My Ole' '95 Truck

Well, MS Joyce wants to put it out to pasture, and I'm not really wanting to yet...A couple years back we had a real hard, really low temp winter. Living on a hill, I generally use the all wheel drive Jeep when it gets slick and Snow packed ice, not the 2 wheel drive truck. Well come spring thaw, the tranny started acting up and not wanting to shift from 2nd to 3rd. So it got parked for a long while. Ms Joyce was recovering from her knee replacement, then I had mine replaced, and nothing was happening with the truck.
Well getting the pontoon given to us, I need to get it running soon, as the boats too big for the Jeep to really handle. I read a while back that not to change the trans fluid and filter on high milage vehicle because of some reason I don't remember any more...Then today, on a Ford forum I read to go ahead and change them, as it won't hurt them. So, I'm turning to the transmission guru's here for opinions on this. Will changing the trans filter, and fluid help my problem in shifting from second to third? could the shift solenoid be the problem or something else. It is a 4R70W trans that was replaced around 10 yrs ago. I really need some help here...Thank you in Advance. Eric.

Now I'm no expert, at all, I just tinker. And I only work my own stuff for good reason (don't want to break someone else's stuff). But first thing I'd ask, does it shift to third if you change gears manually? And then I'd ask, was it slipping at all, or would it just not shift? Lastly, you got nothing to loose if you do change the oil and filter as you ain't driving it now anywho. And hey, maybe just get a used low mileage one from junk yard. Those old trucks are better than new ones these days.

Morning Slab. As for the manual shifting, I never tried it, I will later today...No it wasn't slipping, just would not shift. In the trailer park, speeds 10mph and under, everything good. when I got out to the main road and put some gas to it, it would not shift...I was shopping around for another tranny already when I came across the Ford Forum and they were talking about the fluid and filter. Actually, the guys were discussing an engine swap from a 5.0 to a 5.8w which caught my attention any way. and in their discussion the trans came up...and I agree on the better trucks being older ones. Once I get this trans issue figured out, the 5.8W will be done next...

Does the 4R70 use a modulator valve? Too old for electric shift. Vacuum line may be off the Modulator either at the transmission or under the hood. Also mice like to chew the hose. It's old enough the hose is dry rotted most likely if never replaced.

According to the Trans shop around the corner, ACE Transmission, this is an electronic shift Transmission. Donno...

I do know the fluid pan has 14 bolts and there is an electronic plug going into the trans.

Hmmm, I stand corrected, thew 4R70W is NOT an electronic shift transmission...Thank you John.

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Originally Posted by Rojo

Does the 4R70 use a modulator valve? Too old for electric shift. Vacuum line may be off the Modulator either at the transmission or under the hood. Also mice like to chew the hose. It's old enough the hose is dry rotted most likely if never replaced.

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I will be looking into this a bit latter today as it's supposed to be real nice today...

I agree with Slab. You can’t go wrong changing the filter and fluid. It could be that your transmission valve body is just simply worn out and needs replaced. I would inspect all the wires and hoses carefully especially the hoses for dry rot or cracks as previously mentioned. :popcorn:popcorn

Alrighty then...I went out and went over things in the truck. Didn't find any loose vacuum lines, but did find where rge vacuum line to the air distribution modulator for the cab is missing...which controls the vent door for heat/ac distribution in the cab. Gonna have to see where it stopped at, prolly in one of the wire looms right near there. checked fluid levels, replaced rubber nipple on second spigot at radiator, right under overflow nipple to bucket, why two. Radiator replaced by same shop who did transmission replacement, hmmm. Wrong radiator, wrong transmission??? donno.
warmed truck up and off I went. Right a way noticed a sort of whining noise, helped to have window down. through park everything normal. went out to two lane rd in front of park. gassed it. whining stayed the same volume wise/ pitch wise. truck did shift into 3rd on it's own. At big 4 lane blvd, about 4 blocks away I turned around. Coming back, I did the manual shift thing Slab was talking about. It did shift this way, but was delayed even after the manual shift to next gear. went past park to end of street and turned around. Total distance of street, not quite 1/2 mile. Turned back toward 4 lane blvd and repeated procedure of manually shifting trans. to other end. at first didn't want to shift to third till I slightly lifted pressure on throttle pedal, then shifted. turned around and went in park to house. in the 3 blocks back to park entrance used the D location and shifting was delayed and seemed hard...
Thoughts, posibilities...

