AT Transmission fluid/filter change question

[sgtsandman]

If you haven’t already, I would make sure your emergency/parking brake is in tip top shape. I’ve seen a number of vehicles where the pawl let loose and the vehicle rolled down the hill. Yours might be a victim of that.

 

[19Walt93]

You should use the parking brake even if you get park fixed. If you see the park pawl you'll understand why I say that. Automatic transmission Corvairs didn't have park, just a parking brake. If you manually move the lever on the trans into park and can rotate the driveshaft even 1/4 turn I'd tear it apart. If you have broken pieces in there it won't get better or cheaper to fix if you keep running it.

 

[NCguy]

If I have to remove the tail of trans to fix pawl then would I be better off buying a rebuilt trans? Also before I go making threads on trans swaps...is there a more reliable trans that will swap more easily than others?

 

[NCguy]

I saw a r&r thread on the park pawl. It said to remove t case and pawl is right there on end of trans. Claims it's a two hr job. Is that right?

 

[NCguy]

Nope, that's for the 4x4 shifts, has nothing to do with park.

The park pawl is fully mechanical. As said before, it is spring loaded to return to it's engaged position. When the transmission is taken out of park it is pulled away from the gear it engages and held there by mechanical force. When that force is taken away (range selector returned to P) the spring pushes the pawl back down.

It's possible the parking gear is damaged, the pawl is missing/damaged, or the spring that returns it is damaged.

I read on another site about replacing the pawl. It said remove t case and it's right there on tail of trans. It's supposed to be a 2hr job. Is that right?

 

[cbxer55]

Another thing that can cause shifter looseness is the two T30 screws under the dash near the steering column. They get loose over time and the shifter starts feeling vague, sometimes won't start in PARK, but will start in NEUTRAL. Tighten those two screws with a T#0 Torx bit and the shifter feels like new again. I took them out, put blue Loktite on then and reinstalled them like three years ago. Been fine ever since.

 

[NCguy]

Thanks but I tightened the torx screws already.

I read on another site about replacing the pawl. It said remove t case and it's right there on tail of trans. It's supposed to be a 2hr job. Is that right?

 

[adsm08]

I read on another site about replacing the pawl. It said remove t case and it's right there on tail of trans. It's supposed to be a 2hr job. Is that right?

@Transman304 is a better person to answer that than I am. I've never torn into an A4LD. The closest thing I've been in is the predecessor C4 trans, which you can't access it that way.

 

[Transman304]

Yes the transfer case will need to be removed along with the extension housing on transmission to access parking pawl. There are a couple gaskets that will need replaced. FYI I’ve never seen a parking pawl fail. I would be suspicious of the parking rod having broken the weld. Fairly straight forward repair but can turn nasty if you can’t get the centering pin out of the case that holds the manual linkage.

 

[19Walt93]

@Transman304 is a better person to answer that than I am. I've never torn into an A4LD. The closest thing I've been in is the predecessor C4 trans, which you can't access it that way.

The A4LD was a C3 derivative, the C4 gained a lock up convertor and morphed into the C5, then faded away.

 

[adsm08]

The A4LD was a C3 derivative, the C4 gained a lock up convertor and morphed into the C5, then faded away.

They all have torque converters and clutch packs, ergo all are of the same ken, JUNK.

 

[NCguy]

Yes the transfer case will need to be removed along with the extension housing on transmission to access parking pawl. There are a couple gaskets that will need replaced. FYI I’ve never seen a parking pawl fail. I would be suspicious of the parking rod having broken the weld. Fairly straight forward repair but can turn nasty if you can’t get the centering pin out of the case that holds the manual linkage.

View attachment 51332View attachment 51333

What should I look for as far as diagnosing if the rod is the culprit?
Also, would I have to remove valve body to R&R the pawl actuating rod?
Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[NCguy]

Anyone?

 

[adsm08]

As I've said before, I'm not overly familiar with the guts of the Bordeaux transmissions.

I believe the manual shaft can be removed with the valve body in place. Most other RWD Ford transmissions that I am familiar with you can.

As far as getting the rooster comb and park shaft out, probably looking at open-transmission surgery for that. @19Walt93 or @Transman304 will be able to answer that question with a bit more certainty.

 

[adsm08]

I know we have moved on a bit, but I had a transmission open today, so I figured I'd snap a few pictures of the parking mechanism.

Park

Not park

This setup isn't exactly the same as yours, but it's close enough for you to get the idea.