Thought I had finished replacing the trans today, bad news, need opinions

[Mr.Fork]

ok, so I have a 96 4.0 ohv 4wd xlt. I bought it with a bad trans, and was given a 70k mile replacement trans with the truck. The issue the truck had was that when put in drive or reverse, the truck would not move, but when put in 1 or 2, it would move. Thus begins a headache

I finally got the truck finished up today for the most part, excluding getting the front driveshaft and skidplate back on. i connected the electrical connectors for the harness(used original harness), put fluid in the trans and transfer case, got the truck started, put it in drive....nothing, no movement. put it in 1st and second, nothing. put it in reverse, reverse lights come on, no movement.

The truck isnt loading up or anything, so its not like the brakes or diff are holding it up in some way. my friend started playing with the overdrive button and the 4wd button and ended up having the od light flashing with no way to turn it off. I double checked that everything was plugged in(i currently have the rear o2 disconnected because i had to cut part of the exhaust out to get to some bolts. damn rust), only code i have is a p0171 that i had before, can anyone give me some insight as to what in the world is going on with my truck? i was wondering if i could have screwed up with the converter, but the trans mated to the engine no problem, so i couldnt see how the converter would be popped out or anything. Thanks for looking

 

[bmxking5]

I have put in a reman. transmission before that had a bad pump from the beginning. Had the same problems as yours. You sure you got enough fluid in the trans? Low fluid could cause that too. Do you have a pressure tester, to see if you have any pressure in it? If you are thinking the brakes or diff are causing it, you could try disconnecting the driveshafts and try testing it (watch t-case yoke).

 

[Mr.Fork]

when the trans was warm, i checked the level, which was a little low, and filled.

overall i probably put about 4.5 quarts in(changed the trans filter and dumped what i could out of the converter, then dumped some new fluid back in the converter), which is the amount that the chilton or haynes or whatever manual i have recommended.

I do not have a pressure tester, I also know nothing of automatic transmissions, is there a specific brand or type of pressure tester i would need?

I don't think the brakes or diff would be causing it, like i said, the truck doesnt load up or lurch or anything of the sort so I couldnt see that as being the case.

to double check, in park, the shift lever on the trans should be all the way back toward the rear of the truck, and come forward as you move the gear selector, correct?

 

[Willard]

It sounds like you have the shift selector hooked up right.

You said you put in 4.5 quarts. Did the transmission you put it already have fluid in it then? If it didn't it should take something like 12 or 13 quarts (I think). If it was completely empty and you only put that much in and it's reading full with the motor running, the pump isn't pumping I would think.

Edit: One dirty way to figure out if the pump is working is take off one of the lines to the transmission cooler. If you do this, have someone else start the vehicle for you because the fluid will come out pretty fast and you won't want to run it for long. If you get a healthy stream of fluid coming out, the pump is definitely working.

 

[Mr.Fork]

it was a used transmission, it did already have fluid in it. Like stated, I pulled the pan off and replaced the trans filter, then tried to drain what I could from the converter. When i started the truck, the fluid was a little low, so my friend tossed some more in there. Is it possible that when put in gear, the pump started moving faster and pulled some of that fluid away or that the converter drank it? I know converters will hold a ton of fluid, so I'm wondering if all that I poured in could have been diverted somewhere else from the time that we dumped more fluid in and when i tried to get the thing in drive.

I think I am going to try the trans cooler line approach, I was considering trying that once I started hearing about the pump possibly being the culprit. I'm sorry if i sound like an idiot about all of this, but I spent all day working in pouring rain on the damn truck to end up with it not working, so i'm slightly fried.

If it ends up being the pump, what approach could I take? is it something that can be changed through pulling the trans pan or am i stuck pulling the trans? or even worse, am i stuck having a shop replace it? Is there a way I could have checked the pump before installing the transmission or is it just a pure crapshoot until the thing is already in there?

 

[Willard]

Depending on how much fluid you drained out of everything, you still could be low. When I rebuilt my own transmission I probably checked it 7 or 8 times before it stayed at an acceptable level and would engage in the gears all the way. Reverse especially takes a lot of fluid to fill up the servo chamber. If the torque converter wasn't full then that could obviously be low still as well.

If you are sure the level is good, move on to taking off a cooler line. If you get nothing, the pump is likely toast. If you get something and it still won't go into gear, the pump probably works and something else could be wrong, possibly valve body related.

If it turns out the pump is toast, the transmission has to come back out. The bell housing has to be removed to access it. It is something that you could do, but you have to get a hold of the special tool to line everything up right. If you aren't comfortable doing it yourself, just take it to a shop. Transmission work is intimidating, but not impossible. Before rebuilding my own I new nothing about automatic transmissions. I did lots or research on this site, ripped the thing out and pretty much dove in head first. 15,000 or so miles later, I still have a functioning transmission.

I think anybody that is decently mechanically inclined and with the patience to do things right can work on an automatic, but it must be done right.

