A4LD takes a crap

[Tedybear]

Well, as the title states. Driving around today and noticed each time I had to back up? It took just a touch longer for it to engage. Got to my base store, and tried reverse (figure close to home if it crapped). Took about 20 seconds, found reverse...and it went in reverse, all the while I could hear it starting to slip.

Thankfully all the forward gears are still functional, although I have noticed it's starting to surge a bit going into 3rd gear. Still makes it, and that gear is not slipping that I can tell. (I more or less backed it into the parking space, put 'er into reverse, let it find reverse...and it's a slight incline, so gravity helped) When it's stone cold? It works 100% normally. Get it bakin' after a long drive? And that's when the fun starts. (bakin' is an operative term, as there is a large external cooler in front of the radiator, so I know it's not overheating)

I've got our local truck salvage yard lined up for Friday afternoon to pickup another A4LD for $250. Minus the transfer case, so I'll need to swap the dummy case over to the A4LD.

Changing to manual isn't an option for me, as I have a bum knee and can only drive standard if I'm really really in more of a prone position (otherwise my knee buckles)

Asking for general tips and hints. Any ideas on changing out the transfer case/tips/etc...and changing out the A4LD in general. I've changed transmissions in the past, but any words of wisdom will be helpful. Planning on driving the ol' girl locally for the next two days, and it goes in our family garage (no lift, but heated) Saturday afternoon and Sunday for the work.


Posting here and a few other places hopefully to get the most advice I can.

Thanks!

S-

 

[AaronC47]

A4LD Change out - ugh

I just got done having all that fun myself here just a couple months ago, If you have access to a transmission jack or can rent one, It will more than pay for itself when it comes time to put transfer back up, UNLESS your going to put transmission and transfer up and in at same time,, BUT I would say for safety sake do transmission, then put transfer up and in, After you get the trans cross member, the driveline, and your plugs unhooked and shift linkage and all, use the transmission jack if youhave one or a real good floor jack to hold tail end of transmission, and REMEMBER your gonna need something to drain fluid into, it will run out thru your cooler lines and the tail of trans if you separate them,, Actually it will run out the transfer too if you dont disconnect them, either way be ready with drip pans, Anyway when fluid is draining let the tail of transmission drop down to where the bottom of the transmission is almost hitting your "Y" Pipe, and then look up over top of transmission and you will see the bolts at the block that need to come off, I used about 4 feet of extensions, and a swivel and socket, OH Before you start to drop the transmission the exhaust and Y Pipe has to come off,, YOU WONT BE ABLE TO REMOVE TRANSMISSION WITHOUT REMOVING Y PIPE,, It will be so close you will think it should go,, but it wont,, I promise you, On the Exhaust Manifolds I had to heat up the bolts to get them to come out,, I had 1/2 in drive ratchet and socket and they were still a bit of a mother to get out, A Torch if you have will make them SO MUCH easier to remove too, I am glad its someone else and not me,

 

[fordwheelinman]

what motor is in your truck?

 

[snoopdoggie]

You mention a dummy t-case. You must have a BII. What year and motor?

 

[Tedybear]

1989 Bronco II. 2.9 v6 RWD

Yep, dummy t-case.

It's all out. Just need to prep the replacement before installing it.

We did find the root cause of the fail. Last owner that "rebuilt" this one? Bent the snot out of the cooler line behind the oil filter. We're talking full blown cooler cutoff.

We have new sections of cooler line to take care of that.

With the one going in? Pulled the pan off, found a light coating of the usual crud. (normal wear and tear) Fluid that was left in it? Nice and fresh red. No signs of burning or anything odd.

S-

(didn't have to drop the exhaust)

 

[old409]

I bought my 89 Ranger fully unaware of the problems of the A4LD. It was bought as is and 3 weeks after I bought it I was walking because the A4LD took a dump. I bought a used one and it lasted about 8 months. Now I'm an old guy pushing 66 and I don't 4 wheel, run big tires or anything that would strain a transmission.

I tried rebuilding the A4LD and soon found out I didn't have a clue even though I used to rebuild TorqueFlites and some others. Cold weather set in before I could get things working correctly and then I saw an add for parts of a 1990 4wd, 5 speed that had been wrecked. I got everything for about $150 and as soon as it warms up, I'm switching over to manual.

My truck has a lot of miles on it but it's almost new in appearance. A really great truck except for the A4LD. Can you even begin to imagine how long these Rangers would last, trouble free, if not for the piece dung auto transmission Ford used in it ?

 

[Tedybear]

I bought my 89 Ranger fully unaware of the problems of the A4LD. It was bought as is and 3 weeks after I bought it I was walking because the A4LD took a dump. I bought a used one and it lasted about 8 months. Now I'm an old guy pushing 66 and I don't 4 wheel, run big tires or anything that would strain a transmission.

I tried rebuilding the A4LD and soon found out I didn't have a clue even though I used to rebuild TorqueFlites and some others. Cold weather set in before I could get things working correctly and then I saw an add for parts of a 1990 4wd, 5 speed that had been wrecked. I got everything for about $150 and as soon as it warms up, I'm switching over to manual.

My truck has a lot of miles on it but it's almost new in appearance. A really great truck except for the A4LD. Can you even begin to imagine how long these Rangers would last, trouble free, if not for the piece dung auto transmission Ford used in it ?

Couldn't agree more with you. Ford could have gone in several directions with a proper "Powertrain" for these nice little runners. From the engine (the 2.9) with the cracking head issue. (which oddly enough? The Germany ones made for their cars/trucks didn't suffer from that issue).

The A4LD just doesn't seem to be able to deal with anything to stressful. Now granted with mine? The last owner gave it a death blow when he kinked the cooler line. And of course, now it's in my hands and getting repaired correctly.

S-

 

[RobbieD]

Except for the A4LD, they'll last a long time, relatively trouble-free. My 1994 2.3L 5-speed will turn 376,000 miles tomorrow.

 

[bobbywalter]

Couldn't agree more with you. Ford could have gone in several directions with a proper "Powertrain" for these nice little runners. From the engine (the 2.9) with the cracking head issue. (which oddly enough? The Germany ones made for their cars/trucks didn't suffer from that issue).

The A4LD just doesn't seem to be able to deal with anything to stressful. Now granted with mine? The last owner gave it a death blow when he kinked the cooler line. And of course, now it's in my hands and getting repaired correctly.

S-

correctly would include all new cooler lines, boil/chemical flushed radiator cooler...new secondary cooler and carefully inspect/rebuild the junkyard unit you bought.


anything else can be pretty dissapointing.

 

[Tedybear]

True. And if I had the $$ and the time to rebuild the one from the nackers yard I'd be in the middle of it LOL. However this is my daily driver, and I'm borrowing my folks Dodge tomorrow for work. (They get the kids back from restbit tuesday, so they need the family suv by then- I have 3 younger sib's adopted all with downs syndrome).

The cooler lines will be replaced, kinda have to considering that kink was a total mess. The radiator is a few weeks old, and I'll be flushing it out--along with the cooler.

I did the inspection (basic) on the junkyard one. Looks like the seller at the yard was honest with his notes. Recent rebuild. Of course it could have been just a soft rebuild, which only lasts about a year at the outside.

So far this little beast has run into some more $$ then I had expected. But it's grown on me. I'll have the former one rebuilt over the course of time, as money allows. So when the time comes to replace the junkyard one? I'll have a fresh one in the wings.

S-