Gremlins...tranny, plugs to temp gauge

[tidmarshsmiths5]

91 Explorer - runs like a champ BUT

• Tranny fluid black as coal; first put in gear, wait a second, clunk drives like a champion; drove up the mountain and it spit a bunch out of the bottom somewhere but drove home just fine - more gutless than I thought it would be towing a pop up camper
• Changed the plugs - wow, that was a freaking job
• Temp gauge - up down and all around - new radiator (I didn't do) and I would assume a new waterpump and thermostat - but that gauge drives me insane, have never owned a vehicle where the temp gauge moves like that - what oh what to fix
• Autohubs are toast - got to put some manuals on...

And that gas smell.

Love the truck, will repair as I have to, but I hate issues. Local shop that does quality work will rebuild tranny for $1300. I'll do the hubs and either pull the thermostat, waterpump or whatever it is that is causing that gauge to travel like a politicians thoughts...

 

[natenkiki2004]

Get a filter on that transmission ASAP. Even a Magnefine in-line filter. Ford is notoriously crappy with their transmission filters and the A4LD is no exception, it's pretty much a window screen. When you install the new filter, stick an empty quart of oil container under the hoses and run the engine for a bit. Shut the engine off well before you get to the top of the container, it'll continue pumping out. Pop the filter on, pour a quart of Valvoline MaxLife ATF in the dipstick tube and drive it for a bit. Let the filter work to collect all the crap. One of the worse things you can do right now is have the system flushed. You might be ok doing a pan drop but if it were me, I'd let the filter work a while with a little bit of fresh fluid (the quart) and do a pan drop in 1-200 miles.

The first time you do plugs will be a turd. Do them 2-3 times and you figure out what works.

Don't assume a shop replaced parts. Look at the bill or call them. Mine fluctuated quite a bit, especially when warming up. I don't know what thermostat the previous owner put in but I put in a new Stant SuperStat and the fluctuation is all gone.

 

[arco777]

• Tranny fluid black as coal; first put in gear, wait a second, clunk drives like a champion; drove up the mountain and it spit a bunch out of the bottom somewhere but drove home just fine - more gutless than I thought it would be towing a pop up camper
• Changed the plugs - wow, that was a freaking job
• Temp gauge - up down and all around - new radiator (I didn't do) and I would assume a new waterpump and thermostat - but that gauge drives me insane, have never owned a vehicle where the temp gauge moves like that - what oh what to fix
• Autohubs are toast - got to put some manuals on...

And that gas smell.

Trans fluid - Get that trans some love ASAP. If the fluid is black it has probably been badly neglected. Might be able to save it with band adjustment, fluid and filter replacement several times. I'd drop the valve body and clean all the sediment out of the valves by hand. Lots of "trans shops" don't touch the valve body, when it is the most important part.

Spark plugs - Plugs on an Explorer are one of the easiest (longitudinally mounted V6/V8) plug jobs I have ever experienced. You want a tough one, try a 4th gen Firebird/Camaro. Count your blessings.

Temp gauge - Check that it has good connections and the sender is working correctly. Time to get out the multimeter, might be corrosion on connections. Check the thermostat, needs to be an OEM replacement (no high-temp models) and not gunked up causing it to bind. Burp the cooling system.

Autohubs - I installed a new pair of Rugged Ridge hubs and was happy with them. There is a nice set of Warn units in the For Sale section right now. You'll need the adapter kit, that changes your hardware, but it's available from parts stores.

Gas Smell - Check that your charcoal canister and lines are intact and that your purge solenoid is in working order. Usually the lines break or the solenoid fails, or the canister fills up with gas because someone tried to "top off" the tank repeatedly.

