Transmission Needs First Aid

[Explorerdude]

Hey all,
I hope you can help me out here... Tonight on the way home I noticed my transmission slip... I have the infamous A4LD. I am running 33X10.50's with 3.73 rear gears. On average I usually run about 500 miles a week. I was told by a ford tech a few weeks ago that if I changed my trans oil that I should expect to need to replace the trans soon... (This was after I told him I changed it) I'm begining to think that there is a little bit of truth behind that. Ever since I changed it I have noticed, on 3 occasions, my trans slip. All 3 times it's been when it happend the first time I put it into drive and gave it some gas. Tonight I noticed it tach up to 2800 RPM's before it started moving and when it did it made a loud clunk and jarred the truck pretty bad. The first time I noticed it do this I thought I was just on ice. But after I thought about it I didn't remember the tires spinning...

I also have noticed that when I start my truck up in the morning and let it warm up, that there is this lingering smell of what smells to me like transmission fluid, coming through the vents with the heat....

My first question is what can I do to resolve this conflict??

Do I have any luck what-so-ever of saving my trans??

Does anyone know if Advanced Adapters makes an Adapter for the T-18 or a C-6??

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Happy wheelin,

Joe Dead Link Removed
94 Explorer XLT
33X10.50 BFG AT KO's
4" Superlift Suspension
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"What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger!!"

[This message has been edited by Explorerdude (edited 02-13-2000).]

 

[Extreme4x4]

You did not mention the mileage on your truck. If it is around 100,000, I would not be surprised if your tranny is about toast. The average automatic transmission will last 100,000 miles, give or take. Some many more, if it is most Chrysler trannies, much less. The A4LD is worse than ANY other overdrive transmission, and better than many. That said, your problem could be a couple of things. Your torque converter could be going bad. The solenoid for the converter could be bad (the lock-up is computer controlled). Your pump could be bad, or you could be losing first gear. These are all signs of an auto tranny on its last legs. It will just get worse and worse.

As far as trying to adapt a different transmission to your engine, it isn't going to happen, unless you want an old C4 (were used before the A4LD came out. At least not unless you plan on having a custom adapter fabricated. Can you say expensive. The 2.8,2.9,4.0 engines have their own bellhousing pattern. Plus, any auto tranny will need to be rebuilt. The cheaper rebuild of a C4 will more than be off-set by higher fuel costs due to the poor gas mileage of not having an overdrive. Dead Link Removed

Your 94 A4LD is a good tranny. Find a competant shop to rebuild it. Insist on referrals and call them. Insist that hard and soft parts be replaced, so you don't have another expensive repair right after the warranty is out. Also, insist on one of the stronger rebuilt converters that have the brazed fins and the improved lock-up clutch.

Hope this helped. Dead Link Removed

 

[Explorerdude]

How do I know for sure if my transmission is indeed slipping??

Would it be worth while installing a better valve body??

How difficult are automatics to rebuild??

I have 94,000 miles on my Explorer. Dead Link Removed

I have a reliable trans shop. But they charged my dad over 2 grand for a new Jasper Tranny. How much do you think it would cost to have the A4LD rebuilt??

Dead Link Removed Teacher got to run!!!

Joe Dead Link Removed

[This message has been edited by Explorerdude (edited 02-14-2000).]

 

[Extreme4x4]

Well I will tell you one thing for sure..... what it is doing is not normal by any stretch of the imagination. If you want it diagnosed, take it to a tranny shop and have them check it out. I have heard of some shops charging as much as $2000+ for an A4LD rebuild...... but that is a rip off. Pull it yourself. A good shop should charge around $1200-1400 for a complete rebuild. This would include all soft parts, any hard parts needed, a new pump and converter. Call the reliable shop you know and ask them.

Do not attempt to rebuild this tranny yourself. Overdrive autos are something that require a large amount of experiance.... and even the experts have come-backs. As my Ford tranny expert once said..... rebuilding a 4-speed automatic is 50% skill, 40% luck, and 10% voodoo. This is from a man who has been doing this for 25 years, and has worked with Ford on development.

