[Beardog]

I just bought at 99' zx2 out of a yard for $250. Why so cheap? The auto tranny "slams" into reverse, and when put into drive, still wants to creep in reverse, but when you really put the gas to it, it starts to creep forward, but without a lot of force. I've read all the forums I could find on the F4EAT, and have seen nobody with this problem. Advice from a tranny guru would be great!
I rebuilt an automatic out of a 97 Grand Prix for my daughter last year, so I'm not totally incompetent around a wrench(It even worked when I was done!-thank you ATSG manual) I checked the reverse accumulator on top of the tranny for sticking already and it popped right out, so I cleaned and replaced it. Now I'm thinking valve body problems, like a valve is stuck somewhere between drive and reverse?
I would like to attempt a repair leaving the tranny in the car first before pulling it. The valve body seems like the logical next step before removal. Perhaps a Transgo kit would be in order. Any and all advice from a former 4eat tranny problem "shooter" would be appreciated. As my 17 year-old daughter will be driving this rig, the "ditch the auto and get a 5-speed " replies aren't necessary as I have seen them on every other forum. If I were to drive it, I would be with you 100%! Thanks!

 

[zzyzzx]

Did you check the fluid level, and if so how?
Check the other accumulaors. I suspect that there are three of them.
How many miles are on it?

If it'a anything like the ones used in the previous generation Escorts, it does need the trasgo kit fir the pump valve at low idle.

I assume no brake problems since it drive fine in reverse.

I am also assuming that there is no linkage related problems either. I'm also inclined to think that you don't have a problem with the electrical connectors on the transmission.

 

[zzyzzx]

How did you get the car home?

 

[Beardog]

I got the car home by winching it onto a trailer. The tranny has 130,000 miles on it. I just pulled the valve body and noticed quite a bit of black "muck" in the bottom of the pan, some of which I know is to be expected. Also a bit of metallic flecks in the pan--don't know how much of this is to be expected? Looks like a really cool paintjob on a 70's dune buggy--you know what I'm talking about! Anyway, fluid level was OK, but the band in the tranny was exposed when I removed the valve body and it seems quite a bit thinner than the one out of the GM tranny I rebuilt, are these typically very thin, or is all of my wear material gone off my band? I can sort-of flick it with my fingernail and it seems a bit thinner than a dime, This doesn't look right to me, but I don't know if this has anything to do with the tranny not going into 1st since it is called a 2-4 band. (maybe I'm over-anylizing this band, it is possibly supposed to be thin). Anyway, I think I will try the Transgo kit first as some of this muck I am sure made its way into the valve body--I will check all of the solenoids first by jumping them to the battery? Is there a better way with an electrical meter? If I need a tranny kit, where do you recommend buying one off the internet? The last one I got was off ebay, and it seemed a bit cheap, but I could be too scrutinizing. It had Alto brand parts in it--are these OK? I have seen Raybestos kits and other brands which I have actually heard-of before. My kit also had the wrong thickness steels in it, and I had to scan a page in my 4T60e ATSG book and e-mail it to the dude selling the kit to prove him wrong, but once he realized he was wrong, he did send me the correct stuff. The kit was a virtual mess of unmarked O-rings - i'ts a wonder I got it sorted-out. Are they all like this? Thanks for any and all help, Beardog

 

[zzyzzx]

I have used transmissionpartsusa.com and I'd recommend them, but I can't say where they get their parts from or if they are any good (the TransGo kit and filter I got from them were fine). I doubt that you can go to any store and pick uf a transmission kit. I think you can order one from stores witha good return policy and just look at it in the store.

What was the brand of the one you bought off eBay? I would hope that some searching no the internet might get you some ideas as to what brands to use, but I would expect NAPA and CarQuest to carry the better brands as per their usual.

The metal filings are normal and can be ignored unless excessive. I didn't drop my transmission pan until I had about 180,000 miles on it, and those magnets looked more like doughnuts. My pan was easy enough to clean. I probably should have tekn picture oy my version of what you refereed to as muck. I have seen worse pictured here. If I were you I would just clean out everything real good (espically the valve body), and try it with a new filer. Stuff clogged in the valve body can cause all kinds of problems all by themselves. the service manual states that you can do things like bloe conressed air though parts of it, as long as you limit the air pressure.

I would first check my solenoids with a voltmeter set on ohms. If they passed that check, i'd then try energizing them as you had intended.

I an no expert, but I do own a 1995LX with ~184,000 miles in it with the original ATX in it though. I am waiting for denisond3 to chime in, sinec he has rebuilt at least one.

 

[Beardog]

Thanx zzyzzx, you are helping me to confirm a few things, my magnets also looked a bit like little chocolate doughnuts. I energized the solenoids yesterday, and all 5 gave me the "click" sound that I was looking for. I pulled the valve body apart, but kept the valves intact for now so that I can wait till the Transgo kit arrives to ensure that I methodically remove/ replace parts so as not to get anything turned-around or mixed-up (this valve body is very complicated compared to the other tranny I repaired). I have seen so many postings on auto forums for trannys where someone re-pulled their tranny and found parts that they had placed back-in backwards or otherwise wrong, that it makes me a bit anal about parts layout. I saw a posting on where to get a valve body gasket kit and I need to order one of those also since I noticed it isn't supplied with the Transgo kit. I am hoping that perhaps just some loose friction material or a broken spring or whatever was possibly causing my greif. Time will tell. The valves in this body do, however look much better than the GM one I did.( most were made of aluminum an were heavily scarred, so I bought another one off ebay which looked a bit better). I will wait for my kit and completely disassemble/clean valve body and hope for the best. Again, thanks for your two-cents--Beardog

 

[zzyzzx]

You should PM denisond3 and ask him to read this thread and provide comments.