Weekend Project Planned - Need Info

[B94Sport]

Originally posted by aldive
How did you determine that the filter needed to be changed?

I read some posts about rough idle (Which I am experiencing) and someone suggested that I change the fuel filter. Then I realized "Hey, I have not changed that thing... EVER". So I picked up a new one and it said "Replace every 10,000 miles" and I figured that since mine had not been replaced in 50,000 miles or more (I'm the second owner of this truck), it probably needed to be changed.

 

[Opera House]

reverse/low servo warning

I have added this paragraph to the procedure. Guess I just want to add that nothing is fool proof cause fools are so ingenious. I often forget that others situations are different than mine. I have another vehicle to use and if have to tear something apart for a week then thats just more fun. I would feel terrible about putting you in an unpleasant situation as a result of some advice I gave. Sounds like you have quite a weekend planned! I just visited a friend who was replacing a clutch. He's always impatient and he tried getting out some old stuck transmission bolts with a 12 point socket instead of a six. Rounded them off and then he had to torch them off. Uck! His job took three times longer than it should have. He is always destroying stuff because he has no patience. So that is what I think you should stock up on for the weekend effort. And if things aren't falling into place then wait for another day. If you absolutely need the car the next day and you aren't having problems, maybe you should wait on the servo. It can always use another flush in the spring. Sometimes I use my pan gasket 2 or three times before I replace it. Good luck.

WARNING: This is a blind procedure and there is no practical way of knowing if the reverse band is seated properly. Unlike single bands, the reverse/low band is a double wrap band. This limits major movement. Frictional and. viscous forces will tend to keep the band where it is. The servo rod is rounded at the end and fits into a well on the band as well as the two housing pins. This serves to self align the band. Obviously for manufacturing purposes, when the transmission is stood vertically on the output end, movement of the band to the rear is restricted and is in position to accept the servo rod. Forward movement of the band, however, is not restricted. Rotation of the output shaft, large vibrations and the transmission pointing down toward the front could cause the band to move forward. This, like any transmission procedure, flushing, pump out, or new fluid has the potential to cause new problems. If you are not currently experiencing delayed reverse or loss of low braking, the risk/benefit of this procedure may not be appropriate. Every effort was made to insure this information is accurate with a transmission in a vehicle and by viewing operation of a disassembled transmission on a stand. This should not be considered professional advice and unknown manufacturing changes could cause an unforseen problem.

 

[B94Sport]

Another question...

Can anyone tell me the torque specs on the bolts for the upper intake manifold? I know the specs for the lower, but not the upper.

Oh yes, and what about sealants? I will need RTV? Where does it go? I am going to try and find a Chiltons/Haynes manual today when I go buy the valve cover gaskets.

EDIT: I may have found a good guide... How accurate is this? It seems very detailed: http://www2.autozone.com/servlet/Ui..._us/0900823d/80/0b/94/b0/0900823d800b94b0.jsp

 

[B94Sport]

Well my parts still have not shown up from bulkparts.com. I am hoping they come today otherwise I will have to scrap this project for the weekend (There really is no point in removing the upper intake manifold and cleaning all of that junk out of it if I'm still going to be sucking up transmission fluid when I restart the engine). Last night I organized all of my tools, cleaned out the inside of the truck, and pre-mixed all of my transmission fluid with a 1:10 ratio of Trans-X... (Remove 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of fluid from each quart of fluid and replace it with that much Trans-X, if anyone is interested.) Trans-X is great stuff. Anyway...

I still have not found the valve cover gaskets... I went to A&A last night and they wanted $46 for them. AutoZone wanted $33 or so, so I guess I will go there and get them.

 

[ajevenson]

Those gaskets are $$$. Ouch.

