Help please

[erikjacobsen2007]

Hello, my name is Erik. I am the owner of a 1991 Eddie Bauer Edition Ford Explorer. I just recently joined the site. My father (also a proud owner of a 1996) recommended you guys. I have a problem with my transmission. Until the car has sufficiently warmed up in the morning, I have an unbelievably hard time getting the car to go into gear. Once I begin to drive the car will go for a short period and then kick out of gear again. If I turn off the car and then back on and put back into gear, it will again go for a little while and then kick out. After about 10 minutes of this it then has no problem until I brake too hard and it will again kick out. I can also get the transmission to reengage when I press the accelerator. What do you think is my problem?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

It sounds like the pick up in the pan is not getting enough fluid. When the tranny warms up, the fluid expands, thus creating greater volume and allowing the pick up to suck up fluid. Braking hard sloshes all the fluid forward away from the pick up. Several things can cause this. The first I would check is your tranny fluid level. If that's good, than it is possible that the wrong filter is installed. The filter has the fluid pick up on it and the the 4 wheel drive filter has a longer neck as it has a deeper pan. This is where I would start.

 

[erikjacobsen2007]

Thanks for the advise. I went out and ran the truck for 15 minutes and checked the tranny fluid level. Sure enough I am down about 2 quarts. Now I have discovered why, I have a fluid leak coming off the passenger side of the transmission. It does not appear to be a crack but more likely a seal. Since the transmission has a whopping 224000 miles on it, I have considered replacing it. Can it be dropped and swapped without removing the engine, or am I about to bite off more than I can chew? I recently replaced the head gaskets,water pump, exaust manifold, and a few other minor parts. Will a transmission swap be much more difficult?

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

The tranny easily comes out w/ out removing the engine. The hardest part is the top two bolts on the bell housing and the torque converter to flexplate bolts which are accessed from the hole when you remove the starter. Be sure to soak the crap out of the exhaust y-pipe flanges at the exhaust manifold prior to removing them as they can be really tough and/or break.