Originally Posted by ridetrains;[url=tel:20407703

20407703[/url]]I have a 4x4 1987 ford ranger with the 2.9 and A4LD auto transmission. The transmission drives me a little crazy. The shifts are harsh, especially when I first start it and put it in either 1st or reverse. Sometimes the engine will stall when first putting it into gear, not sure if that's related or not. Ive read this might be the vacuum modulator and for a $12 part I'm happy to throw a new one on, planning to order it today but I have an even more annoying issue with this transmission. Besides the harsh shifts it seems to be able to go into all gears but when I'm driving up any hills and hit around 40mph it will often switch rapidly between 3rd and 4th very harshly until I either give it more gas and force it to stay in 3rd or let off the gas and keep it cruising around 35mph in 4th. I haven't done much to solve the problem beside adjust the bands. Next steps I was thinking of taking is replacing the modulator, cleaning out the transmission valve body, installing a shift kit and new valve body gasket, new transmission filter. I've also seen people suggest to others to look into the 3-4 shift solenoid and the converter clutch solenoid. I would think the converter clutch solenoid could be my issue before the 3-4 shift solenoid since it seems to shift between 3rd and 4th fine if I'm not going up any incline. Wondering if any of you have any suggestions. Thanks!

Originally Posted by ridetrains

I fixed the issue with the back and forth shifting between 3rd and 4th by cleaning out the valve body and installing a shift kit while I had it off the transmission. Not a very difficult job. I did find that some of the springs and parts in the valve body were a bit gummed up and didn't move freely. The harsh shifts into drive or reverse from park were not fixed.