01 Taurus AX4S Trans Problem?

Hello all

I have an 01 Taurus SES, pushrod engine, AX4S Trans.

The trans symptoms: Smooth running trans, shifts well, tight all good except--coming out of Drive only it clunks. Sometimes its a bit worse than others. Shift it into reverse quickly then Park and all is quiet. Any other gear selection is fine. Going into gear is smooth at all times. Sometimes, as the car rolls to a quick stop you can feel the trans roll into first gear. It feels like an older car with the idle speed set to high on the carb.

The car had to have those silly things put on the front springs by the dealer. That's the recall for the exploding springs. Soooo, I asked them about a list of things that I specifically wanted checked and also thought I was getting a full bumper to bumper checkup. They checked my shopping list. Then they handed me a bill for close to $200. Well, they did drop the trans oil pan.

Some of this sounds unrelated, but maybe not. The car feels like it wants to take off at times at traffic lights when standing still. Feels like its reving, but its not. RPM holding around 700-750. Rear brakes are screwed up. Rear parking brake ng, very loose. Can fix the brakes no problem if I ever get a decent way to support the beast. Will do that all in the next few days.

I did replace the right halfshaft and hub due to noise and looseness in the right front inner cv joint. After doing the job it seems to me the halfshaft is a little too loose where it goes into the input bearing. Dealer said no but to also replace the left front hub. Ok on that.

Now, as to the trans issue. Ford calls me and tells me that I should come down and look at the inside of the pan while its apart. I confess to not a lot of knowledge re the auto trans. The mechanic had left and the service writer showed me what she wanted me to see.

From what I saw there is only one moving part that you could see inside the trans from that angle. I was told it was a ring gear. Not sure which one. The service writer said it was flopping all over the place. When I turned the right front wheel back and forth I saw and heard something that looked like a clutching assembly of some sort moving in and out. Flopping around I didn't see. The noise it made sure sounded like a normal sorta engage and disengage of something as the wheel was turned first one direction then the other. There were what looked like a couple of particles in the pan. Fluid looked like new. No burning.

I certainly don't want to draw any conclusions based on too little knowledge but is there a chance that there is nothing wrong with that ring gear or do I have a trans replacement problem? Could the input bearing be shot and causing some of this? That probably wouldn't make a difference I guess. The car has around 120K and I wouldn't do any surgery on a trans with that many miles without a rebuild.

Of course I am hoping they are mistaken and the problem is related to that pull at idle or maybe even the brakes being screwed up. The last thing I know is a real long shot but sometimes I could swear the noise is in the rear of the car. Probably imagining that one.

Anyway, anyone with some knowledge of the AX4S out there? Info would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading all this.