As I mentioned in a previous topic here, I have replaced the drivetrain (t/c, tranny & t/case) in my 97 4.0 SOHC Explorer because of bad slippage in 3rd.

I'm 99% convinced that the drivetrain that I put in was working because I know the history if the donor car, it was broken for spares when the guy who owned it grenaded a timing chain in the motor. Yes, Ford here in the UK are THAT bad when it comes to getting parts (The explorer was sold here by Ford in very low numbers but they no longer carry ANY spares, nor do the parts palces).

Anyway, I bought the whole drivetrain from the breaker. The car it came out of had been standing waiting on parts for at least 15 months before the guy who owned it sold it to the breakers but it could have been longer.

On replacing everything, double-checking all was as it should be and refilling with fresh fluid & a new filter I have no drive!
For some reason the transmission only took 6 quarts or so of fluid. From empty when I installed it, I added a gallon and ran it a few seconds then added more a little at a time, starting and running the motor and shifting from Park thru 1 and back to park every time, and once sufficient fluid was in there I checked in park with the motor running as you're supposed to. It's still full to the mark now.
Anyway, as I said I have no drive from the tranny. When you shift from park thru the gears the revs don't drop as you'd expect then to do when it shifts into gear, and going from drive or reverse to neutral doesn't give any change in RPMs either.
If I select drive and slowly increse the RPMs from idle I can get it to feel like it wants to creep along at around 2500 RPMs and it'll move very slowly a few inches but it never feels like it wants to actually go anywhere, I didn't rev it past 3000. Same with reverse.

Anybody have any ideas? Go easy on me because I'm an auto trans numbskull (but I'm learning!) although I'm an OK mechanic.
There are NO nasty noises from anywhere, the whole thing sounds as sweet as a nut when it's running, it just won't drive.
I have a 30 day warranty on this drivetrain so I need to either get it running or return it in the next few weeks.

 

Is there any possibilty of you putting the squeeze on the pump gear with the convertor when it was installed?
This will wipe out the drive gear pretty quick.

 

Not that I was aware of, it all went together pretty easy. Nothing was forced.
There were no nasty noises at all, either on startup or subsequent running. I'm guessing I'd have heard something if it tore up the drive gear, right?
How do I check; rip it all apart again?
Thanks for your quick response.

 

Drop the pan and have a looksee first.

 

Sorry to be A PITA on auto tranny issues but what am I looking for? debris in the pan?
Of will I be able to see damage up inside the transmission?
All I've ever done before is change the fluids & filters so my knowledge is limited

 

Not being PITA at all.

When you remove the pan have close look at the fluid level.

In a properly filled transmission the level must be at or close to the pan/case level.

Is the breather plugged by any chance?

This will give an incorrect reading.