Ugh. I just replaced the transmission in the Little Lamb-orghini with a junkyard find, and it is behaving as shown in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMOARD5TNcU&feature=youtu.be
That is that it makes line pressure and works seemingly as it should for a minute or so, and then it makes a noise kinda like a nitro powered expresso machine and the line pressure sinks to zero. WTF?!?
Pressure control solenoid, pressure relief spring or something else pump related is my best guess without being there looking at it.
I also wonder if the cooler and/or filter are restricted.
In reply to Ranger50:
Cooler, possibly. It is mounte up above the motor, rather than in the traditional location, as it is in the back seat of an Escort. The filter is new, replaced it when checking out the tranny before putting it in. But this didn't seem to bother the other transmission this way.
Actually, maybe I should share the 'rest of the story', in hopes of getting a clue. The original transmission was not shifting into any gear but second after the Challenge, and after brute force testing it, diagnosed it as cooked clutches. 16VCorey hooked me up with another tranny from a '98 Continental, replacing the '97 Continental tranny that was in there.
I pulled the cover off both tranny's, and the old tranny actually looked like it had much less crusty parts, the junkyard one had a bunch of rusty goo in everything. I swapped the plates and torque converter from the '97 to the '98, noting they looked exactly the same and bolted right up. When I dropped the pan on the '98 there was a fair amount of sludge and... a candy wrapper. That was weird. Anyway, cleaned the pan, replaced the filter, filled with fluid, and here's what I've got.
In reply to sporqster:
Oh, and the pressure control solenoid can be ruled out as I have copmpletely disonnected the ECU and it does the exact same thing.
Any help today, as I must have this thing at Road Atlanta Dec 8, and my wife seems to think we should celebrate this thing she calls "Thanksgiving".
Clearly, you have an audible noise. Have you done a mechanic's stethoscope or long screwdriver to isolate the area the noise comes from?
In reply to Ranger50:
No stethoscope, but I have put my finger on it (litterally) and it seems like it is coming from the line pressure port. The 'cappuchino machine' noise I think to be air and fluid rushing through the line pressure channel, seemingly being restricted by something upstream?
I opened the plates up to take a look on the old tranny, wow there's a lot of little passages, about 4 balls, but more ball sockets than balls, gobs of springs plungers and whatnot. I'm going to need to find a diagram of all this as one ball fell out while I was prying off the gasket on the one that is outside the car. All gawd awful complicated. Why God why?!? First the Twinkies, now this?!?
Might be worth it to spend the $30 on a ATRA/ATSG tech manual from the local trans parts supply house.
I still think the pump is broke. Unless the filter gasket is fubar'd and it is sucking air.
Complicated? Nah. Auto transmissions aren't THAT bad. Most people just don't want to take the time to fix them properly and just throw their hands up and say they are complex.
The candy wrapper is a bit odd, but it was on the shelf for 6 years at chest level, so not terribly surprising! Are you sure you got the torque converter all the way in? Also, it was probably a bad idea to use the '97 torque converter. In my experience you should never use the converter from the bad transmission, because the converter holds a lot of fluid, and that fluid can hold a lot of shavings, etc. from the bad transmission. Also, since the '97 and '98 transmissions are not directly interchangeable, I wouldn't assume that the converters would be. The fact that it pumps fluid intermittently and makes noises it's not supposed to make, and the pump is driven directly by the torque converter leads me to believe that it's not engaged all the way or the wrong one.
In reply to 16vCorey:
I did drain the old torque converter, but point taken. I am not looking forward to removing this again, but at least it should be easier the second time around, right? :-(
16vCorey wrote: The candy wrapper is a bit odd, but it was on the shelf for 6 years at chest level, so not terribly surprising! Are you sure you got the torque converter all the way in? Also, it was probably a bad idea to use the '97 torque converter. In my experience you should never use the converter from the bad transmission, because the converter holds a lot of fluid, and that fluid can hold a lot of shavings, etc. from the bad transmission. Also, since the '97 and '98 transmissions are not directly interchangeable, I wouldn't assume that the converters would be. The fact that it pumps fluid intermittently and makes noises it's not supposed to make, and the pump is driven directly by the torque converter leads me to believe that it's not engaged all the way or the wrong one.
