[toronado85]

I recently bought a 1993 Mustang, LX, good body and I like the 4 Cylinder for my son's first car. Only paid $500. The transmission (I am told a A4LD is what the 2.3L should have) is acting up (I knew when I bought it). Car has 1 yr old tires, replaced starter & alternator, gas tank and battery in last 2 yrs. Seemed like a car to take a chance on for my son.

Symptoms:
1) When shifts from second the third gear, RPM goes up to about 3000 RPM
2) Shifts from park to reverse very hard, even when warm and idling at less than 1000 RPM.
3) When in any forward drive gear, it feels like the parking brake is on slightly. Normally I expect a car to start creeping forward, this one does not. Parking break is not on as car rolls easy in neutral. Takes almost 1500 rpm before car begins to move at all.
4) I can get the car to 100 km/hr (60 mph) by letting the car run to about 3000 rpm in second, then shift to overdrive, and car feels normal on hyway at this speed.
5) I sometimes hear a 'chatter noise" when driving which sounds kind of like a loose heat shield rattling, or rattle of an exhaust clamp, etc. but these are all okay from my inspection.
6)Transmission fluid is bright red, and full in the car. No external leaks as the previous owner replaced seals about 18 months ago.

Questions:
1) I am told the A4LD are known for the interemediate servo to fail due to seals break down, rubber gets hard, crackes etc. such that they will leak by. Could this be my second to third gear problem?

2) I am also told the first gear reverse servo can fail too which could be why the car feels like the parking brake is applied when in gear? Leakage has reverse slightly applied all the time?

Any advice on if it is worth my time and effort to take the servos's out and inspect them for condition, drop the pan and look for evidence of anything failing? Or just bite the bullet, and change the tranny. I can get a used 1991 from the wreckers for $500. I can change it myself in my father's shop. Could always keep the old unit as core incase of failure of repalcement?

Looking for anyone's advice, experience good or bad?

[casper gt]

don't waiste your time either way. the one in the car needs rebuilt & the one in the junk yard isn't gonna be any better. just take it to a trans shop & try to get them to give you a decent warranty.

[toronado85]

Not really wanting to just give up, nor rely soley on a wrecker's tranny. Most things I have taken time on can be fixed, just a matter of what cost as compared to replacement. Rebuilds run $1000-$1200 for bench rebuilds. Used tranny $500. Parts this tranny needs if it is just servo's, fluid, filter & pan gasket $100. For 16 year old kid with high probablity to destroy his first car, rebuild tranny seems to be wasted time, money and effort.

Found this on other cars for my kids, like the 89 Cavalier that was told was a toast tranny and motor. Got car for reasonable price, did head gasket and I Dye Penetrant tested the head myself for cracking, install torque convertor lock up solenoid, and back on the road. That was 30,000 km ago and two years now.

[casper gt]

aparently you have your mind made up, so good luck (this is no cavalier trans, they are throw away garbage & I've yet to see even one last any lenght of time, their problem's are very well known)

[toronado85]

With a Jm auto mechanic retired, JM welder retired, a mechanical Engineer, a machinist (Immediate family members) we think before we discard the tranny it is worth a look. Long history of problems on the A4LD tranny, but thought it was worth asking for anyone else's experience good or bad so we could perhaps learn a few things before taking a pan off. Mind is not made up, just taking time to ensure I don't jump when I should have studied the problem closer. Push comes to shove, maybe I should if the tranny is toast consider changing to a standard?

[casper gt]

swapping to a 5 spd. may have some potential, but it wouln't be easy or cheap either.

[toronado85]

I was guessing the swap to a standard may have some cost, seems like everything costs more these days.

Might get lucky with that auto and find soemthing that is repairable like the intermediate servo or first/reverse servo gone which would buy some time for the car until the tranny copmpletely shuts down.

[toronado85]

Problem was two forld, one servo was leaking by as it had through crack in the end, and the modulator was gone, oil in the line gave it away. Fairly inexpensive, and just a long days work.

Shifts like a carm now!