1986 Bronco ii Auto Transmission

[mark5bronco]

Hello--I just bought a 1986 Bronco yesterday evening. I was told the transmission doesn't work correctly. The only gear that would work is reverse. It does nothing in any forward gear. Also i tried to use the 4X4 to go forward but nothing happened. it is a push button 4x4 type. Last night i powerwashed it esp. the underneath. Looks like they did some mud riding. Before I do anything drastic like pulling the transmission--i would appreciate any thoughts on what i could do or try before dropping the transmission. BTW--i haven't even checked the transmission fluid yet. it is still on the trailer. thanks for any thoughts you send my way. mark

 

[mark5bronco]

Hello--I just bought a 1986 Bronco yesterday evening. I was told the transmission doesn't work correctly. The only gear that would work is reverse. It does nothing in any forward gear. Also i tried to use the 4X4 to go forward but nothing happened. it is a push button 4x4 type. Last night i powerwashed it esp. the underneath. Looks like they did some mud riding. Before I do anything drastic like pulling the transmission--i would appreciate any thoughts on what i could do or try before dropping the transmission. BTW--i haven't even checked the transmission fluid yet. it is still on the trailer. thanks for any thoughts you send my way. mark

I checked the transmission fluid. looks like it has been changed recently but they added like maybe 2 quarts over the recommended level. Not sure if this would prevent the forward gears to work.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Punt.

 

[adsm08]

Since all the same parts are used to go forward in 4x2 vs 4x4 it's not surprising that it still didn't work. You have an internal transmission issue is reverse works and forward gears don't.

 

[franklin2]

Hello--I just bought a 1986 Bronco yesterday evening. I was told the transmission doesn't work correctly. The only gear that would work is reverse. It does nothing in any forward gear. Also i tried to use the 4X4 to go forward but nothing happened. it is a push button 4x4 type. Last night i powerwashed it esp. the underneath. Looks like they did some mud riding. Before I do anything drastic like pulling the transmission--i would appreciate any thoughts on what i could do or try before dropping the transmission. BTW--i haven't even checked the transmission fluid yet. it is still on the trailer. thanks for any thoughts you send my way. mark

The automatics in these early rangers and BII have a reputation for very poor reliability. I think it's safe to assume the trans is toast.

 

[mark5bronco]

thanks guys. I bought the Bii with the assumption that the trans is bad. I'm pretty good with a wrench but overhauling a transmission is something I've never done. I found a ford overhaul kit for about 90 bucks. and i found a pdf online. attached. Anyone got any advise on overhauling the transmission? thanks again for you thoughts.

 

[adsm08]

The A4LD is far from a complex transmission, and the PDF you linked to looks pretty comprehensive.

I'd drop the pan and valve body and air test the forward clutch as it is probably your issue, looking at the symptom chart.

Overhaul isn't hard, but it is meticulous work. You need to be precise and you need a few special tools. If it were me I'd buy the kit and roll the dice on the overhaul. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. If it doesn't you aren't out much.

 

[mark5bronco]

thanks for your reply. I will dive into it soon. I have another transmission in a 1988 bronco ii if I don't get this one working. I assume the 88 will work in the 86?? both are automatic and both have the 2.9L.

 

[franklin2]

I will warn you from experience, get a new torque converter or have your old one flushed by a machine if you plan on re-using it. Problem with automatics, the oil pump system circulates oil throughout the trans and the valve body, which is a good thing until it gets contaminated with metal filings and other contaminates from a failure. If you do not flush out the torque converter, then all that junk in there gets in your newly rebuilt trans.

And I almost forgot, you need to flush the cooler lines and the cooler made into the radiator also, for the same reason.

 

[adsm08]

I will warn you from experience, get a new torque converter or have your old one flushed by a machine if you plan on re-using it. Problem with automatics, the oil pump system circulates oil throughout the trans and the valve body, which is a good thing until it gets contaminated with metal filings and other contaminates from a failure. If you do not flush out the torque converter, then all that junk in there gets in your newly rebuilt trans.

And I almost forgot, you need to flush the cooler lines and the cooler made into the radiator also, for the same reason.

I agree with this statement almost completely.

Flushing the converter and the cooler/lines is an important part of most major automatic transmission repairs.

The only way I might not fuss with it is if I found a burnt up clutch from a failed seal and relatively clean magnet. The converter and cooler are places sludge can get stuck though, and it should be seriously considered either way and is absolutely mandatory if there has been any major failure of an internal hard part.

Earlier this year I put a transmission in our Explorer and didn't flush the cooler lines. The transmission was working more or less perfectly, but the pump would whine for a bit on cold starts, which means it was worn. I could have just put a pump in it, but the odometer showed 200K miles, and the trans had junk yard markings, so I had no idea of it's true mileage. However the fluid was clean and clear, a little dark, but not excessively so. I just compressed air to blow the old fluid out of the cooler, and just put the new trans in.

 

[mark5bronco]

thanks guys good information to know. Can i flush the converter out myself and how would i do that?

 

[franklin2]

thanks guys good information to know. Can i flush the converter out myself and how would i do that?

I know of no way to do that at home. I think I would get a reman from the store. I saw one for $130. Probably a good idea anyway since they have clutches inside the torque converter on these trannies since they have a lockup feature on them.

 

[mark5bronco]

thanks. I will most likely get a reman torque converter. I appreciate your time and help.

 

[stegomon]

This sounds like a great candidate for a M5od and manual t-case swap. That is what I did on my rig. I have not had any transmission problem since

 

[duffy]

When I got my 89' B2 in January the PO said that he had replaced the tranny with a 93' Explorer trans and he had changed the fluid (I think he just dropped the pan, replaced the filter and then topped off the trans which is only about 3-4 quarts). It looked more like engine oil than ATF. I got 5 gallons of Dextron II and put a valve in the line between the cooler and the tranny. Started the vehicle and drained out a quart, stopped, refilled the trans and repeated. Kept doing this until I got clean fluid out (took all 5 gallons). Removed the valve assembly and took it for a test drive. Worked good except that when it's cold the 1-2 shift is a bit harsh (not horrible though). Before I did the flush the trans would "shudder" a bit when on the throttle and the shift points were soft and slow. I did all this in my home shop with just set of ramps and used an inline fuel shut off "T" valve for the drain.

It seems to work well enough now so I'll just use it and see how long it lasts. I've finally got all the "stuff" fixed except the aftermarket radio/tape deck doesn't work and I need to add the 2" leveling blocks to the back springs. It's a fun little vehicle to drive.