V8 Tranny, 4R70W Changes Over Model Years? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

V8 Tranny, 4R70W Changes Over Model Years?

Blown

Elite Explorer
Joined
December 6, 2007
Messages
1,074
Reaction score
829
City, State
Montrose, CO
Year, Model & Trim Level
2000 X-Edge
I got a remanufactured tranny and ordered by VIN. What I was sent is 3/8 to 1/2" shorter. The mounting bolts at the crossmember hit that short of fitting into the slotted holes. I drilled and slotted the holes larger and got it to fit. However I ended up having to clearance the body, as the tranny sits a bit higher, being mounted forward on the crossmember. With a little skinny pedal, applying torque, the driveshaft yoke was wacking at the underbody. I thought my new tranny coming apart!

I see three different 4R70W's over the V8 years and I wonder if the center, bolt-in part of the tranny crossmember is different across models???

I'll get some pics up of what I am dealing with. The tranny company is sending me out another unit because this one came bad, clunks into first and has a slow shift into second. It came full of dark fluid and should have been sent empty but for the Torque converter. The fluid was dark and nasty. I don't think it was completed through dyno testing............... but anyway they plan on sending the same tranny out to me and we have been round and round regarding fitment. I got it to fit but would like to show them and perhaps this will help others.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





I’d want my money back. If the fluid in it is dark it wasn’t rebuilt correctly. I only know of internal changes, not length/case changes. Did you measure them both, or just going by where it landed after bolting up?
 






reman should not have dark fluid. i don think there were changes aside from the 2wd/awd tail but thats it.
 






They used the 4R70W in several rigs. I have both tranny's and they are sending a third. I am going to get some measurements when I pull the bad one. It's my daily driver and is getting me to work.

They wouldn't admit to anything when questioned about the fluid and how it is not working correctly. I am sure they are wanting to get it back so they can look at it. I have not dropped the pan and will do so before I pull it. I wont pull it till I get the new one.

The jerk I am working with made me send him a pic of the VIN to be sure I wasn't trying to put it in another rig. Then he told me that it's likely someone swapped another transmission in my rig before I bought it. It seems they don't make mistakes like the rest of us humans. I don't think this one was completed before they sent it out.

I got one for ya MBrooks420 and all. I have worked on these enough to find original parts that have Fords locktight on the bolts, like on the tranny crossmember mounting bolts, it is hard to back the bolts out and is white. Can you all confirm that??? That is what I found, like the crossmember had never been down before and this rig only has 165k on it. It has original Ford tags on the tranny, no aftermarket stickers, serial numbers etc........ I am on lunch and will get pics up later this evening.
 






Mounting at the crossmember. I cut and slotted it closer to the front edge which worked but it lifted the tranny a bit. I installed a new mount and there is no turning the mount 180, it's in correctly.

mount.jpg


Yoke wacking at the underbody. It was hitting like a body crossmember that vibrated my seat and made one hell of a racket/noise. I clearanced with a BFH and long drift.

yoke-hit-body.jpg


yoke-hit-body2.jpg


I'll have another tranny on Monday, two weeks after I had to make a warranty claim, jump through hoops, sent pics. My time and effort wasted because they sent what is likely a tranny that was not rebuilt and doesn't fit!
 






I should have posted in the other section as this is stock work, not modfied, please feel free to move this.
 






There is short and long versions of the transmission case and various lengths of the extension housing based on application. Most likely the asshats you are dealing with are perpetually on their first day at work and don't know that they sent you a transmission for a different application.
 






I'm sure that all of the 4R70W's have the same length cases, but the mounting pad is on the tail housing. The 2WD tail housings are typically a different length in certain models, Ford often has two lengths of the 2WD tail housings, plus the matching output shaft. The AOD is very well known for that, but it comes up rarely, so few people know which are which.

So measure carefully both the tail housing lengths, plus the output shaft, so the driveshaft is the proper length also.
 






Is the transmission case 21 inches long? Are the transmission mount bolts, the 2 going through the crossmember 3 inches back from the rear face of the transmission case? Measure from where the extension housing bolts to the case
 






I'm sure that all of the 4R70W's have the same length cases, but the mounting pad is on the tail housing. The 2WD tail housings are typically a different length in certain models, Ford often has two lengths of the 2WD tail housings, plus the matching output shaft. The AOD is very well known for that, but it comes up rarely, so few people know which are which.

