This Fall I towed my 25' foot boat home from the marina went I got it home I attempted to back it up a pretty steep incline to get it into the barn for the winter. A task I have done in the past but it does take a good running start! Well this time the explorer acted like it had no HP. and it actually over heated. I shut it down only to notice that it was bleeding trany fluid from what looked to be coming from on top of the trany or at the front of the bell housing. I let it cool down and replaced the trany fluid and it has never dripped a drop since and seems to run fine. Well no that it's time to start toweing the Ice shanty and snow mobiles I'm worreid if I should or if there is somthing I should do to protect from haveing this happen agian. And what caused it.
Thanks for any help or guidence!!

Just what year and engine is it. The front seals are known to puke durring high stress. The problem is not so much with the seal (which isn't supposed to see pressure) but with worn bushings. Without knowing what it is and the mileage, that is all I can tell you. Do you have an external cooler? They now have a new cast tranny pan for the V6 units that adds an extra 2 quarts of fluid. This problem can go away till you really stress it again.

It is a 94 with well over 100,000 and it does not have a cooler on the front.
Thanks fof any advice!

You have an A4LD transmission. This seal is one of the harder problems to solve. There is a return passage to pan from this seal that many people drill out to relieve the pressure. Just putting in new bushings hasn't always solved the problem because of alignment issues.

Is there a delay or clunling switching in and out of reverse? There is a known problem with the low/reverse servo O ring leaking that leads to slipping and overheating. This seal is as easy to replace as the transmission filter. There is a new design that has a double lip. At this age it is a good thing to replace if you have high load reverse situations. Problem also shows up in manual low engine braking down hills. Highly recommend you get an external cooler. As far as the oversize pan, the question is not if you leak again but when. With an extra 2 quarts of fluid, you could dump a little more than a quart and still get home. At least you would notice it leaking befor damage was done. The 4WD deeper pan will be available in Feb. at www.yourcovers.com think of it as insurance. There is a visual of the low/reverse servo on www.atcdg.com in tech bull under A4LD. I have a procedure with parts I can post if you are interested.

You are a True scollar and Genteman Your imput and advice has helped me out imensly. (Yea I know my spelling stincks!!)I am going ad an external cooler and as soon as pan is avalable going to do that to. Reverse does not delay or clunk into reverse but will change that piece as well. If you would post that Procdure it would be greatlly appreicated!!!!

A4LD LOW/REVERSE SERVO IMPROVEMENT
Some A4LD, 4R44E, and 4R55E transmissions have a problem with no or delayed reverse engagement, reverse shudder/chatter, and/or no engine braking in manual low (1). Some symptoms are not very obvious but can lead to the early failure of the reverse band. Some have reported that this gets rid of the "clunk" when you go into reverse. This is the result of the O-ring on the Low-Reverse Servo developing a heat set and failing to make a complete seal. The low/reverse servo has the largest surface area in the transmission, except for the Torque converter clutch, is a double wrap design and located at he output end of the transmission. These all imply that it sees a lot of torque and could be one of the first components to fail from age. Every A4LD should probably have these O-rings replaced. My 92 transmission was rebuilt in 96 and it did not get this improved seal at that time. There is an updated "double lip" style seal made out of a polyacyrlic rubber instead of the nitrile rubber compound O-ring.. This solution was first borrowed from the C6 transmission and is now included as part of the O-ring kit from the better suppliers.

WARNING: This is a blind procedure and there is no practical way of knowing if the reverse band is seated properly. Unlike single bands, the reverse/low band is a double wrap band and this limits major movement. Frictional and. viscous forces will tend to keep the band where it is. The servo rod is rounded at the end and fits into a well on the band as well as the two housing pins. This serves to self align the band. Obviously for manufacturing purposes, when the transmission is stood vertically on the output end, movement of the band to the rear is restricted and is in position to accept the servo rod. Forward movement of the band, however, is not restricted. Rotation of the output shaft, large vibrations and the transmission pointing down toward the front could cause the band to move forward. The ATSG A4LD manual lists the Low/Reverse Servo as a separate repair procedure on page 47 that can be performed without removal of the transmission. This is not just something I made up. Like any transmission procedure, flushing, pump out, or new fluid has the potential to cause new problems. If you are not currently experiencing delayed reverse or loss of low braking, the risk/benefit of this procedure may not be appropriate. Every effort was made to insure this information is accurate with a transmission in a vehicle and by viewing operation of a disassembled transmission on a stand. This should not be considered professional advice and unknown manufacturing changes could cause an unforseen problem.

