tranny dyiing - best replacement?

[JGAMBLE]

well I knew it would come sooner or later, was just hoping later driving around today and noticed the X just didn't feel right. After going around a few turns I noticed she won't kick down to speed up unless I floored it. Then it worked fine until you let off the gas again. So 1st and reverse are normal the rest is Fubared. So I'm not really concerned about keeping overdrive, it'd be good if I could but I rarely drive on the highway. So would it be best to rebuild the A4LD and hope they do it right, swap in a C4, or find one in the boneyard with a 5 speed? If I do the C4, I know I need a 2.8 bellhousing and flywheel, but what else is involved? Anyone know where one these bellhousings are? If I go with the C4, I think I'll go ahead get a loan, and get my gears and locker and put in the lift, I mean why not?

 

[JGAMBLE]

so noone has any comments on the C4 or 5 speed swap??? I know someone on here has done it. I know I need the bellhousing, flywheel, and T/C but need to be sure that's it. Come on guys, a little help would be appreciated.

 

[IZwack]

700r4. jefe has a writeup on this

 

[JGAMBLE]

so that' it??? use a 700r4, good tranny but bottom on my list of choices. Gotta admit I'm kinda disappointed, figured someone would chime in with some advice. Oh well, there's a reason there no huge aftermarket following for the X, noone seems to want to spend money on em, and apparently don't wanna share info either.

 

[IZwack]

.. and apparently don't wanna share info either.

ahaha.. ouch!

 

[xmodster3o3]

Why not the 700r4 i'm planning on swaping it in on my truck, i'm planning on doing it myself once I get all the parts I need. Already got the tranny.

 

[Jefe]

. . . and apparently don't wanna share info either.

You expect everyone who has an answer you want to hear to answer your post within 4 hours on a saturday?

 

[Glacier991]

Patience my friend. I have little to offer you on an initial impression. I read and think. Often posting days later. NOW, although I will get fried for saying this, if you want to do a swap why the do the C-4? The most accepted upgrade to full power replacement is the 7R400... it can be built tough. It is number 3 on my list to do a rebuild thread on. Give us some time. You have never seen a more helpful board than this one can be. Some awesome people come here and offer advice you'd pay $$ for elsewhere. Don't flame 'em before you give am a chance. This is a volunteer force here and on long weekends we may be otherwise busy. Busiest day on this board? Tue and Wed. NOT weekends. You will get good advice..... just be patient, please. Meanwhile try looking around... some good thread in the useful threads forum on transmissions.

Patience grasshopper.

 

[JGAMBLE]

ok try this again... sorry about the other night, little too much Whiskey. I'm not too into the 700R4 because of the price of adaptors and the tranny itself. You can pick up a C4 rebuilt for dirt cheap. I don't mind the lose of od as I rarely use the highway anymore. I've been reading the tranny threads in useful section(frankentranny), in case I have this one rebuilt. It goes in for a prognosis tomorrow. I do a little towing, enough that a rebuilt A4LD would worry me.

 

[Glacier991]

Too much whiskey. IS there such a thing ? <g>

Ok let me get some clue here... is it the "occasional towing" that worries you? I guess when I have a better clue why you want an upgrade I can be more help. The A4LD can be toughened up..... and if you stay out of OD on "occasional towing" might do you just fine....if toughened. One thing folks forget on swaps is the computer now is part of the auto trannie... not as much a prob on 1st gen X's but a much bigger one on later ones.

 

[ccanuk]

As for the computer question TCS is comming out with a standalone computer for the 5R55E this summer appearantly... I'm trying to decide if I want to swap out my A4LD for a 5R55E or just upgrade to a F150... I live in a high rust area, and the engine has 200 000 km... I'm wondering if it's worth my time to maintain it and how much more reliable is a rebuilt 5R55E, and since I don't have a garage I can't do the swap myself.

looking at a 2000 F150 Lariat 4d 4x4 right now... if I can get 3000 for my X and the truck on the road taxes in for 17000-trade in, I'll do it... if not... I may keep looking.

 

[JGAMBLE]

ok let's define ocassional towing. When I moved to Alaska I towed a 82 CJ5 from Indy to Cali before deciding it was too much and left it at the sister in law's. When I'm not using it for towing from base to base she's getting lifted this summer and used for off roading. I just bought a JD prerunner winch bumper from notajp. Problem I'm running into is trying to figure out if the C4 bolts right up to the T/C and what about the driveshafts? I've already looked on-line and a good C4 is around $7-800 dollars versus $15-1600 for what I know is a good A4LD. I'm not buying the 24month, 24000 mile ebay crap.

 

[JGAMBLE]

well the shop just called. The A4LD is on borrowed time, big suprise. They want $1700 for a rebuild not including any hard parts like the pump that need to be replaced. Oh yeah, my rear shocks are bad. I believe I can nurse this tranny along til I find a C4 and parts. Unless someone on here know where to buy a good rebuilt A4LD.

 

[IZwack]

there are plenty of places online that have remanufactured/rebuilt a4lds for probably $600-$700 (plus shipping).

 

[xmodster3o3]

My co-worker got his off ebay, he says it works great.

 

[Glacier991]

Trying to predict the life of a rebuild is chancy. Why ? Well WHAT was it they rebuilt - core wise? In the rebuild how much of the guts got replaced? Those type of items and some measure of chance are involved. )Plus the skill of the rebuilder and how much attention the rebuild gets.) I have said it before, and I say it now - a $600 rebuild can't be one that addresses many things a good A4LD rebuild needs. That said, if the core was a really good clean low mileage one with no failures in it's history, that rebuild may well go 50,000 miles, or (more likely) it will go much less. How long also depends on your usage.

Some people buy em and like em I am sure, but I personally have coached others thru misery right out of the chute after they bought one. AS FOR ME, no thank you. Now that $900 rebuild on E-bay discussed in another thread - I was impressed with and do not see how the guy can sell em for that. Anyway.. my 2 cents.