Transmission puked

[boatmoter]

have a 91 explorer-4.0-auto. w/overdrive -(trans. rebuilt 1 year ago)-
pulled boat first time with this truck and got home after a 15 mile pull,the trans spewed 3 qts of fluid from the top vent,it was hot,let it cool and put 3 qts fluid in and test drove,drove and shifted good,no leaks,I kinda think the tranny overheated, the pull weight is 2000LBS and you have to floor it to take off and get up to speed,have to take it out of overdrive to get over the interstate inclines,engine seems to have the power,trans seems to have too much of a load on it,has a hard time keeping up with the engine. the tow capacity for the truck is around 5000LBS,is this transmission tough enough for towing?? truck has the factory internal and external coolers.. has anyone had these symtoms when towing??
engine temp. was below norm.

 

[CDW6212R]

The 91 and early Explorers have rear gears not good for towing. The A4LD is a weak trans, and towing is bad for them. Overdrive 4th gear is a very bad choice to ever tow with in those trucks.

If you did not hurt the trans you will be very lucky. Don't tow 5000lbs with it, 2000 would be a much better limit. The truck weighs over 4000 pounds, the trans is made for a 3000 pound four cylinder car(1984 Thunderbird) etc. Good luck but start planning for a trans rebuild.

 

[Glacier991]

I'm in agreement with Don (as always seems to be the case). If you tow on anything but the flat, this truck is a poor choice for a tow vehicle. In any event stay out of OD on anything except long flat stretches with the wind at your back if you are towing anything substantial.

 

[boatmoter]

Transmission interchange

What different transmission from a slightly newer explorer would interchange with the a4ld it has now,I would like to get it to pull,I don't mind changing the ring & pinion to a lower gear,I have that knowledge down pat,but the tranny Im lost.. also,are the mustang ring & pinions the same as the explorers? not the ratio,but gear interchange?

 

[boatmoter]

What different transmission from a slightly newer explorer would interchange with the a4ld it has now,I would like to get it to pull,I don't mind changing the ring & pinion to a lower gear,I have that knowledge down pat,but the tranny Im lost.. also,are the mustang ring & pinions the same as the explorers? not the ratio,but gear interchange?

ALSO,ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE GEAR RATIO IS ON MY 91 XLT 4.0 AUTOMATIC?

 

[CDW6212R]

The rear gears of the Explorers are all 8.8's just like Mustangs. The differential has a slightly bigger shaft in it and 31 splined, but is also interchangeable.

Check the door VIN tag, find the "AXLE" code, and search here for "gear axle codes." That should get the ratio for you, it's likely a 3.27:1 ratio.

There is a little improvement that can be made to the 91-94 A4LD, or the later V6 4speed trannies. Find the A4LD trans diary here and read that. It is very long, but it does have many things which can be done by a competent trans mechanic. The end result will not be really strong but likely say 30% better. If you start with a transmission which has not failed or been rebuilt, then the improvements will be wise. Start with a good trans, one which has never been rebuilt, never failed. Good luck,

 

[boatmoter]

Found The Chart,

ALSO,ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE GEAR RATIO IS ON MY 91 XLT 4.0 AUTOMATIC?

FOUND THE RATIO CHART ON YOUR SITE,SCRATCH THIS QUESTION.. THANKS..

 

[Glacier991]

There is no drop in substitute for an A4LD.... now you COULD build a Frankentranny... which would be as strong as it can be made to be..... but still it is not THAT strong a tranny where towing is concerned.

 

[BrooklynBay]

You could use a stronger transmission, but you will need to install expensive adapters unless you swap the engine too.