Expie died

[Randy-IA]

Well this probably won't make you feel any better, but it's a good read.

4r70w no forward gears, only reverse. help needed.. - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Clutch, Transmission, Differential, Axle & Transfer Case - 4r70w no forward gears, only reverse. help needed.. - I have used this site for a long time but this is my first time having to post. I have a 98 expedition with a 4.2 liter 4x4 and what I believe to be a 4r70w transmission (u code on...

www.ford-trucks.com

It was interesting. Not depressing. I believe that mine might have the broken forward drum.

It's been a year since it broke so I need to get back to it. Cool front just went through with noise and badly needed moisture finally. I have to pick an implement I won at an auction before I go to work tomorrow and I have to work a 12+ hour shift on Saturday. I should be able to look at recharging the battery (if it's not ruined) on Sunday while i work on the tractor steering or the avalanche (one of them can sit there and charge it up some). It's got a full tank of year old gas since I filled it up about 25 miles before it died.

I didn't own an automatic trans until I was about 40 years old because I believed them to be unreliable...
I also have a good running albeit seriously rusty Ram 2500 that the OD is bad in. I bought a donor truck that has the same trans and 4wd box in it but can't find the time to swap that out either.

I never thought I was hard on transmissions. But I'll take a manual any day now. Easy to work on, easy to remove, don't overheat, only one clutch disc to deal with. I need to get my '75 shortbox 4x4 back on the road. It has a well built 355 with a sm465 in front of a 205 t-case. It was a project mud racer that I lost interest in. I didn't get too far to the "racing" mods other than the engine and clutch.

 

[whtbronco]

Wow, you really don't like those Avalanche seats. I miss the old flat bench seats, they were wonderful. Bucket seats are never quite wide enough for me. I used to insist on cloth seats, now I get in and out like an old man, sit down and then rotate, so vinyl or leather are easier to rotate on the slick surface.

I have pondered many times what I will do when the transmission in my Expedition needs work. I will do the replacement, it'll take me a week I'm sure. Will I do the rebuild is the question, it would be another few days at least. They don't look all that complicated. What I don't have is the experience to look at, for instance, the valve body and notice a single spot that is slightly worn and might not last long. It's easy to see something broken, bent, clutches worn etc.

This short video is interesting and potentially describes your issue. It also shows how relatively simple this transmission is.

4R70W No Forward Gear

In this video, I discuss an issue that I came across working on a 2002 Ford F-150 which would not move forward.

youtu.be

 

[Randy-IA]

Nope, I really don't like those seats! I am a fabric seat type of guy. And the sad part is that seats are built in such a way these days that putting a quality seat cover on is barely better than flopping a blanket over it and using bungees to hold it in place.

You nailed it with the narrow part. This seat is designed for 150lb people with 32in waists. I understand they can't please everyone however. I know the foam in mine is collapsed so there's that. That leaves both side bolsters (and the console side bolster is larger from the factory which makes it worse) or some large lump from the mechanics under the foam to dig into the lower part of my gluteus maximus muscle at the hip joint. Not tremendously bad but longer trips of an hour or so leave me begging for relief. Not many options to add cushion because my head with the seat lowered all the way is only about three inches from the roof.

But, I digress ...

Since the expie has just over 250K miles on it I'd place a hefty wager that that is what is wrong with it. Very little notice (maybe two miles) and then all stop.