Hello to all.

I have a 1997 F-150, 4.6L, 4 speed auto. I love this truck, but here's the problem. Tranny doesn't engage when I put it in gear. The only two ways to get it to go are to either drop it into gear as soon as it fires up (which is hard on it at -40 degrees), or to rev the crap out of it in neutral and bring down the idle and put it into gear. This doesn't always work sometimes I have to let it idle for 15 to 20 minutes. Once it engages, it's usually good untill I shut it off for more than half an hour, or it'll only go by revving the crap out of it. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

Anything at all??

 

Reverse application work?, or the lower gear selections if you manually select? Any slipping or whining noises before it finally hooks up? 4x4? Fluid full? O/D lamp flashing?

 

If I don't get it right when I first start it, it's just like it's in neutral all through the gears. If by some chance that it partially engages, yes, there is a whining sound. But it only partially engages when it's really cold. -30 to -40 deg.

It is 4x4, Fluid is full. Although, when it hasn't ran for a half hour or so, the fluid level rises on the dipstick. I know it does this normally but this is about three or four qts above the full mark. It like the torque is draining into the pan. Could it be a bad torque?
O/D lamp doesn't flash.
Also, after it reaches operating temp, when I get to stop sign, when I take off the tranny slowly engages like it had a clutch that was slowly being released. Last night. it started to chatter when leaving stop. Time for new tranny???