4R70W lost overdrive - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

BrandonP71 · 10-26-2010, 03:25

So my transmission has no overdrive 175k miles on it. When I got the car the transmission fluid was very dirty and smelled like trains. I have drained the pan and torque converter and changed the filter and all this did was make the car shift smoother with overdrive off. But if I try to turn overdrive on it just revs as it tries to shift into overdrive without ever shifting.

Assuming its the overdrive band this would require a full transmission drop right? I can pick up a used 4R70W for ~$300 bucks on ebay. Would this be a better option then having my transmission rebuilt and/or replacing the overdrive band?

I have never dropped or installed a transmission before and do not own a transmission jack. Is this something with help I can accomplish? In January I will start going to school far away and traveling over 50 miles a day and probably want overdrive then but I have a few months to figure it out.

BTW: No codes flash or anything of that sort when the car is trying to engage into overdrive.

slickvic3106 · 10-26-2010, 07:17

I just recently put a trans in my 99 crown vic. If the one you can get on ebay comes with papers or mileage i would go that route. But its gonna cost you a pretty penny to get yours rebuilt, although everything would be new inside. If you have a police car make sure you get one that is from a police car. It has different shift points and what not. If you have general knowledge and know how of tools and a car you could most likely change the trans. Hope this helps

**Bert** · 10-26-2010, 08:32

I don't know how much the ebay one would cost to ship but you can check here and possibly find one near you. You might be able to rent a transmission jack. Get a Haynes or Chilton manual, (your library might have one to check out) and see if you want to attempt it. http://www.car-part.com/index.htm

KStromberg · 10-27-2010, 21:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by slickvic3106

I just recently put a trans in my 99 crown vic. If the one you can get on ebay comes with papers or mileage i would go that route. But its gonna cost you a pretty penny to get yours rebuilt, although everything would be new inside. If you have a police car make sure you get one that is from a police car. It has different shift points and what not. If you have general knowledge and know how of tools and a car you could most likely change the trans. Hope this helps

slickvic, the interceptor transmission and the civilian transmission are virtually the same except for the length of the tailshaft housing and output shaft. The interceptors had a smaller diameter higher stall torque converter. This change was accounted for in the "Police tune" and has nothing to do with the transmission itself. I'm not too sure if the shift points themselves even changed. I think the rev limiter was just raised. For what it's worth, I have had both a police transmission and a civilian transmission in my Lincoln. Both shift identical with the converter combo that I have. Only the tailshaft housings were swapped.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandonP71

Assuming its the overdrive band this would require a full transmission drop right? I can pick up a used 4R70W for ~$300 bucks on ebay. Would this be a better option then having my transmission rebuilt and/or replacing the overdrive band?

Brandon, do you have any local salvage yards in the area that can accommodate your needs? You should try to find a lower mileage transmission. It's just not worth it to replace the overdrive band. I watched my buddy disassemble one of these and it is a bottomless pit of parts, and if you are an amateur, good luck getting it all back together. For what it's worth, I have a 70K mile transmission from the local salvage yard in my Lincoln with all those mods you see listed and it shifts like a million bux. I got the transmission for $150 after I returned my core. Be sure they have a tag on it stating the year/mileage for a little peace of mind. With the civilian trans, you MAY have to also pick up the longer driveshaft to account for the tailshaft/output shaft difference. Both transmissions worked for me, but I have a custom driveshaft that is a tight fit already. Another thing that you should consider is getting the JMOD done to your transmission. This is one of the best shifting mods for the 4R70W and makes the transmission last longer because it reduces clutch slippage which is a common trait of the 4R70Ws. It Let's face it, these transmissions shift lazy even when equipped in a police car. That is one mod that is worth the money along with a nice big transmission cooler. :)

Here is a great place to have that done for you. The price can't be beat either:
http://www.vapauto.com/jmod.htm

lHere is some good information for you to browse through:
http://www.p71interceptor.com/tranny...vic/index.html

BrandonP71 · 10-28-2010, 01:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by KStromberg

slickvic, the interceptor transmission and the civilian transmission are virtually the same except for the length of the tailshaft housing and output shaft. The interceptors had a smaller diameter higher stall torque converter. This change was accounted for in the "Police tune" and has nothing to do with the transmission itself. I'm not too sure if the shift points themselves even changed. I think the rev limiter was just raised. For what it's worth, I have had both a police transmission and a civilian transmission in my Lincoln. Both shift identical with the converter combo that I have. Only the tailshaft housings were swapped.

Brandon, do you have any local salvage yards in the area that can accommodate your needs? You should try to find a lower mileage transmission. It's just not worth it to replace the overdrive band. I watched my buddy disassemble one of these and it is a bottomless pit of parts, and if you are an amateur, good luck getting it all back together. For what it's worth, I have a 70K mile transmission from the local salvage yard in my Lincoln with all those mods you see listed and it shifts like a million bux. I got the transmission for $150 after I returned my core. Be sure they have a tag on it stating the year/mileage for a little peace of mind. With the civilian trans, you MAY have to also pick up the longer driveshaft to account for the tailshaft/output shaft difference. Both transmissions worked for me, but I have a custom driveshaft that is a tight fit already. Another thing that you should consider is getting the JMOD done to your transmission. This is one of the best shifting mods for the 4R70W and makes the transmission last longer because it reduces clutch slippage which is a common trait of the 4R70Ws. It Let's face it, these transmissions shift lazy even when equipped in a police car. That is one mod that is worth the money along with a nice big transmission cooler. :)

Here is a great place to have that done for you. The price can't be beat either:
VAP Auto - J-Mod Kits

lHere is some good information for you to browse through:
Crown Victoria Transmission Assemblies - p71interceptor.com

Thanks for the tip! I will start looking at the local salvage yards and that parts website for a local transmission before buying one online. I was not aware that I could swap either one. I would definitely rather have a civilian used transmission with low miles.

I will also get a haynes or chiltons manual. I have one for my mustang and sisters focus and they are pretty good with the steps!

Thanks for all the help guys I have a lot to figure out before January!

And I really like the idea of being able to buy the j-mod valve body and just swap it in will be doing that for sure before I swap! Thanks for that link

slickvic3106 · 10-31-2010, 10:16

Yes they are virtually the same trans but when you look them up in the HOLLANDER program or the AIMS program it specifies that if it is a police interceptor use an interceptor or civilian use civilian. Yes they work either way but the guts must be different. I worked at LKQ for 4 years and know that program very well.