1990 Ranger Towing
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1990 Ranger Towing
I have a 1990 Ranger Extended Cab with a 4.0L engine. The original owner swapped out the 4 cylinder engine at about 70K miles and the odometer reads 190K now. The original automatic transmission is in the truck. The problem, I just purchased a 16ft. boat and it seemed to tow just fine. On the way back from the lake, the transmission gave out and now will not hold fluid and will not engage. The towing weight of the boat and trailer is less that 2000 pounds. Any suggestions, or is it toast?
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Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Dexter, MI
Welcome to FTE. This is a great site for help on all things Ranger.
How many miles were on the 4.0 before it was installed in your Ranger? Did the transmission that you are using come with the 4.0 engine? It must be as the 4 cyl. tranny bell housing wouldn't match up to the 4.0. What maintenance services have been done on the auto tranny since you have had it - things like fluid and filter changes?
How many miles were on the 4.0 before it was installed in your Ranger? Did the transmission that you are using come with the 4.0 engine? It must be as the 4 cyl. tranny bell housing wouldn't match up to the 4.0. What maintenance services have been done on the auto tranny since you have had it - things like fluid and filter changes?
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,907
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From: suburban atlanta
You can try a bit further down the forums for the transmission section.
If you overheat the fluid, it will come out the vent or the front seal. It may then work again when cooled off. Let it cool, check the fluid level, and try again. Most failures will be gradual unless it blows up completely, and it would make some noises when doing that.
The 4.0 is a little strong to be running through a 2.3 transmission. I think, not fact, that you have an A4LD, if it has an OD position on the indicator. The 2.3 had the same basic case, but fewer frictions and steels in the clutch packs, I think. The splines on the input shaft are very 'fine', and will twist from the torque of the 4.0.
So the long and short is to try to get the fluid level back to normal, and determine what to do from there. You can get 180k towing a horse trailer with a 4.0 in an extended Aerostar van with one of these transmissions, so they are not all bad.
tom
If you overheat the fluid, it will come out the vent or the front seal. It may then work again when cooled off. Let it cool, check the fluid level, and try again. Most failures will be gradual unless it blows up completely, and it would make some noises when doing that.
The 4.0 is a little strong to be running through a 2.3 transmission. I think, not fact, that you have an A4LD, if it has an OD position on the indicator. The 2.3 had the same basic case, but fewer frictions and steels in the clutch packs, I think. The splines on the input shaft are very 'fine', and will twist from the torque of the 4.0.
So the long and short is to try to get the fluid level back to normal, and determine what to do from there. You can get 180k towing a horse trailer with a 4.0 in an extended Aerostar van with one of these transmissions, so they are not all bad.
tom
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I let the truck sit for a week and tried fillng the transmission fluid which was empty. The new fluid simply steadily dripped out to the ground, at he front of the transmission.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: SW Va
Kinda sounds like the front seal may be cooked & leaking. If so, it could be that it's leaking bad enough that the tranny pump is loosing enough fluid & pressure that things like the torque converter, clutch packs & the solenoids that operate them just can't work.
If it overheated really bad, the tranny may be toast & in need of a rebuild, or replacement!!!! They really don't like to be overheated, or run low on fluid.
Edit: IF/When you get it up & running again, I'd consider adding an aux tranny cooler if you don't have one & add an inline filter in the tranny low pressure return line after the cooler, like a Magnefine filter, Before you start it up, to catch & filter out any remaining debris, to protect the rebuild, or reman tranny from recirculated debris. Do this even if the lines & cooler have been flushed, because it isn't possible to get all of the debris out, even with a back flush of the lines & cooler if you have one!!!!
You might try getting some input from a trusted tranny shop thats familar with Fords & see what they would suggest, after telling them everything thats happened.
Let us know how it goes.
If it overheated really bad, the tranny may be toast & in need of a rebuild, or replacement!!!! They really don't like to be overheated, or run low on fluid.
Edit: IF/When you get it up & running again, I'd consider adding an aux tranny cooler if you don't have one & add an inline filter in the tranny low pressure return line after the cooler, like a Magnefine filter, Before you start it up, to catch & filter out any remaining debris, to protect the rebuild, or reman tranny from recirculated debris. Do this even if the lines & cooler have been flushed, because it isn't possible to get all of the debris out, even with a back flush of the lines & cooler if you have one!!!!
You might try getting some input from a trusted tranny shop thats familar with Fords & see what they would suggest, after telling them everything thats happened.
Let us know how it goes.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,907
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From: suburban atlanta
Yup, I agree that it sounds like the front seal has gone. I'd guess you are at the point where it needs to be reconditioned. You can take it apart and look, but I'd bet the splines are twisted on the input shaft, the three-fingered piece the spline goes into has worn the fingers, and the clutches and steels could stand to be replaced along with all the seals.
Those are the parts, plus one more I can't remember, that were gone in the A* that pulled the horse trailer for 180k miles. I think it was one of the planetaries. Used parts were fine, and ran up to about $200. The kit was ~$150. That was then...
tom
Those are the parts, plus one more I can't remember, that were gone in the A* that pulled the horse trailer for 180k miles. I think it was one of the planetaries. Used parts were fine, and ran up to about $200. The kit was ~$150. That was then...
tom
