How to: My A4LD Rebuild Diary - Pt 4 - Postscript

[zippee]

I got a head start on tools...I won an auction for a Rotunda tool kit for the C-3.

 

[Glacier991]

Congratulations. I saw you were bidding. Looked to be a complete set too!

 

[zippee]

Do you prowl auctions like that? I was pleased with the price I got it for.

Where do you recommend buying tools? There's one of those infamous "TOOL" shops down the road I go to for any tool I figure I'll use once...I have a friend who's a MAC distributor who will give me a pretty good deal.

 

[Glacier991]

Yes I tend to, have gotten some good deals. The best deal ever happened this morning though. I picked up a virtually brand new (under 500 miles) 2002 5R55W... for...hang onto your hat $113.50!! So maybe Brain and I can further the upgrades on the A4LD he is making in his Project Frankentranny. (Now for a S and an N).

 

[zippee]

That's incredible!

 

[Brain]

When do you think you are going to tear into it?

 

[Glacier991]

Well it is on the east coast.... so will be a while before it gets here....probably shortly after that. Anything in particular you think I should be looking out for (besides the OD Planetary?) I may just tear it down and put it back together and see who needs it....I am more curious than anything.

 

[milehighxr]

You say it hold 600HP, how about 400HP/TQ to RW? Behind a 2.3T?

 

[milehighxr]

What difference if any is there between the 4.0L A4 case, and the 2.9L/2.3T A4 cases? I have several of these laying around, and need internals.

 

[turbowsr]

Thank you guys

I recently bought a '97 Aerostar (not an explorer, but I love it anyhow). 3 weeks went by and the tranny went belly up. It has the 5R55E. Although Glacier did an A4LD, I found it a lot of help in getting my 5R apart. My Direct Drum and Forward drum were stuck together. The cluches were fried. The top clutch was just a ring. This chewed the forward drums teeth up. Burned up the intermediate band too. The smell is terrible.
I read the entire Glacier thread, and it helped, were it could, a lot!!! Much more than ATSG, and chiltons.
Brains input was great also.
So I would like to thank both of you for this tread. Also everyone else that put in their 2 cents.
I have been a chevy man, and just recently got into Fords. I love them, I hate them.
Finding the parts online is heck for the 5R. And since I live in BFE, getting to a supplier is harder. Any Ideas for 5R hardparts. I just joind this forum (but read alot before joining, just had to thank Glacier, Brain, and others) And will start searching.

Thank you

 

[turbowsr]

Well, looking at the ATSG book, and a parts book from Transtar, I found that the Reman forgot to put the bearing between the Center support and the Direct Drum (Hi/Reverse Drum). I was getting symptoms non-similar to others, and fixing slow reverse, and low pressure did not help, I see why now.
Forgetting this allowed the Direct Drum to rub the Center support and melt the TCC sensor, and grind the end of the Center Support that (shouldn't) contacts the Forward Drum.
My symptoms were slow Reverse, sluggish/slipping 3-4 and 4-OD (5R is 5 speed, in 4R this would be the same as 2-3 and 3-OD).
I am a shadetree hobbiest with 9 years military diesel mechanic experience. Even I know how to read directions. Why can't remans?
I did not buy a RWD mini-van because of transmission issues with Dodge, and Ford. GM mini's are ugly (well the early shop-vac bodies anyhow)
I figured RWD would be good. Maybe these oversights also caused the multiple failures in Chrysler trannies, since they are the highest selling. They'd have the highest failure rate.
Enough ranting, I'm just a little P.O'ed.

 

[Glacier991]

Well, it's been a couple years and a few A4LD rebuilds since I wrote this thread. I have found a few upgrades along the way that I either didn't consider back then, or that were not available at that time.

First, a simple one. The bands used in the A4LD are the same as the 5R55E (intermediate and overdrive and reverse). I was worried about band breakage if I upped the pressure being applied to the OD or intermediate band - my fear was probably misplaced. Now I routinely do the following: The OLD Intermediate servo in the A4LD is labelled BB. The OD servo is larger in terms of apply strength (but interchangeable) and labelled AB. In the 5R55 the intermediate servo is an AB (the same OD servo in the A4LD) and the OD moved up to a larger servo labelled ZC. So, now when I rebuild an A4LD I put the servo cover for a 5R55 OD (a ZC), and the servo to go in it into the A4LD overdrive servo hole, and then put a new AB servo, and reuse the former A4LD OD servo cover (AB) in the intermediate servo position - so I end up the same as the 5R55E. Instant upgrade for about $20 in additional cost!

The low reverse servo now has two options... you can either add the "double wiper" O ring replacement on the large outer sealing ring area, or, there is now a pair of viton D rings to replace BOTH O rings. Both fixes are under $5.

Finally Alto makes a kit that takes the reverse/high clutch up to 7 plates with the right drum. It's about $40 but adds better holding capacity.

Sonnax now offers O ring end plugs for use in the A4LD valve body to help reduce leakage and maintain pressure and pressure rise. About $15. A worthy addition.



I didn't do any of those things in the original Rebuild Diary. Hope this helps someone.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Speaking of increasing the apply pressure of the A4LD, could the ZC piston, and cover be used on both the OD, and intermediate, or is that pushing it too much? Maybe with this, high radius relief valves, and a high ratio boost valve, those kevlar bands might not slip. This would probably maximize the amount of apply pressure. A few years ago, I did the upgrade to make the intermediate servo AB from BB. Did the 4R also have the ZC piston, and cover?

 

[Glacier991]

I had thought about the added apply and kevlar. I plan to make two frankentrannys and will do one in Kevlar.

I do not believe the 4R had the ZC cover, and in fact not every application of the 5R had it.

 

[BrooklynBay]

I was wondering if both of the servos could safely use the ZC for added pressure boost as an upgrade (better than the factory specifications) without damaging anything.

 

[Glacier991]

You could, but the intermediate band is only used for 2nd gear. It is not generally a huge problem holding wise. I think the AB would be sufficient.

 

[BrooklynBay]

I did a search on WWW.TransmissionPartsUSA.Com for information on that piston, and found this: 23963A 4R44E, 5R55E servo piston (ZC-2.314") 1997-on ($9.52). This shows the increased size compared to the older ones. There were several different types listed that go back as far as the C3. They keep getting bigger. They didn't have the servo cover listed for the ZC piston. Who sells it, and how much is it? Do the servo covers come with an O ring?

 

[Glacier991]

ZC Servo covers run about $10. (It is listed by Diameter ...not by ZC) And they do not come with O-ring. I bought mine from Aceomatic.com (now called something else on the street - Axiom - but I think their site still runs under the old name)

 

[BrooklynBay]

I did a search on WWW.Axiom.Com for these large pistons, and servo covers. There was a different size on their website than on WWW.TransmissionPartsUSA.Com. Axiom's specifications show a larger piston. Here is what I've found: Servo Overdrive Piston (5R55E) 2.330" Diameter. 3011 1997-98 2473015. The other one was smaller (ZC-2.314"). I wonder if there is a mistake, or maybe there are really two different sizes. Here was the part # for the cover from Axiom: Servo Cover - Intermediate/Overdrive (largest ID of all covers) 3021 1995-UP 2276021. Here is another thing that caught my attention. The larger cover is for 1995, and up when the piston is for 1997, and 1998. I think there is a mistake somewhere.

 

[BrooklynBay]

One thing that I was wondering about is why this thread isn't part of the A4LD rebuild diary? The other 3 parts are integrated together in the 3 part diary in the sticky section. Maybe this should be connected to it, or at least be a sticky. By the way, which servo size is the correct one in post # 59? Both sizes can't be correct as being the largest.