Dumping fliud under bellhousing

[8cylRWD]

Using my 94 ranger 4 x4 4.0 A4LD with trailer towing pkg (incl external trans cooler) I pulled a 3000 lb trailer around town for about a half hour, outside temp 85 deg. Truck did not like the heat, belched ATF out the bellhousing, even left left oil spots on the trlr. Offhand I don't remember the axle ratios, but somewhere around 3.31 or so. Pretty tall gears with 29" factory tire size. Added a quart this morning to bring it back up. Drove it today not pulling the trlr, no issues.

Is there a way to set up an A4LD to lock-up when it hits third, and stay in lock-up through 4th, and also until you slow down to the point where the 3 - 2 downshift occurs, like an A4OD does? This truck is on the convertor at 2000 - 2600 all the way to 47 mph around town when pulling the trlr. Lock-up speed is the same whether you're in 3rd or 4th. This would help on gas milage also if it could be done. Most of my driving hours are urban/suburban. thanks

 

[exbass94]

You should never tow in overdrive. Leave it in D, or this is just gonna happen again. And flush all that fluid out, it is now burnt up.

 

[8cylRWD]

Didn't even get to 4th - wasn't born yesterday. Transfluid is still bright red.

Any ideas on the converter lock up question?

 

[projectnitemare]

To me it sounds like the trans was getting pretty hot and venting Definately from the bellhousing/pump seal and not the vent tube? If it were pushing fluid out past the pump seal that is never a good thing. Being it's still not dumping fluid you are lucky it didn't push the seal out. You are correct the with the TCC lockup that is your major heat issue but as far as adjusting lockup nothing to be done there. A shift kit may help you but the easy thing would be leave it in drive like you are doing and add a much bigger trans cooler that what you have. For who needs to know towing in overdrive can be bad for 2 reasons: OD doesn't have many clutches so not as much holding power as other gears and good chance you'll never get into converter lockup meaning more heat.

Matt

 

[8cylRWD]

Trans has already been beefed up. Shifts solid! Turns out P.O. had same issue at about 60,000 mi.

Pretty certain it was dumping out the vent, not the seal as it is ok today.

A big bright light went on in my little pea brain a little while ago as I was tooling around in it. when the trans apparently overheated on Saturday the engine was not hot enough to engage the fan clutch, so there was very little air movement through the aux trans cooler.

Merely installing a larger aux trans cooler may not cure the issue at hand, as there still in minmal air flow in stop and go, slow and moderate speed driving.

I think I will install a trans cooler with integral electric fan. Also put a trans temp gauge in the pan. Install thermostatically controlled switch for 180 or so deg F in the pan, also a manual override switch.

My big Ford tandem with an Allison doesn't have a gauge, but it has a light that comes on at 325 deg F, maybe I'll do that with the Ranger to remind myself to shut it down before total cook-out happens in addition to the above changes.

 

[AllanD]

On the A4LD there is a vent line that runs off the top of the trans up to near the top bellhousing bolts.

This vent line seems to be a favorite home for Mud-dauber wasps....

Make sure that the top end of the vent line doesn't have a glob of insect applied mud in it.

My brother pulled the trans all the way out of my Aerostar after it puked fluid past the torque converter seal on the first truely hot day of spring.... and it turned out to be a glob of mud where mud could never get to by itself