lost forward gears leaks fluid from front is it shot or just a gasket/ seal?

What is your question?

I towed a small trailer full of garbage to dump,it was heavy cause I could feel it as I drove,after dropping off trailer parked truck for a good 2-3 hrs.on way home inside of cab filled up with smoke and I gradually lost all forward gears except 1st, but I have to rev it way up to barely move, reverse is fine.what steps should I take to find out if I need a new tranny etc. or not. it just had a 4x4 block or whatever put in it about 2yrs. ago.

brokenfordsj1 in Paradise CA

Aug 5, 2015

1 Reply

Popular Answer

F15E_Eagle_1on Aug 6, 2015

Check to see where the leak is (inside the bell housing, or outside). The front seal may have failed or you may have overstressed the transmission case with that heavy load and caused torque to crack the transmission case. Cracked case, of course, is BAD, but if you just blew the front seal, or perhaps a cooler line, then some repairs and you should be good to go.

brokenfordsj1on Aug 17, 2015

i dropped the pan and the fluid smelled super burnt, no chunks of metal but it looked it had really fine silver glitter in it.I cleaned the filter out put new fluid and got my gears back temp. same thing happened when i drove 13miles, lost all gears this time, did the same thing but put new filter in, still nothing, and this time there was chunks of thin silver shavings like glitter in it.When i disassembled it this time i noticed one of the sylenoids were a lil loose, not the wires the actual plastic circle they connect too. Removed the valve body so far. What all should i do to check parts as i go, and what do i do to test these parts? how do i take off the sylenoids? Where are my vacume lines and cooler line for tranny? i figure it must be getting really hot to smell burnt the way it does? PLEASE HELP I LIVE IN THE FOREST AND BEING STUCK IS NO JOKE.

F15E_Eagle_1on Aug 22, 2015

Sounds like you may have a major problem. Thoroughly cleaning the valve body and solenoids may help for a while, but when a transmission starts "making metal" a complete overhaul/rebuild is inevitably in your future. As far as HOW to remove the solenoids, I'm not sure, but put in a google search and see what comes up. The "new" filter will now be contaminated with all that metal so DO NOT reuse it. The cooler lines usually come from the passenger side front of the transmission and go to the radiator. If you use this vehicle a lot to pull things, it might be a good idea to install an additional aftermarket cooler. They are relatively easy to install. I'm actually not an automotive tech. My degree is in aviation maintenance so transmissions are not my best subject. Just using personal experience here. Sorry I can't be of more help. Good luck. Used one with 5 yr warranty here: http://www.lowmileageparts.com/1993-FORD-EXPLORER-Transmission-P328338.aspx?gclid=CIfLrozpvMcCFUQ8gQodUAoNcg. Also ebay has used ones http://www.ebay.com/bhp/ford-explorer-transmission.

Reply in Thread

Join the conversation!

What are the best Ford repair shops?

RepairPal Certified shops can diagnose and repair your 1993 Ford Explorer. They provide transparent pricing with a minimum 12-month or 12,000-mile warranty on repairs and services.