Auto Transmission for 96 Explorer,Not just which will fit, but Which one to hope to find?

[Josh B]

Thanks Ranger850, In this one, I think the case would be that a previous customer came looking for the same transmission, pulled the stick and smelled the fluid, then left it laying on the engine as they walked away.

In that scenario, both the available transmissions have been looked at and left. I knew that soon as I found the sticks laying where they were.
I've seen more than a fair share of rust and this didn't happen in a week or a month, but over years, and as I stated it was only above the normal fluid levels on an auto transmission, below that was the normal finish of a stick. That one was in the wrecked vehicle

The stick in the one I'm considering was shiny top to bottom(and was also left laying on the engine)

 

[RonD]

Dip sticks out can also mean fluids have been drained, which is now required when a vehicle comes to wrecking yards and will be stored in a dirt or gravel lot

 

[Josh B]

Dip sticks out can also mean fluids have been drained, which is now required when a vehicle comes to wrecking yards and will be stored in a dirt or gravel lot

Ahhh yes! That would also be true. Thank you for that sir, gives me some hope I'm not the 10th person who's looked at it

And I'm certain they drain them, not completely tho, there was still enough to near fill the pan, but that could have drained down slow after they'd pumped it out of the fill tube