Tranny Quit? Please help!

[TroutFinder]

First, thank you all for this FANTASTIC site, I could spend days here.
My pickup; 2000 Ranger ext. cab, 106,000 miles. 4.0 litre gas engine, automatic trans. 4 wheel drive.
I started having problems with the trans. a while ago. In neutral it sounded like you threw a hand full of rocks into a concrete mixer.
I removed the trans. and took the torque convertor into the trans shop (very highly recommended and reputable shop) Rebuild on it was $150. The tech said the bearing was destroyed.
I was tempted to put it back with full fluid change. I was persuaded against this as any metal left in the system would result i further damage.
So I had the trans. rebuilt by a recommended builder with 20+ years experience. Clutches, steels, bushings, internal sensor, and all seals and gaskets. He replaced the pump as well.
Reinstalled the trans. and filled with "Merc. V" as per spec. At this time I added a magnetic filter to the line, post coolers on the return to the trans.
Ran perfectly. Shifted like it is supposed to and had no noises.
I've put about 500 mi. on it and have had NO problems, until yesterday. Went out to start it and after a few seconds of idle the engine began to sputter and wanted to die. I feathered the throttle and kept it running, and it began to smooth out. About 30 seconds later it did it again. This bothered me, as it has never done this before, but I figured that it was cold and probably did not like being woken up. Went to shift into R, and nothing. No movement, so sound, no drop in RPM, nothing. Shifted into (D), same response, nothing. Cycled into 1 then 2, still nothing.
I am very puzzled by this as it went from apparently working perfectly in all gears one night to nothing 10 hours later. no signs of trouble no nothing, just quit.
Any and all thoughts and/or insight would be received gratefully.
Thanks to any and all for your time, and thanks again for a great website.
Peace, Eric.

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Hmmm, makes me wonder if your transmission is fine and you are starting to have electrical issues.

First scan your OBDII port for any codes. Let us know what you get with KOER and KOEO tests.

 

[TroutFinder]

Thanks for your response. I checked codes with my cheapo OBDII reads and shows no codes.
I don't know what the KOER and KOEO tests are.

The guy who rebuilt the thing says the new filter may be plugged with residual material from the trans. failure. Does this make sense?

 

[06RangerXLT]

thats a possibility for sure. that would give you no gears, and a engine that wants to die.

 

[Explorin94]

Sounds like your torque convertor died. But if you have the money I would get the transmission rebuilt with that many miles on it.

Gotta_go the current code readers won't read transmission codes. Atleast my Mac one doesn't.

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Generic or cheap code readers will not read the fast codes, only the slower common codes. If your engine is lugging and running funny with no load on it (park or neutral) then I would assume its electrical. If it loads down or stalls when in drive but runs fine in neutral then I would suggest a faulty torque converter or excessive drag from binding/broken parts. There may be freak instances (as there's always an exception!).

If the technician who rebuilt your transmission says that the filter could be plugged, I would ask him why he didn't clean it when he had it apart!?

 

[TroutFinder]

Thanks, Gotta_gofast!

The filter was replaced with new at the rebuild. I know this for fact as there was no filter in it when I gave it to him and there was a new one in the kit.
His assertion is that residual particulates in the trans. flushed through and clogged the new filter. So I guess the question I should be asking is why there stuff left in the trans. when the thing was put back together?
Just thinking out loud.
Thank you, so much, for your time and knowledge.
Peace.