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.