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Found! A4LD w/ 3.0 bolt pattern


Spleen

Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2022
Messages
24
City
Elyria,OH
Vehicle Year
1994
Transmission
Automatic
Looking to buy an A4LD auto transmission from a 3.0 2wd truck (91-94). Primarily looking for a complete core as we all know there’s likely no such thing as a functioning A4LD just laying around especially in the year 2023. If you have a rebuilt one with solid proof of a rebuild and functionality I’m interested, also if you by some chance have one that’s known working likely functioning better than what I have im interested in that too. Realistically though I’m looking for a complete core for a rebuild as that’s likely what’s available if anything at all. Not interested in one from a 2.3, 2.9, or 4.0 truck as that does me no good, not interested in one from a 4x4 as I’d have to track down more parts to make it work for what I need it for. Willing to travel within a couple hundred miles of the Cleveland Ohio area. Willing to ship if it can be done so for a reasonable cost but understandably it’s not practical for most. Let me know what you have.
 
Also try https://www.car-part.com/

1992 (will show 1991-1994 in search)
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select AT 3.0l with cable speedo

It should say if its 2WD or 4x4, but always call to make sure
 
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I actually had a lead on one about 2 hours away from me through car-part, however they called me back to let me know they couldn’t find it (fair enough, appreciate them letting me know before I made the drive). I have an arrangement to pick one up tomorrow my wife found on marketplace so hopefully that pans out as that one is allegedly working!
 
The bell housings interchange.
 
The bell housings interchange.

They do tearing the whole trans down and essentially using the case from another trans, not something I’m interested in doing right now. But you are right they technically do, I like the idea of using the 4.0 internals in a 3.0 case but also more than I’m looking to get into right now.
 
I'll have to look and see if that's what I have laying here. It's either A4LD or 4r44e? Came from a 97 3.0l. Needs rebuild. Something was worn out. I'll have to look way back in my notes. @racsan knows the details. I got it for free from him. But I traveled to Ohio for it and the engine. You can have it for free if you reimburse me for travel to meet you somewhere between Cleveland and Greenville, SC.

I'll look this afternoon and verify what model it is.

I plan on being in the Land Between the Lakes area in Kentucky in the next few weeks. It was going to be a motorcycle trip to save gas. But I can drive a truck and bring a transmission.
 
4r44e I believe. no 1st gear. worked ok other than that. Think it was at 180K miles & change. I would start off in 2nd with it and shift to drive above 30 mph. Would go up through the gears fine, o/d worked. once you came to a stop youd have to use 2 to get going again.
 
Being it came out of a 97 it would indeed be a 4r44e as 94 was the last year for the A4LD, being that electronics aren’t compatible between the 2 it wouldn’t do me any good but I do appreciate the thought.
 
4r44e I believe. no 1st gear. worked ok other than that. Think it was at 180K miles & change. I would start off in 2nd with it and shift to drive above 30 mph. Would go up through the gears fine, o/d worked. once you came to a stop youd have to use 2 to get going again.
Thanks for chiming in.

Anyway, same deal for anyone that wants a 4r44e. But not for long. I'm tired of it taking up space. Don't know where to take it beside the scrap metal recyclers place. If I do that, I'm going to tear it apart first to educate myself on the insides of an auto transmission. Might keep some gears for an art project. Then, to the trash, she goes. BTW, it's a RWD model.
 
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They do tearing the whole trans down and essentially using the case from another trans, not something I’m interested in doing right now. But you are right they technically do, I like the idea of using the 4.0 internals in a 3.0 case but also more than I’m looking to get into right now.




not sure what you mean here....but i am assuming you need a cable driven speedometer style...which for sure adds complication to getting a decent unit.


a4ld.... i have put 2.3 bellhousing on 3.0 and 2.9 a4ld 4x4 transmissions for 2.3 4x4... just the bell. because ford did not offer the auto with the 2.3 4x4...


of course finding even the 3.0 and cologne models these days is not so easy. i do have a 4r44e in my pile....i do the same thing for the mazda L.




so true a4ld units i have swapped bells with success which broadens the likelihood of getting something to work.







if i remember right the 4r44 is even swapable.....the 5 r had the front geartrain changes. though i would have to look at that....i have been through some options on the mazda L for ecoboost potential
 
Just for future readers, the A4LD, 4R and 5R 2WD transmissions all have the speedometer DRIVE gear machined onto the output shaft
You just need 2WD tail shaft housing with the hole, to insert DRIVEN gear, which they had thru 1997

M5R1 2WD manual transmission output shafts have the machined journal and "cup" to install a speedometer DRIVE gear in all years, 1988 thru 2011, just need the tailshaft housing with the hole for DRIVEN gear(pre-1998), and of course the DRIVE gear and ball bearing for the "cup"

