Failed Improvements, Now I'm Stuck!

I could use some advice. I'm no mechanic, but I will try to be detailed.

I bought a 1989 Ford Ranger XLT, with a 2.9L V6 engine and A4LD automatic transmission four months ago from the second owner. The guy told me the AC needed a charge and the cruise control would only work every so often. The truck idled rough and chugged once it decelerated and got under 1000rpm, but I did not think it was out of the ordinary for a 26 year old truck. I changed the oil and transmission fluid and filters within the first week. After reading the issues with the A4LD, I wanted to be proactive in dealing with some of the problems, and correcting some issues. I replaced the exhaust intermediate pipe, muffler, and tail pipe, which had broken off part way and were pretty much rusted through.

My grandfather and I replaced some of the vacuum connections from the fuel injectors that were loose. We charged the AC, but could not get it to work, which we narrowed down to one of the electrical wires. The Ranger ran significantly better for two days. Less chugging, smoother shifting, and less rough idles.

Then, a couple days later, I backed out of my driveway, put it in drive and drove to the stop sign at the end of the block, and once I stopped and went to accelerate, it just revved up like it was in neutral. I ran the shifter, which is on the column, through the gears and it clicked back into drive and I had no more issues. The next night it did the same thing. Reversed, drove down the block and once I stopped and started it revved like in neutral. Shifted through the gears and it clicked back in and drove as normal. The day after that, pulled out of the parking lot at work, and it happened at several stop signs, so I got it home as fast and with as many prayers as possible.

I read about the vacuum modulator causing similar symptoms, and with us changing some of the vacuum connections I thought there maybe something there. After I had to cut off and purchase a new catalytic converter (completely terrible), I changed the vacuum modulator and put the catalytic converter on. The Ranger shifted soundly through all of the gears on the column, but would not make the transition out of first gear when in drive. It would just keep increasing the rpm and not transition through the gears. I could manually shift between the first and second gear on the column and could feel a difference between drive and overdrive, but neither would progress out of first.

I had purchased all of the items necessary to follow the valve control body rebuild diary, and decided to go ahead and do that rebuild. I followed all the instructions and found the 1-2 transition bore had the tendency to compress and stay stuck open. I cleaned it and made sure once put back together that it was smooth, and was hoping that could be where my problem was being caused.

When I got everything back together, my Ranger now will not shift into any gears at all. It will only go from park to revving up like it is in neutral. There was a slight glimmer of drive after several passes through the gears on the column, but nothing to move me up to any kind of speed or even back me out of the driveway.

I feel completely defeated. I do not want to open the pan again and waste all of the fluid after being so carefu and all of the time it took for the rebuild.

I have no ideas except for maybe the linkage cable? I guess there still could be a vacuum issue somewhere.

Anyway, I love the truck and feel like it is a very solid vehicle with lots of life left. I just can't get it figured out and my Improvements seem to be making things worse.

Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated.

Is this your first automatic transmission removal and re-installation?

Reason I ask is that it is a common mistake to not seat torque converter into front pump before installing transmission.
Torque converter drives the front pump(main pump) from slots and splines, when you put torque converter onto the input shaft and slide it in, you must turn it while pushing in, you will feel and hear 2 or 3 clicks and torque converter will slide in a bit more each time, that is it locking into the drive for front pump.
If you don't do this, then when you install the transmission and bolt it to the engine you will push the torque converter back into front pump drive and snap it off, so no pump.
With no pump there is no pressure so no movement of vehicle in any gear.

With engine off check trans fluid level should be high.
Start engine and check it again, it should drop if front pump is pumping fluid.

Thanks for the reply. I only removed and rebuilt the valve control body in the transmission. I don't think I'm brave enough to remove the whole thing, especially with my current record.

Then you didn't get it sealed right.

Automatics are all about the pressure, the pressure is created by the front pump and then held or released by solenoids to engage the different gears.

In the fluid level dropping with engine running?

I will have to check it out when I get home from work. I talked myself out of putting new solenoids in it when I had it taken apart, but now I'm wishing I had replaced them with new ones while I had it all apart and could rule them out.

Here is the update:

I checked the pressure and then started it up and there was a significant difference in the level, but I realized it was a little low on fluid. I added some fluid to bring it up to a better level and it started to engage in all of the gears as I shifted through on the column.

After running it through the gears several times, I wanted to do a short road test, and now it is back to the place it was before, where it will not automatically shift out of first gear into second. I can manually shift it into second gear on the column and it will go into second gear. It just will not get out of first gear into second while in drive or over drive though.

I feel like there was some noise during deceleration, but I was unable to locate it by myself. I think I will enlist my Dad or Grandpa to see if we can locate the noise and check my vacuum levels, as I am leaning towards the issue being a vacuum issue. The vacuum is really the only thing we have messed with and it was after we sealed of some of the vacuum lines that the problems started to occur.

I have also read that a sticking governor can cause the A4LD not to shift from first to second. I know the Rebuild kits I purchased came with a spring to add to the governor. Maybe that is something else I can try.

It does sound like a sticky governer could be at fault. Hard to say for sure without the trans in front of me though.

I am going to try to get at the governor this weekend and hopefully that will be the issue. In the interest of retaining as much of the new transmission fluid and new gasket I just put on last weekend, I would like to not drop the pan.

Does the extension housing contain a large amount of fluid?