Go in Reverse, but won't go forward

[sonnymarcum]

I have a 95 Ranger 4x4. When I got it in a trade the automatice tranny was slipping severlely in forward gears. Eventually it just stopped going forward all together, but reverse is fine.

I took the pan off just to inspect things and noticed that a gasket was damaged between the main botton plate and the top. Also many of the bolts that held the bottom plate in place seemed pretty loose. The tranny was rebuilt about a year before I got it. Could this be the problem or is it somthing else?

Please help. I don't know if it's worth putting a new tranny in.

 

[Glacier991]

You have very likely found your problem.

 

[sonnymarcum]

Thanks. Just to be clear, in between the two plates there are complex little channels that snake all over the surface. The gasket was damage around a round recessed area at one corner. Why would reverse still work? I'm not at all good with auto tranny's, are you pretty sure if I just replace the gasket that it will fix me up?

 

[Glacier991]

No guarantees, but I think it a good chance that new gaskets (on both sides of the separator plate, and proper torquing will help. Reverse might just work because the pressures are boosted for reverse.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! You should use an In/LB torque wrench to tighten the valve body bolts. Make sure that that you don't interchange the bolts, since they are different lengths. Refer to the information in Glacier's991's VB rebuild diary.

 

[sonnymarcum]

Thanks for the advice. I may have another problem. I was cleaning the pan and found a small piece of metal. Size 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/16 thick. Looks like a small finger that broke off somewhere. One edge looks damaged where if probably broke. It appears to be steel and has one side that is coated with brass. The brass looking side has two small grooves. I inspeced the valve body and the main lower part of the tranny and cannot see where if could have come from.

There was no other materials or metal in the pan, was actually pretty clean. Should I just go ahead and try the new gaskets or am I wasting my time?

Thanks,

 

[Glacier991]

Can you get a picture of it?

 

[sonnymarcum]

Don't know how to insert a picture on this site. Is there an email address I can send a picture to?

 

[BrooklynBay]

You could use a site like Putfile, Photobucket, or Freephotohost,

 

[sonnymarcum]

Go to web page listed below to see pictures. Kind of blurry, but I think they should help. I did some research and think it may be one of the multiple fingers on the clutch. Just guessing though.

(lost photos)

 

[sonnymarcum]

I posted some pictures of the small piece of metal I found in the pan. Any feedbacd as to whether I should be concerned or not.

I have order all the gaskets I need to fix the valve body gasket failure. Before I go to all this trouble, I'd like to know if the metal finger is a serious issue and I'm wasting my time.

Thanks,

 

[Glacier991]

Unfortunately the pictures didn't help much... but that does not look like a band anchor anyway.... but metal pieces are worrisome. From the pictures I cannot place that piece. Thanks for trying though. I'd continue with the VB rebuild. My 2 cents.

A nice in focus really close up pic would be nice, but even then I am not sure I could place it....maybe - maybe not.