 

[Opera House]

A little clairification

The ATSG A4LD manual lists the Low/Reverse Servo as a separate repair procedure on page 47. The following is a quote:
"1. Raise vehicle on a hoist.
2. Place a drain pan under the transmission fluid pan. Starting at the rear of the pan and working toward the front,......"
The procedure ends with filling the transmission with fluid. There are no discussions of alignment or possible problems. This implies that this is an accepted procedure while the transmission is still in the car. The ATSG manuals are known to have an economy of words and some blatant ambiguities. The writers may also assume that this is being done by a transmission processional and that if problems arise they are equipped to deal with them. The procedure shows the transmission on a stand with the output shaft pointing up, a position that would cause the band to fall out of position. On page 70 it states to install low/reverse servo piston to hold the band in position.

In short, this is not a procedure that I just made up. It is the initial draft that has been on my computer a while and that I continue to research the procedure. It was posted for an individual that has the symptoms of reverse shudder. This condition would likely cause the destruction of the reverse band in a few months requiring a total rebuild. Certainly, I find it exciting that a $50 repair can add possibly several years to a transmission and avoid a costly rebuild. For those avid off roaders who depend on low engine braking when brakes get wet or heat fade, this can be the difference between a good time and possibly personal injury. The A4LD manual was written in 1991 and there is an entirely separate manual for updates and mods. I believe the procedure is quite safe. If one hundred people tried it, could one or two people have problems. I just don't know that. The procedure to clean the Mass Air Sensor is simple and often talked about here. Still a few people have damaged their sensors. Trying something, having it go bad and costing you $100 - that's just an education. Having it cost you $2000 is something else. Find a steep hill and put it in 1 and drive down it in idle with no brakes applied. See if you still have engine braking.

 

[B94Sport]

From your "Engine stumble" thread, I got the impression that all I was doing with this reverse servo part of the repair was replacing O-rings? Did I miss something?

 

[srvblues00]

Originally posted by ajevenson
If you do the lower gasket, you have to remove the upper manifold, valve covers, remove the fuel rail and injectors (be very careful!!!), thermostat & housing, belt and tension idler, plug wires & distributor, a/c compressor, alternator & housing, etc. Its not really that complicated, just a hell of a lot more involved. Unless you see a very visible drip coming from the back of your oil pan, I'd just stick with tightening. If that doesnt work then you can rip the lower intake off and redo the gaskets. Be on the safe side and just tighten. If that doesnt fix the ping and oil leak then do the whole thing. You'll know within a week if the tightening worked and can redo the following weekend without having to replace the gasket you just put on. They take a lot of heat and time to fully seal such that you'd break them by trying to take em off.

The lower intake gasket set is $35.

When I replaced all the intake gaskets on my 94 5spd Sport, I didn't have to remove half of that stuff. It would have been easier if somethings were out of the way (alternator), but you can definately do it without removing that. Just start from the top and work your way down with the project and remove only what you have to in order to get access to the parts you need.

Also, I shopped around off and on over a period of 2 weeks trying to find gaskets at a good price. I finally got the lower-to-head gasket from CarQuest. Well, that one did not match up. After a long battle with it, I took it off and returned it. I then promptly went to the Ford dealer and paid $3 more than the CQ gasket, and I got the really nice rubber and metal Ford gasket. If I were to do this project over again, I would avoid the parts store chain gaskets and just go with the Ford gaskets. From my experience, the small price increase is well worth the quality difference.

 

[Opera House]

To replace the O-rings

You must remove the servo piston. This leaves the reverse band not actually mounted to anything. It then has about 1/2 inch to rotate. When the piston is removed, the band follows the piston rod down and rests on the case. After the piston gets new rings, the servo rod picks up the band and self aligns into place. The only concern is if the band moves forward to the engine, unlikely as it may be if the front of the car is higher, or there is some unknown design change. If someone is facing a rebuild, this does not represent a concern. The hill test is the best way to see if there is a problem. If something odd ball happens, the only thing I would be able to do is say I'm sorry. Unforseable things can happen with even the most minor repair. I will be doing multiple tests to see how repeatable the procedure is if you prefer to wait. This is why I have not published this as a "hey, everyone, you should do this now."

