Would tranny cooler solve the problem?
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Junior User
Joined: Jul 2003
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Would tranny cooler solve the problem?
i have 89 shotrty...every time i tow something havier front tranny seal strats leaking like crazy right on the exhaust pipe ...when i dont tow not a drop of fluid ...would tranny cooler solve the problem ? or should i replace the seal anyway?
Thanks
Dom
Thanks
Dom
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,015
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From: SoCal
Sounds almost like the transmission is not properly bolted to the engine. It should not move so much as to distort the front bearings enough to distort the seals to cause leaks, unless you're towing something too heavy for the drivetrain to handle.
So I would say that a transmission cooler is not going to help.
So I would say that a transmission cooler is not going to help.
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2001
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I would say the seal is getting ready to go. Probaly because the front input bearing is getting worn and is allowing the input shaft to deflect and deform the seal under heavy load. Or, the bellhousing is loose and is allowg the shaft to deflect. Or maybe all of the above.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
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mine does the same thing and i want to try a bigger cooler. i think this will help. i just have not done it yet but this is what iam going to try before changing seal. i would be ****ed if i change the seal and it starts leaking again after awhile from being too hot. if your going to tow i think it needs a bigger cooler anyway. ford knew they had this problem when they added external cooler to begin with and they usually put just enough to get by with. these vans have alot of tranny problems anyway and towing really brings them out.
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A4LD Seal Blow Outs:
If you have repeated front seal blowouts on A4LD's it may not be a problem with the seal or the quality of your work. Your could have a bad bell housing. The bushing used in the A4LD is finished in place. Because of this the bore that the bushing fits into doesn't need to be in the center of the bell housing, and in many cases it isn't. When you're working on an A4LD you need to check the bell housing bushing to see if it's the original factory bushing. If it is, and it's not worn (no more than .003") converter hub to bushing clearance), Don't Replace It! If the bushing needs to be replaced, you need to make sure the replacement bushing will fit in the center of the bell housing. To do this bolt the torque converter to the flex plate. Turn the engine over and check the run out of the converter hub. Now bolt the bell housing to the engine. If the Torque converter is contacting one side of the bushing excessively, the bushing is off center and the bell housing MUST be replaced. However, a slight amount of contact is acceptable. By checking the bell housing first you can avoid repeated front seal blowout.
More info at:
http://www.turbotbird.com/techinfo/A...x/A4LD_Fix.htm
If you have repeated front seal blowouts on A4LD's it may not be a problem with the seal or the quality of your work. Your could have a bad bell housing. The bushing used in the A4LD is finished in place. Because of this the bore that the bushing fits into doesn't need to be in the center of the bell housing, and in many cases it isn't. When you're working on an A4LD you need to check the bell housing bushing to see if it's the original factory bushing. If it is, and it's not worn (no more than .003") converter hub to bushing clearance), Don't Replace It! If the bushing needs to be replaced, you need to make sure the replacement bushing will fit in the center of the bell housing. To do this bolt the torque converter to the flex plate. Turn the engine over and check the run out of the converter hub. Now bolt the bell housing to the engine. If the Torque converter is contacting one side of the bushing excessively, the bushing is off center and the bell housing MUST be replaced. However, a slight amount of contact is acceptable. By checking the bell housing first you can avoid repeated front seal blowout.
More info at:
http://www.turbotbird.com/techinfo/A...x/A4LD_Fix.htm
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
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mine is just the 2wheel drive 3.0
i have checked flywheel and bell housing for tightness.
nothing loose.
i have checked flywheel and bell housing for tightness.
nothing loose.
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Senior User
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This may be a ignorant question so forgive me, I don't know much more than how to drop the pan and replace the filter on an automatic trans. Can you install too big of a trans cooler? What I mean by that is it possible to create so much trans cooling that it runs too cold and has problems. I've been thinking that if I get my trans rebuilt or buy new, (I dropped the pan and there was a bunch of shavings on the magnet) that I would put the biggest trans cooler on it I could find, I want to know if that would be a bad idea.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
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as far as i have heard you can put as big as you can mount. the cooler the better.
tranny oil cant be too cold. ford always had a cooling problem anyway. that is why the fluid gets brown all the time in the aerostar.
tranny oil cant be too cold. ford always had a cooling problem anyway. that is why the fluid gets brown all the time in the aerostar.
New User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24
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From: Monroe WA
Doman24 I would say that your problem is not with the seal being bad, it is an over heating problem. When the tranny fluid heats up it overflows and drains out of the tranny. If you are having a problem only when towing something a tranny cooler would definitely help. Make sure you change the fluid soon or you could start causing major problems to the tranny. When you tow things do not run with the tranny in O/D and it should stay cooler.
Most cars have tranny coolers on them from the factory. It is not to correct a problem with the A4LD tranny which is pretty good compair to some others on the market. There is usually a line that goes straight through the radiator to help heat the tranny up on cold start and then a cooler to keep it cool on hard runs.
Most cars have tranny coolers on them from the factory. It is not to correct a problem with the A4LD tranny which is pretty good compair to some others on the market. There is usually a line that goes straight through the radiator to help heat the tranny up on cold start and then a cooler to keep it cool on hard runs.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: northwest
my 91 3.0 2WD shorty did the same thing. but it was leaking engine oil. not tranny fluid. stopped as soon as I stopped towing.
I then pulled the trailer with my truck. a few months ago we upgraded to a 95 4.0 E-4WD ext with all the goodies. I added a tranny cooler to it, and some lucas stop slip for added protection. it pulled our trailer better than our f-250 with a 351w.
i am impressed with the power of that 4.0! it did great. the 3.0 was easier to trick out for performance, and milage however. i just bever had luck pulling with it.
sorry!
I then pulled the trailer with my truck. a few months ago we upgraded to a 95 4.0 E-4WD ext with all the goodies. I added a tranny cooler to it, and some lucas stop slip for added protection. it pulled our trailer better than our f-250 with a 351w.
i am impressed with the power of that 4.0! it did great. the 3.0 was easier to trick out for performance, and milage however. i just bever had luck pulling with it.
sorry!
New User
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Monroe WA
I am not sure if there is an overflow in the bell housing or not, but I towed about 3000 pounds with a 3.0l extended. The tranny got hot and would make smoke clouds behind us. From then on if I worked it hard - like going up a long steep mountain pass it without a trailer it would start the tranny fluid smoke screen. This happened until I added an extra tranny cooler.
The problem went away after that.
I say put a cooler on it. And tow with it in D and not O/D.
Goodluck
I have since traded the 30l extended in on a 4.0L AWD extended - Much Much stronger.
The problem went away after that.
I say put a cooler on it. And tow with it in D and not O/D.
Goodluck
I have since traded the 30l extended in on a 4.0L AWD extended - Much Much stronger.