 

[tidmarshsmiths5]

Get a filter on that transmission ASAP. Even a Magnefine in-line filter. Ford is notoriously crappy with their transmission filters and the A4LD is no exception, it's pretty much a window screen. When you install the new filter, stick an empty quart of oil container under the hoses and run the engine for a bit. Shut the engine off well before you get to the top of the container, it'll continue pumping out. Pop the filter on, pour a quart of Valvoline MaxLife ATF in the dipstick tube and drive it for a bit. Let the filter work to collect all the crap. One of the worse things you can do right now is have the system flushed. You might be ok doing a pan drop but if it were me, I'd let the filter work a while with a little bit of fresh fluid (the quart) and do a pan drop in 1-200 miles.

The first time you do plugs will be a turd. Do them 2-3 times and you figure out what works.

Don't assume a shop replaced parts. Look at the bill or call them. Mine fluctuated quite a bit, especially when warming up. I don't know what thermostat the previous owner put in but I put in a new Stant SuperStat and the fluctuation is all gone.

Thank you for the info; will do the in-line filter this weekend. Gonna go ahead and change the thermostat to (my brother pulled his years ago and over 300k and when he sold it the motor still purred - the tranny not so much but his was a 95 and he drove the snot out of it pulling a bass boat every weekend). I thought I was supposed to use Mercon in this thing?

 

[tidmarshsmiths5]

Trans fluid - Get that trans some love ASAP. If the fluid is black it has probably been badly neglected. Might be able to save it with band adjustment, fluid and filter replacement several times. I'd drop the valve body and clean all the sediment out of the valves by hand. Lots of "trans shops" don't touch the valve body, when it is the most important part.

Spark plugs - Plugs on an Explorer are one of the easiest (longitudinally mounted V6/V8) plug jobs I have ever experienced. You want a tough one, try a 4th gen Firebird/Camaro. Count your blessings.

Temp gauge - Check that it has good connections and the sender is working correctly. Time to get out the multimeter, might be corrosion on connections. Check the thermostat, needs to be an OEM replacement (no high-temp models) and not gunked up causing it to bind. Burp the cooling system.

Autohubs - I installed a new pair of Rugged Ridge hubs and was happy with them. There is a nice set of Warn units in the For Sale section right now. You'll need the adapter kit, that changes your hardware, but it's available from parts stores.

Gas Smell - Check that your charcoal canister and lines are intact and that your purge solenoid is in working order. Usually the lines break or the solenoid fails, or the canister fills up with gas because someone tried to "top off" the tank repeatedly.

Gas smell - I put in a new solenoid when I bought it - had a local shop check it out, couldn't find anything wrong. I'm gonna start pulling/replacing gas lines - there 24 years old - did see a little wet around the hose going into the tank around the clamp where you fill it up - might be as simple as that.

Autohubs - will look at the for sale ones...that's a must before hunt season.

Temp gauge - someone put in a new sensor before I bought it (I assume trying to chase fluctuating temp gauge).

Plugs - driver side - bam easy; passenger side, not so much but I pulled the tire off and got that last one done...that's ridiculous (still easier than my wife's van) but my Dakota just spoiled me - everything was so easy to do inside the bay with plenty of room.

My bro is gonna help me with tranny. He is very mechanically inclined. I can learn and can do a lot thanks to sites like this but he just knows how to do stuff.

 

[natenkiki2004]

I thought I was supposed to use Mercon in this thing?

MaxLife is compatible with the old & new Mercon. It's a good synthetic and inexpensive transmission fluid.

Seriously, get a filter on and drain some fluid out asap. That should be your # priority to have any hope of saving that transmission. If you want an idea for a 'better' filter, see my signature. Many other owners here have gone that route.

 

[tidmarshsmiths5]

MaxLife is compatible with the old & new Mercon. It's a good synthetic and inexpensive transmission fluid.

Seriously, get a filter on and drain some fluid out asap. That should be your # priority to have any hope of saving that transmission. If you want an idea for a 'better' filter, see my signature. Many other owners here have gone that route.

Like the filter idea; will get it done. My Dakota blew a line before and I had to do something similar (without the filter), so the difference is to do just run it into a filter housing/filter)...