Official A4LD Problem Thread!

[Robert_1967]

88 bronco 2 2.9 auto trans

i have no 4th gear....any fix? other gears work fine just shift kind of rough

Check the vacuum line, other then that, time for a rebuild.




Robert

 

[89DANGERANGER]

im getting the same problems everyone talks about on here. no 4th gear, rough shifting, delay and hard shift into reverse. i still drive it though. its mobile.....

 

[89DANGERANGER]

what coinsedence could it be that, the guy i bought it from said he took the transmission out to replace the flywheel and when he re-installed it, OD didnt work?

 

[89DANGERANGER]

anyone have a thread on band adjustments or selenoid replacement on a4ld? 88 b2

 

[toadboy]

Where is the "sticky valve" that causes reverse to be slow to engage? Can the valve be replace without removing tranny?

 

[FordNut89]

A4LD Shifting and slipping problems

I've got an 86 Bronco II 4x4 2.9 with the A4LD, I'm doing a bumper to bumper overhall and just did the tranny fluid and filter. The tranny was working great when cold (i never got it up to temperature. Then i took it for a testdrive (the first since i bought the vehivle). now when i put it in drive it wouldnt engage at all until I put my foot to the floor and got it up to 3000rpm then it would slip like crazy so I stopped and it was puking fluid out of the puke tube and so I figured ya I overilled it and the problem has percisted suggestions? My best guess is that the exsesive amount of fluid is causing the problem but I cant be sure.
Thanks

 

[mattc113]

89 B2, 4x4, 3.9, a4ld, previous owner said the trans has 2500 miles since rebuild.
problems are as follows:
start it up, put it in reverse, after about 3 seconds it engages
put it in OD, gas it, and i get almost a grinding sound, like a bad cv axle, but its in 2wd.
after it shifts to 2nd, its fine.
then once i get to a cruising speed (45-50mph) in 4th gear, if i give it gas to merge or pass someone, it wont downshift to 3rd.

side note, dont know if the trans problem is related, had a bad coolant leak from a hose, it overheated a bit, so i changed the hose, then noticed the water pump was leaking, so im replacing that. i know there is a trans cooler on it, would it cause this to happen?

 

[hidesertrat]

About a year ago, reverse went out. Leaving for work, shifted in to reverse, there was a loud pop. Drove through all the forward gears, all were working fine. Have been driving it like that since. Just selective about where I park!

Lately, it has begun to shift hard in all gears. This morning: Shifted from 3rd to OD (I think), loud pop and ...... had to be towed home. Tranny dead!!

Now begins the hunt for a inexpensive, yet good, metod of repair.


http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1151557#post1151557

 

[Robert_1967]

About a year ago, reverse went out. Leaving for work, shifted in to reverse, there was a loud pop. Drove through all the forward gears, all were working fine. Have been driving it like that since. Just selective about where I park!

Lately, it has begun to shift hard in all gears. This morning: Shifted from 3rd to OD (I think), loud pop and ...... had to be towed home. Tranny dead!!

Now begins the hunt for a inexpensive, yet good, metod of repair.


http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1151557#post1151557

Pull-A-Part less then 100.00 with a 30 day warranty. I have been running my tranny for almost 2 years and only cost me 80.00 at Pull-A-Part



Robert

 

[874x4]

i would like to know if i can put a c5 trans in my 87 ranger 4x4.

 

[blue83ranger]

yes, i put a c4 (close to the same thing as a C5) in my '86 4x4 extended cab, but it's not just a bolt in swap.

 

[mattc113]

89 B2, 4x4, 3.9, a4ld, previous owner said the trans has 2500 miles since rebuild.
problems are as follows:
start it up, put it in reverse, after about 3 seconds it engages
put it in OD, gas it, and i get almost a grinding sound, like a bad cv axle, but its in 2wd.
after it shifts to 2nd, its fine.
then once i get to a cruising speed (45-50mph) in 4th gear, if i give it gas to merge or pass someone, it wont downshift to 3rd.

if you put it in drive, not OD, it runs and shifts fine.

side note, dont know if the trans problem is related, had a bad coolant leak from a hose, it overheated a bit, so i changed the hose, then noticed the water pump was leaking, so im replacing that. i know there is a trans cooler on it, would it cause this to happen?

nobody has any answers?

 

[Tedybear]

nobody has any answers?

In general a coolant leak won't cause transmission problems, unless it happens in the cooler located within the radiator.

From the sounds of it? It was a 'soft' rebuild and wasn't done quite right. Sounds like valve body issues combined with pressure issues. (delayed engagement is almost always a pressure build up issue) Pressure issues can be caused by defective pump, plugged filter, incorrect fluid level, servo seal installed backwards/incorrectly...etc..

I'd start with the basics. Drop the pan and examine the fluid and filter for shavings. You'll expect to see a fair amount if it's been in use for a while, things wear naturally. Its larger bits to be really concerned with. Or the filter itself being bunged up with crud will cause a lot of the problems mentioned. Best I can think of today.

S-

 

[MrRangerSir]

I've just picked up a second Ranger for a project. 3.0 and A4LD, 217K km.. Previous owner fried the trans and parked it for a year and a half. Said the truck did not move, no interest in fixing it.

Outside of the trans looked fairly wet, but no obvious leaks. Fluid barely showed on the dipstick and smelled burnt. Color was brown. I started the truck up, poured a whole jug of Mercon down the dipstick tube and the truck was able to move. Reverse had delayed and harsh engagement, but forward gears and overdrive seemed to work fine. Drove it about 100 km, no leaks and no fluid loss. Took it on a 1000 km trip with about 1000 pounds of cargo thru the mountains, worked it hard and not a complaint from the poor A4LD.

I never did get a straight answer from the previous owner as to what happened, but the transmission definitely took some damage. In my opinion, the A4LD is not the strongest trans out there, but it does not deserve the terrible reputation it seems to have. My primary truck is a 4.0 with A4LD, 355K km and I plow snow with this thing.Trans is holding up just fine.

My new project will lose the 3.0 and A4LD in favour of a 5.8 and a 4R70W.

 

[freckles]

Newb's tranny troubles...

As intimated in my intro, my 'driver' Explorer has tranny issues. At first I thought it was the vacuum modulator, and (tried) replacing that. Bought the modulator and couldn't get the exhaust undone, so the installation didn't happen, BUT the hoses did get checked and found wanting. Getting the vacuum connections squared away helpled, but narrowed down the problem to a wonky torque converter. Major slippage, and occasional hiccupping as the TC tries to work as it should. Stopping the engine and restarting seems to 'reset' the TC, but I'm going forward with conversion to a 5 speed instead of r/r of the TC. WHY?, after all? Same work, similar possible results to what I currently have.

I have a T-K 5 speed from a 3 liter Aerostar, and that will be converted to a 4x4 version.
I'm still driving on the temporary plates, and starting to accumulate pieces. I intend to take a few days this spring to make the change. The 'Big Sky' garage is a bit breezy for an attempt in mid-winter...

Freckles