 

[B94Sport]

I see... Well the front of the truck will be up higher by about 8 inches. (Ramps).

In the unlikely event that it turns out that I no longer have a reverse gear after the repair, couldn't I just take it apart again and rotate the band?

 

[Opera House]

With a rebuild

The band is the about the second part installed in the transmission. There is no access to it from the outside the case cavity. Rotating the transmissions output shaft in both directions might cause it to move back into position. Like I said, I am going to do some experimenting on this before I put the transmission back together. This is a question probably even the transmission guys can't answer. When a vehicle comes in with this problem, do you do a $150 job or a $2000 job. I think they would always choose a total rebuild based on the economics.

 

[B94Sport]

Ahhh... This shows how much I know about transmissions... I will just be very careful not to move anything.

 

[Opera House]

Well good for you

We need more brave souls. When Columbus set out to find the new world in 1942, was he afraid. Did Capt. Kirk say to Spock, "Hey, I can't take looking at another weirdo." When Shackelton advertized for people to go to the Pole and said return doubtful, he wasn't looking for some latte sucking, Martha Stewart watching type in a arctic down fleece cotton vest. When you've done this, you'll be standing tall among these pathetic oil and spark plug changers. You'll have ventured where few dare to tread. Men like you can make this country into what it once was! Uh no wait, that would have been a vast frozen wasteland covered with ice. Forget that last one.

 

[B94Sport]

Well I am sure you've all been anxiously awaiting my account of the weekend!! Okay, so maybe not, but I like to think that you were... On to the large post:

My parts came on Friday and by 4:00 I had begun my repair work. In all of my planning though, I forgot one thing - to make sure that my digital camera had batteries... So no pics

On to the repairs... First off, I replaced the VMV. Replacing it through the panel in the floor was very easy, and I recommend it to anyone who needs theirs replaced. Like I said, I started at 4:00. By 5:30, I had removed the driver's seat, pulled back the carpeting, removed the old VMV, and installed the new one. I did not have any trouble getting the pin lined up - I just used my left hand to guide the pin and held the VMV with my right hand. It was a bit of squeeze through the panel with both hands (I have the cuts on my hands and forearms to prove it), but I still think that this way would be easier than removing the cat. I do not think that it is possible to lose the pin inside of the tranny though... Granted, I could not see into it from the required angle to say for sure, but I did insert the pin and press and it would not go into the tranny. Also, it was sticking out of the VMV .2 inches, which I believe is the distance that Opera House said his was sticking out.

After the VMV, I dropped the transmission pan to replace the filter, check the valve body bolt torques, and replace the reverse servo O-rings. Now, I had never dropped the pan before (I always take it in for a complete fluid flush), but I was surprised by what I found: My tranny now has 120,450 miles on it without a rebuild, and there was not a trace of metal in the pan. Also, the fluid (which had 9,000 miles on it) looked basically brand new! It was red with a hint of black, which I am guessing came from the lubricating strip (Is that was this was?) stuck to the pan up near the front of it. I replaced the filter with the new one from bulkparts.com, and then checked the torque on the valve body bolts. They were a little less than what I wanted to set them at, but still within the acceptable range. By the time I had finished that, it was 7:00 and I was out of daylight.

7:00 AM Saturday I began again. First off, I replaced the reverse servo O-rings. I must say Opera House's directions were very good for this. I followed them, and the replacement went flawlessly. By 9:00, I had replaced the O-rings, put the pan and new gasket back on, and filled it up with 3.5 qts of fluid mixed with Trans-X. Then came the test: I started the truck and shifted into reverse. I didn't feel anything happen. But to my amazement, when I took my foot off of the brake, I began to move backwards!! Yes, the truck now shifts into reverse so smoothly that it cannot be felt! I was so excited! No more clunking into reverse! The O-ring replacement was a great fix and I recommend it to anyone whose A4LD X clunks into reverse. So overall, the tranny work went well.