Oh, there is no such thing as installing a better valve body. Valve bodies are valve bodies. About the only thing that can go wrong with them, is if you have garbage in the valve body, and it is causing a valve to stick. You also have 2 solenoids in your valve body, but they have nothing to do with getting the truck moving.

Gloria
93 EB Explorer (highly modified)
94 F150 Lightning

 

[Explorerdude]

Hey Gloria,
Thanks for that info. Dead Link Removed I think I'm going to call that shop tomarrow and see what he'll charge me to rebuild the A4LD.

OK, so what you're reccomending me do is to get all hard and soft parts replaced and get a new tourque converter that has brazed fins and the improved lock-up clutch.

What benifits do I get by getting the improved lock-up clutch??

Should I get a bigger transmission cooler when I get this rebuid done if need be?

Do you think 94000 miles is about right for those trannys to go up?

Thanks for all your help! Dead Link Removed

Joe Dead Link Removed
94 Explorer XLT
Slightly Modified

 

[socalexlorer]

I am in the same boat- 94k and going. I am hunting for a shop.
Gloria- when you say soft parts do you mean all internal soft parts? Also what is the new pump you refered to??
Explorerdude- did you get a qote?

Thanks for the info-
Rico-

 

[DrewP]

Guys,

I was surfing the web and found a tranny shop in AZ that has some of the best prices on rebuilt trannies I've seen. I've never used them but was wondering if anybody else has had any experience with them? Check them out at http://www.phoenixhardparts.com/rebuilt.html

I have a local guru here that rebuilds standards only for $150 plus parts. A standard rebuild is ~$300 usually. However, I need a good(and inexpensive) automatic rebuilder.

Good luck,

Drew

 

[Explorerdude]

Well I got a quote. It was really funny... I called a local tranny shop that does any perfomance upgrades that you want to trannys. Well he said that he experienced the same problem I was having! He had a ranger that he turbo charged and did some engine work to and that he wanted to add and automatic to it but when he found out that the only tranny you can use is the A4LD he didn't do it. A tranny guy didn't even want to build one!! That's saying something for Fords quality engineering... He said that sure he'd rebuild mine but that it would cost me about 1900 to do. He said he'd put a better converter in and an updated clutch pack... But he said that since mine is a 94 it has almost all of the updates and the updating he could do wouldn't gaurentee that it wouldn't go up on me in the future... The bottom line was he told me either to drop a 5.0 into it and put a AOD into it or use it as a tow vehicle and put small tires on it. Dead Link Removed Now I've changed my thought process to finding a different tranny for the 4 liter... This involves me having a friend of mine design an adapter for the tranny transfercase and engine... and also getting a custom shaft made... I'm thinkin about a T-18... They're bulletproof. Or a new process tranny from an F150... If worst comes to worst a Mazda manual tranny... Dead Link Removed


Well I gotta get it. I'll keep you all posted on what I end up doing...

Happy Wheelin',

Joe Dead Link Removed

 

[Extreme4x4]

Explorerdude, if you want to hear reality about the A4LD, call Doug at Dougs Transmissions in AZ. He is a Ford tranny expert. He builds all the A4LD's for the off-road racers, and they are running 350+ hp in their trucks. They will also put a lifetime of abuse on the tranny in one race. NOONE knows more about this transmission than Doug does. He owns the internal modifications made to the tranny, and him and Ford own the rights to the valve body mods. For what this other shop would charge..... you could basically get a bulletproof off-road race tranny.

There are other things that this fella could have done to keep his tranny from blowing. First and foremost would have been to have the planetary cages welded (you need new ones to do this with..... and someone who really knows what he is doing). This is usually what blows in high hp applications. There are special clutches and bands that are used for high hp applications. Also, he should use a NEW Ford pump only.

Dougs number is 480-964-3832. Tell him I sent you. It may help. For a regular rebuild (not race tranny), I have seen him charge $1200-1400. Not $1900. Big difference.

Gloria
93 EB Explorer (highly modified)
94 F150 Lightning