• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

CD4E rebuild kit questions

C

compudude86

CEG'er
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
414
Location
Algonquin, IL
Right now im looking at rebuilding a 98.1 transmission, while i run a newer one as a temporary fix (I use my car for work and need to keep downtime to a single day at max)

I have found "high energy" master/deluxe kits for my year, and had a few questions...

*Is it the clutches and steels that makes it high energy? Is anything else required to be upgraded?
*Is it feasible to upgrade the 2-4 band to the high energy wider version? I see it exists for my year, and I dont see the "skinny band" stocked anymore, though I might not be looking hard enough
*I have run across the "upgraded" direct drum Washer online for $4 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/CD4E-LA4A-E...Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a249b4c58&vxp=mtr), is this also a good idea?

Am I understanding correctly that using a high energy master kit would make the trans Mercon V compatible or required?

The valve body is also going to be inspected and rebuilt/replaced, with the kit to correct/prevent erratic issues(i.e. "shift", "transgo" other names are slipping me (no pun intended))

This is planned to bolt to a 3L, and will have its shift firmness increased and possibly shift points changed in tune, so between that and the upgrades, including a seperate trans cooler and external filter, synth fluid and regular strict maintenance, I think I should get quite a bit of life out of it. If this is a good combo, im planning on rebuilding the temp trans the same way and keep it as a drop-in spare for if and when the original one fails.

I know there are a lot of 3L-CD4E haters, and im aware of the possibilites going into this. Other than that, are there any questions/comments/additions/parts ive missed that should be changed out or upgraded?
 
Hold on there cowboy

Hold on there cowboy

If you just rebuild your trans with a stock rebuild kit, you should be fine. The one item that you will want to watch very closely is the double drum snap ring groove. It is a weak point on this trans. AMC 49 can speak to that much better than me.

As for 'firming' up the shift points on the trans, In my estimation that is the LAST thing you want to do. The trans was designed with gradual engagement shifiting. Adding a faster (firmer) shift will put considerably more stress on the already weak components of the trans.

Unless you were having problems that could really be attributed to the valve body, leave it alone and save your money. don't know of a single person that has been helped by transgo kit.

So in closing, get a standard rebuild kit, add in a filter, 2-4 shift band, and the thrust washer that is just inside of the trans on the input shaft (the old one WILL be broken).

But I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't ask if it is worth the rebuild, that car is 14 years old, and may not be worth it. Additionally if you are also going to rebuild the 'spare' trans the same way, it indicates that you have little faith in the rebuilt unit. IF so why are you doing this? Might be better off finding a different car.
 
The clutch disc material changes on high energy clutches. Mercon V (synthetic). A moot point anyway since regular Mercon cannot be found anymore, Ford quit making it.

Rebuilding is a waste of time unless you have the newer revised double drum like he says. Firming up shifts will only break the regular one faster, and they break very easy anyway. The Transgo 'CD4E Jr.' kit has one tip in it for reassembling the reverse clutch hub that is not mentioned in all the manuals I have. Of course they could have modded manuals since then. If the hub is put in the wrong index the bushing there can burn up in about five minutes. The kit details that and how to do correctly.

I did not know about the bigger band at the time I built mine, but if it fits and is only an improvement I would have used it. Band breakage is common on these too, if bigger one stronger right where they break could be helpful. Could be bigger band was used on 6 cylinder.

Look close at pump driveshaft corners on the ends too, they can strip. You can use a drill tightened lightly on driveshaft to prime trans with fluid right before you throw the converter on.

If you change any parts that affect rotating mass length you better be prepared to address end play issues. Three in this one instead of the normally found one.
 
You mention priming the pump with a drill, would one need to do this on a transmission that was removed from a car in the junkyard, and all the fluid in the TC and transmission was drained off without opening the case? Or is this only when you disassemble and clean out the whole transmission? I ask because ive had my donor trans on the stand sideways with the drain plug facing down to get all the old fluid out, ive also turned the pump shaft a few times and taken it out to verify its not stripped and nothing is binding inside...
 
did you find out what gaskets you are going for on the rebuild? I have a ford set of trans gaskets. I also have an escape atx that has been rebuilt and now uses contour electronics.... pm me.
 
And that is the only thing you took from amc's missive?

And that is the only thing you took from amc's missive?

compudude86 said:
You mention priming the pump with a drill, would one need to do this on a transmission that was removed from a car in the junkyard, and all the fluid in the TC and transmission was drained off without opening the case? Or is this only when you disassemble and clean out the whole transmission? I ask because ive had my donor trans on the stand sideways with the drain plug facing down to get all the old fluid out, ive also turned the pump shaft a few times and taken it out to verify its not stripped and nothing is binding inside...
Click to expand...