I have witnessed a few candy wrappers dropping Ford trans pans in my life. I think someone at the plant is a fuktard. While it is wrong to reuse a potentially bad converter, they are the same converter from 95-02. I think I would have sprung for a new converter, since they are 80 bux reman'd. If the converter wasn't engaged al lthe way, you would have never got the trans bolted in to the block.
16vCorey wrote: Also, since the '97 and '98 transmissions are not directly interchangeable, I wouldn't assume that the converters would be.
I was under the impression the ax4n didn't change anything other than the final drive ratio between those two years.....and afaik, they only changed the final drive in the duratec v6 taurus/sable to the 3.98 gearing.
In reply to yamaha:
There was at least one subtle change I discovered - like the gear selector connector is slightly a different shape, as to make the plug on the harness not quite fit. I transplanted the selector mcthingy from the '97 to the '98 to address that, bolted right up. Why they did this, I can only guess the resistance values were changed for some reason.
Ranger50 wrote: I have witnessed a few candy wrappers dropping Ford trans pans in my life. I think someone at the plant is a fuktard.
That is hilarious. I would have never suspected a berkeleytard at the Ford plant! I just assumed it was a berkeleytard that works in our warehouse.
Ranger50 wrote: If the converter wasn't engaged al lthe way, you would have never got the trans bolted in to the block.
Not totally true. I've seen some ham-fisted mentally deficient "mechanics" force them together, but that is usually very, VERY obvious as soon as they start the engine. HORRIBLE noises occur.
yamaha wrote:16vCorey wrote: Also, since the '97 and '98 transmissions are not directly interchangeable, I wouldn't assume that the converters would be.I was under the impression the ax4n didn't change anything other than the final drive ratio between those two years.....and afaik, they only changed the final drive in the duratec v6 taurus/sable to the 3.98 gearing.
According to my trans part book, they are the same besides final gear and valve bodies.
Ranger50 wrote: According to my trans part book, they are the same besides final gear and valve bodies.
D'OH! I bet that's what's screwed up then. I put the 97 valve bodies in the '98. They look the same to someone who doesn't know what they're looking at.
16vCorey wrote:Ranger50 wrote: If the converter wasn't engaged al lthe way, you would have never got the trans bolted in to the block.Not totally true. I've seen some ham-fisted mentally deficient "mechanics" force them together, but that is usually very, VERY obvious as soon as they start the engine. HORRIBLE noises occur.
The one I did, I broke/cracked one of the bolt ears. Ooooops. Although normally most people don't get the converter studs through the flexplate before impacting the trans down.
In reply to Ranger50:
I didn't screw it up that way, once I cussed the transmission into assuming the position with one jack 2X4's and ratchet straps (think I should upgrade my garage equipment?) it actually mated up nicely, and I made sure the studs hit their holes on the flex plate, got it bolted up.
Did that right I'm pretty sure. Screwed up the valve body swap.
In reply to sporqster:
I was talking about the other hacks out there that pretend to call themselves mechanics. I know some that couldn't fix a derailed chain on a bicycle. 
Ranger50 wrote: The one I did, I broke/cracked one of the bolt ears. Ooooops. Although normally most people don't get the converter studs through the flexplate before impacting the trans down.
Haha! Yep, I've seen that one too! When you work at a salvage yard, It's amazing the things you see people do. Not offense to you or Chris, I've seen much, MUCH worse than these examples.
Can anyone verify this is correct for a '98 Lincoln version of an AX4N? According to the internet where everything is true, this is where the balls go on a '98 Taurus.
sporqster wrote: In reply to Ranger50: Cooler, possibly. It is mounte up above the motor, rather than in the traditional location, as it is in the back seat of an Escort. The filter is new, replaced it when checking out the tranny before putting it in. But this didn't seem to bother the other transmission this way.
Say what ? Most transmission coolers are in the radiator.
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