Hi folks - new member and a confused one! I'm trying to raise a '93 Ranger XL 2.3 Auto from the grave (just about). Truck ran when parked 30 months ago and transmission worked. I bought it in February 2020. Was told that, and that they believed it had a bad freeze plug, the one inside the bell housing. There's all the background I had. Totally dead, a new battery revealed a bad fuel pump. Pulled the bed to get at that, pressure washed the axle/frame/etc. that was exposed, sprayed a rust-reformer Rustoleum paint on all, put bed back. New plugs/wires/coils with the new pump - no start. Fuel pump not getting juice. Swap relays, starts right up. Check tranny fluid - none on stick, Add quart. Still none. Added another half quart - over full on stick now. Start truck up again - beautiful. Runs nicely. I'm thinking, cool, this may be okay. Go to put it in reverse - nothing. Slight drop in RPM's, but not like it ought to be. No overdrive, drive, second or first either, just sits, little RPM change, acted once like it might connect but didn't. I have rebuilt 3 Volvo 850's in worse shape, this is my first Ranger. I have some suspicions, but would love for the ones who know, to enlighten me, please! Thanks for any and all help.

Mark with the little white Ranger

 

Welcome to the forum

You have an A4LD automatic transmission in a 1993 Ranger

You check automatic transmission fluid level with engine running, and you can add fluid as needed with it running
When engine is off trans fluid level should be OVER full, thats normal

All automatics run on Fluid Pressure, 100-200psi is needed
There is a pump in the transmission, the front pump, the torque converter spins it, this pump is what generates the 100-200psi fluid pressure
That pressure is sent to the Valve Body
The valve body uses/channels that pressure to the clutches and Bands(brakes) which are the rotating parts of the transmission
Minimum pressure for a Forward gear is 120psi
Minimum pressure for Reverse is 160psi, <<< this is why Reverse often quits work or is delay when there is a pressure issue inside trans

Now since the pump is connected to the torque converter, and tor converter is connected to engine, raising engine RPMs increase pump RPMs and its pressure
This is why REVing the engine may cause engagement

How do you lose pressure?
Well pump can of course get weaker, although Ford models tend to last
The Valve body gaskets and seals can leak, if trans sat for a long time, over 2 years, the gaskets and seals WILL dry out and leak
So best guess is that you will, at a minimum, needs to redo Valve Body, but since trans is 27 years old, it would be best to pull it and rebuild it, but up to you

 

Hi Ron, and thanks for all the info and taking much time in your reply. I now have added 4.5 quarts of fluid and a quart of Lucas Transmission Fix (I already had it, and had no more fluid! Lol), and I'm NOT seeing anything on the stick - before, I hadI read it hot, in neutral - but what I had thought was showing fluid level was just what got on the stick from it being run down the sides of the dipstick tube that had just had fluid added - there's no level yet. Two other curiosities: first, the seller said when they went to move it last time, they had to shut it off before it overheated because all the coolant ran out from inside the bell housing...which I suspect of course was not coolant at all from the freeze plug but the tranny fluid. I have run this motor over 20 minutes without adding coolant, with the pressure cap on, and no coolant shows anywhere. Curiosity 2: I haven't pulled the wheels yet to check for frozen brakes or even raised them to spin them (tomorrow morning's job lol)...but when truck is put in neutral, running or not, on flat ground, I alone cannot begin to make this truck budge an inch...your thoughts?

 

Rear brakes are locked, not unusual after sitting, e-brake cables can be rusted so can't release
There is a rubber plug on the inside of the wheel that can be removed and you can adjust the STAR wheel to hopefully release the shoes from the drum


Front seal of transmission may be blown, that's where the pump is and fluid will flow out very fast, you will see it leaking out

A4LD Trans hold 6 quarts of ATF, but 3 of those quarts are in the torque converter so doesn't drain out, but could be pumped out of bad seal