Odd mtx transmission problem...***UPDATED***

[Mike93]

A few weeks back I pulled the engine and transmission to do a handful of maintenance; one of those items was to swap a newer mtx transmission in since the one I had in there had seen better days. The 'newer' trans came from a friend and works great and all, but the problem comes from whenever I use reverse and go to put the car into first gear. Basically when I do this the car will act as if it is in neutral. If I go from reverse to second the car moves forward normally. If I go from reverse to neutral and begin to let the clutch out the car will act like it is still in reverse. One thing that I had to do was reinstall a bolt into the trans that is located near the fill plug. Apparently this bolt has something to do with neutral and reverse...I simply tightened it down, is there a torque spec on this??? Is this bolt related to my issue??? If I remove that bolt I cannot use reverse gear...it acts like it is in neutral.

So: summary.
If going from reverse gear to first gear; car acts like it is neutral.
If going from reverse gear to second gear; car acts normal
If going from reverse gear to neutral gear; clutch engages and car acts as if it's in reverse gear.
If I start the car in first gear and let clutch out; all is good.
If I start the car in reverse gear and let clutch out; all is good. The problem comes from engaging first gear from reverse.

Thanks

 

[sdpatt]

That bolt is the neutral interlock retainer (or something along those lines) and is required to allow the shift operations that you are unable to perform. The bolt should have been installed during a transaxle reassembly with the gear change selector (not the shifter, as the MTX is not in the car) in the neutral position.

This bolt can also be removed to allow draining of about 2.25 quarts of the MTX's 3+ quarts of fluid IF and only IF the shifter is left in the neutral position. I am not sure if you can align the internal parts with a stiff wire through the bolt hole or if you can just move the shifter back to neutral with the bolt removed. Hopefully, the internals can be positioned to allow the retainer to be reinstalled without a removal and disassembly of the gearbox.

Has anyone been able to accomplish this feat? Since I use this bolt hole to drain the MTX, I have feared this situation on my own account.

 

[Mike93]

I just noticed that I posted this in the suspension subforum Oops...

Thanks for the reply Scott. When I installed that bolt I did have the shifter in neutral...but I don't understand the difference between the shifter engaging neutral and the trans being in neutral. I had originally installed the trans without this bolt as I forgot that it was not one the trans when I bought it. So in the car it went and when I started the car I noticed nothing out of the ordinary until I tried to go into reverse; it was like it was neutral, non existant. Put the bolt in and that is when these issues came up.

Like Scott said, if anyone knows a remedy let's hear it!!!

 

[shomesomesho]

You can fix this problem with the tranny in the car, I believe. The small bolt holds some sort of shaft in place to stablize the reverse shifting mechanism.

Remove the bolt and the drainplug. Stick your finger through the drainplug hole and you'll feel the shaft. Try to move it around so the bolt can engage it in place, then tighten the bolt. That should do it.

 

[Mike93]

UPDATE:

Since this post I haven't gotten around to touching anything on the car, so i just dealt with this little issue...until yesterday when out of nowhere it magiaclly fixed itself!

WTF...I mean I'm gald it's fixed but how does this happen? I don't mind when things break or don't work, but when they miraculously remedy themselves it gets me scratching my head...

 

[SHO_Driver]

It probably slipped into place somehow. Lets hope it lasts!

 

[dantheman68]

This bolt can also be removed to allow draining of about 2.25 quarts of the MTX's 3+ quarts of fluid IF and only IF the shifter is left in the neutral position. I am not sure if you can align the internal parts with a stiff wire through the bolt hole or if you can just move the shifter back to neutral with the bolt removed.

i always had trouble draining the fluid... so you take the bolt out and hold a wire in there to drain the fluid, with the tranny in neutral... what can go wrong by doing this?

 

[e_clouser]

UPDATE:

Since this post I haven't gotten around to touching anything on the car, so i just dealt with this little issue...until yesterday when out of nowhere it magiaclly fixed itself!

WTF...I mean I'm gald it's fixed but how does this happen? I don't mind when things break or don't work, but when they miraculously remedy themselves it gets me scratching my head...

I would not believe it...... my luck the diff pin would blow tomorrow... hope that does not happen. As for my experience, I used to drain the fluid out by removing the bolt, then came the same problem you were having. The only way I came to fixing it was removing the tranny, pulling it apart, and starting from scratch... But I do know there are alot of people that do it that way.

Good luck and hope it works

 

[Mike93]

I would not believe it...... my luck the diff pin would blow tomorrow... hope that does not happen. As for my experience, I used to drain the fluid out by removing the bolt, then came the same problem you were having. The only way I came to fixing it was removing the tranny, pulling it apart, and starting from scratch... But I do know there are alot of people that do it that way.

Good luck and hope it works

You wouldn't believe the amount of crap this car does that it ISN'T supposed to do...so actually this doesn't suprise me at all that it 'fixed' itself.

 

[e_clouser]

You wouldn't believe the amount of crap this car does that it ISN'T supposed to do...so actually this doesn't suprise me at all that it 'fixed' itself.

Well mechanical things just don't fix themselves, for your sake I hope it did.

 

[sdpatt]

i always had trouble draining the fluid... so you take the bolt out and hold a wire in there to drain the fluid, with the tranny in neutral... what can go wrong by doing this?

As long as you don't touch the shifter or shift linkages there is no risk of the internals moving. I have done this many times. The only real limitation is that there is still about a half quart of fluid that won't drain by this method.

 

[Bizzy]

I'll have to test shift a trans without the bolt in the shop tomorrow to see exactly what happens. I don't think it would be too drastic but I don't want to say anything for certain until I know for certain.

 

[Mike93]

I'll have to test shift a trans without the bolt in the shop tomorrow to see exactly what happens. I don't think it would be too drastic but I don't want to say anything for certain until I know for certain.

When I put the trans in it did not have the bolt installed...I had forgotted to do this before install. Result: no reverse.

Well mechanical things just don't fix themselves, for your sake I hope it did.[/QUOTE=e-clouser]

Well, I kindof agree with you, but I have had many instances where something 'broke' or began to make noise or just perform strangly...and then a few weeks later corrected itself. Maybe I have some kind of weird curse or power???

 

[AREA 91]

Interesting. I was always under the impression that if you moved the shifter position with the bolt missing, you had to remove and dissasemble the trans per the SHO NUT MTX4 rebuild vodeo?

 

[e_clouser]

Interesting. I was always under the impression that if you moved the shifter position with the bolt missing, you had to remove and dissasemble the trans per the SHO NUT MTX4 rebuild vodeo?

Amen to that, I could not find a way to do it with the tranny together.... Not saying it can't be done.