Does anyone know how to adjust the bans on the automatic tranny on a 1990 Aerostar van think it is the big v-6 not sure what it is specificly it is my mothers van. It has been slipping when cold and you have to manual shift it until it gets warmed up, made some small adjustments on it, it seems to be getting better but not quite there yet can any body help please triing to save a $1800 rebuild if I can.

 

taken from earlier thread for whole thread it's somewhere around here
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...&page=16&pp=12
And there's also a few theads that have the link for the ford manuals, if you have high speed there's no reason for you not to download them, I'm on dial up and after 22 hours just to be told at the last minute connection error I gave up, I live by the forum as I know at east 10 people have the manual on there computer (if anyone wants to send me a copy I'd be grateful). But do read back and have a look at the gearbox threads, it seems almost all are doinfg this as a fovour for a family member or friend, either aerostars owners are very good at getting others involved or just lucky someone thinks they can help :-)

 

Before adjusting the bands, I would check the fluid level/color. Then I would check the vacuum hose at the modulator on the passenger side of the tranny to see if there is tranny fluid in it. If so replace ($20.) These are two most common reasons for poor shifting performance.

 

Sounds like what my 96 was doing. Transmission shop told me that I needed a total ($2655) rebuild. Didn't believe them so I drove it home and changed the filter, and replaced the 4 qts. of Mercon that was in the pan. Guess what? The problem went away and now it shifts like it's supposed to, even when cold. I have no faith in transmission shops. Like anything else, I'm sure that there are a few good ones out there, but I have yet to find one.

 

hello puman,
suggest you do a gentle flush and full 10 quart ATF change out thru cooler return line at aux. cooler in front of radiator....search Aero forum for details

would you do an engine oil change just by changing 2 quarts and leaving 3 quarts of the old black gunk in? auto tranny's are far more critical on high quality clean ATF oil that is not worn out than even a Corvette Gen6 engine

don't do a Quicky Tranny Shop RipOff Lube pressure solvent flush, trash tranny cleaning and ATF change....will leave more peanut butter chunks in your valve body than are there now

 

Nobody seems to have the right answer for this very common problem on aero a4ld trannys. I don't think just changing the fluid and filter fix's the problem, well it did not on my van anyway. My tranny shop which I do trust, told me that it is properly dirt and muck in the valve body that gets harder when the outside temp gets cooler, which explains why it shifts ok when the van has warmed up after a few miles, which mine did. I removed the valve body cleaned it all out put in new shift solenoids and valves, new gaskets and seals, cleaned out the fliud lines and rad put it all back together with synthetic fluid and new filter and HEY PRESTO it did not work, no just kidding it was ok and has been for the last 20k miles, but my tranny shop did tell me a4ld's are known for this problem after about 120 to 150k miles especially if they have not been looked after in the past and I have had two now that have gone this way. The tranny shop also said that I should not expect it to go much more than another 50k miles before the clutches and bands are shot which I guess is only to be expected. By the way this tranny shop has never tried to rip me off, I have taken trannys in and they have stripped them down called me in to explain the problem even shown me the stripped down tranny which they only charged my $45 to do and then asked me what I would like them to do next, rebuild or junk it. I guess there will be a few kind folk here that will tell you I am wrong but what I did has given it a few more miles for only about a $100 which beats $1800 any day.

 

a full 10 qts of fresh clean ATF has lube detergent additives that do wear out over time, the detergents clean parts of the valve body which can not be reached except by a trip to the hot solvent tank....new ATF also contains fresh seal/piston conditioners which soften and make pliable again the hydralic shifting components which are critical to 100% lockup of a clutch or band/drum...one of the main failure points of older A4LD's are the bronze shim load carrying bushings, they wear down, increasing spacing between components and allowing fluid leaks out of clutch pack pistons followed by slippage, overheating and the frictions disintergrating...
ATF wears out and fails just like engine oil...the consequences are the same....expensive repair...

 

Well that is not really so.

From what I have been finding out is that Oil doesn't wear out. It gets contaminated. If you had a better filtering system Oil would last for ever.

My Dad when he was younger would put on Two Toilet Paper Filter kits on His cars (extra from the one on the engine) and said that the Oil would look just like brand new oil after 5000 miles. He also said that he changed the TP Filters every 2-3 weeks.

Thats what they do with the old Oil you turn in. They run it throught a Filtering System, Then repackage it, Resell it. I think a lot of it winds up in the $1.00 stores.

Jay

 

almost none of the antiwear anti friction qualities of ATF come from its hydrocarbon base oil, in fact ATF is more of an engineered fluid than an oil...the base stock oil does serve to carry off heat...the oil base mainly serves just as a carrier for the additives which do all the work...many of the additives are chemically or physically altered by long term use and loose their effectiveness>

http://www.lubrizol.com/ATF/default.asp

http://www.lubrizol.com/LubeTheory/adduse.asp

Lubrizol engineered and makes most of the oil additives used in the US and worldwide

Allison Fluids

http://www.allisontransmission.com/service/autoapp172/viewpage.jsp?ThisPage=4


Grandpa's old 60w Wolf's Head oil would kill a modern DOHC high rpm high output engine

 

well I never on me told me I was wrong (well not in so many words anyway). It's true what you all say, oil's wear out and get contaminated the best thing to do is change them more frequently and put the best quality oil in you can afford and then say a few prays and hope that the a4ld god does not let you down, Oh and maybe exersice the gremlins from the valve body.

 

Thank you for all the great advice all it needed was to be ajusted has been about 100k ago it was rebuilt

 

glad to hear customcab,
nice lookin '66 F100 Custom....drove a '65 F250 for years w 352 ci V8 and 4 sp....great reliable trucks even with the wobbly king pins