Transmission Pan Removal - HOW?!?!

[drdoom]

Where the shift lever goes in, on the inside there is a ****scomb, and projecting from this is a small pin...the pin engages a slot in the manual valve.

 

[golfboy]

Where the shift lever goes in, on the inside there is a ****scomb, and projecting from this is a small pin...the pin engages a slot in the manual valve.

Okay, I didn't see that, so I probably missed it. Oh well, round two. Thanks for the info.

 

[golfboy]

Update: I pulled the pan and had indeed missed engaging the manual valve... fixed that, bolted everything back up and she's running like a champ again!

Thanks to drdoom, robman and everyone else for the help. Couldn't have done it without you.

 

[drdoom]

Great news! Nice work my friend.

 

[c0ld br3w]

a 2 wheel 4.0L SOHC sport model would be a weapon in adverse weather Not to mention how quickly sport models can whip sideways on things like washboarded gravel.

Please come explain that to my jerk of a neighbor! He flagged me down one day telling me to slow down on our gravel road cause I was getting sideways and flying!! (Didn't realize 30 was flying for me but 60 is cool for him) If the roads got a bunch of small bumps like where tractors made tracks and it dried hard I can get sideways on a straightaway at 25 lol

 

[Robman]

lol, I dislike how much the whole truck shakes so hard when driving on that stuff also.

 

[SoNic67]

Are your shocks replaced? '97, '98 should have past 100k miles...
Mine, at 90k miles, where toasted. Explorer was 'jumping' all over the place.

 

[c0ld br3w]

Are your shocks replaced? '97, '98 should have past 100k miles...
Mine, at 90k miles, where toasted. Explorer was 'jumping' all over the place.

Shocks are one of the few things that are new think it has to do with the 1 leaf design on the rear I'm thinking of getting a spring pack off a 4door they should fit

 

[Robman]

suspension.

My sport has the heavier rear leaf setup it's the same or darn close to the 4door setup, must have been an option on the sports?? anyway I'm guessing the more leafs you add the stiffer it will make the ride and the washboard gravel driving will walk the truck sideways even worse, but that's just my guess.

 

[BenDT]

Gonna drop my pan today and do a valve body gasket (98 sport w/ 303500 miles first time popping open trans, no filter ever, nothing, oddly enough I think it will work). Yes I see how ancient this thread is but I just wanted to make a point to anyone who makes it this far again. While shocks do wonders for control. I run no front shocks and have coil over in the rear. Worst case scenario for a stone road. The main thing that will make this vehicle slide out isn’t the shocks or tire type, it’s typically the psi. If you check your manual they want you to run your tires very slack. Stock tires at 30psi or whatever it recommends is pretty soft and does wonders for dirt roads. Stiff tires and this thing will spin out pulling into peoples driveways. It took me a long time driving these before I found to just keep a good cushion below my rim and anytime I do lose the back end I can hold it until my tires grab where before it would slide til I was almost 90degrees. Another 2 cents if you want it.

 

[410Fortune]

no front shocks?

 

[BenDT]

no front shocks?

Yeah. They blew years ago after high dollar replacements. Took them off and minus washboard roads, I love the feeling. The dynamics of driving are very different. And I eat upper control arm balljoints like candy. However, safety wise, like highway driving, I don’t know that I’d take it on a road I don’t know. Two unknown pot holes in a row and your tires feel like basketballs bouncing down the road (possibly because they are lol)

 

[C420sailor]

Lol omg