Tranny/Torque Converter woes????

[rlcrafts]

I need some suggestions/help!! I have a 91 sport w/auto and while driving today the truck shuddered at acceleration leaving RR tracks, Had to stop for a red light, it was idling a little oddly, went to accelerate from the light and the truck died. Put in park, started again, still not idling well, put in drive and it died. Tried this several more times, same thing--also did it in reverse. Had some help getting it off the main road, called hubby and tow truck. Got the truck home and while trying to figure it out, hubby and neighbor discovered it was sucking air, found the vacuum problem--a port that was capped off lost the cap, replaced that and truck idles fine, but still stalls when put in any gear. Neighbor seems to think the torque converter is locked up. Has anyone had this happen or is it possible there is something else going on. Everything seemed fine while driving up until it shuddered and then didn't want to go. Help--this is my daily driver!!!

 

[Glacier991]

You didn't mention if the engine stalls like it would if someone let out a clutch (on a manual transmission vehicle) with the brakes still applied and the engine encountered something it could not turn and died, or if the stall is more like an engine not running right and under load dying.... (that make any sense?). I am having trouble relating Torque COnvertor lockup to a probable backfire which blew the vacuum line off the vacuum tree (sometimes affectionately called the octopus). Yet your neighbor could be right, a locked up torque convertor could cause the symptoms you describe. In your transmission, there are two things controlled by the computer... the shift into 4th gear (overdrove) and the torque convertor lockup.

There IS a way you can rule out it being the torque convertor. On the drivers side of the transmission is an electrical connection to the transmission. there is a little locking tab that has to be lifted over a nub on the case connector, and it can then be unplugged (it can be a little difficult to do, but you can do it.) Unplug this and you have a 3 speed transmission with no TCC lockup. Driveable. Try this and if it cures your stalling, it was the TCC. If not, then look elsewhere and plug it back in.

You can drive the explorer this way. You will see highway RPM's around 3,000 and your mileage will go down. Also without lockup the Torque convertor will produce extra heat from the friction of all that fluid moving around constantly, so watch your temps.

Let us know how you make out. Good luck.

 

[rlcrafts]

Makes sense! With the truck running and idling good, step on the brake and go from park to reverse--engine dies before you even take your foot off the brake. Hubby tried it in all gears and it is the same way, dies before you can get your foot off the brake. Found the connecter on the TC and disconnected it, no change :-( Did find that the tranny was way low on fluid, but no signs of a leak anywhere that we could see. Anybody have any other suggestions?? And if worst case senario (new tranny) is it horribly hard to rebuild yourself? Hubby has done everything else on a car except a tranny.

 

[Glacier991]

Wait you said on the TC... you meant the transmission and not the transfer case, right? If you disconnected the right one and it still stalls, it is not the Torque convertor locking up, (unless it somehow failed and locked up - which I have never seen) nor the transmission. As for rebuilds check the Useful Threads, I did a full out rebuild with pics there of the A4LD.

I guess I am not convinced your problem lies there..... More knowledgeable folks may have better ideas.

 

[rlcrafts]

Sorry about that, he did pull it off the tranny!