If 4WD then transfer case has the speedometer DRIVE gear and hole for DRIVEN gear thru 1997, BW1350 or BW1354
So older transfer case(pre-1998) can be used on newer 4WD transmissions(manual or automatic) to have a speedometer cable hookup
 
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not sure what you mean here....but i am assuming you need a cable driven speedometer style...which for sure adds complication to getting a decent unit.


a4ld.... i have put 2.3 bellhousing on 3.0 and 2.9 a4ld 4x4 transmissions for 2.3 4x4... just the bell. because ford did not offer the auto with the 2.3 4x4...


of course finding even the 3.0 and cologne models these days is not so easy. i do have a 4r44e in my pile....i do the same thing for the mazda L.




so true a4ld units i have swapped bells with success which broadens the likelihood of getting something to work.







if i remember right the 4r44 is even swapable.....the 5 r had the front geartrain changes. though i would have to look at that....i have been through some options on the mazda L for ecoboost potential

I meant as in changing the bell housing is more work than I’m looking to get into as if I’m going to tear it down I’d just start with the rebuild of the trucks original transmission. I could be completely wrong but it was my understanding to change the bell housing on an A4LD pretty much requires full tear down, I was looking for something to either rebuild to put in the truck as my current transmission is “working-ish” or one that’s working I could simply swap in while I rebuild the original for a back up which (shockingly to me) I actually found and purchased which also came from a 94 3 liter 2wd truck just like mine.

As far as the cable driven speedometer set up goes I did see that 91-93 were listed as cable driven speedometer on carpart.com while 94 had no notation, however in my digging found that it seems some 94’s had cable driven and some have an electronic speed sensor, wether that’s true or not I don’t know and if it is I don’t know if it depended on build date or the plant that it was built in or what the story was. My truck had been in Winter storage since early November up until yesterday when I got it out and brought it home so I haven’t dug into it in a while but I’m also almost positive mine is cable driven. I have seen some 94’s with a 5 digit odometer and some with a 6 digit, mine is a 5 digit, while I’ve never found a definitive answer I SUSPECT that the cable driven speedo clusters had the 5 digit odometer and the ones on the electronic speed sensor trucks had the 6 digit as 94 is the only year I’ve seen that style cluster with a 6 digit odometer before the 95 redesign, all 93 and prior trucks I’ve seen had the 5 digit, again could be entirely wrong there too but just a theory.

The reason I was a bit broad in my search is I had read that it was not difficult to use a cable driven speedometer in an A4LD trans that came with an electronic speed sensor and vice versa as RonD mentioned above.

In my case my transmission has never been what I would call healthy. Just for the sake of back story, when I bought the truck 2 years ago at 95k miles from my hands on with C3’s and C4’s with my dad growing up I could tell the vacuum modulator was bad as it would hang for a second in 1st then bang into 2nd, bang into reverse, and at highway speeds sometimes fail to shift into overdrive unless I dropped it to “D” then manually commanded overdrive. Replacing the modulator corrected these issues except the bang into reverse which it still made much less aggressive and only when the transmission isn’t warmed up, problem it did create is after replacing it it flaired on the 1-2 shift (revs up about 500ish rpm then catches 2nd gear). Not a big deal and I just dealt with it the last 2 years however I did try different things to correct it. Fluid was nasty so I had it flushed (I know you SHOULDNT do this but the fluid was stage 8 severe bad looking) and refilled with Mercon V, no change. Adjusted the bands, no change. Dropped the pan and changed the filter and retorqued the valve body bolts and topped off with more fresh Mercon V and a bottle of Lucas transmission sauce (have seen it work miracles in the past) but no improvement. Final straw was last year I tried adjusting the kickdown cable, at that point the only difference that made is now when the transmission is cold and you give it over 50%ish throttle it’ll fall out of gear and if it kicks down to too low of a gear and revs too high it falls out of gear or when warm if you give it more than 75%ish throttle it falls out of gear. At that point the way I see it is if it’s falling out of gear and free reving something is going on internal and it’ll need a rebuild. I have a new adjustable vacuum modulator sitting on the shelf and had considered the Transgo correction kit, but I feel since it’s falling out of gear under heavy throttle trying anything further to correct it is a moot point and waste of time on this particular transmission. Like I said, it’s still “working-ish”not giving it too much throttle, made the 150 mile drive home without a hiccup after sitting garaged for over 4 months without being started or anything, it has borrowed time at least so I might try to keep it alive through this season and put my Talon in storage at my property next off season and keep the truck here to work on it instead of tearing right into it.

Only reason for the long drug out response is as RonD mentioned to maybe help someone that comes across this information in the future. Yes I marked the thread “found” over a week ago but love the input that I’m seeing as this is the same kind of info on forums I read on to help me along my way with my truck and other projects I have so if someone ever comes across this thread while searching for information perhaps it can be to some help to them, I really do appreciate all the helpful input from you guys!
 

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