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Odd shift points with A4LD

Blue91Ex

Well-Known Member
Joined
February 12, 2013
Messages
750
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City, State
Maine
Year, Model & Trim Level
91 XLT
Hey guys, i have been wpnderign for a while abotu my shift points on my truck...
it seems normal other than 1-2 and 2-(i think)3.
Okay, so shift into drive, give it some gas, shifts from first into second at 15mph at 1500ish RPM. What seems odd, is that i can feel it shift into second at 15 mph, but then i feel it drop off and get back on it again at 20mph. i feel like it shifts into 3rd at 20 mph, then after that my acceleration isnt very good until 30mph or so.
Is this just a very consistant point of bogging or trying to find gears or is something off in the shift points? 5mph range in 2nd seems way too short, seems like it shoudl be closer to 2nd at 15 and 3rd at 30 or so... what are the shift points on you guys' trucks?
 



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Sounds like a great excuse to drop the valve body, and rebuild it with a Transgo shift kit and choice Sonnax upgrades as desired.

I used to have a 3-2 shift flare and other minor shifting anomalies. Rebuilding the valve body with the Transgo kit fixed all of those and made it shift much better overall. Got my parts from Transmission Parts USA for a real good price. It is doable with basic hand tools and an inch-pound torque wrench.
 






rickybobby told me in the chat room yesterday that it might be something called a vacuum modulator? my internet died out before i could get much more information than that. What exactly is it, how much would it cost to fix myself, by a shop, how hard would it even be to replace?

There is no way in hell i could convince my parents to let me use my savings to buy shift kits and stuff, and i doubt i could even afford it to begin with. In my parents eyes, if it still works (even if barely) then it isnt worth fixing yet, and then they dont let me because they think im making stuff up (yea i know stupid philosophy on their part but thats what i got to work with..)

I really dont think i even trust myself yet to tear apart something as vital and expencive as the transmission and if i break it im completely screwed because i could never afford to have total rebuild. any idea how much a tranny shop woudl charge for this vaccum thing?
 






Vacuum modulator is a possibility. It is easy to replace even for a novice. The vacuum modulator is a small doodad that sticks into the upper passenger side of your transmission. It is hooked up using a long tube (part metal, part rubber hose) to engine vacuum at your intake manifold, and uses the vacuum to operate a diaphragm that pushes a control pin in and out of your transmission. The vacuum modulator directly affects the 1-2 shift. Without it functioning properly it can affect this shift, causing it to be delayed or otherwise act weird. With a properly functioning modulator (and governor, this affects 1-2 as well) you should have a smooth 1-2 shift without delay or hesitation while accelerating.

The modulator costs around $15-20 usually and is available at most auto parts stores. Skip the adjustable version, the non-adjustable one works great.

To replace it, simply pull the carpet back. There is an access panel in the floor in front of the center console. The panel cover is held down by four bolts. For easier access you can remove the seats and center console to pull the carpet further back, but it is not required. Once you have the panel off you'll see the top of the trans. On the passenger side of the trans, the modulator is retained by a small bracket holding it in. A rubber vacuum line connects to a nipple on the modulator and just pulls off. This bracket is retained by a single bolt. Once this bolt and bracket are removed you can pull the modulator out of the hole. There is a small pin in between the trans and modulator that can easily get lost if you don't catch it before it falls on the ground. If you do lose it or it is missing, you can make a new one by cutting a proper size drill bit or metal rod down to length (do a forum search for dimensions or ask me to measure my spare). Once you pull the modulator and pin out, trans fluid will dribble out the hole, so have your new modulator ready, and push it into the hole with the old pin. Reinstall the hold down bracket, connect the vacuum line, re-install access panel and carpet, and you're done. If you leaked a lot of trans fluid out, add a little new fluid to replace it.

If you do a forum search you will find more information about the modulator, a how-to-replace thread, and possibly pictures.
 

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only 1-to-2 shifts? i think im having issues with 2-3 shift, or at leats i think so.. I suppose it COULD be shifting back to 1st or out of and then back into 2nd, but a premature 2-3 seems more likely to me.. could a premature 2-3 shift also be the modulator?
 






and to roadrunner, i havent checked it in a while, right now i cant get to the level area i usually test fluid levels on because my moms truck is parked there, but im pretty sure ;last time i checked it was full and i didnt notice fluid was stinky or anything but it was a couple months ago when there was still snow on the ground, so i cant really remember, ill check at some point, maybe tomorow when i can get at my normal parking space.
It doesnt shift particularly hard, just that brief feeling of it letting off anf back on again right at 20-21 mph, it does it at 15 mph as well, its not liek a harsh jerking just a half second lack of acceleration. you dont feel any of the shifts after that unless on a hill downshifting. it just seems odd but doesnt "feel" like anything is broken..
 






I checked trans fluid, it is not dark but it is more of a tan-orange color and doesnt reek but it does have a stinky smell to it.Would the orange fluid mean something wrong with my transmission or just that it hasnt been changed in a long time? Is changing transmission fluid a job someone with almost no experience and very limited tools do? or should i take ti to a local trans shop to be on the safe side?

