Here's the problem: Well, the first problem is I do not like or know autos. The second problem is my girlfriend's '91 Cherokee. All stock, probably has the AW4. She was driving home last night and one of the transmission lines popped off up near the radiator. The PO apparently messed up the lines and used fuel line clamped onto the cut and unbarbed line coming from the tranny - hence the popping off.

She ran it until it wouldn't move, so fluid sprayed out everywhere. First question is, how much damage is there?

Secondly, I went out and got some ATF, reconnected the line (cause we were going to use the car this weekend), and started filling through the dipstick hole. It took about three quarts and indicates its full on the dipstick. I ran it through the gears, and the car won't move and the dipstick level doesn't drop.

What next? I'm assuming that if the insides aren't toast (I'm hoping not) the tranny is still dry and I just have to figure out how to get fluid into it and the air out.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated....

-Tyler

I've ran vehicles using fuel line for YEARS. Not ideal, but it works fine. Only problem is that sometimes what you described can happen!

It depends on how long she drove it. I've run TH400s without oil until they billowed smoke, then filled them up and they work fine. If it's not moving at all, it's likely shot and will need to be rebuilt.

I wasn't bothered about the fuel line itself. Its that its slipped over an unbarbed line, which is probably why it came off.

She said it was smoking pretty damn good - this was not the project I planned for Christmas.

-Tyler

Might try disconnect the cooler line and then have your girl friend crank it up to see if the pump is working. Maybe it has some air in the line and the pump can't get reprimed????

Long shot.....

Sounds like a clutch pac might have been smoked iffen its not moving. Then iffen one checked the oil level with the vehicle off and cold as opposed to the typically specified neutral gear and warm condition one can get a false reading on the dip stick... ;)

D.

first off, NEVER run fuel line!!!! it's not rated for ATf and will soften to the point of rupture.
normally when a cooler line failes, you will loose all the fluid within one minute, causing the trans to quit working and the vehicle to coast to a stop. within that short period of time, it should not sustain too much damage, if any. did she keep reving up the engine in an attempt to make it move? could have damaged either the pump/converter and/or a clutch pack. i would think that it'll take at least 4 quarts to bring it back up to the proper level, i've seen this happen before. double check the fluid level, on that transmission it should bve done in park and then go from there. also, if it's 4wd, make sure the t-case is not in neutral. i know that sounds stupid, but i've seen that before as well.
good luck!

first off, NEVER run fuel line!!!! it's not rated for ATf and will soften to the point of rupture.


True, not the best idea...but it works. It's not like it ruptures the second you start it up...more like 10 years later...

i beg to differ, but then again, what do i know. in a pinch, you can definetly run fuel line to get you where you need to go, but it's not a long term solution. i was a service writer at a transmission shop for 7 years and saw a few fuel lines fail, and none of them lasted 10 years. is that a risk you wanna take with your GF driving that vehicle?! :shaking:

Thanks for the tip on the fuel line. After working on it a few, times I can see that the Cherokee had some kind of front end damage from the PO - little crack here, piece missing there, zip-tied stuff that is ususally bolted down, paint stripping off the bumper. So I'm sure the lines got all fawked up, and the shop that fixed it bootyed it all together, which is why there is tube and hose and tube spliced together.

If I know her (and I do) she was probably revving the hell out of it.
I disconnected the line that came off and dumped in another quart of ATF with the engine running and I have no fluid coming out of the line. At the very least then, the pump is probably shot, right? It wouldn't need to be bled?

i iwsh i had better news for you, but that's not a good sign. you might want to call a local transmission shop and see what they'll charge you to do an inspection without pulling the trans out and then go from there.

I agree, if you aren't getting any flow from the cooler lines, then it toasted.

RIP AW-4

Sorry.

Thanks for the help fellas. Oughta be able to find one and put it in by next weekend, I hope.

-Tyler