Official A4LD Problem Thread!

[dbuser2]

I guess this is how you post a transmission issue under the transmission part of this forum. You just reply to the original post. I saw no post button to start a new conversation here. So here goes.

A4LD Detent Plate and Pawl

I have a 1987 Ranger, 2.9 that has an issue with the shifter being hard to shift into and out of Park. I could feel the restriction with the handle and feel it hanging up inside the truck. It would hang slightly at first and over time got a little more difficult and then just would get stuck. At times it was intermittently working. I removed the shift housing screws and lifted out of the way to look at the Detent plate and pawl movement. When pressing the button and sliding the shifter to the left I could see the pawl would not drop all the way down out of the Drive notch on the detent plate. I just barely pushed with my finger to clear and moved out of position ok. After playing with this thing for several minutes I came to the conclusion that over time the Push button assembly had worn over time going over the Actuator shift rod and worn the button assembly to the point it would not drop the pawl low enough to clear the detent notch. It only needs about 1/16th of an inch if that much to clear. There was a couple of times it would clear but just barely and you could feel some resistance. I don’t know if any one has ever experienced this or not, but wondered if the solution would be to file the drive detent notch just enough to clear?

 

[Danny74]

..... Drove it 2miles in reverse to get it home. So, wnet through FrankinTranny thread and proceeded, ....

Where is this FrankinTranny thread?

 

[Trenstar]

Hi all, had issues including catastrophic fluid loss, which seemed to be blown torque converter seal. Had new TC seal installed and within a week it blew out again and lost all fluid. Found a rebuilt A4LD on marketplace that also came with a Transtar torque converter. I've never done a transmission swap so my plan is to remove the existing one myself, and have someone who knows what they are doing install this rebuilt one for me. Interested in any detail that might be available on trans removal. Truck is 1994, Auto.

Thanks for any intel on removal process, I don't have hoist, hoping to be able to pull it off in driveway on axle stands.

 

[mckiller1195]

I recently bought a 1985 ranger with the 2.8 liter V6 in it along with the A4LD trans to go with its got around 57,500 miles on it but It sat a lot and has some hacked out wiring that's I haven't been able to trace completely engine wise it runs fine I did a tune up and have no issues with it. When it comes to shifting it hangs in 1st until I let off the gas and if I gas in in 2nd between 25-30 the whole truck shakes violently and it tries to drop into 1st. It also does something similar uphill where it sticks in first and won't shift up making it impossible to go above 25, if it shifts into second it does the same shaking until I let off even in second if I try to keep it in gas uphill past 30 it does the shaking until I let off on flat ground second third and fourth go fine with some back and fourth between second and third of the truck is warm I've done fluid, filter, and gasket but to no avail I'm thinking that it's a torque converter but after reading some of the things other people have said I decided to post this and see if anyone has had similar issues and fixed them

 

[Brain75]

2007 Ranger XLT 5R55E here, no problems, no issues, not the first owner either.

I am posting cause somewhere back in this thread someone asked where is this infamous "frankentranny" thread and it seems it's not getting out there, it is referenced by explorer forums, bronco forums, other ranger (ford-trucks) forums and so on and so on - fairly "famous" thread on the whole A4LD family (A4LD, 4R44E, 4R55E, 5R55E) details how to rebuild an A4LD up to the 5R55E "strength" (not really strength but reliability - still rated at 550.) And it mentions some of the most important TSB's ford has issued on the 4R44E.

How to: - Project Frankentranny "AKA" A4LD / 4R55E / 5R55E Hybrid Project - A MUST READ!

[ By Glacier991: As a moderator I have taken the liberty to post a prologue here. What this thread represents is the very best in amateur automotive engineering. What Brain (Brian in real life) has done here is to diassemble 10 years of FORD upgrades to the venerable A4LD...and explain them...

www.explorerforum.com

I'd kinda like if Jim might sticky the link above in the first post so people can find it easier.

 

[901wd#2]

1989 with a jasper tag. All the mess stayed in the OD drum, band is pretty smoked. Sun shell dogs are chewed up. Clutch apply piston is hosed.

order parts monday.

 

[TRIFIVE]

What year A4LD transmission will swap into a 1990 Ford Ranger?

 

[Eugene998]

1987 A4LD: ATF compatibility confusion

Thread '1987 A4LD - Really confused with what ATF to use.'

