A4LD Alternative? No Manual Swap This Time

[wildbill23c]

Is there a better alternative to the A4LD that'll swap into an 80's Ranger or Bronco 2? Keeping with an automatic for this possible, upcoming work. I thought a C3 or C5 would work, but if I recall in a previous mention that some modifications would have to be done to the shifter assembly as the A4LD has a 4 speed shifter and C3 and C5 only had 3 speeds...I'd assume one could swap the C5 in along with its shifter assembly and be ok...but doesn't the A4LD rely on the ECM for torque converter lockup?

I won't mind losing overdrive, it won't be a highway commuter, just short distance highway up to the hills. Would be going into an 89 Bronco 2, or an 88 Ranger depending on which deal works out. Both need transmissions, but run great otherwise...The Bronco 2 will move on its own but doesn't have overdrive, acts like its in neutral when it goes to shift into overdrive...the Ranger only moves barely forward or reverse.

 

[Shran]

The C3 was a four cylinder transmission... not useful for your V6.

C5 will work, if you can find one. I like the one I put in my 2 door Explorer but highway speeds REALLY put a hurt on the gas mileage. I can tell that it's a pretty significant loss in power as well vs a manual - a light 2 door Explorer with no interior, 235/75/15s and 3.73 gears should be snappy but it's kind of a turd in real life. It's also tapped out at about 65mph.

I used an aftermarket shifter. The C5 shifter will be fine if you had an earlier truck....but it won't fully cover the hole in the floor in a newer truck. The floor plates are different sizes. Will also need different length driveshafts.

A couple companies made GM 700R4 adapters that could work behind a 2.9 or 4.0. You could run one of the newer Ford autos...5R44e, etc. Lack of aftermarket automatics for our trucks is a real bummer.

 

[ford4wd08]

Unless you go manual swap, I think the best is to have an A4LD rebuilt and add the trans go kit to the valve body. Preferably a 4.0 A4LD for it's improvements.

An 89 or 90 ranger will have the 3 wire that has the solenoid for TCC lock and OD shift.

It's not the perfect trans or the strongest, but will do ok if set up right and kept cool.

 

[RonD]

The A4LD would be the one to use, C5 won't last any longer if that's what you are thinking, they are both just as complex, like all automatics
Automatics have several interrelated systems, if one fails then its a cascade effect for the other systems, it can be minor or major but result can be barely driveable or not driveable vehicle

Manuals do not have as many interrelated systems, so simpler, much much less to go wrong

Both C5 and A4LD were OK transmissions, Ford used the A4LD for 26 years, 1986 to 2012, and they wouldn't do that with a bad design, trans or engine
C4/C5 was used for 22 years, 1964 to 1986, so also a good design

The problem with the A4LD was that transmission shops had NEVER seen OD transmissions before, lol
So IF there were issues after a rebuild the shop would blame the transmission design not their own lack of knowledge, as many places do on most everything, lol

General speaking ANY automatic trans thats rebuild with "soft parts" only(bands and clutches) will only last 12 to 18 months, so after warranty usually

Proper rebuild should get 150k to 200k miles, same as new or better

So a C5 will still have the same inherent issues of ALL automatics, just no OD

If you are looking for a reliable automatic, join the group, consisting of every car maker on the planet, and every driver that wants an automatic

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You can easily build a C5 to be a C4.

They put C4's and C5's behind V8's and they did fine. I ran a C5 behind my 302 for 7 years and it did great.

Poke a "misunderstood" A4LD (like a straight up A4LD that would work in a first gen not the reinvented later ones) behind a 302 and see what happens...

Hands down if I could find one I would go C5 all day every day over an A4LD if it was just an around town truck where highway mileage wasn't of great concern. I ran one for years and loved it, best shifting automatic I have driven to date. No idea the build but it was the perfect balance of firmness without being overly firm.

I used a B&M Unimatic shifter for my C5 with a lightly modified A4LD bezel.

Problem is they only put C5's in 83-84 RBV's and guys love them for V8 swaps... so good luck turning one up when you actually need one.

I actually turned in a good A4LD for my M5OD core at the jy

 

[RobbieD]

For what it's worth, the C3 did come in 2WD 2.8L Rangers in 1983-84. In theory it should bolt up to a 2.9L. It'll be TRANS code "V" on the door sticker, and its floor shifter should be a bolt-in in any other first gen Ranger. I've got the C3 in my '84, and it's been a good, trouble-free transmission in the 17 years that I've owned the truck. The C5 had a "W" code, and I think, but not sure, that the C5 was for the 4WD trucks.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

C6 or bust

 

[gaz]

Wild Bill,

Essentially the same are the...strait from our tech folder, the Ford 4R44E / 4R55E are the successors of the AL4D.

 

[wildbill23c]

Wild Bill,

Essentially the same are the...strait from our tech folder, the Ford 4R44E / 4R55E are the successors of the AL4D.

Cool but you ain't gonna run an electronic transmission in a 30+ year old vehicle without all sorts of code issues though right?

 

[wildbill23c]

Guess it don't really matter at this point, both vehicles turned out to have far more issues than just a simple transmission replacement or rebuild. Going to keep on looking though....

Thanks everyone for the thoughts. May just keep watching until I find something with a manual transmission again. Love my 87 Ranger with the 5 speed, just wish the previous owner wouldn't have hacked into stuff to try and retrofit some no-name cruise control crap into it, which doesn't work in the first place LOL. Only downside with my Ranger is its a 2WD, so its not great for winter excursions to the mountains.