So measure carefully both the tail housing lengths, plus the output shaft, so the driveshaft is the proper length also.
There is a case that is longer, it maybe the AODE I'm thinking of, 7/8th of an inch difference. The explorer extension housing is 10 inches and the F150 or truck is 11 inches. Those pictures don't tell the entire story very well, but I'm guessing the slip yoke is bottomed out inside the transmission.
 






I think the tail housing and the output shaft are the only possible differences in length, among the AODE/4R70W transmissions.


I have several 4R70W's and an AOD(out of cars), plus the several in my many Fords. I've never heard of any difference in case lengths of any of them, that would be very note worthy for millions of Ford owners. I'm going to mix and match mine for my several projects, using the lowest mileage parts for the highest stress applications or the Lincoln. I have to take apart my oldest Lincoln AOD to get the AODE sun gear shell out of(built it 20 years ago with the wide band parts etc). That AODE sun gear shell will go into my lowest mileage 4R70W, to make it close ratio for my 92 Mark VII. I think I'll use the 2003 4R70W output shaft and housing, a Mustang trans with 89k miles. If that doesn't have the speedometer splines on the shaft, I have an old 95 Crown Vic 4R to get them from.
 






There is clearly a difference in mounting bolt position on 4R70W's which could also include the case lengths? There is no way one can mount the crossmember nor tranny any differently to make a change in length. I suspect the tail housing.

The original tranny is 27 7/16" long and mounting bolt centers 23 3/8" from the front.
original-tranny-1.jpg

original-tranny-2.jpg

original-tranny-3.jpg


crossmember-mounting-measurement.jpg
 






I got a few more measurements. These two tranny housings are the same length. The tailshaft housings are different in length and have different mounting hole positions. The original places the mounting bolts for the crossmember mount 2 1/4" from the back of the tranny housing, the replacement is about 1 5/8" (It is hard to measure under there). The housing length has the replacement at 6 1/2" and original at 6 3/8".
 






I got a couple few more measurements. These two tranny housings are the same length. The tailshaft housings are different in length and have different mounting hole positions. The original places the mounting bolts for the crossmember mount 2 1/4" from the tranny housing, the replacement is about 1 5/8" (It is hard to measure under there). The housing lengths has the replacement at 6 1/2" and original at 6 3/8".
Are the tail housings easy to swap?
 












Josh,
You posted a two wheel drive tail housing???

I swapped the tailhousing from the old tranny to the reman. It's installed and working good though I haven't had much time with it.

I am not sure what they sent me but here are pics, very different 4WD/AWD tail housings........................both for our X's.

rep-1.jpg

rep-2.jpg


org-1.jpg

org-2.jpg


both-1.jpg

both-2.jpg
 






Ok, back in way back when days, Robert at torque monster headers stated there was a 1/2 " rearward shift of engine in the 99 model and up. @rcpasq ?

This may be part of that .
 






Josh,
You posted a two wheel drive tail housing???

I swapped the tailhousing from the old tranny to the reman. It's installed and working good though I haven't had much time with it.

I am not sure what they sent me but here are pics, very different 4WD/AWD tail housings........................both for our X's.

View attachment 435229
View attachment 435230

View attachment 435231
View attachment 435232

View attachment 435233
View attachment 435234
Yes, I added one picture I didn't need to. I was after the case measurements.
 






Josh,
You posted a two wheel drive tail housing???

I swapped the tailhousing from the old tranny to the reman. It's installed and working good though I haven't had much time with it.

I am not sure what they sent me but here are pics, very different 4WD/AWD tail housings........................both for our X's.

View attachment 435229
View attachment 435230

View attachment 435231
View attachment 435232

View attachment 435233
View attachment 435234

Well done, you have solved the original issue with the research. It seems that there were at least two different tail housings for both the 2WD and the AWD/4WD's. The mounting pad looks like the only difference for the AWD, and not the output shaft thankfully.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Back
Top