Trans fluid poured out near bell housing. Need help removing transmission

Zx2max · Oct 7, 2017

Hey everyone. I recently purchased an 1989 Ford Ranger 4x4. The engine runs great but the automatic transmission leaked all the fluid out by the bell housing so it doesn't engage and move. I bought the truck for $500 so figured it was still worth it if I can fix it. A friend told me it may be a front seal that needs to be replaced so hopefully that is all it takes to get this girl on the road.
I am no mechanic but have an ok understanding of car repairs and did pull the transmission out of my car one time to replace a clutch. So I can normally figure stuff out with a little help of a repair manual, forums and youtube. However, this is my first time working on a 4x4 vehicle. I have not been able to find good instructions on how to pull the transmission and I'm assuming the transfer case. Could someone point me towards a good step-by-step guide or provide me some pointers on where to start? Also, any insight into the root cause of the actual problem would be great too. Thanks in advance!

Zx2max · Oct 7, 2017

I did find this in the technical articles section so once I figure out the process to remove everything, I will be checking the bell housing too.

"If you have repeated front seal blowouts on A4LD's it may not be a problem with the seal or the quality of your work. Your could have a bad bell housing. The bushing used in the A4LD is finished in place. Because of this the bore that the bushing fits into doesn't need to be in the center of the bell housing, and in many cases it isn't. When you're working on an A4LD you need to check the bell housing bushing to see if it's the original factory bushing. If it is, and it's not worn (no more than .003") converter hub to bushing clearance), Don't Replace It! If the bushing needs to be replaced, you need to make sure the replacement bushing will fit in the center of the bell housing. To do this bolt the torque converter to the flex plate. Turn the engine over and check the run out of the converter hub. Now bolt the bell housing to the engine. If the Torque converter is contacting one side of the bushing excessively, the bushing is off center and the bell housing MUST be replaced. However, a slight amount of contact is acceptable. By checking the bell housing first you can avoid repeated front seal blowout."

Spott · Oct 7, 2017

Zx2max said:
Hey everyone. I recently purchased an 1989 Ford Ranger 4x4. The engine runs great but the automatic transmission leaked all the fluid out by the bell housing so it doesn't engage and move. I bought the truck for $500 so figured it was still worth it if I can fix it. A friend told me it may be a front seal that needs to be replaced so hopefully that is all it takes to get this girl on the road.
I am no mechanic but have an ok understanding of car repairs and did pull the transmission out of my car one time to replace a clutch. So I can normally figure stuff out with a little help of a repair manual, forums and youtube. However, this is my first time working on a 4x4 vehicle. I have not been able to find good instructions on how to pull the transmission and I'm assuming the transfer case. Could someone point me towards a good step-by-step guide or provide me some pointers on where to start? Also, any insight into the root cause of the actual problem would be great too. Thanks in advance!

I would strongly recommend purchasing the Ford factory service manual (probably from eBay). It has all the steps, all the diagrams, all the troubleshooting charts, all the part numbers, all the specs, and all the info to either locate or fabricate the specialty tools needed for any repair task on your vehicle.

Zx2max · Oct 8, 2017

Thanks Spott. I just ordered the FSM from ebay.

Zx2max · Oct 15, 2017

I got the Ford service manual now but honestly it's not super helpful for this job. However, I am making progress. Question on removing the front driveshaft. What's the trick to removing the bolts on the front driveshaft where it connects to the front axle input? The whole shaft spins when i try to loosen the bolts.

Spott · Oct 15, 2017

Zx2max said:
I got the Ford service manual now but honestly it's not super helpful for this job. However, I am making progress. Question on removing the front driveshaft. What's the trick to removing the bolts on the front driveshaft where it connects to the front axle input? The whole shaft spins when i try to loosen the bolts.

When I did it, I just engaged the 4WD hubs, with the front tires on the ground. That provided plenty of force to oppose my wrenching.

Trans fluid poured out near bell housing. Need help removing transmission

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