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Wont go into gear (automatic)


Brandon12

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I just pulled out the bad tranny on my 91 explorer 4x4 and put in a new one from a junk yard that supposedly works. I got everything hooked up and the tranny is full on fluid and it sounds fine when i start it but when i put it into any gear it does nothing. You can see underneath that it is shifting it when i move the never but it just seems like it stays in park and does nothing but rev up. Tried in all ranges with the transfer case and nothing. What could be wrong? :icon_confused:
 


Brandon12

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pulled the filter off and it seems to be ok but going to replace it. Could the tourque converter be bad or the pump? How do you tell? Please help :bawling:
 

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It is possible its the TC, you did get the one with the trans from the JY, right?? If you remove one of the cooling lines from the radiator and start the truck, if the pump is good it will shoot out fluid...You may have a bad trans
SVT
 

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Bad tranny is what Im thinking, this is what Hatmans c4 was doing and his direct drive clutches were fried, but he had reverse. If you have nothing at all then im thinkin TC or hydraulics.

Not to ask the obvious, but did you double check the shifter cable? Are any rubber grommets in their mounting points properly? Just like the old cable clutches if they are sitting in their mounts the cable just flops.
 

Brandon12

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Ok so if i pull that line off and fluid shoots out my pump is good. How do i tell if the torque converter is bad? would it be easier (cheaper, less time) to just put in another tranny than try to rebuild that one? And in a 91 explorer 4x4 that would be an A4LD correct?
 

Brandon12

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Bad tranny is what Im thinking, this is what Hatmans c4 was doing and his direct drive clutches were fried, but he had reverse. If you have nothing at all then im thinkin TC or hydraulics.

Not to ask the obvious, but did you double check the shifter cable? Are any rubber grommets in their mounting points properly? Just like the old cable clutches if they are sitting in their mounts the cable just flops.
Checked the cable and everything moves when you pull the shift lever so its trying to change the gear on the outside but nothing happens inside the tranny
 

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Correct, you have the A4LD...unfortunately those trannies are problematic, and don't last long on the mileage, at least from my own experience...I've been through 2 of them, I can say the 91-94 A4LD's out of the explorers are better than the ones in the earlier rangers and B2's...The TC will need to be taken to a trans shop to have it tested, not really a way for the DIY'er to test it...
SVT
 

Brandon12

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Alright thanks. Think it would be more cost efficient to rebuild the tranny or replace it with another one that "works" like the one i already bought?
 

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I say get it rebuilt, since any JY or used A4LD will likely have mid to high mileage and would be unknown the remaining lifespan would be, if you get it rebuilt, you'd know you have at least 5 years of use, depending on mileage driven:icon_thumby:
SVT
 

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Alright, THANKS SVT!!
I appreciate the help :icon_thumby:
 

Brandon12

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Ok so i pulled the line off and started it and no fluid came out. But i also heard that if the torque converter is bad, then the pump wont shoot fluid out through the line. Is this true? If it is true how do i tell which one is bad?
 

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IIRC, the pump is directly driven from the TC, even if the TC is bad, it should still turn the pump...
SVT
 

Brandon12

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So your saying the pump is probably bad and not so much the torque converter? Someone else told me that if the tc is bad then the pump wont work at all. (I think i said that already)
 

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It is possible, but if the pump is bad, it can't flow the fluid into the TC for it to work, but if the TC had to run the pump off of fluid to spin the input pump shaft, it wouldn't be there...Did you notice that notch on the outside of the TC's neck?? That's what drives the pump...
SVT
 

Brandon12

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hmm. Very interesting. Well what do you recommend i do to get this thing going?
 

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