Rescued 1993 xlt 3.0

[DonH]

I brought home a 1993 Ranger XLT that has been sitting in the weather for years. The owner said the engine may be froze up and the auto tranny will not move the truck at all.
I install a batterie and the engine started up on the old gas but it runs. The transmission will move the truck in reverse but not forward.
I need a little help in what to do next. Is there something I can do with the tranny in the truck?
Don

 

[wildbill23c]

POS A4LD automatic tranny...best bet is to have a shop rebuild it, and not just any shop, a shop that knows the A4LD inside and out...check with AAMCO, they love to see people bring in vehicles with that tranny, they rebuild them all the time because they're such garbage transmissions. Have them rebuild it and do all the updates for it and you'll have a pretty good tranny afterwards...discount shops only rebuild with the original parts they typically don't do the updates that have come out since those transmissions were built so you end up with a $2k+ rebuild bill but a tranny that only lasts a year....maybe 2 if you are lucky then fails again.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Check the fluid level.

 

[Curious Hound]

Check the fluid level.

Oh, man! Where do you come up with this stuff? [emoji12]

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[97RangerXLT]

Oh, man! Where do you come up with this stuff? [emoji12]

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Probably the owners manual

AJ

 

[DonH]

I have access to a 94 Explorer that has a bad engine and a good tranny. Anyone know if it is a direct install into the 93 ranger?

And yes I have checked the fluid level.

 

[Denisefwd93]

I have access to a 94 Explorer that has a bad engine and a good tranny. Anyone know if it is a direct install into the 93 ranger?

And yes I have checked the fluid level.

Did you check and make sure the rear (or front) brakes aren't locking up? They will still move in reverse, forget why.

Swap it over to manual

 

[adsm08]

I have access to a 94 Explorer that has a bad engine and a good tranny. Anyone know if it is a direct install into the 93 ranger?

And yes I have checked the fluid level.

The bell housings are different between the two engines

 

[DonH]

Will the bellhousings exchange?

Towd it home about two miles and the brakes worked but without power.

 

[Denisefwd93]

Will the bellhousings exchange?

Towd it home about two miles and the brakes worked but without power.

Nooooo they are cast as part of the transmission. Something old school types can't quite understand LOL

 

[DonH]

OK thanks guys
i'm 78 and a little old school

 

[DonH]

You can learn a lot being OLD SCHOOL
I have owned six Ford F150s, two 68 Broncos, five Bronco IIs, three Jeeps that I built, raced a Boss 302 in mid engine sandrail, came off the line turning 9K and finished turning 11K, I build 35 sandrails, rebuilt maybe 200 engines, unknown maybe 25 manual transmission but only three automatics none were a4ld. If that makes me Old School it fits fine. And I do understand being polite.

 

[Denisefwd93]

You can learn a lot being OLD SCHOOL
I have owned six Ford F150s, two 68 Broncos, five Bronco IIs, three Jeeps that I built, raced a Boss 302 in mid engine sandrail, came off the line turning 9K and finished turning 11K, I build 35 sandrails, rebuilt maybe 200 engines, unknown maybe 25 manual transmission but only three automatics none were a4ld. If that makes me Old School it fits fine. And I do understand being polite.

I'll be 70 next month, either you're just a little bit sensitive or you're very sensitive because no one was being impolite to you especially me

 

[adsm08]

Will the bellhousings exchange?

Towd it home about two miles and the brakes worked but without power.

Yes they will. The A4LD has a removable bell, as did all other autos used in the Rangers. I am not sure if there are other differences though that may cause other problems. I doubt it being from that era, but the possibility does exist.

The M5OD was the only Ranger trans that didn't have that feature.

The one thing I would do if you are swapping bells is to bolt the 3.0 bell and torque converter up to the engine and turn it over by hand a few turns and make sure the snout that goes into the pump is turning on center. The A4LD had reports of the bell housing warping and causing fluid loss issues. IME it is not something that is common enough to really worry about if you are just doing a straight swap, but with the possibility of it happening being known it is worth doing if you already have everything torn down to that point.

 

[Denisefwd93]

I just learned something! I thought they all had cast Bell housings,

Yes they will. The A4LD has a removable bell, as did all other autos used in the Rangers. I am not sure if there are other differences though that may cause other problems. I doubt it being from that era, but the possibility does exist.

The M5OD was the only Ranger trans that didn't have that feature.

The one thing I would do if you are swapping bells is to bolt the 3.0 bell and torque converter up to the engine and turn it over by hand a few turns and make sure the snout that goes into the pump is turning on center. The A4LD had reports of the bell housing warping and causing fluid loss issues. IME it is not something that is common enough to really worry about if you are just doing a straight swap, but with the possibility of it happening being known it is worth doing if you already have everything torn down to that point.