Jul 10, 2025

Hey guys could use some of your wisdom and knowledge (Novice here).

To preface things, I bought an 87 with the A4LD about 2 months ago with 87k miles as my first project (Not road-worthy yet according to my province’s safety standards). I’ve changed all the fluids except for the transmission oil and have already done quite a few small and moderate repairs. So far it’s running really good. In the midst of all this I want to drain and refill the transmission oil but all the multi-vehicle ATFs and backwards compatibility business is getting really confusing.

What are you guys...

• Eugene998
• a4ld transmission fluid
• Replies: 10
• Forum: Transmissions

Hi guys, I created a post regarding a novice related issue I’m having. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[901wd#2]

It’s only been two months of Mondays.

Now for the reassembly.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

I've talked about my transmission problems in my thread, " I'm sure I got a short ".

It all started a while back. I was driving my truck with the transmission fluid being low and I did not realize it.
As a result the transmission fluid got hot and expanded and blew out the front seal that the torque converter passes going into the transmission.

So I took forever to take out the transmission then change the front seal and reassemble.
While I had the transmission out I went ahead and change the rear seal where the driveshaft goes into the transmission as well.

I filled up the transmission fluid let the truck run for about 25 minutes tell the temperature gauge read where it normally reads when I drive it around a lot checked the fluid again and thought it was full.

As a result of me removing the transmission or when I was reinstalling it I don't know which I ended up breaking the shifter cable and had to order a new one.

So two days later when the transmission shifter cable came in and I installed it.
I started driving the truck around and it didn't take long before I felt the transmission slipping.

I rechecked the transmission fluid and found that it was about 3/4 of a quart low or so so I added another 3/4 of a quart or thereabouts.

After driving around some more and the transmission was slipping and hesitating very much when going into reverse I decided to stop driving the truck.

A little while later as I was reading threads here at TheRangerStation I come across the thread were somebody was looking for the part number for the vacuum modulator for the A4LD transmission in their truck.

At that time it got me thinking about hearing something in the past about the vacuum modulator having something to do with your transmission shifting.

So after contemplating this for a while I decided to climb under my truck and see if I could access the vacuum modulator without having to take a lot of stuff apart in doing this I pulled the vacuum line off of my vacuum modulator and when I did a bunch of transmission fluid came out of the vacuum line and the vacuum modulator.

At this point I've decided that before I do anything else with my truck's transmission that I need to buy a new vacuum modulator and see if that fixes the slipping problem. I'm hoping it does.

I had a hard time sleeping last night so I decided after 3 hours of lying here not being able to fall asleep to look for the thread I mentioned earlier in my post here.

However I don't remember enough of the details from that post or that thread I guess I should say and I could not find it.

So I say all that leading up me to asking this:
I have a 1994 4.0L two-wheel drive long bed Ford Ranger with the A4LD automatic transmission.
( I do believe. )
I'm not a thousand percent positive I don't know how to tell which one form another I'm just a novice as I tell people a lot.

Can anyone tell me how to figure out exactly what transmission I have in my truck?
And if it is the A4LD can anybody tell me the serial number or part number for the vacuum modulator?

As always any and all help is very much appreciated thank you everyone.



This is a add on to this post and an update.
As Jim has asked us to do.

One of my brothers bought a vacuum modulator for my truck and gave it to me on Wednesday.
Yesterday I had some free time so I took my catalytic converters out of my truck and changed the vacuum modulator.
I knew as I took the vacuum modulator out I was going to lose some transmission fluid so I had a catch basin handy and waiting.

At that point I had to stop working on it because I got a call and had to go do something else so I put the catalytic converters in the truck cab, cleaned up my tools and went and did what I needed to do.

Once I was done doing what I had to do because of the phone call I got back to my truck and I put the catalytic converters back on it.

Once I had the truck reassembled I took the transmission fluid that went into the catch basin since the basin was clean and I had cleaned the transmission off where I knew the flood would be flowing out I went ahead and put the fluid right back into the transmission through the dipstick tube.

I started my truck put it in reverse to get it out of the parking spot I had it in and it hesitated going into reverse however once reversed engaged it didn't slip or nothing in reverse.

I put it into overdrive because the previous owner always drove the truck in overdrive so I've continued driving it that way myself because that's what the truck is used to in my opinion.

