I want to start by saying I know virtually nothing about car repairs, so if I sound like an idiot, that is because I am one.

I bought a 1993 Aerostar that only had 35K miles on it last week. I took it to my mechanic who changed the transmission fluid, the serpentine belts, and the rear bearings (can't remember what they were called but the car vibrated badly). He also fixed the door handle and replaced the mirrors with awesome large ones.

This was all great and i was looking forward to a long and beautiful relationship with this van.

Second part of the story: My job consists of loading up the van with craft show items and driving over the mountains. This did not go well. I got up the first big mountain and the transmission fluid was leaking and I had to get towed back home. The car stopped accelerating, due to the lack of fluid.

Anyway, my guy told me that there was a problem with Fords and the gasket not holding up against a build up of pressure in the transmission, and there was a fix he could do which involved drilling a bigger vent hole (I could be totally screwing up the interpretation here). He said that might solve my problem and it might not. Also, he did not know how damaged the transmission ultimately was. When the transmission fluid was filled up, the van ran fine, normally, and did not seem to have a problem shifting.

So, my question to you experts is this: Is it worth trying to fix, or should I just sell the van to someone else who is going to be a less demanding user? Is this a fix that people use? I'm not questioning my mechanic's ability, but I am concerned that I'll do this fix ($500 out the window) and the van still won't be trustworthy carrying a load.

What is your experience on this type of thing? i bought the van specifically to carry loads, so if it's not going to be able to do that, I need to sell it. I used to use a Mercury Villager and it never had a problem going up hills fully loaded.

Thanks

 

Take it to a local transmission shop, NOT one of the chains
Get another opinion.
Request they check the transmission for leak location and check the vacuum accumulator on the passenger side for broken hose and leaking out transmission fluid. Probably the front seal on transmission, common on these.
Get a repair quote with list of problems and expected repairs.
Post list up here.

 

I used my Aerostar to haul up to 5,000 lbs before. They will do it better than just about any other van.

But the front seal will blow out under pressure. This is not a defect int eh seal, but you have to realize that with a that low mileage, that seal is original, and that means it is dried out and cracked from just age, as are most of the other seals and soft rubber parts.

Granted the A4LD trans in stock form has a lot of weak areas. There are certain things you need to know and do, and for reliabilities sack, they really ought to be upgraded before you do any real towing.

What motor do you have? That not only affects how much available power you have, but the 4.0Ls come with a tougher version of the same trans.

I agree with 96 4WDR's recommendations, get another opinion, and find a shop that is locally owned and a member of ATRA, not a chain.Preferably one that knows the definition of the upgrades I mentioned. The upgrades consist of shift kits, calibrations that can be made to the valve body, and an oversized boost valve. These upgrades reduce heat and slipping, and while this makes the shifts feel less smooth and more clunky, it reduces stress and wear on the trans as a whole, especially under load. Next, one of the best upgrades is a better trans cooler. The stock one is a simple tube and fine cooler that is woefully undersized. A B&M plate type cooler is far more efficient, and does an excellent job. Reduced transmission temperatures makes a huge difference.

 

This reminded me of a Technical Service Bulletin that was mentioned in the original Frankentranny Project where he was talking about modifications to the oiling of the front bushing and seal. But in my A4LD Frankentranny project I swapped in a later design bell housing and pump and so did not concern myself with the TSB referenced.

However, I'm in agreement with 96_4wdr. A proper way forward is to have the so-called leak diagnosed. It would involve spending money on this first step, but identification of the precise problem would be the only way to gain back confidence your original investment.

And here is my anecdotal story...
Just today I'm pulling the 722.410 tranny out of my mercedes to install new seals because it has started leaking fluid onto the ground recently. The funny thing is that "recently" equals five years ago, and the car hasn't been driven even one mile since it was put into a museum showcase over 17 years ago. So...seals can go bad by just getting old. You may want to overhaul your (probably) original gaskets/seals or buy a newer van.

 

Thanks for everyone's input. I will have to try to find a different shop for a 2nd opinion. We live very rurally and there aren't a lot of options.

 

alas, there is no where within an hours drive of me who is a member of ATRA. I wouldn't mind driving the hour but IDK if I want to put much stress on the car.