Hey all, new member here. I have done a fair bit of googling and research on my issue. Work as an aircraft mechanic so i generally know my way around an engine but I work mostly on turbines so things have faded from my days training on reciprocating engines. We also dont have transmissions haha.

Just bought a new to me 2008 ford escape 2.3l. During the test drive I didn't note any major problems and all the fluids checked out. Transmission was replaced 30k miles ago. 154k on the car. Minor rust. Daily driver.

So! I did note an oil leak when i purchased the vehicle. Oil had obviously been coming out from somewhere on the top of the engine. The oil cap was loose so I assumed it was just from that. Bad assumption. I cleaned off the engine and noticed that there was a bubbling coming from the liquid that had pooled around the CHT boot. The vehicle does not have any overheating issues nor has it thrown any codes. I assume if i dont fix this issue it will have problems down the road.
I plan to replace the CHT sensor but have been having trouble finding the boot from places like rock auto or other common parts websites. If anyone has any suggestions on finding a new boot that would be helpful.

Question here is do i need to replace the boot itself when i replace the sensor. Also, since i'll be splicing the wires to replace the sensor would it be more ideal to solder the wires or utilize a crimp connector? From my research, a couple people suggested siliconing the boot to prevent any further contamination.

Thats the main question but to avoid creating another post I'll also ask some other things.
The tranny jerks when shifting from 1st to second and it lags when it gets a good bit of gas from 3rd to 4th. I checked the tranny fluid and it was a bit low so I added in some lucas tranny conditioner and a bit of mercon v....as indicated by the manual. Drove maybe 10 miles to see if anything changed and it seemed to have a rather similar feel. I know the cd4e trannys are very prone to problems but i really dont wanna have to rip out a tranny and replace the clutch plates. If this were my only solution I'd likely just drive the vehicle until it would no longer go. If i did this would this cause associated issues with the engine or just warrant another tranny. The person I bought it from seemed to not trust the mechanic that installed the reman tranny. I do have all the paperwork for it as well as paperwork for all work done to the vehicle prior to my purchase.

I know this is a long post I just wanted to be as specific as possible and get all my questions out in one post. Any and all help/suggestions/critics are welcome. Light me up boys.

 

I don’t know what the exact differences are between them, but for the sake of clarity, is your escape a hybrid?

Otherwise, here’s more general answer to your questions/things to consider.

1) It’s possible a new boot for the CHT comes with the sensor/pigtail kit; otherwise, you’ll have to track it down through Ford or a junk yard. If the boot is still pliable, it can be reused - just clean it up and make sure it kind of “snaps” in place when seating it. Sometimes boiling can restore them but it’s 50/50.

2) If there’s oil in the CHT well, pull the coils and check the plug bores as well. There shouldn’t be any oil or fluid in any of the bores on top of the head, so if there is, the valve cover gasket needs to be replaced. If you’re not sure the fluid is from the engine (like maybe it had been spilled on top), thoroughly clean it out, then check the bores again after a test drive. If still nothing, check them again in another 50-100 miles. If a leak is confirmed, replace the valve cover gaskets, coil boots and I’d recommend at least checking the plugs while you’re at it (although they’re cheap enough that I’d just replace them if it were mine).

3) Start with a drain and fill/flush on the trans fluid - the filter can’t be replaced without pulling the trans, but it’ll take 3-4 qts to replace what you drain out. Check for large pieces (splinter size and larger) of metal and a lot of gritty, black/brown, sand like material in the fluid. Some metal and grit is normal but a lot means trans repair/rebuild/replacement. Ford’s recommended procedure for flushing is to just drain whatever you can from the trans, refill it, go for a drive (I prefer at least 10 miles to get the fluid hot and thoroughly pumping through the trans), then repeat 2 more times.

It could be the shop that replaced the trans used the wrong fluid or damaged the torque converter during installation - in either case, you won’t know for sure without at least draining the fluid to check for indicators of internal damage.

These engines and transmissions are pretty basic and easy enough to repair if you’re moderately skilled. Being an aircraft mechanic, I doubt anything in your escape will scare you off.