Transmission change today. Found what broke. Pic.

[Poormanz28]

1999 Mercury Mountaineer 5.0 awd. 230k miles. Bought at 200k miles. 3/4 band always shuttered a little but the other day the trans instantly started slipping in all gears. Got a trans from salvage yard and started swap. Anyway, this piece on the output shaft broke off. Likely the problem. If this a weak part in this trans??

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1972582/Outputshaft1.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1972582/Outputshaft2.jpg

Also, noticed a spot of pink paint on the trans. Can see in pic. Looks like salvage yard mark. Looks like not the first trans to go in my truck.

 

[boominXplorer]

That looks like the end of the torque converter and that paint has been there since factory I bet

 

[DieselHilux]

That holds the stator stationary inside the converter, without it the converter cannot multiply torque and that looks like metal fatigue to me, these are pretty robust transmissions, they put them in much bigger and heavier vehicles and they last just fine.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Paint looks factory and darn clean in there too.
As mentioned these transmission are very tough. I would guess it was a metal fatigue as well, possible bad/weak casting. Happens sometimes. A rare break in this case as this is not the weakest point of this trans. I would guess that transmission is mostly good inside.

This is the go to OD trans for drag racing, the stock 99+ can handle 600 ft lbs all day.