I have a 1998 4.0 automatic 4x4 ranger approx 165000. I'm not familiar with this truck, just bought it last year, and it sat about a week or two at a time, due to lack of $ and license, in very cold weather. The garage I got it from said the transmission was new, (and it looked shiny, and drove fine, so I beleived them). Later I find out they fired their mechanic for bad practices. Anyway, I loaded up the truck with belongings, and drove it from Minnesota to Grants pass Oregon. Somewhere around the earlyside of Montana, the transmission started to leak, between the bell housing and engine. So, needless to say, it sounds like toast now. We dumped fluid in every 70 miles toward the end, but ran out of $. Now it sounds like a cement truck when I start it. I've looked up some symptoms, and possible matters to address. But I need some help with the procedure of removing the tranny, in order to see what I'll need to purchase. I'm thinking it may be a bad compressor motor, and seal. Unless the parts inside the tranny are ground down, or out of place. My only experience is with manual transmissions, and clutches, but I'm told they're easier to work on. So, if anyone has some diagrams or a link to a manual,or any other input, I would very much appreciate it, thanx.

 

If your coffee grinder/cement mixer is as bad as you say, your bet bet would be to get a factory rebuilt unit and exchange it. The best manuals in the world are no help if you don't have the tools and equip to do the job. It most likely will cost you more to tackle this job than to have it done by a reputable shop. Also , you will get a guaranty with the rebuilt exchange and it will have all the latest updates done to it. If I am discouraging you from attempting this job, yes , that's correct. Just think if you finish this endeavor and it doesn't work right , if you aren't bald you could very well be if you now have to pay someone else to troubleshoot it and fix it.

 

Hanky, thanx, but I can't afford that rout. At the moment, I just wanted to discuss cause, possible issues, and a planned strategy. I do appreciate what you're saying about going through a lot, and then have something else be wrong, but I have access to a tranny jack, and some muscle if needed. And I'm not afraid to tackle anything. The fact that the tranny was still shifting, (roughly mind you), and had just been rebuilt, and installed before the trip, says to me that maybe it's worth just getting it out, and taking a look. My guess is that the mechanic took short cuts, and didn't want to replace the pump and seal at the same time like you're supposed to when replacing the transmission. And the stress was too much on the old parts for the long trip. We did keep dumping fliud in it the whole way, and it did make it here. At high speeds, you could barely tell there was a problem. I'm tryin to figure out a way to temporarily stop the leaking, so I can really see how it's shifting and sounding, but right now we pour in one end, and it almost comes out as fast when running.

 

I feel your pain; I was on a road trip in my '87 Ranger from Colorado to Florida when my bellhousing shattered in east Texas (truly a no-mans land!). It's the very identical powertrain to what yours is.
Most likely, the bellhousing is warped and the pump was run out of it, which is kinda a 'one-piece' unit.
I would suggest that you try a used trans; i've had to resort to this over the years as some of these trannies really did grind themselves up.
A quick overview with this powertrain is to take off the y-pipe, then the rear crossmember and then the t-case. Let the trans hang down low, then remove the bellbolts and have the jack under it.
One word of warning; there is very little room to get to the bell bolts, and it's a really really tight fit to get the bell out from betwixt the cab parting bead and the lower crossbrace that goes under the front of the bell. It takes some work, and take s a little time, but it can be done.
And don't forget to flush the tranny lines. You might also think about doing the rear main seal; as the tranny will be out, like every other 2.9L it's probably leaking.

 

Sweet! Thanx Greasemark for the head's up, and advise. Will be moving the truck soon, and get it ready to dis assemble. Right now, I don't have transportation, so It's not as easy to get to the library.....does someone out there have any diagrams of the automatic transmission for this model? Not completely necessary, but they always help. I'll let ya know when I get the project started. Thanx again.

 

Ok, thanx for all the replys, and, I'm not really a junior member, more like senior...lol. I did have 2 places quote me the same amount to fix tha bad install....so, I had it done at my friend's shop. I would have had no problem with tackeling the job, but time and money were the issue. It is fixed now.