Hey everyone! My 94 Aerostar 3.0L Shorty works just fine. but when Im going to work I have to drive up a mountain everyday for a good while. At the begin of the mountain there is a traffic light (which is always red) When it turns green this van launches just fine, but to me its shifting up to soon my MPH start to drop, and when it drops it automatically downshifts back into 3rd. (nice, I guess that means its working properly)!

To make up for this problem, I always have to shift it into 2nd with throttle to spare and to get more accelration out of it. It will go up to 82MPH @ 6000RPM! Which is the max I can go in 2nd, then when I think I have more then enough RPMs to dump into 3rd I shift and my MPH remain at 80MPH and don't go any higher. While already in 3rd I press on the gas all the way and all it does is make more engine noise with mininal increase in MPH movement??

On flat ground I am able to go 100+MPH if I wanted it will just fine.
I have owned a 93 Shorty 3.0L in the past and it did the same, also my friend whom I work with who drives over that same hill to get to work has a 1998 Ford Ranger 3.0L Auto. He told me this "driving over that mountain is a B***h to get home. To get over that mountain with in my truck, you have to use 2nd gear its (THE MAGIC GEAR)" so I know everyone or some people have this problem?! I'm guessing the problem is Torque there is not enough of it? (this vehicle is too heavy)

I was wondering is there a way to get my A4LD to stay in each gear for a longer period of time? Would that be adjusting the bands on my trans, or getting a different vacuum shift modulator? I was doing some reseach and found something online called a "transpak" sounds like what I'm looking for! But I couldn't find one for the A4LD....

I was actually considering messing with the Electronic Torque Converter Clutch on a switch mod


Any other Ideas or input?

 

shift kit won't help the problem of the wide drive gear ratio jump from 2nd to 3rd. common complaint in all smaller engine displacement low torque heavier vehicles in the past 20 years.
1st is low geared for great accel. on takeoff and 2nd is close spaced to 1st for continued accel, that great get on the freeway from a short ramp effect. 3rd has to be much higher to finally get up to a low rpm cruise in 4th OD so 3rd is usually a direct 1:1 gearing which is not great for high speed pulling up a grade of a heavy load like an Aero ext at 4000 lbs with a small displacement oversquare high rpm low torque engine.
put that manual TC lockup switch in and forget it in torque position, no more A4LD from heat damage. take out all extra weight, any back seats, etc, take off luggage rack, take off add on hitch if used.
put in a 4L, works great on Pike's Peak at 13k ft, been there done that.
want to gofast on hill climbs, get a new 6L TPS Ford Diesel with none of the horsepower robbing options or added weight, add a tuner to it, enough torque to pull 10 Rangers and Aeros over that hill at 80 mph.
that pushrod 3L will not live long at 6000 rpm, max torque is at 4200, let her shift at 4500 on the hill and she will love you for another 100k miles.

 

Really the only way to solve your problem is to install a turbo or supercharger. The 3.0L is weak in hp/tq, good for getting around town, but bad for going up steep hills.

Also TQ is not your issue, HP is. TQ=acceleration HP=max speed. And with the weight and wind resistance, you are lucky to do 80mph on level ground.

Otherwise it sounds like your tranny is working fine. As 96 mentioned, try reducing weight, that will help some.