tranny problem in everyday driver

[48ford]

I have a problem with our everyday driver(1991 towncar 4.6 with O/D)
It has 120,000 miles.
This started all at once.
when it shifts to O/D it slips like going into neutral,but let off the gas a little and it goes into gear,and holds good. It gets worse as it gets warmer.
The fluid is still pink and no smell of burning.
It was fine before we put it away last fall,and now that we started driving it again,it's got a problem.
Is it toast?
Any ideas?
thanks Russ

[reborn55]

Used to have similar problems on some of the squads I used to service.  Ford recommended to change fluid and filter--also to drain the torque convertor.  Did this on most of the squads and it seemed to help--least expensive way to try anyway.

[wayne petty]

i had customer with a ford ... 83 model OD that put me through the hoops for several months...    after a trip of just about a hundred miles it would loose power...  they were not techs... and could really not describe what was going on...  

seems the nylon filter screen in the tranny was expanding and reducing fluid flow ... this was only after a 100 mile trip...   i had gone through all the probables...  like the 3 pig tail ign module..  and a bunch of other stuff i dont remember...  we even found that the inner exhaust tube had collapsed after the cat...  that really helped the power..... but not the weird symptom...


a lot of dealers and oil change places are flushing the systems not changing the filter, gasket and fluid...  just cutting into a tranny cooler line and swapping the fluid...  a bunch of them have even been caught not doing the charged for work...


do a tranny service on it...   it may  just be it is worn out./. the orings may be brittle and shrunk away from the pistons....  i am not a tranny expert..   just an honest mechanic..  

wayne....