Got a difficult purchasing decision here...have an opportunity to purchase another Aero. Both have the 4.0L, except the '94 has the A4LD tranny and the '96 has the 4R55E tranny. Both of my current Aero's have the A4LD and I have had NO PROBLEMS with either (225K miles and 195K miles). I understand the noises/symptoms and am familiar with most of the fixes...even a total rebuild, if necessary. Should I broaden my experiences and go with the new tranny model or stick with a tranny with whom I have had a pleasant relationship?

Also, are there any differences between these two 4.0L motors ('94 vs '96)...if any?

Thanks,
Michael
'93 Aero 3.0L Extended (225K miles)
'94 Aero 4.0L Extended (195K miles)
'94 Explorer 4.0L XLT (183K miles)

 

4R55E and 5R55E are electronically controlled versions of a4ld... seems to me less problems, may be becouse they are not so old like a4ld... well, 4.0 of aeros are all of pushrod design but late are OBD-II.. you need a scanner to pull codes, but odb reader is cheap, really cheap..... $100 usually

 

There must be other pros and cons you are basing your decision on. Price? Mileage? I wouldn't presume to steer you either way just base on the tranny model.

 

96 all the way. Better tranny and different intake manifold.
Suppose I'm biased..nah

 

totally depends on the quality of long term maintenance the 2 rigs have had up to this point.
i never buy a used rig that the service/maint. is not documented in detail on. just an owner/seller's word is worthless a year later.

maint. is the whole secret to long life in these Aeros. the guy that's too lazy to wash and wax the rig a couple times a year is also too lazy to check and change the oil regularly.

 

I think a biggey is to make sure the antifreeze isn't being ingested into the engine. Hard to tell before you buy.. Also take for a ride and hammer it. My green 96 just down right flies real throaty intake roar. My other two don't have as much it seems.

Dick

 

Mileage is really no biggy. Depends on the amount of care and love a van has has. A vehicle that has half the mileage but was never driven more than 10 miles one way to work after every start up will have more wear from the gasoline settling in and breaking down the oil protection in the cylinders.

Another one for me at least is to get a history of its maintenance life. Has fluid change intervals been adhered too or parts changed out when needed. A glove box full of receipts is something I consider a plus and at least the owners ability to stay on top of the game in the long run.

 

I'd say 96, just because you get newer technology, & improved reliability which goes with it......

Seriously though, check out the owner if your buying private ! We all know the longevity of these rigs, this is further substantiated by a conscientious owner. Best rig in the world can only take so much abuse..... + the better it was looked after, the more is left in the vehicle.

Aeroman

 

I'd go for the '96 because it has OBDII and diagnostics can tell you a little bit more.

Not to thump on a beehive here, but unless you do a bunch of towing, the better engine is the 3.0 that you currently own.

 

anyway, comparing two vans in approximaty equal condition, i'd like to purchaise '96 with 4R55e and OBD-II

 

3L also has a very similar amount of power output but at slightly higher revs.....It'll still tow O.K. not quite as good if you have some hilly terrain.

 

4.0 is 163HP, 3.0 is 147HP. 4.0 SOHC has really good perfomance with 3.0 fuel milage, but does not fit aero....

 

what are the torque numbers for these motors?I`ve had the 3.0 and the 4.0 and the 3.0 can`t hold a candle to the 4.0 power and speed.

 

I've owned four Aeros, all of them extended, and between the four, they've had a million miles on them. Two of them were 3.0 engines and two of them were 4.0 engines. I've bought all of them used, so the miles before I've owned them were of unknown conditions and maintenance.
The van with the best gas mileage is a '94 4.0 extended that I currently own. A couple of months ago I got 25.2 mpg on a 400 mile stretch of highway. Surprised?
Now the Aero that I've owned with the most power was a '91 3.0 extended. Surprised again? We live on a gravel road and when the van would shift it would momentarily spin the tires. Even my wife always talks about how powerful the "white van" was.
Maybe it was overhauled and somebody modded it a little bit. I don't know. It still averaged about 22-23 mpg on the highway. After about 270K miles, the overdrive went. I then drove it about another 10K (without overdrive) before a head gasket went.
I guess my vans are not the norm, but the 3.0 is a good engine.

 

I got 20 mpg fully loaded hilly highway in VT to CT. I mean loaded! and thats with an AWD that never comes out of OD on hills.


Dick