I honestly don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Once the truck was in overdrive it also hesitated going into first gear.
Once first gear engaged the truck drove decently.
However it's getting to very very high RPMs and I have to let off the gas before it'll shift gears.

At this point I think I need to adjust the adjustment screw on the vacuum modulator to work out that problem.

My family doesn't really know very much at all about automatic transmissions repair.
However we all believe that the vacuum modulator only deals with shift it doesn't deal with the truck actually hesitating going into reverse or first gear.

I don't feel any slipping or anything when I'm driving the truck.

So at this point I'm wondering if I need to adjust the bands and that might fix the hesitating of going into first or reverse.

Then afterwards adjust the vacuum modulator adjustment screw.

I don't exactly know what the bands do because as I already previously stated me and my family do not know much at all about automatic transmission repair.

Before I do anything else however I'm going to read more of the conversation that was had with me in this thread and rewatch The band adjustment video that was provided to me.

I also need to say thank you to a couple of members that helped me work through this problem up to this point.
I will add those thank yous once I reread the thread and the conversation we had.

I'm pressed for time right now and trying to get this wrote so I can go do something else before I can come back and reread the thread.

As always any and all help is very much appreciated thank you everyone.


This is the next update to this post.

1st Thank You to @SenorNoob for the part numbers for the vacuum modulators.

2nd Thank You to @ford4wd08 for the video on adjusting the bands on automatic transmission.

I've really not had time to get onto TheRangerStation the way I would like.
I've been helping a lot of other people with things they need help with.
I've not been getting paid for helping them but it sure does feel good while I'm doing whatever it is they need help with.
And then it feels even better afterwards.

But I've been neglecting the things I need to do for myself.
Like looking for a real job.

Okay now to my trucks transmission.

At this point I've adjusted the bands as I was shown in that video.

The truck is still hesitating going into first gear and or reverse.
The shifting from first gear to second gear I'm still having to go up to a high amount of RPMs and then let off the gas for it to go from first gear into second and I have to find the right sweet spot for it to shift.

I've googled the problem of the hesitation going in the first and reverse and Google tells me that one of the causes is that it's low on transmission fluid.
I'm still having trouble reading the dipstick for the transmission. I've always had trouble reading the dipstick for the transmission on this truck.

I can say when the truck is cold and I pull the dipstick out of the transmission just to see if there's any fluid on it, it has a lot of fluid on it way up the dipstick.

I'm wondering at this point if I was to add a quart of transmission fluid and taking a chance of overfilling it to see if it'll help the hesitation going into first gear and reverse.
If it would tear anything up?

As for the having to go to high RPMs and then let off the gas to get it to go from first to second I think I need to adjust the vacuum modulator to correct that problem.

However I'm more worried about the hesitation going into first and reverse than I am anything.

I believe that driving the truck when it hesitates to go into first or reverse even if I'm just test driving it, I'm taking a chance of tearing something up.
And I don't have the money or the means to buy a new transmission or another transmission or whatever it takes if I break something.

Okay that's all I got for now.
Please if anybody has some more input they would like to give me please let me know.
I thank everyone for putting up with me and my problems and giving me all the help that I do get.
I really do appreciate you all.

 

[SenorNoob]

AFAIK, that's the only automatic transmission in 94 Rangers. Some variants depending on engine... But all A4LD.

RockAuto has a few listings for your truck. All look the same except the Rostra had a thumb wheel in place of the socket head set screw the others use:

ATP FX226
BWD/NIEHOFF VM332
PIONEER 747008
ROSTRA 5103012200M
STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS TM54

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

@SenorNoob I truly appreciate your reply to my post and my questions.

However some parts of your reply were over my head.

What does " AFAIK " Mean?

And I also have no idea what all,
" ATP FX226
BWD/NIEHOFF VM332
PIONEER 747008
ROSTRA 5103012200M
STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS
TM54 "
Means either.

I never change a vacuum modulator before.
Can you also tell me what the set screw is all about?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[SenorNoob]

As Far As I Know. AFAIK.

Those are all of the parts listed on RockAuto for your truck.


WAG (Wild ass guess) adjusting pressure in the hydraulic portion of the transmission.

 

[ford4wd08]

I've talked about my transmission problems in my thread, " I'm sure I got a short ".

It all started a while back. I was driving my truck with the transmission fluid being low and I did not realize it.
As a result the transmission fluid got hot and expanded and blew out the front seal that the torque converter passes going into the transmission.