It's not gonna hurt to change the fluid and filter......just don't do a flush.

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Originally Posted by tlefire

It's not gonna hurt to change the fluid and filter......just don't do a flush.

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So why not a flush to get rid of all old fluid

The Risk: Sludge Disruption
The "Myth": For high-mileage or neglected transmissions, the old, dirty fluid contains friction-modifying deposits that help worn internal parts (bands/clutches) work.
The Danger: A powerful flush can dislodge these deposits, sending chunks through the valve body and clogging passages, leading to transmission failure.

Thank you for the info tlefire...

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Originally Posted by Jamesdean

truck did shift into 3rd on it's own. At big 4 lane blvd, about 4 blocks away I turned around. Coming back, I did the manual shift thing Slab was talking about. It did shift this way, but was delayed even after the manual shift to next gear. went past park to end of street and turned around. Total distance of street, not quite 1/2 mile. Turned back toward 4 lane blvd and repeated procedure of manually shifting trans. to other end. at first didn't want to shift to third till I slightly lifted pressure on throttle pedal, then shifted. turned around and went in park to house. in the 3 blocks back to park entrance used the D location and shifting was delayed and seemed hard...
Thoughts, posibilities...

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so it works!!!

Yeah without driving it myself, can't tell nuttin! Come down to Florida and warm yourself up, and I'll check it out. hehe

j/k, still can't help more without driving it, but especially if there's no slipping, I'd change the oil and filter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tlefire

The Risk: Sludge Disruption
The "Myth": For high-mileage or neglected transmissions, the old, dirty fluid contains friction-modifying deposits that help worn internal parts (bands/clutches) work.
The Danger: A powerful flush can dislodge these deposits, sending chunks through the valve body and clogging passages, leading to transmission failure.

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"A powerful flush can dislodge these deposits, sending chunks through the valve body and clogging passages, leading to transmission failure." quote, tlefire

The top reason why tranny shops want you to do it! JMO!!

I never do a flush on any tranny over 100K miles. I do a fluid & filter, just what drops from the pan. Also I cut the filters open and check for clutch material as when I hit every 30K miles I do it again 2 more times. The stuff stuck in buildups is not desirable circulating in the system so not flushing older non-maintained tranny is risky in my book.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rojo

I never do a flush on any tranny over 100K miles. I do a fluid & filter, just what drops from the pan. Also I cut the filters open and check for clutch material as when I hit every 30K miles I do it again 2 more times. The stuff stuck in buildups is not desirable circulating in the system so not flushing older non-maintained tranny is risky in my book.

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Am I reading this right...when you do a fluid change, your actually doing it three times. If so, how much time or miles between each. I get the 30,000 miles part, then change fluids three times with filter...

I buy old stuff, abandoned looking, sitting under a tree till you can't tell the color. Usually 120-150K miles. The initial PM on the transmission is fluid & filter along with inspecting the inside of the filter. Assuming nothing alarming in the filter I drive the vehicles while working out all the CEL's that pop up. Every time I hit a 30K miles milestone I do the fluid & filter again for a total of 3 times. My Fishin' Expedition has 244K on the transmission now, when I hit 250K I will do the fluid & filter once more. Now the Expedition will get a Ford Remanufactured Transmission after that if no failure by 300K. My personal new purchases I change the fluid & filter at 100K then at 30K intervals to monitor the Transmission health. My Mercedes I can not service at all, to do properly you need the Mercedes STAR software so at $600 a pop I will not do it again. Keep in mind I drive 4 vehicles and my wife drives 1 so it takes us a while to put miles on 5 vehicles with only 2 drivers. Not flushing (hooking a machine to the Tranny cooling lines to replace every bit of fluid at one time) is the way I go. Mainly because of the very high detergent content in ATF. If I cut open a filter and find clutch material, metal, or other debris I don't drive the transmission to failure that way the coolers, radiator, lines don't get plugged with contamination.

Thank you for the clarification John.