Stupid Tranny..........again!

1

14point6at97MPH

Registered
Well, I think my tranny is acting up, AGAIN. The 1-2 shift seems to be getting harder. It only happens at light throttle (like a 2,000 rpm shift). I don't have a chip.

I don't think it is a broken 1-2 accumulator spring as full throttle shifts are smoother? I drove my Mom's T-bird with a broken 1-2 spring and ALL 1-2 shifts were hard.

Any advice?

btw - My current tranny is a rebuild by ammco about 40,000 miles ago. I've changed the fluid once since then, about 20,000 miles after the rebuild.

Ken
 
RE: Stupid Tranny..........again!

I've changed the fluid once since then, about 20,000 miles after the rebuild.
Click to expand...

I would try fresh Mercon V first - perhaps with a flush.
 
RE: Stupid Tranny..........again!

Drop the pan, drain the torque converter, and take a look at them accumulators. If the springs are good and the accumulator(s) are of the new design, it's not like it's that much effort to check them, since it's about time to change the fluid anyway.
 
RE: Stupid Tranny..........again!

Taken from page 4 of the tccoa Jerryfiles:

Symptom: "A failing one way clutch will cause a late 1-2 shift that finishes with a big bang, or will allow the engine to run into the rev limiter at WOT."
Solution: "Install the mechanical diode one-way clutch. This part is almost bullet proof."

Click [link:www.tccoa.com/articles/tranny/transmission/page4.shtml|here.]

Since you didn't fill out your profile, I don't know what year tranny we're discussing. FILL OUT YOUR PROFILE!
 
RE: Stupid Tranny..........again!

Sorry Dr. Dave, I've been coming to these boards (markviii.org & mark8.org) for so long I thought everybody knew who I was. ;-) I've also updated/changed my profile so many times between these boards I had no idea I didn't update it on this board.

............if we had one damn message board this wouldn't happen!!!

btw - my car is at AAMCO right now, let's see what their diagnostics comes up with. {ken crossing his fingers}

Ken
 
RE: Stupid Tranny..........again!

It was a broken 1-2 accumulator spring!! I have no idea how I broke the updated spring in 40,000 miles (since the last rebuild), but I did. They did confirm that they installed the updated spring on the last rebuild.

Total with fluid change is like $130.

It sounds like they didn't drain the torque convertor. I forgot to tell them, I assumed they would do it without asking and I was more worried about the 1-2 shift problem. Now I have to argue with them over whether they actually did it, and what it will cost me to change the fluid the right way.

Another testiment to how great this site is..........I told them to use Mercon V, drain the convertor, and the problem was most likely the 1-2 accumulator spring........I would never have know any of that without this site!!!

Ken
 
RE: Stupid Tranny..........again!

How many litres of fluid did they charge you for?

A full drain and fill is 12-13. If it was less they more than likely didn't drain the convertor.
 
RE: Stupid Tranny..........again!

They are bringing the car back in and draining ALL the fluid. The first time they didn't drain the convertor, and of course he told me they couldn't do that without taking the convertor out. I told him he could access the plug to the torque convertor with the pan down, again I know that because of this website.

He first told me that if I changed my tranny fluid every 12,000-15,000 miles I wouldn't have to worry about draining the fluid in the convertor. I then told him that changing just the fluid in the tranny would be like changing 1/2 the oil in my car and that there is a reason there are 165,000 miles on the car and it is still running & looking great...........After that comment he told me he would take it back in and change ALL the fluid for another $15.

So for $150 I get one 1/2 fluid change, 1 full fluid change to Mercon V (Well ammco's Mercon V), and a new 1-2 accumulator spring........not a bad deal.

Ken
 
RE: Stupid Tranny..........again!

I suggest you "wait and watch" as they do it ,or else 9 times out of 10 it wont really get done.
 
RE: Stupid Tranny..........again!

I'm pretty sure they actually re-did the fluid change........I couldn't stay there, I had to go back to work. The service manager there was new, our conversations were friendly, and I spent over $2,000 on a tranny rebuild by them 2-years ago. I even suggested paying for 1/2 another fluid change.........I was more concerned about getting all the fluid changed than paying another $40 or so.

btw - The car drives much better now with the new 1-2 spring. I still can't believe I broke the updated spring!

Ken
 
RE: Stupid Tranny..........again!

FWIW, the 1-2 shift characteristics with a broken accumulator spring can/will be different with differing scenarios - the most obvious being exactly how the broken pieces of the spring stack together. In my case, I suspected a broken spring, and was proven right when I did the accumulator upgrade. But in my case, the 1-2 shift was normal at light to mid throttle shifts but abnormally abrubt at WOT.

It's great you recognized the change in the shift and took a proactive approach. What about a transmission cooler?
 
RE: Stupid Tranny..........again!

.........I had a tranny cooler installed when the tranny was rebuilt about 40,000 miles ago.

When the 1-2 spring broke in my Mom's 94 T-Bird the 1-2 shift was hard at all rpm levels, and worse the more I floored it. She didn't even know it was broken, because she NEVER floors it. When I floored it in her car it actually barked the tires on the 1-2 shift.......a stock 94 V8 T-bird does not do that!

Ken
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top