I was drivin my 1991 truck in my signature today doin about 60-70 on the highway. Just cruisin along and the transmission startedto sound like it was searching for the gears. The tach jumped around a few times and it would lose speed doing this. The O/D light never light up during this problem. I limped it of the highway. Taking off it slipped a bit but on a slight up hill it totally stoped ggetting power to the rear wheels 100%slippage. I was able to roll back downhill into and empty gravel lot. Got out and smelled burned ATF and it was pouring out the inspection cover on the bell housing. I got it trailered home and spoke with a guy at the trans shop by me. He said it could be the ATF pump in the trans. I never knew there was a pump in there. What do you guys think it could be? And would a seal hae broken for the ATF to be able to leak out the bell housing cover? Thanks guys
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It sounds like you sprung the gasket on the inspection cover and lost pressure and fluid. Try replacing the seal and cover, fill it with ATF to the proper level and see if it will engage. If so, you might be OK. Plan on changing all the ATF and filter before driving it anywhere.

 

i have a 91 myself, and i don't think the od light will blink unless you get a new trans cpu. mine never blinked untill i went and bought a brand new 94 year modelcpu from ford for 400$. i was so mad when it fixed my problem.
i couldn't tell you what died in the transmission, but rest assured its because soemthing electrical on the outside failed it, their really tuff when working right.

 

I just replaced te filter and put 6 new qts of ATF in about 500 miles ago. The inspection cover doesnt have a gasket on it. The cover it leaked from is on the bottom of the bell housing and has a drain line out of it. If I remove it i can see the TQ and flex plate. Maybe theres another inspection cover that your talking about??

 

6 quarts doesn't sound like enough, I put 10 in mine.

 

i checked the fluid level while it was hot and in park and it was in at the correct level on the dipstick

 

Just make sure the fluid still smells OK and the color is good. You still had a few quarts of the old burnt stuff in the torque converter.

 

Sounds maybe like tourqe converter or front seal in trans if the oil is comeing from converter and flex plate area

 

i agree with axel 56 and would be pulling tranny to have a closer look.

 

ill be pullin the trans this weekend if all goes well. Im pretyy much settled on a trans from Ford directly.

 

Do you still have reverse? If so, you may have smoked the forward clutches resulting in overheating the ATF which in return belches the fluid past the pump seal.

 

not sure if i have reverse still. Would i fill the trans with ATF and try it in reverse to find out? If i do have reverse does that mean I just need a TC?

 

if you fill the trans and have reverse but no forward, that means the trans is shot and needs rebuilding or replaced.

 

I love my 4 spd XD!

 

my ZF-5 shifts real nice, you may have lost the TC seal, is the converter is leaking bad enough , it wont move