Radiator exploded, thud/delay into reverse help!
 

Hey there!
Backstory first:
I have the opportunity to fix up an old beater 1994 Ranger XLT 4x2 from my job. If I fix it, it's mine to keep. I don't know the exact history of this vehicle, but I can ballpark some with old staff.

Details:
1994 Ford Ranger XLT 4.0 OHV
A4LD (?) Automatic Transmission
4x2
8.8 Rear axle
~85,000 miles I think

Problems:
1. The passenger side of the radiator exploded? The hose to the radiator has blown off taking the shroud with it. Possible water pump dead? See attached.
2. After radiator exploded, was rolled in N down hill while running ~3 mins. Might have damaged head gasket?
3. Transmission shifts well from N and up. But shifting into Reverse happens after waiting ~8 seconds and then it "THUDS" into place and works.

Is this even a project I should look into? How can I narrow down some of the problems? Any advice would be appreciated!

Welcome to the forum
Yes it is an A4LD trans in a 1994 Ranger
Delay going into reverse means internal pressure is low, reverse requires highest pressure to engage, which is why any pressure problems are noticed in reverse first
This is for any automatic, "lost reverse" or "delay in reverse" are common complaints, and a sign transmission is due for a rebuild

If engine was over heated then heads will need to come off and be pressure tested
4.0l OHV had weak casting between valve seats and pretty much always cracked when overheated.
Once cooling system is sealed you can do a Glove Test to see if head is cracked or head gasket is blown.

4.0l OHV is a reliable engine and over 400k miles on bottom end is not unusual, overheating is their weakness, which is totally in owners/drivers control

Since 1985 or so all automatics are computer controlled, A4LD has two solenoids connected to engine computer(PCM), torque lockup and OverDrive, neither of which would cause Reverse problem.
But because of the computer control you can not use a 1995 and up automatic, 4R55E, which is an A4LD but just has more solenoids, lol.
So you will either need to rebuild your A4LD or get a replacement A4LD from/for a 4.0l OHV 2WD
The forward gears will continue to work fine, reverse will eventually not engage anymore when pressure drops low enough

You can try putting in a "trans fix" fluid, won't hurt anything, and brand doesn't matter, they all do the same thing
They swell seals and gaskets to try and reduce the internal leaks, which can bring up the pressure.
They also have friction modifiers which can help with clutch and band friction


The exploded upper rad hose is not uncommon on any engine, could be rad cap's main valve failed to open at 16psi, which caused high pressure in cooling system
And rad cap failure could also have reduced coolant level in the engine/rad, causing overheating which in turn would be even more pressure, so something has to give