My wife has a 2000 Windstar and I took it to one of these Mobile Lube Express shops to have her oil changed for her. The service manager talked me into having the transmission flushed, which I did. Less than 200 miles later while coming back from Daytona Beach she is told to pull over because the van is smoking. I go out there and there is a puddle of red and the whole pan is covered with fluid. I take the van back to this lube joint and I am told that something must have hit the pan as that is what was leaking. He fills it back up (3 1/2 quarts low) and says to take it to one of the local tranny shops and they can replace the pan and gasket. I take the van to my local ford dealer and explain what I was told and asked them if they could do it. The next day ford tells me that the pan was not leaking and further that some seal having to do with the torque converter was burned up and that they suggest I either have them put in a rebuilt transmission for $2500 with a 1 year guarantee or a new one for $3500 with a 3 year guarantee. I was at the hospital as my wife was undergoing reconstructive knee surgery at the time and I just told them I do not have that kind of money now with her medical bills and to just put the thing back together and I would pick it up. OK now that I talked everybody's ear off here is my question. I am a fairly good home mechanic, is it possible to rebuild this thing at home? Has anybody done anything like this? Please help me if you can.

 

If you could get a new trans it would have a 12 month or 12 thousand mile warranty.(THEY ARE NOT AVAIL) the remans from Ford come with a 36/36 and are the only transmissions you can get. You can get the front SEAL ASY-TRANS CONV 2F1Z 7F401-AA
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Ed

 

I rebuilt a Datsun 280Z auto trans once in my basement. It can be done, but I'll bet your new tranny is more sophisticated and requires special tools.

Could you find one at a salvage yard for a reasonble price?

It sure sounds more than coincidental that it failed after the flush. I just can't figure out what they could have screwed up. The more I hear stories like this, the better I feel about doing my own maintenance.

 

if they did a pressure reverse flush on the tranny, they have forced dirt-grit-particles into close tolerance valves, pistons and seals...can actually blow seals out and reverse the neoprene sealing service

NEVER, EVER have a machine powered pressure tranny flush done
if one is going to have a commerical flush done, only the flush systems that use only the pump in the tranny to move the old fluid out and draw the new fluid in

replacing just the front seal will probably not fix the whole problem....rebuilt time only

 

I just ordered a book on rebuilding an AX4S and Rock Auto has all the seals and stuff. She is not going to be driving anytime soon so I think I am going to go for it. I got a good camera so I think I'll keep a journal and pics and turn it into a tech gallery project. Still would appreciate any pointers from the guys who have done something like this. Oh by the way I passed a 1995 White Bronco (in very good shape and clean as a showroom model) on the way home from the hospital for sale for $1395. That would be a whole lot cheaper than a $2500 transmission.

 

another source for parts and helpful info on auto tranny rebuilt
http://www.bulkpart.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=2&Category_Cod e=AXOD

http://www.transtarindustries.com/catDownload.asp?ID=147

must have the case, valve body, cooler lines, torque converter and any other parts you are going to reuse- solvent cleaned and flushed, since they pumped grit, particles thru out the tranny

 

I'm not in your shoes, BUT.........if you are serious about doing the tranny overhaul yourself, remember that the front wheel drive trannies are harder to do than a rear wheel drive. Just because of the half shafts. Also, if you still are going to do it, I'd buy the Bronco and drive it while your Windstar is parked. My $.02.

 

the Bronco V8 is one big gas hog 12-14 mpg with a tailwind downhill on a good day
son has a Jeep Grand Cherokee with the big V8 parked, can't afford to feed it and they won't give him any trade in

 

the Bronco V8 is one big gas hog 12-14 mpg with a tailwind downhill on a good day
son has a Jeep Grand Cherokee with the big V8 parked, can't afford to feed it and they won't give him any trade in

you may have to pull the engine/tranny as one unit to rebuild the Winny tranny

 

If it leaks from a seal, don't you just replace the seal. Come on guys. When you hear hoof sounds, think horses not zebras. this does assume the trans is operating correctly other than the leak.

I completely agree that trans flushing is not always right, I never would do it.

Ken

 

Corrrect you are. I was just taking the word on the guys who diagnosed it. Maybe that's all it is.
When I worked for a dealer I always cringed when I had to do a tranny flush. To me there's just something wrong with not changing the filter along with it. Oh well. I guess it's a money game.

 

these Winstar V6 transverse packages have to be pulled in one unit to work on tranny, front seal can't be replaced in vehicle....may as well go thru the tranny while it's all out and apart, replacing all worn parts
it needs a solvent tank dip of all parts to remove the particle damage the socalled flush has done....bet many of the valve's in body are sticking, loads of particle debris now locked in fins of torque converter and loads of particle plugging in ATF flow holes to clutch pack pistons
the AX4 series don't have the greatest reputation, many Ford TSB's trying to correct design flaws....Ford now recommends changing the tranny fluid in them no more than 30k, suseptible to hvy clutch pack wear with build up of clutch friction particle material

 

I'm sorry, I forgot you couldn't pull just the tranny. Long live rwd.

Ken

 

think the shops drop the whole unit, engine-tranny aka transaxle and front end all in one out the bottom
van body lifted up off assembly
they do about the same for the 6L TPS diesels now, out thru the bottom...body lifted...about 10 bolts, few hoses and line and several wire loom cable connectors and the big bad boy is naked

 

1. Bronco was gone the next day. Damn!
2. Got in touch with the Mobile Lube Express Area Manager and explained everything to him. This guy seemed to be co-operative and agreed to have the van towed to a transmission shop which HE DOES BUSINESS to see if they caused the problem. I agreed and they took the van. Today the transmission shop manager calls me and tells me that the problems with the transmission are that some bushings are shot and that a pump for the torque converter is shot and that when he gets these A4XS transmissions, which are on alot of Ford front wheel drive vehicles, that they usually all have this problem after so many miles (90K).

Now here are some facts:
1. I had no trouble with the transmission prior to this flush and I've had the van for 3 years.
2. The manager at the store where my transmission was flushed lied to me when I took it back and said that he could see where my wife had hit something and damaged the pan and gasket which both Ford and this new transmission shop says there is nothing wrong with the pan. So if the first guy lied to me why should I believe that this transmission shop is not lying to me also. He is an associate of the area manager.

Someone who used to work for this area manager told me to stick to my guns and and tell them that there were no problems with the tranny before they flushed it and between all the horror stories I've heard at this forum as well as through word of mouth locally I really feel like they are liable. So I think it would be in my best interest to exhaust that route before I do anything else.