding/clanking sound (don't really know how to explain it) when I'm coasting down a road. When I give it gas, it goes away immediately. And it doesn't always make that sound when coasting.

Honestly, I've never really been all that worried about it, and I haven't noticed it potentially causing any other problems. I've just been curious as to what it could be, and also the fact It's quite annoying.

My automatic transmission is not really good. Like, it works. But I have to baby it. It loves to slip out of gear at the most annoying of times. Like when I come to a stop, or driving at very slow speeds (in my schools parking lot, or school zones). I have to give it a little gas enough for it to catch itself again, but not so much that it slams back into gear. I drive around town in first and second gear and try to match rev speeds, so its like I'm treating my automatic like It's a manual. I do that so I can try to stretch the last of my transmissions life out as far as I can.
Although it does that, when I'm driving down the road at higher speeds like 35 and up I put it into Drive and it shifts just fine going down the road. Sometimes it likes to sorta hiccup at the top gear when I floor it to get up to speed quickly (i understand this is probably not the smartest thing to do (its just fun ))

If anyone could help me figure out what the sound could be caused from, I would really appreciate it.

NOTE: its got like 230,000 miles on it. (realized i didn't put that in there anywhere.) The majority of them being highway miles.

 

[natenkiki2004]

It's probably the one-way clutch. Sounds like your trans needs a rebuild unfortunately.

 

[Zinith]

It's probably the one-way clutch. Sounds like your trans needs a rebuild unfortunately.

Alrighty so that's like $800 - $1000. Or say if im looking for a new (refurbished) transmission. Do I HAVE to find an A4LD? Or can I use one from something else. Something a little more durable... And on the subject of rebuilding transmissions... What would be the possibility of rebuilding my transmission myself? Is that even a good idea? Like If I had a good guide and all the parts to do so. Would I even want to bother? How hard would that be?

 

[natenkiki2004]

If you have a clean and large workbench, decent tool collection, spare time, another vehicle to drive, and a mindset for details, yea, you can do it. There's a great rebuild tutorial on this site. That, combined with the ATSG manuals should be all you need. If rebuilt right with parts upgrades, and maintained (clean & filtered fluid) the A4LD will outlast the rest of the vehicle.

Here's the ATSG manuals (the 2nd is important):
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/464376/vehicles/1991 Explorer/a4ld_manual_atsg.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/464376/vehicles/1991 Explorer/a4ld_manual_atsg_update.pdf

Regarding using other transmissions... you can always swap in a manual, that's popular with a lot of people once they build disgust from their A4LD leaving them in a ****ty situation. I think there's adapter plates that will allow you to use a 700r4 but there's other issues with that.

 

[arco777]

Natenkiki2004, thank you for the ATSG manuals!

(This advice is general and not specific to your situation).
Before embarking on a rebuild of the A4LD trans to solve undiagnosed issues, consider trying the following things which are cheaper and would need to happen during a rebuild anyways.
1. Change fluid and filter. Small particles of sediment can get in tight tolerance areas and cause issues, so good quality filters and frequent changes mitigate this.
2. Adjust the bands. Do a forum search for the procedure. Costs nothing, only requires a torque wrench.
3. Take the valve body apart and clean it out. This takes time but is not physically difficult. Replace separator gaskets, and install a shift correction kit. This fixes many common issues. A good time to replace the two solenoids. Upgraded valves are available. Total cost ranges from $20-$100+ depending on how much stuff you want to change, plus fluid/filter.

Even if the above items don't fix your A4LD's problems, they will improve longevity and performance after the core issue is fixed or the transmission is rebuilt.