Hmm. I think I would have paid alot more attention to the information about the double drum, then priced a new one and then did a kbb on the car and decided to just drive it until it drops. But then again I am a cheap one.
 
Well, he IS right in that you should not really bother rebuilding with other than a new drum, even the new ones are cracked right out of the box if you look at the forward clutch pressure plate snap ring groove. The forming process makes cracks there that later break pieces off once enough impacts of the forward clutch applying occur. One of the biggest reasons for this trans putting cars in the yard. Using a used part there is asking for it and quick. Some of the mods made through 1998 were to cushion the forward clutch hit, wanting firm shift there is a no-no.

I have no pics of the modded cylinder, all I can say is if you've seen the normal ones you will know the modded one, that groove made in a different way and much stronger looking. I have one in my car but had to look high and low for it. The trans shop I bought parts from thought I was crazy for ordering drum after drum, one 'rebuilt' one they were trying to push off on me I was able to break pieces of the snap ring groove off with my fingers right there at the counter. It was all glass beaded and looked spiffy but junk.

You can turn drill clockwise to prime trans in 30 seconds, why not? You prime engine oil in motor rebuilds right? If you didn't tear down pump then it verifies positive non-stripped pump drive too. Thinking I started out with 4 qts. fluid in trans to do that.
 
Look here.............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WATcUSgods

The guy is totally incorrect about runaway line pressure causing this in and of itself, the drum is simply a weak part. NORMAL pressure breaks it, of course increased line would only add to that. Most break without any warning to driver, one minute it's fine, the next kablooey. Mine worked perfectly until it suddenly locked up at decel on a freeway exit ramp. There is no hard shifting before it happens unless something else was already damaged. Sometimes a few small pieces of cylinder edge will come loose before the big one that finally does it. When it breaks it literally grinds broken pieces up finely, they cannot escape from the 2 or 3 rotating cylinders they are inside. The hard shifts are because metal has already gone through trans to seize and destroy clutch packs and OWCs. If you are able to drive it 5 miles like that you have scrapped half the parts in trans. Very quickly trans will start slipping and different gears will start dropping out as the forward clutch pressure plate and piston move out of place to make a huge hydraulic leak that pump cannot make up for.

Runaway line IS a problem on this trans, the Transgo kit helps fix that without needing new VB, I got the kit in mine, easy to do. One of the mods deals directly with modified relief to line pressure. Too high line leads to converter clutch engagement issues, reduced lube circuit output, and some other things.
 
I apologize, I have been running on fumes lately, and I am pretty sure I took it all the wrong way. Yes, he is right, I am planning on replacing the drum with an upgraded one, or a new one if I cant find an upgrade. hes also right on the point about considering the cost of rebuild vs cost/value of the car, but its more of a determined personal project of mine, so I'll do what I have to. If it were any other car I would've ditched it a long time ago.

I have always heard "pack the pump with vaseline before installing", both ATX and engine oil pumps. I question the possibility of oil starvation with this though. any time I heard this, it was a new or rebuild though, I was wondering if this was an issue on previously run transmissions or if those are primed until they are disassembled or cleaned. Regardless, I think it would be a good idea to go ahead and prime it either way. again, thank you for your help amc, and andreslobo, sorry for my misunderstanding.
 
I use vaseline as well to prime pump. It melts or degrades into oil almost instantly with shearing and heat. Pretty hard to block oil supply there. Just lube inner and outer gear and fill some of the airspace in between , no need to like pack entire feed pathway with the stuff. Old trans sitting will pretty much keep prime also unless pump really worn. I speed things up by throwing at least 1 qt. of fluid in converter before putting it on input. I just prime using drill since so blamed easy on this one, after assembling hundreds of motors and trans and other mechanical contrivances I look for ways to absolutely guarantee pull up to operation with no problems at all. A habit from doing it on multi-thousand dollar units I guess. Some of the race motors I worked on at times were valued at $40K each.

When changing converter I try to figure some way of flushing it with a good solvent (acetone usually, I recover most of it and use again)that evaporates quick, you'd be surprised at the trash I've found in converters before. Some bad enough to take back to vendor, broken pieces of thrust washers, weld bead, and the like. It was so much easier when they put drain plugs in converter though.

If converter changed quiz the supplier hard, some cut them apart and rebuild all clutch surfaces and bearings, but some do not, only claim they do. More than you think too. CD4E converters are marked on pilot that goes in crank with a stamped letter to identify, mine was 'A'. Match obviously to what came out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top