I can swap it myself, so I'm going to just swap in a 2WD, along with the rear shaft and then convert the front end as something else fails, like a hub bearing or a CV axle. This truck, being I gave $200 for it, doesn't owe me anything at all, I really like the truck, I've enjoyed owning it immensely, so I am going to fix it and keep it for the foreseeable future, as with the other truck. Things fail, accidents happen. I've got it on jackstands right now, going to drop the pan in the morning to see what's up, and if there's any abnormal wear, or if it's just an abnormal failure, then drop the trans, blow air through the lines to flush them out, and install the 2WD transmission. It's not all bad, I'll reuse my AWD driveshafts in the V8 swap on my Eddie Bauer.
On another note, I have no idea who installed this transmission, I presume it was done in a shop somewhere, it's been a worry free experience, it's never once slipped, lost fluid, shifted harshly or anything, it's been like a new transmission, or a rebuild so I'm curious extremely so what happened. The fluid on the dipstick looks and smells like regular Mercon V fluid, no grayish color or even a darkening, it's new looking still after the miles I've driven it, and however many the previous owner drove it after having it installed. I know all about installing the TC correctly, I had to do one on a 4R100 early last year and it's tedious, very easy to not get fully seated. There anything different about installing one on a 4R70W? I've been told they're nearly identical
On another note, I'm really far from getting rid of either 2nd Gen, I enjoy them, I enjoy owning them, and this truck has it's issues, but after a minute to think about it, I don't want to get rid of it, and even if I did, I'd just get another one dirt cheap like it, and my Eddie is like my first car, I wouldn't for any reason even consider getting rid of it, I plan on keeping it probably my whole life, since it's like a first car to me.
One would also around in now ask themselves, if I have an AWD trans and case for my Eddie Bauer swap, why not use that, and keep the AWD? Then make Eddie a 2WD or find another AWD? Well that's really simple, my Eddie was a 4WD truck, it's the nicer of the two trucks, and the trans I got for it last fall has 131K miles out a 2000 Mountaineer, so it's like a new trans, it's the lowest mile I've seen in a while, so that's where it's heading, solely because the Eddie has a special value to me, and finding AWD transmissions here is strangely difficult. I have the 2WD, there's nothing wrong with it, so that's what this 2000 is getting.
On a third note, I am going to be keeping and probably fixing this transmission, since why throw away a transmission that might need just a simple repair? Time to learn something new.
