My 93 mtx shifts terrible, why?

[1993MTXSHO]

As the title states, it's horrible. I have never driven a worse shifting sho in my life. The thing does not go in and out of gear smooth if the car is running or not, clutch in or not. Although it is best with the car off and clutch in but it is still blocky and rough then as well.

I have put the car in 4th gear (while running) and waited 10 seconds and then went to reverse and got no grind; so that tells me the clutch isn't hanging up. The clutch (spec stage 2) and TOB (ceramic from shonut) have about 4k miles on them. However they were from a different tranny and my ******* forgot to replace the quill sleeve when I installed everything on the new tranny. Now I know things like ot wear in together, so maybe everything is ****** off because the parts were used?

The TOB (I think) is making noise with the clutch out, but goes away as one would think when I put the clutch in (wrong size quill sleeve for this bearing possibly?). Could that make me have all sorts of issues like this?

The car has a new clutch cable and I have adjusted the clutch (unless the quad is broken or something is not adjusting right?) The rod shifter is tight and my motor mounts are perfectly centered between the tranny gates, this car should shift as well or better then any sho on the road but there is definitely something not right. The trans was rebuilt 4k miles ago (so the PO said when I bought this tranny years ago) so I doubt it's internal but I am definitely not ruling it out. I can drive the car and it will go into every gear, but it is very hard to get it in and doesn't seem to be biased to any gears, they all suck.

Any guesses as to what this might be are greatly appreciated, the car is pretty much undriveable in this condition.:thankyou:

 

[shoon]

When was the last time you changed the fluid in the MTX? and what kinda fluid you running?

 

[1993MTXSHO]

When was the last time you changed the fluid in the MTX? and what kinda fluid you running?

The fluid has 150 miles on it so it's brand new for arguments sake. Also I am running redline D4. I just put the trans in the car and this is the first time I have personally used it after purchasing it from the PO. He told me he ran redline D4 and it shifted like butter, so I put redline D4 back in it. I have no proof that the trans used to shift well though as I bought the trans sight unseen and had it shipped from cali.

 

[Inkertinker]

Try a different fluid. Every trans is different about which fluid it likes.

 

[1993MTXSHO]

Try a different fluid. Every trans is different about which fluid it likes.

Really think it would go form being almost impossible to get in gear to shifting beautiful? I mean the guy did say he ran redline D4 and it shifted great, but I suppose he could have lied.

 

[shoon]

Really think it would go form being almost impossible to get in gear to shifting beautiful? I mean the guy did say he ran redline D4 and it shifted great, but I suppose he could have lied.

it can make all the difference, had the same problem. went with Mobil1 synthetic atf and its sooo much better now.

If your going to do it, drain ALL of the fluid out. If your MTX does not already have a drain plug, now is the time to install one.

 

[1993MTXSHO]

it can make all the difference, had the same problem. went with Mobil1 synthetic atf and its sooo much better now.

If your going to do it, drain ALL of the fluid out. If your MTX does not already have a drain plug, now is the time to install one.

I have one, but I think I am going to pull the trans anyway and reseal the case as I think it is leaking ever so slightly. I also want to replace that quill sleeve and maybe the TOB because it is making a bunch of noise. Can't hurt to pull the trans apart and clean it all out anyway and see if something looks to be out of whack.

 

[boat]

From what I have read in the past, I believe there was a statement made when someone on here went to go buy HoustinoJillian's 95 Blue MTX, there was an aftermarket clutch and throwout bearing in the car, and it was making noise with the clutch out,

"that it is normal for that to be making a slight ticking noise".

When I bought my SHO from Eric Clouser, I had forgot about that, heard a ticking, asked Eric what it was while the car was running, he opens the driver door and steps on the clutch, and says "What noise?" He told me it was normal for that to happen.

I found this in a thread by gmorrell

You may be experiencing something called "neutral gear rattle rollover noise": It's terminal, you should junk the car immediately, driving it off a cliff is best.

Just kidding.

This is something that has plagued the MTX-IV since Day One with SHO's. Ford even did a TSB about it, tho I can't recall the number, it was very early in SHO history. In neutral, all the output gears on the countershaft are spinning around with the input shaft gears, and the whole system is unloaded, so the gears are in loose mesh, and this creates noise, frequently described as rocks rolling around in a tin can, or pebbles in a barrel, etc. It goes away when the clutch pedal is depressed. Sound familiar?