I noticed when i was idling from one driveway to the other to check it where the truck sits level, i noticed a groaning noise when i had the brakes on while in drive or reverse but only when i held brakes or was slowly idling around some. That doesnt seem good to me. it was like if the brakes were trying to hold it but couldnt, even when i didnt have t5he brakes on, it just groaned at idle when barely moving in drive or reverse.
coudl this be something to do with my brakes or ujoints or something?

Also while i was checking fluids i also noticed a tick in the engine idling, and once it warmed up i would hear a click noise periodicly, but it didnt sound liek a relay click...

im getting really worried about this poor old truck..
 






Tan orange is good. Bad is clear with black stuff mixed in. The stink is also, saddly, perfectly normal. One winter I got some on my gloves and threw them in the back. Air fresheners started mysteriously appearing.

Changing the fluid and filter are very doable. The one pain is that there is no drain plug, so you have to drop the trans pan full of fluid. It's going to be messy and stinky, no 2 ways about it.

Disk brakes make funny noises if they have not been used in a while. Give it a good drive and then see what happens.

Periodic engine tick is fairly normal for these trucks. The valve rocker arms are wearing out. It's not a big deal. If you surveyed the forum, I bet at least 50% have this to some degree.

Likewise, you may notice some engine knock on acceleration. This is even described as normal in the owners manual.

I'm not saying a lot about your shift issues because I don't have the experience.
 






my dad said it was normal because "its not a new vehicle and it never will be" okay soeant mean i shouldnt maintain it but whatever, so ok well is fluid isnt bad doesnt that hint that there wouldnt be anything mechanical broken in the transmission?

I figure if i do change transmission fluid ill just do it at the local shop (guy my family knows, everyone around goes to him and i hear nothing but good things price and performance wise) so i will know its done right and prob cheaper than going to VIP or something, and ill be supporting local economy :p

i think i can rule out unused brakes, i drove the truck like, day before yesterday, and i always noticed some tension groans when letting off teh brake slowly after holding it hard a bit (like to start the truck) but this was even if i let off completely and let it roll on its own, it sounded like stress underneath, that kind of creaky groan u might hear from a beached ship in movies, it sounded liek maybe the brakes hadnt let go completely and the transmission was fighting them a bit, bit i cant imagine that because the brakes work fine (mostly, ill get to that though). It doesnt make this sound in park or neutral, but i tried it in reverse, drive, and overdrive, all made the noise, more when i had some pressure on the brakes, but also when there was none.

The engine tick, yea, i know its old, but i want this truck to last for a long time, and at 160k miles, the engine shouldnt have noises liek constant tick (faster with engine rpm, noise seems to come from belt/pulley area) and i did see the reference in owners manual, what i am more worried abotu was after the engine warmed up, i would hear a louder "click" every couple seconds, different from the engine idle tick which was like every half second..

Now the brakes, i talk about in my registry, if i back out of a parking space for example, and slowly add pressure to the brake pedal to stop so i can shift to drive, sometimes i press teh brake pedal harder right off and i get a big pop under the truck somewhere and i feel it in the pedal, i figure rusty caliper pistons or something sticking in either rear drums or front calipers.. works fine otherwise so idk.


I know this list is getting pretty long, but i figure get it all out in one thread instead of spamming the forum with different threads for everything..
I have read on some forum thread where a member linked a page that had all of these lists for what might be a trans poblem, how to keep trans working, etc etc. It mentioned that if there is a long delay when shifting into reverse with the shifter, or drive, then something may be wrong. Well, when i throw shifter into reverse, i get a 1-2 second delay, then a thunk into reverse, which if i dont have the brakes on real hard, moves the truck some, like as it starts to try and push the truck backwards, if i have the brakes on hard, it doesnt move the truck but still has the delay, this a normal occurence with these things? my moms Ram does it too and has for thousands of miles, but hers doesnt delay nearly as much, just is a lot harsher.

again, im sorry to be overwhelming you guys but i really just want to figure out what to do with this thing before it starts having real issues..
 






The tick fix is new rockers.

You have sticking rear brakes. that's pretty classic caliper cylinder issues. Here is the rub: You can get new caliper cylinders. You may well break off the brake lines trying to replace them due to corrosion. That's not the end of the world. You get to learn new skills such as making flare fittings. I think if you put new pads in the front and resurfaced the disks, you will loose a lot of the weird brake noise. If you end up working on this, buy extra fluid and flush the system. Chances are your brake fluid is almost 20 years old.
 






im asuming new rockers would be $800+ minimum? Will they be something i need to worry about much? im hoping to get another 100-150k miles out of this vehicle..

I (think) that it has had brake work done before, probably not until after oh, 8 years ago when previous owner moved here from texas, the mechanics that inspected it for me when i bought it said it had very little rust for how old it was, but i realize there will still be lots of rust, especially living on a dirt road..

