Escort Automatic Transmissions

So...

The first FWD car I ever owned was an Escort. I liked it so much, I bought and sold a few of them after that (they're cheap to buy and easy to sell).

I've not had a GT yet though. And now there's a GT on CL that could be bought cheap and needs some repair. It has an automatic transmission, though. As far as I know the transmission is ok (for now).

However, perusing CL for just cheap (like, well under $1,000) ford escorts and/or mercury tracers nets a handful of them, and the vast majority have bad auto transmissions.

This isn't really an escort-specific phenomenon...it's pretty common. Old cars with worn out transmissions cost more to fix than they are worth.

Still, though, escorts do seem to have an auto trans known for being a weak link.

So...my real question, after all this, is: Are the GT transmissions behind (beside...) the 1.8 liters any different/better/worse than the transmissions behind the 1.9 liter engines?

I think if a person could quickly and cheaply rebuild automatic transmission (in this case, for escorts) one could make quite a business of scooping up dead ones, fixing, and selling to high school kids, college students, and anyone else who needs to get to work tomorrow for cheap.

Clem

I believe they're a little better than the ones behind the 1.9 litres, though.

However, like all 20 year old automatic transmissions, view them as ticking time bombs and you'll be much happier in life.

Most of them have reached the end of their useful life. and or lack of proper maintenance. They should be fairly easy to rebuild. One problem, the late ones are electronically controlled. So you will have to find a way to test the valve body and it's solenoids.

racinginc215 wrote:

ClemSparks wrote: So... The first FWD car I ever owned was an Escort. I liked it so much, Clem

Seek professional help.

I am at this time obliged to refer you to the case of preacher vs. choir.

Clem

Pull pin. Aim away from face.

If you are talking early 90's and later Escorts, my opinion are they are worse. They are a way harder fix then what they should be when compared to the old ATX's in the earlier models.

Brian