Tbars Project "X" begins

[BKennedy]

Glad you got home in one piece. Your experience doesn't make me feel so great about AAA. I have been with them for 27 years, house and vehicles now. These companies just don't seem to understand that it could be the one guy that they don't help out that is a long standing member of a huge vehicle-based forum with 170000 members, who has no problems sharing his experience with others..........yes I am thinking about F-O-A right at this moment..

That guy from Pehlan was safe with you in his house, but as for his rum.....??

 

[Boomer12]

Glad to see everything worked out, and I applogize for the initial delay. When we first chatted I thought I heard you say you were already on the 60. Otherwise I would've been a little quicker on the follow up text.

Just another excellent example of how important it is to be prepared for your surroundings.

 

[FR-425]

I was in a desperate situation once were I needed to be towed from Dallas, TX. back to Phoenix, AZ.

No way I could afford this!

I went to a truck stop 1 mile away and started asking around.

I found a Furniture hauler (bed bugger) who had the 24' Melcher car ramps.

Then I went into the drivers lounge were the load board is, and found a flatbed driver who was thinking of dead heading to Tucson to get a high paying load but the fuel cost was kill'n the profit.

We struck a deal $400 on the fuel + $100 extra to go all the way to Phoenix.

Winched my truck onto the flat, using the Melcher ramps (no charge) and we were outta there.

1,100 mile tow for $500, Nice. Diesel was $2.35 gal at the time.

Keep this trick in mind if your stranded and looking at a long distance tow.

 

[Scott B.]

Glad to hear you made it home - obviously the fridge was a great investment!

I got your message - my flex plate went with the old motor. I also suggest getting a new one. Get a quality one, too, not some cheap piece. Grade 8 or ARP bolts, and you will be good to go.

Several years ago, heading back to Georgia, I added 6 quarts of fluid to my transmission - I was in Oklahoma! I decided to drive as far as I could - every mile I drove was one less to pay for on the tow. I actually made it home - the trans was slipping like a greased pig, but I made it.

Events like this are what make memories.

As I said a few posts earlier - 5.0. Come on, by the time you pull everything apart to change the flex plate you will be half way there!

 

[Tbars4]

.I was jokin when I called you...

I saw you lookin so I called..

A new flex plate, gasket, filter, and 3 qts new fluid under $200...V8 is out of my change jar budget..:

 

[Scott B.]

While you are in there, you might want to change the transmission input seal. Mine started leaking when the truck was about a year old.

I knew you were joking. But, I would send you my flex plate if I had it.

 

[Tbars4]

..You can bet I'll be looking at that seal..

..I popped that cork at about 7000 miles on a new tranny and it was already a tad hard by then when i swapped it again..

 

[2TimingTom]

I had AAA in high school when I had a junker. It broke down and I called them and my dad from the nearby gas station. After 2 hours and I still hadn't made the 2 mile trip home, my dad showed up with a tow strap. Before he left the house, he called and canceled the AAA account.

And I agree, stories like these are all part of the adventure.

I cooked a transmission due to a bad coolant thermostat- engine ran hot and boiled the ATF out of the filler tube in the transmission while driving through Missouri in 110 degrees in July 2001. I stopped a few times to try to let the transmission cool but it was just so stinking hot. I was about 3 hours from home (normally) but it took me 7. I drove home with the heat on and the windows open. The transmission slipped miserably on the hills. All because a bad $4 thermostat.

 

[Tbars4]

..In all fairness to AAA I am not really upset at them as I know there are often hang ups with policies between big Corporations and their customers...

..Most all of the Auto Insurance companies now have some kind of their own roadside service but if you talk to tow companies they will tell you that AAA is the best for taking care of business with them..

..The tow companies will also tell you that AAA is about the only company a tow truck can roll up on one of AAA's customers and call it in directly to AAA and it's a done deal...

..The other roadside services will have the customer go thru them first and they will decide what tow company gets the call..

..The fact that any tow service that deals with AAA can roll up when I'm broke down and can get a quick authorization to load me up is one of the main reasons why I will stay a AAA member and another reason why I called a tow company directly..:biggthump

..Another side note but I asked the A&G driver on the way home what they charge for offroad recoveries...They were about a third of what I hear is charged in the desert and more than fare...He was even telling me sometimes they load up their front end loader and drive in as far as they can then use the loader for the recovery..

..Some of the offroad recovery stories bout people driving out alone or later calling their vehicle in stolen for a recovery kind of makes you laugh and at the same time you know people often loose their lives out their due to poor judgement in the name of a good time..

 

[Tbars4]

..I forgot to add that I put in a new tranny mount by Brian1 (Dimple Die Fab : ) this trip and on this trip I picked up a pair of his shock bar pin eliminators which I will install at a future date..

..I might get some time this week to investigate what's up with the X and get her back on the road hopefully..

 

[BKennedy]

I have had AAA for 36 years and they have always been around when needed. But, I also recently got Good Sam insurance for the RV and dropped it with AAA. Much cheaper per year costs, and they have free towing for the RV and all of my other vehicles. This includes vehicles being towed, like the Explorer or the horse trailer. No fee limit for the RV as long as they tow it to the nearest practical tow facility or can repair it on site (like when its stuck at Truckhaven). AAA has a $300.00 RV limit, which is about what a big-rig tow charges to show up.

