[marky38]

Just the other day I changed my 1994 mercury tracers(140k miles) auto trans filter and fluid because it was brown and burnt.It was fine for a day then I noticed it would sorta slip between 2nd and 3rd gear when cold.The fluid never was low.Well it got worse...Anyway..It started making a whinning noise.i drove it for a while like that cause i was on the road..then eventually i lost all my gears.If i let it cool down it goes into drive and reverse but as soon as it heats up,more slippage then no gears..Is this trans toast?..How hard is it the put a trans in these cars..Thanks..Mark

 

[zzyzzx]

I think so. 140K for an ATX isn't bad either.

 

[marky38]

those transmisson average about 140k miles?..man thats not that good

 

[zzyzzx]

I don't know what an ATX averages, all I can say is that the longest lasting one I have heard of lasted somewhere near 193K.

The one on my 1985GT only lasted about 80,000 miles, but i did drive it hard.

 

[sedanman]

that's why you buy a manual. duh.

 

[EscorGo]

You have options:
swap in a JY auto trans
rebuild yours
convert to a 5spd. I think it has been done on here

 

[zzyzzx]

I'm wondering about it working better in the cold. Usually when it goes, it slips in the cold but works OK once it warms up (at least for a while). At least that's what a worn out ATX traditionally does when it goes bad.

 

[marky38]

i agree.....i wondering if my cooler lines are plugged some how..i was also wondering about some TSB ive read about in some posts about blowing compressed air throught the lines..does anybody know whats thats about?

 

[zzyzzx]

I'm also curious as to if you just changed the fluid and filter of if you actually flushed out all the fluid or just only changed out the fluid that came out when you did the filter job.

 

[marky38]

it was just what came out of the pan...Im wondering how hard/and if its worth it to put a tranny in it

 

[zzyzzx]

The TSB is for the transmission oil pump parts.

 

[marky38]

How do you test the pump on this trans?...which coolant line is the output?...I wanna see if my pump is working.Also,How do you adjust the line pressure for more pressure?This is my last effort to get this tranny working again.Thanks again

 

[zzyzzx]

How do you test the pump on this trans?...which coolant line is the output?...I wanna see if my pump is working.Also,How do you adjust the line pressure for more pressure?This is my last effort to get this tranny working again.Thanks again

There is a procedure in the factory service manual which involves attaching a pressure gauge and running the transmission through various modes while watching the gauge. You would need to get the info and the appropriate gauge and fittings to attach the gauge. As to how to improve pump flow, there is a TSB on that. You get a couple of parts (a spring and a valve) that you replace on the transmission oil pump. You can do that without removing the transmission (actually you can replace the whole transmission oil pump without removing the transmission if you really want to). Supposedly replacing these tow parts is very easy. Having said that, I've never tried any of these things, or the stall test, but they do not appear difficult.

 

[marky38]

Thanks for the info..Where do you get the factory service manuals?..Well I disconnected the top trans line from the radiator and started it.It seemed to pump fine.When the trans warms up it makes a whinning noise then eventually i lose my gears.Mabee the pump is damaged?..I changed the filter(there was a little screw at the bottom of the pan,dont know what that was from)...i dont see how i could have screwed up changing the filter its just an o ring and 3 bolts.I think my trans is toast

 

[88scortgt]

Just a thought...
If you found a small screw in the bottom of the pan, I would be looking to see how many more bolts/screws are loose on the valve body. There are at least 6 gaskets in the valve body. If any bolts are loose, it might be letting pressure escape through the gaskets once it warms up.

 

[zzyzzx]

I also suspect that if you could figure out where the screw goes and put it back in, that it might actually solve your problem.

 

[marky38]

well that screw probably has been in the pan for quite some time..i didnt see a place to put it back when i changed the filter.the trans worked before i changed the filter...the noise from the trans is what has me concerned

 

[marky38]

if i dropped the pan again can i use the old gasket still?When putting the filter on, the O ring just sits on the filter tube right?...it doenst have to be pushed up into the valve body right?(if i remeber correctly its too big to fit up in the valve body)

 

[zzyzzx]

if i dropped the pan again can i use the old gasket still?

At this point what do you have to lose?

 

[marky38]

this is true