I used the overhaul kit from bulkparts.com for the 85-95 A4LD #23031 which is approximately $30. This is the Toledo Trans-Kit from SPX/FILTRAN. The two O-rings that you will need are packaged separately in the kit and will be easy to find. Replacement is no more difficult than changing the filter.

This technical bulletin can be viewed on www.atcdg.com by clicking on tech and looking for A4LD.

Another improvement is the American made glass fiber MicroFelt filter from SPX/FILTRAN.. This is also the same filter that is used in the 5R55E (#23921 for 4WD). If you have shopped for filters previously, you will remember that some 2WD versions got the filter element and the 4WD versions got just a metal screen. Evidently 4WD vehicles needed a higher flow for better cooling/shifting. The new filter is physically much larger than the old filter. There is even more filter area because the filter is folded over and welded inside to create twice the surface area. Flow restriction is no longer a problem with this filter. Be sure you order the correct long or short tube version depending on your pan design. This filter is only about $10 from www.bulkpart.com and comes with a new bolt and spacer. THE FILTER MUST BE SEATED PROPERLY OR THE TRANSMISSION WILL SUCK IN AIR. The bolt sits in a well and it is not obvious if the bolt bottoms out. If the filter is ordered separately, it does not come with replacement O-rings or a pan gasket. These seals are included in the overhaul kit. SPX/FILTRAN technical details can be viewed on www.bryco.com. SPX, an OEM supplier, has the patent on this filter design #D422600 and many others.
Working on a transmission only seems a like a formidable task. Replacement of these items is easy for anyone to do without removal of the transmission. I have removed and installed the reverse servo several times and there is nothing tricky about it. The center shaft eases the alignment of the piston. The spring only requires moderate effort to compress. The only item to pay attention to is the cover which has a tilted mounting surface and mounts only in one direction. Mark the rear section of the cover before removal. Before installation, the walls on the valve body should be lightly cleaned with a crocus cloth. Remove any sediment from the housing, piston and cover with brake cleaner prior to installation of the new O-rings. Lubricate parts with transmission fluid before installation.

While the pan and filter are off, the torque on the valve body bolts should be checked. When I changed the filter on my 97 5R55E, I found all the valve body bolts were all loose. This could be the problem with many transmissions as they age. Be sure to use the correct torque. Too much is as bad as too little and will cause the plate to warp. Seven foot-pounds is not much of a twist. Transtec has a optional double thick valve body gasket kit to correct more difficult sealing problems.

The steps are as follows:
1. Place vehicle in PARK and leave it in that position for the entire procedure.
2. Make sure that after the vehicle has been jacked up that the front of the vehicle is higher than the rear.
3. Remove pan
4. Remove transmission filter
5. Mark the back edge of the reverse servo cover. Remove four retaining screws on the servo cover. Hold the cover as the screws are removed. The spring between the piston and the valve body will push the piston and cover down. Note the cover surface is slanted and note the position.
6. Inspect for excessive wear. Lightly clean surfaces with a crocus cloth and install the two new O-rings. Lubricate piston with transmission fluid.
7. Replace ( new gasket if available), cover, piston and spring. Torque bolts to specification.
8. Replace filter, old O-rings may need to be transferred from old filter
9. Replace pan gasket and install pan.
10. Fill with 3 quarts of fluid. Start engine and cycle from forward to reverse. Recheck fluid levels when warm.

You might be able to get these O-rings individually at a large distributor like transtarindustries.com if you go to their online catalog.


TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS:
Oil Pan to Case 8-10 Ft-Lbs
Reverse Servo to Case 80-115 Inch-Lbs, 6.7-9.6 Ft-Lbs
Main Control (valve body) to Case 71-97 Inch-Lbs, 5.9 -8.0 Ft-Lbs

REFERENCES:
SPX/FILTRAN, Technical Bulletin No. 124,
C3, A4LD, 4R44E, 4R55E Delayed Reverse Engagement

ATSG, Ford A4LD Techtran Manual Pages 22, 23, 24, 31, 36, 47, 62, 111

www.atcdg.com (View tech bulletins, A4LD
www.bulkpart.com