Then on to the engine work: Remove upper intake, clean it, replace gasket, retorque lower intake, and replace spark plugs and wires.
Removing the upper intake was fairly straightforward, and I did not run into any snags. I removed it, the IAC, and the throttle body. the IAC had been cleaned about 2 weeks earlier, so it was fine... The TB and upper intake were another story though! I cleaned all of the black crud off of the TB's butterfly valve and also cleaned out the springs on it and oiled them. Works great now. For the upper intake, I think that it is impossible to get the inside of it shiny, but I did get it to the point where no black crud would come off of it when I rubbed my finger on any inner surface of it. In total, I used about 42 oz of Gumout! So now the upper intake is free of 120,000 miles worth of buildup. I'm sure it is much better now. With the upper intake off and a lot of stuff disconnected, I started on the plugs. Driver's side was easy, so were the first two plugs on the passenger side. By easy I mean that I could get to them all from on top of the truck. The 3rd plug on the passenger side took a little more work, but with 2 extensions, a universal socket, and a spark plug socket, I was able to get it out and replace it by accessing it through the wheel well. No, I do not have a lift... The truck was not jacked up and the wheel was still on as well. So it can be done. I then checked the torque on the lower intake manifold bolts. They were loose. I tightened them up in stages to 216 in-lbs. With spark plugs and wires replaced, I gave the upper intake and throttle body one last check and dried them out thoroughly, then put everything back together and started the truck. It was 5:30 on Saturday, and I had finished.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!

I no longer have a rough idle or odd A/F ratio gauge behavior. Throttle response is better and my hesitation/lack of power problems are gone. The tranny shifts smoothly and reverse is clunk-free. Here's the best part (in my opinion): I used the adjustable VMV from bulkparts.com, which allows you to modify when the tranny shifts gears while in drive. Well, I adjusted it a bit to take full advantage of my SuperChip and all I can say is "Wow". The truck really moves now! I set it to shift higher than stock and now the engine will rev to about 4,500 RPM before shifting (when I floor it - normal driving is pretty much the same) Naturally, I had to make sure that it would shift through all of the gears so I got on the highway and hit top speed (105 mph) faster than I ever have! I love it! The adjustable VMV is definitely the way to go if you've ever wished your auto tranny would shift at a higher RPM.

Just to recap, to fix all of my problems I did the following:

• Replaced the fuel filter
• Changed spark plugs and wires
• Replaced Reverse Servo O-Rings, main O-ring with updated "double-lip" style from bulkparts.com
• Replaced Vacuum Modulator Valve with adjustable type from bulkparts.com
• Replaced transmission filter with improved version from bulkparts.com
• Checked and retorqued Transmission Valve Body bolts
• Removed and cleaned upper intake and throttle body
• Replaced plenum gakset
• Retorqued lower intake manifold bolts

 

[Opera House]

You had me at the edge of my chair!

Good to see you had positive results from the reverse servo. I thought that because your Explorer had fewer miles and a couple of years newer that the old rings still might be in pretty good shape. You the man now!

 

[B94Sport]

Yeah, the O-ring looked fine, but I guess it wasn't as great as it could be. The new one made a very noticable difference.

 

[mikeh]

Ray, you are da man.

When I saw your post earlier in the week I thought no way is this guy going to get through all of that work by Saturday night.

Nice job and thanks for the post.

mikeh

 

[Lifted95X]

I need to do this same procedure....is everything basically the same on a 4r55e?? I get the bad clunk into reverse.

 

[B94Sport]

I am not sure... Opera House would probably know. I know that the A4LD and the 4r44e are the the same thing... I would assume the 4r55e would be the same, but with an extra gear. But I am no expert.

 

[Lifted95X]

Hopefully he will answer....because I looked on bulkparts.com for things...and the mostly all say A4LD ot 4r44e. I don't feel so great about doing all of this....but...it needs to be done.