Any clue how hard it is to replace brake pistons in rear drums on these trucks? how much would it cost (approximately, just for an idea) to get the parts to do this myself? what about a shop? i would rather not go to a dealership, and if i do it i probably wont have any help because im going to try and not let my dad know about me fixing it, all i will get is criticism and no help. if i do it myself with all the parts i need and i get lucky and dont break any lines, how long would it most likely take? i cant really afford right now to not hav a vehicle more than a couple days because i need transportation to make any money at all.

Do you think teh groaning is actually because of the brakes and not transmission? I made it seem like that was the problem but i never have trouble with braking, pedal feels normal, and the things i have mentioned (other than the groan) are fairly uncommon and sporatic.. Still dont really know why it feels liek ti shifts into 3rd at 20 mph, my dad of course says its just "how i drive" but it shoudl shift the same way no matter the driving style as long as rpms are the same..

thansk for all the advice and info roadrunner, its really appreciated.
 






The rockers are not that bad. There is a good supplier that I hope someone else will link to because I don't have it handy. I would not worry about it myself. I have this rule: I worry more about what slows me down than what speeds me up.

Brake cylinders are cheap. What drives up the cost is that you open up the drum and realize you also need new shoes, drums, and in a truck this old, you should really swap out the springs and stuff too.

But, here is where it gets interesting. The brake line going to the cylinder has a tendency to corrode itself into the cylinder. And, the fitting has the line going through it, so it's really easy to round off the hex trying to get it off. And, if you get that far, you may find the line itself is corroded solid into the fitting, so you end up twisting the brake line. Yours may come right off. I'm in road salt world. The good news is that the brake line is pretty easy to replace, but you have to learn how to bend tubing and make flares for the end of the lines. Not tough... the guys at the parts store can walk you through it, and rent you the tools for pretty cheap.

All that said, 40 years ago, a mechanic would rebuild the cylinder right on the car. You pop out the pistons, run a hone through it, and Bob's your uncle. A rebuild kit has new pistons and seals. Done deal. I don't know if you can even get a rebuild kit. I'm just throwing out some background.
 






hmm, i feel like with whats going on with it, imma go the poor person route and wait until it becomes more of a proglem, right now i have 0 money, and it works pretty well (drove a little saturn sedan a few days ago, i almost threw it into a ditch or overshot a turn 2 or 3 times because the brakes were so weak compared to the explorer, and that car was much newer and it was supposed to be that way, so i like how my brakes are working right now)

buit because you mentioned it, i am deffinitly in rust country so i most likely would tear it down just to break lines and break bolts and find everythign there needs to be replaced.

just curious what do you mean springs? like suspension springs?
 












okay i see what you mean. So i guess if engine tick isnt going to be too big of a problem ill leave that, and rear drums still work (knock on wood) so i can wait to get those fixed if they are even the problem.

whats left is strange shift points and that groan that is there whether brakes engaged or not...
 






Well... i feel like an idiot now... I was testing it out today, left it in drive with park brake on, in the cab i coudl hear that groan.... got out, sounded more like a slow rattle, louder at tailpipe area, put my foot on the tailpipe. noise stops. facepalm i need to stop always suspecting the worst in everything..

So, i guess that was what it was this time. maybe i can use this as an excuse to get a new (louder, not by much though, just want a low rumble, instead of the nearly silent pufpufpuf i have now lol)

Im glad it didnt turn out to be the trans though. next is fresh oil change and filter (might help some of the idle engine tick? need it anyways though.) then maybe ill get a glasspack, new exhaust brackets, and find the short that blew up the stock radio... lol working out the kinks one at a time i guess.

oh and still no clue what the shifting feeling is at 20 mph, it doesnt let off as much at 1-2 shift but its noticable, almost like its bogging down right at that speed for a split second...
 






I crawled under to inspect the exhaust rattle, when i put my foot on the tailpipe to stop it vibrating, it doesnt make the noise, if i grab the pipe and pull it downwards kinda fast (trying to simulate the rattle) it makes a noise that seems liek its hitting something, not like if there was something inside it. It is only rusty in a coupel spots (including what i hope is only the heat shield on the second cat and not the actual cat housing) but i didnt see or feel any spots that it made contact with when i pulled it downwards, it makes no noise pushing up, and the only spot i found where it was close to somethign with the heatshield behind the muffler, where for some reason one corner is bent down a lot. ill go look at it again but u guys know of any common spots that get messed up and contact the pipe?
 






I crawled under to inspect the exhaust rattle, when i put my foot on the tailpipe to stop it vibrating, it doesnt make the noise ...
It has been two month, so I bet you already have fixed this... but just in case. I had metal rattling sound, high pitch, almost like circular saw ringing, only at a specific RPMs, mostly when accelerating.

The reason was heat shields, both over the resonator (around middle of the truck) and in front over the cat converter. Their are spot-welded, some spots gave up, so the heat shields start ringing when in resonance.

First attempt was to tie them up with loops of a thick aluminum wire wrapped around them and tightened by twisting - it worked, but not for long. Second attempt - I used regular household worm-gear hose clamps:
268px-Hoseclamps.screw.agr.jpg


You can easily combine them together to make any length needed. I used, IIRC, one of 4" and one smaller, like 2", combined, putting two loops on each heatshield. Three months later - still quiet.
 



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