Good day,

I have a 1993 ranger 3.0L/6cyl/automatic/ a4ld. I replaced the transmission and torque converter with one from a salvage yard that has approx. 76k miles. I added tranny fluid and idled the engine for approx. 10 minutes in neutral, but the fluid has not begone to circulate. I pulled off the trans line at the radiator and there is no flow with the engine running in park. Where should I start with the diagnostics for this problem?

Thank you.

 

Did you have the torque converter seperated from the trans? if so, did you get it back in all the way to fit into the pump? how much oil did you put in? and the pump may be bad in the trans.

 

I did have it separated. Both the trans and torque converter were empty of fluid. When I put it all back in, I bolted, four bolts to the flywheel then bolted down the trans bellhouse to the back of the engine. I only put in about 6 quarts of trans fluid.

Thanks

 

Thats an easy one. Swapping in a junkyard trans is usually a bad idea. The donor was in the junkyard for a reason, and you buy the trans on the word of the yard alone. Even if it worked, chances are it was on its last legs. My experience has taught me that while some junkyard parts are fine, entire assemblies like engines and transmissions are usually cheaper to repair than to swap in a unit with an unknown history. By cheaper I mean on average, cheaper per mile driven before a failure occurs.

If I did by a junkyard unit, I would tear it down on a bench, inspect the parts, replace all the rubber parts, update the common failure points, and if needed, replace some major hard parts with ones rated to handle the loads I was anticipating (if the donor came of a 2.3L or 3.0L, I would replace the planetaries with the 4.0L ones for example). I would also replace the filter, and the pan gasket, and replacing the torque converter is a given, it has non-user serviceable fiction surfaces inside, and if it fails, it can wipe out a new trans.

I would then proceed to install the unit into the vehicle.

I would only pursue a junkyard unit if the trans that was already in the vehicle had a major issue that would render it non-repairable. It is almost always cheaper to fix the one you already have than to spend money buying another and then having to fix it too. Plus you know the history on yours, you know what has or hasn't been replaced, and whether or not it has been serviced, and what kind of driving it was subjected to.

Sorry you bought a lemon, I can't help that, but perhaps you see what I'm on about. I don't know what you paid for it, but if you consider your time has value, it probably cost at least $350 for the trans and about the same in your own labor value. So spending $700 to go zero miles is a very high cost per mile. If you paid someone else to do the swap, it probably cost more than that. If you spend $1000 rebuild your old trans, and got 80,000 miles out of it, thats only $0.0125 per mile. Thats dirt cheap. Even if you spent twice that, its dirt cheap.

Now on to how to fix yours. Either the pun is not running, or it can't pick up any fluid because the filter is plugged or the intake tube is missing or damaged. Drop the pan, replace the filter, and inspect the pump. If the pump turns when you rotate the input, then check to see if it can actually pick up and pump fluid. If it turns but won't pump, you have a bad pump. If it doesn't turn, it may be a bad pump, or the torque converter might not be any good. If a pump failed before you bought this, the whole trans may be junk, or at the least might need a total overhaul, probably cheaper to fix your old one. I would doubt the trans just magically failed after you bought it, chances are it was why the POS was in the junkyard in the first place. My guess is the pump failed because ethe previous owner never changed the fluid and the filter plugged up with debris. The trans would then have a drop in line pressure which makes the band and clutches slip, which destroys them, and the bearings suffer from lack of lubrication. The torque converter would also start caveating, which would cause it to overheat, and that hot burnt fluid doesn't do any favors for the rest of the transmission.

I'm not sure what the return policy through your yard is, but I would try to get my money back. Of course you are out the time and labor for installing the thing and for taking it back out. I would NOT try to get another junkyard unit. I would spend that money on fixing the old one. Whether you take it to a pro and have them fix it, or decide to tackle a rebuild yourself, your call. But either way, I think you will find your money better spent than messing with someone else's worn out junk. There are some great books on how to rebuild A4LD transmissions, and there are a few great simple, and actually inexpensive, upgrade parts that fix the weaknesses of the A4LD and turn them into a pretty solid and durable unit. A4LD were basically an 80,000 mile transmission, most A4LD vehicles that have over 100,000 miles have already had the trans repaired or replaced at least once. So the second failure usually happens between 140,000 - 160,000 miles. With the right upgrades, the A4LD becomes a 150,000 - 200,000 mile transmission.

 

Thank you, hadn't thought of some of your points. Didn't realize I should just replace the torque converter also. Before I put the replacement trans in, I replace the filter and pan gasket. The trans fluid was still fairly nice, wasn't burnt, and didn't smell bad. There were no shaving or excessive dirt in the pan. Since checking the pump is easiest, I'll do that first. Sounds like it can only be one or the other with this trans, the pump or the torque converter.
Thanks for the sound advice. Although I don't know how to rebuild a trans I could probably of had the thing repaired for the same or less price. Live and learn.