Also, I have read on here somewhere using Valvoline Maxlife ATX fluid works well in these MTX-IV transmissions. Hope this helps

The clutch (spec stage 2) and TOB (ceramic from shonut) have about 4k miles on them.

The TOB (I think) is making noise with the clutch out, but goes away as one would think when I put the clutch in (wrong size quill sleeve for this bearing possibly?). Could that make me have all sorts of issues like this?

 

[1993MTXSHO]

Weird because my 94 shifts like butter, and I mean butter, it's amazing, I never felt a better shifting mtx sho. It also has no noise in neutral at all. But this sounds like thats normal then, I just got lucky with my 94 I suppose.

 

[boat]

Mine shifts pretty smooth as well, mine is more like peanut butter . I don't hear any noises in mine while in neutral either, or I just have got used to it and don't hear it anymore.

Weird because my 94 shifts like butter, and I mean butter, it's amazing, I never felt a better shifting mtx sho. It also has no noise in neutral at all. But this sounds like thats normal then, I just got lucky with my 94 I suppose.

 

[qiksho]

When I put a clutch in my 92 SHO it shifted terrible. So I pulled it back out and rebuilt the tranny. When I put it back together it shifted just as bad as the first time.

I replaced the tranny fluid with something besides the originally recommended Ford fluid. I put in the GM Synchromesh as recommended on this forum and guess what - within 50 miles my car shifted like butter. Best shifting SHO I have driven to date (It has been several years and 40k miles now).

Change your fluid as someone mentioned!

 

[JRA2000TL]

FWIW I changed my MTX fluid because of the same problem. I used Valvoline MaxLife ATF and honestly it didn't really make a difference. Going into 1st I get a little resistance each time still...nothing too major. I don't grind reverse as much anymore but that has to do with user error and not fluid change. The whole shift to N, wait a few seconds, then to R trick works like it's supposed to most of the time. I have just learned to deal with mine.

 

[1993MTXSHO]

Damn this redline fluid wasn't cheap... I suppose I'll put the stuff my 94 has in it in my 93 since the 94 loves it and see what happens, thanks guys.

 

[boat]

93rev2sev showed me a trick on mine. I had noticed that my 1st gear was hard to get into sometimes. I asked him about it and what I learned out of it was shift into 2nd then 1st, and everytime I do that, it goes into 1st with no issues at all. I thought I was going to have to change my fluid, but mine shifted fine otherwise, still does.

Going into 1st I get a little resistance each time still...nothing too major. I don't grind reverse as much anymore but that has to do with user error and not fluid change. The whole shift to N, wait a few seconds, then to R trick works like it's supposed to most of the time. I have just learned to deal with mine.

 

[1993MTXSHO]

93rev2sev showed me a trick on mine. I had noticed that my 1st gear was hard to get into sometimes. I asked him about it and what I learned out of it was shift into 2nd then 1st, and everytime I do that, it goes into 1st with no issues at all. I thought I was going to have to change my fluid, but mine shifted fine otherwise, still does.

I don't mean to disagree with you, but it should go in w/o issues, my 94 does. Also it's not just 1st gear, its all the gears, none of them go in smooth.

 

[1993MTXSHO]

Oh and one other thing I thought of, this tranny is quiafed and was done by shoshop. Is it possible it was shimmed to loose and that's why it makes so much noise or shifts bad?

 

[shoon]

Oh and one other thing I thought of, this tranny is quiafed and was done by shoshop. Is it possible it was shimmed to loose and that's why it makes so much noise or shifts bad?

Does the noise change pitch or get louder / softer as you increase speed?

 

[1993MTXSHO]

Does the noise change pitch or get louder / softer as you increase speed?

no it only seems to do it in neutral parked, although Im sure it does it while driving too. I'll have to take notice next time I drive it, but the car's not exactly quiet so I don't know if i'll hear it.

 

[boat]

Feel free to disagree with me all day, thats fine we are all entitled to our own opinions and experiences.

Yeah, I would say if its not just 1st, but all gears that don't go in smooth, I agree with you, they all should go in smooth. Hope you can figure it out.

I don't mean to disagree with you, but it should go in w/o issues, my 94 does. Also it's not just 1st gear, its all the gears, none of them go in smooth.

 

[SHOtime2511]

ive had three SHOs with issues like this.
all three were diffrent clutch issues.