 

[Tbars4]

..I might have to look into more coverage as I kind of feel vulnerable using my 200 mile tow right after paying for the year and I've got a trip this week..fingers crossed..

..I stopped by my buddies shop and he just got home and has a bunch of work lined up for his rack so it looks like the X will have to wait till next week when I get back..

 

[Tbars4]

..It's official...It is at least the flex plate..

..I am slated for my buddies shop tomorrow so I took some time out of my morning and went over and pulled the "Project X" starter..I was able to easily spin the flex plate with my finger tips..

..In fact, maybe to easily so I grabbed a socket and with the help of a cheater I spun the crank and the flex plate spun with it..:scratch:

..So then I spun the crank and with a pry bar in the starter hole to try and stop the flex plate from spinning (or the crank too), the crank spun and the flex plate stayed in position..

..This verified to me that it was indeed the flexplate with the issue and the crank did not have the issue..

..Next was to find a flexplate..

..Rockauto and a bunch of my local retail parts houses showed the ATP Z-192 Auto Trans Flexplate for my 91 X...Rockauto was like $54 pltx while my local shops were $85-$91 pltx but also 1-3-5 days out..

..Then I remembered there was a Transmission parts wholesaler near me that I happened to find when I was rebuilding that black Ranger whom my buddies kid had thrashed on some rocks a few years back...I looked them up, went over and they were no longer there...

..A phone call later and I found out they were bought out by a corporation (Transtar Industries) and had moved even closer to me..This same phone call resulted in the part numbers, they were in stock, and that the crank slip on spacer usually goes bad too..

Link.. http://www.transtar1.com/locations.asp

..I was informed also..

..The flexplate is a common issue on the a4ld Explorers and to also check the crank for slop as this is another cause of a broken flexplate

..This is tomorrow's project but for today I thought I would post the pictures of the parts and info..(Also, from what I can find this is also the same flex plate for the 91-96 Explorer 4.0, 2.9L Ranger, bII's, and some of the Aerostar 4.0's..)

Part # listing's =

AF235S - Crankshaft spacer A4ld/4.0L
F235 - Flywheel Ford 2.9L/4.0L
__________________________________________________________________

..:shifty_ey ..Strangers leg, ewww..

..Even though I tried to find "Made in America" products for this I could not..

..The Flexplate is made in Mexico and the spacer was made in India...At least they are not made in China..

 

[Brian1]

Here is some good info for you: http://www.sonnax.com/articles/197-A4LD-4R44E-Ford-4-0L-Crank-Spacer-Puzzle

 

[Tbars4]

..Thanks for that info as I'm sure I will going back to it tomorrow as a quick reference..:biggthump

..From reading that, I'm all set and I hope my completely rebuilt tranny (a few years ago) with new torque convertor has the updated long torque convertor pilot..

..The fluid still looks good from the last time it popped it's cork....so might wind up doing a 3 qt. flush with no filter now just to get it out of my buddies shop and back on the road tomorrow...

..After all...It's sitting with a completely full tank of gas and I know it wants to hit some speed to blow some of the dust from just sitting off of it..

 

[Tbars4]

Edit:

I ran back to this thread since it had some of my tranny pics in it..

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224969&highlight=a4ld

..So now it looks like I need to verify the depth on the spacer as it looks like my torque convertor pilot is the longer version..

 

[Brian1]

it looks like my torque convertor pilot is the longer version..

I would agree based on the picture of the converter in the thread you linked about your trans

..So now it looks like I need to verify the depth on the spacer

From my understanding it shouldn't matter as the longer one just sits further in the spacer. The website I linked is the same company that made the spacer you bought, Sonnax.

 

[Tbars4]

...I was looking at their cutaway view wrong and looking at this picture of the bore and not the actual part..

..Once I ran out and looked at the part it was clear it entered from the other end and the shoulder depth didn't matter...

..I was getting all nervous as the place I bought it from is already closed..Lol...

..I have learned way more about tranny's from this one vehicle than the numerous Fords that I've owned combined over the many years..

 

[Tbars4]

...Woohoo...

..after two tow trucks and about 300 miles I was finally able to complete mile 1 on the gas I bought 3 weeks or so ago, today..

..I'm also the proud pappa of some original factory looking, flex plate carnage pics, soon to follow..

 

[Tbars4]

..But first some torque info...

..From the link Brian1 posted it calls for the 6 bolts from the flexplate to the crank to be first torqued at 10# then torqued to 52# whiched I did and also used red loktite as was mentioned in the Chilton's..

..Another torque spec book showed to just torque those bolts to 59# (did as above stated)

..Then it came to the 4 nut/bolt combo's for the flexplate to the Torque convertor and there was little info but I found info to spec torqued at 29#-34# which I did..The same reference also mentioned to then ad a 90*-120* turn on the bolts after that torque spec which I did not follow as it didn't make any sense..

..On to the pics of what was found..

..The flexplate was indeed the thinner version with the two plates and three tack welds while the torque convertor was of the newer style..Also, the rear main was not leaking nor was the front trans seal at this time..