1990 Ford ranger 2.9 shifting issues

[Terbo]

Hey everyone,
I just joined this group so sorry if this is the wrong area for this post.

I have been working on a 1990 Ranger 2.9L V6 for the past 6 months at my local tech school. I just got the motor back in a few weeks back and today i finally got it started and running well enough to drive and when i took it for a rip it wouldn't shift out of 1st, i could place it in second but it wouldn't shift out of first on its own.

I did not rebuild it either, i took it apart all the way, top and bottom end, to the block and basically put new lifters and new gaskets on everything. I didnt have the money to rebuild it right, or replace components like pistons, crank bearings, and the like. I did get new valve seals and the lifters because the old ones fell out when i took the heads off.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice or thoughts on the whole deal and specifically the shifting problem.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

The A4LD is vacuum shifted.

There should be a vacuum line that runs from the trans up to the vacuum tree...i would start with that.