Slipping or stuck in low | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Slipping or stuck in low

simso

Member
Joined
January 22, 2006
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
City, State
Australia
Year, Model & Trim Level
98 XLT
Hey guys, got a 98 explorer 5spd manual. Gearbox was overhauled less than 1500 mile ago, it has this problem at the moment where it started of every now and then gears graunching like not quite engaged and occasionally no movement in the clutch ie you let the clutch out and it grabs straight away, when I reverse it with the boat on 24ft 2ton boat it has a tendency to smoke the clutch as well, ie real strong burning smell, today I went up to the shops all normal no problems put it into reverse to come home and it jumped like no clutch travel. Then when I went to drive forward it feels like its locked in low you rev hard through the gears and it doesnt go very fast. Ive slected high and continued but no difference so I put it back into auto select. Stuck dont know where to start can someone give us some advice
Thanks in advance
Steve
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





You may have a suspect transfer case.
 






How would I be able to work out if its the transfer case or not, are there any tell tale signs
 






I just reversed it out of the driveway where on a slight slope and as I let it roll backwards clutch in I felt a slight bump in the car, I put it into gear down the bottom and it went fine again. From memory every time it plays up its always just after going into reverse doesnt always play up but when it does it starts when reversing first and it feels like the whole car suddenly shudders and almost stalls.
Any ideas
Steve
 






See if you have up and down play on the transfer case output shafts. Get about 1 1/2 quarts of Mercon ATF and change the fluid looking for metal in the transfer case.
 






Transfer case output shaft has vertually nil play its nice and solid. I checked the fluid levels in both transfer case and 5 spd box they were good. Dumped all fluids and refilled. Was surprised but that the gearbox and transfer case use an auto trans fluid. Transfer case had no loose fragments even put a magnet inside and scraped around. The gearbox had a little bit of debris almost like a fosting of slivers on the plug,but not much, I exepcted this in away because it was a fully overhauled box not long ago. the wife saids about 10,000miles max I thought it was less. It drives a bit smoother at the moment but Ill see what happens with a few more reverses first. Any more ideas, it would be appreciated.
Steve
 






If your clutch is good and adjusted properly as it should be given the recent service I would have to suspect the transfer case. It maybe the start of a common problem with the X's transfer case. The TC may have to be disassembled to fully diagnose if it needs rebuilding now. My guess would be the shifting mechanism in the TC is getting loose and allowing disengagement of the high/low gear. Hope this helps.
 






I just checked our records and yeh the clutch was changed as well cost an additional $850 aust, dont know why I forgot that. Bummer about the transfer case but
Steve
 






Back
Top