Tranny behaving strangely!!

[slsmith]

1991 EB 4WD with ~140,000 miles, Automatic Trans
1st day of hunting season. I drive up the mountain and put it into 4WD to test new hubs I installed (hubs work great). Gain probably 3000 ft elevation at upto 30 deg. on gravel. One last hard pull and I notice some smoke and lose power. As I coast backwards down the hill notice great deal of tranny fluid on road. Get to level area by coasting. Fluid level barely/doesn't show on stick. Fluid seems to have come out of the overflow.
After putting in 5+ quarts of fluid, tranny seems to operate fine at least in 2WD.
What is the problem?
I am freaked out!
I mention that I was not pushing on the uphill, taking it pretty slow!
Thanks for any help.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Sounds like you really overheated the trans. What color was the fluid?

 

[Glacier991]

A slipping A4LD (your auto trannie) will heat the fluid and eventually it will "boil" (maybe not an actual boil but think of it in those terms) and out the overflow it goes... not good for the trannie, but a good sign you are nearing the end of your useful days. I have a 92 with 207,000 on the trannie and it will do that coming up Interstate 80 from Sacramento to Donner Summit. (Causing me to decide to rebuild it myself - see thread on the General forum entitled "My A4LD Rebuild Diary"). In Sacramento the trannie does fine.... on the "flat". In your case you may just have overexerted an aging trannie... refill, check the color and smell of the fluid and if everything seems ok, press on... BUT... it WILL repeat itself under those or similar conditions. Old dog. Don't freak out. I dumped a case (maybe not a case but a BUNCH) of fluid through mine coming up to the summit many times during many months before I retired it to the "flat" of the valley.