So I took forever to take out the transmission then change the front seal and reassemble.
While I had the transmission out I went ahead and change the rear seal where the driveshaft goes into the transmission as well.

I filled up the transmission fluid let the truck run for about 25 minutes tell the temperature gauge read where it normally reads when I drive it around a lot checked the fluid again and thought it was full.

As a result of me removing the transmission or when I was reinstalling it I don't know which I ended up breaking the shifter cable and had to order a new one.

So two days later when the transmission shifter cable came in and I installed it.
I started driving the truck around and it didn't take long before I felt the transmission slipping.

I rechecked the transmission fluid and found that it was about 3/4 of a quart low or so so I added another 3/4 of a quart or thereabouts.

After driving around some more and the transmission was slipping and hesitating very much when going into reverse I decided to stop driving the truck.

A little while later as I was reading threads here at TheRangerStation I come across the thread were somebody was looking for the part number for the vacuum modulator for the A4LD transmission in their truck.

At that time it got me thinking about hearing something in the past about the vacuum modulator having something to do with your transmission shifting.

So after contemplating this for a while I decided to climb under my truck and see if I could access the vacuum modulator without having to take a lot of stuff apart in doing this I pulled the vacuum line off of my vacuum modulator and when I did a bunch of transmission fluid came out of the vacuum line and the vacuum modulator.

At this point I've decided that before I do anything else with my truck's transmission that I need to buy a new vacuum modulator and see if that fixes the slipping problem. I'm hoping it does.

I had a hard time sleeping last night so I decided after 3 hours of lying here not being able to fall asleep to look for the thread I mentioned earlier in my post here.

However I don't remember enough of the details from that post or that thread I guess I should say and I could not find it.

So I say all that leading up me to asking this:
I have a 1994 4.0L two-wheel drive long bed Ford Ranger with the A4LD automatic transmission.
( I do believe. )
I'm not a thousand percent positive I don't know how to tell which one form another I'm just a novice as I tell people a lot.

Can anyone tell me how to figure out exactly what transmission I have in my truck?
And if it is the A4LD can anybody tell me the serial number or part number for the vacuum modulator?

As always any and all help is very much appreciated thank you everyone.

Vacuum modulator should not have transmission fluid in it and has failed like you suspected.

I would replace it and drive again and see what your symptoms are. A bad modulator normally makes a very harsh shift into gear.

As for reverse, if I remember correctly it takes the most pressure to shift into. There is an upgrade to the piston for it in the valve body I believe to help with this issue. Sonnax has parts to help address this.

I would check your bands and make sure they are set correctly. It is not difficult to do, and the procedure is on the manual posted in the tech section and you can find it by googling as well.

If you get bands set correctly and it seems to fix your issues, I highly recommend install the TransGo kit in the valve body. It is not too difficult to do and makes a world of difference on the A4LD.

Do some searching on the Explorer forums, the majority of first gen explorers came with the A4LD and there is more information for them on those forums.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

@SenorNoob
Thank you for the verification.
I appreciate it very much.

@ford4wd08
Thank you as well for the information you gave as well.
I appreciate it as well.

I've never tried to adjust any bands on any transmission or do pretty much anything to them besides take one out and put one in.

I broke some apart so I could take the aluminum and the short steal to the junkyard and it be separated so I get more money.
But that's all I know about the insides of a transmission.

I have some confidence in doing mechanical things to my vehicles.
But I'm not confident enough in my abilities to try and do anything on the internals of a transmission.

I'm a hands on learner.
If I had someone standing there with me showing me and teaching me what I'm doing then I'd be willing to try it.
But I don't have that opportunity.

I'm willing to try doing things in my transmission like adjusting the bands and other things that have been mentioned.

However with that said I don't want to take the chance of tearing something up and not having the means to replace it. Because I don't have the confidence that I won't tare something up. So I want the means to be able to replace it as I already mentioned.

I'm still jobless so once I get a job and have caught up on my bills, electric, gas, and so on, I will then start saving a little money to be able to invest into my truck.

I will start with the vacuum modulator and after replacing that see what I get.

I have to be honest with myself and everyone else I have been financially abusing my truck and the car that I drive.

I would like to change that once I get employed and my bills caught up.

Thank you guys for your help and everyone else for the help they have given me.

I will post an update when I have one.