 

[gmanpaint]

Just a WAG here, but have you checked the T-case? Is it in gear and not in a "Neutral" position?

Count the flashes of the O/D light sequence. It is flashing a code.

 

[ranger7ltr]

Capacity for Explorer transmissions...

Here is a chart for transmission fluid capacity in the Ford Explorer...

General Specifications Vehicle Engine Approximate Liters Refill Capacity a U.S. Quarts
Explorer, Mountaineer — 5R55E (4x2) 4.0L SOHC 9.5 10.0 Explorer — 5R55E (4x2) 4.0L OHV 9.3 9.8
Explorer — 5R55E (4x4) 4.0L OHV 9.5 10.0
Explorer, Mountaineer — 5R55E (4x4) 4.0L SOHC 9.8 10.3
Mountaineer — 5R55E (4x2) 4.0L OHV 9.3 9.8
Mountaineer — 5R55E (4x4) 4.0L OHV 9.5 10.0
Approximate dry capacity, includes cooler and lines. Fluid level indicator should be used to determine actual fluid requirements and fluid specification.


Plus don't forget that the 5R55E has a thermostat that will bypass the cooler until the transmission gets up to 150-175 F... So you might not get fluid out of the cooler lines if the tranny is not hot enough...

 

[Mr.Fork]

That is a god point ranger7ltr, thank you.

gman point, what exactly am i looking for on the transfer case that would indicate whether it was in 2wd 4wd etc? I honestly didnt know the transfer case could be in a neutral position. I would still feel the transmission load up if it was shifting but the tcase was in neutral somehow im sure, correct? As for the flashes, i started counting them when i restarted the truck, and i dont think its a code, because the light just kept flashing without stopping for at least 5 minutes, the same way a cel light blinks when you have constant misfires.

Willard- thank you for making me feel more confident about working on an automatic transmission, although i am hoping i dont have to pull the transmission back out, I am not so fearful of ripping the thing apart haha. I will be working on the truck tomorrow i think, so I will post up then to update everyone as to what happens. Wish me luck

 

[gmanpaint]

Behind the shift motor is this rod that comes out of the t-case. The shift motor turns it from High to low range. The Neutral is there for a dealer towing option. If by some chance your shift motor has gotten out of alignment and placed the shift rail out of position during your trans swap, your trans will feel as if it is in park/neutral.

Remove the shift motor, (takes all of a few minutes) and look where it is positioned. Grab the shift rail end with a pair of pliers and turn it to the opposite end and listen/feel for a "click". Follow the arrows as it does not spin 360*. Can't hurt to eliminate this, from your list of possibilities.

This is in the "High" position.

 

[ragajungle]

Mr Fork: What a bummer! Sorry to hear that. not trying to hijack here, but how long did it take to get the trans out? what was the hardest part?

 

[Mr.Fork]

gmanpaint, i never knew that before, thank you for guiding me through how to do that. Luckily enough, it was just a fluid issue. I got another gallon and a half into the truck and got to to get moving. Thanks guys.

ragajungle- hard to judge how long it took me to get the trans out, I worked on it for like 2 and a half hours a week for a few weeks because I'm getting ready to move and been doing crazy overtime. Add to that the fact that everything on my truck was rusted to hell and a ton of things needed to be cut once i got tired of failing to get the bolts to turn or the bolt was so rounded that my sk spline sockets would slip. All issues accounted for, it probably took about 10 hours to get it out.

To speed up the process, I would spray down every last bolt with pb blaster or kroil a few days before you start the job. Invest in a an extra deep,thin wall 10 or 12mm(cant remember which) socket for the front driveshaft bolts, a regular deep socket wont fit, and using a torx bit to try to get it from the center will probably result in a broken torx bit and alot of cursing. The top starter bolt was easier to get by going from the front of the truck with a few extensions and a swivel, I had a hard time getting more than one or two clicks out of my ratchet from underneath. Also, spline sockets saved my life with a few of the bolts. when the bolt is half rusted and rounds out, the spline sockets will have a much better shot pulling them off. Enough of my ranting...

Now that i have the truck together and moving, I noticed one thing, not sure if I should post a new thread or not. if i go up to the truck while its locked and pull the handle, the dome lights will come on and stay on(no, the door isn't partially opening or ajar in any way). If I unlock the truck, open the door, lock it, and shut the door, the lights stay on. but if i unlock it, open the door, put the key in the ignition and turn it to the on position, pull it back and take the key out, lock the door, and close it, then the dome lights will turn off. Anyone have any clues?

 

[Willard]

Glad to here you got it moving and it was just a simple fluid problem. Wish I had input on your other issue, but alas, I'm a first gen guy. I know nothing about your problem.

 

[ragajungle]

MrFork: thanks for the insite. I am glad it was just a fluid issue too! Hopefully you'll get a remote trans filter and cooler on it so you wont be postin back here again with tranny issues. I know that's the 1st thing I am doing when I get my trans in.