Shifting Problem after new struts.......(UPDATE with great news)

[philallemang]

I had to replace a CV boot on the drivers outside. So i figured i would just do everything on that side. So i did. Well, I drained the tranny so that i could pull the CV shaft to work on it. I put everything back together lastnight and refilled the tranny. I went to drive it today and its hard to get it in to gear when driving. First isn't the problem. Second, Third and Fourth are 65% of the time. When you shift from 2nd to 3rd, you can feel the shifter hit the synchro and then if you push a bit harder or sometimes you have to let out the clutch a little bit for it to actually go into gear.

Here is the things that i think it might be:

Clutch cable going bad......never did it before so i know its not the TOB. read this thread. http://www.shoforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=008539

I still have the old cable shifter yet, which i know it a little bit of my problem but is just makeing the shifting a bit sloppy. 100% sure its not the problem.

When I refilled the tranny, I had the car on the jack and the tire off so that i could see the seal on the side of the tranny to make sure that it didn't leak. So could there be to much in the tranny and the syncros are actually "in" oil causing them to not have as much friction?

I leaked a bit out when drained the tranny so i added the amount that i had thought that leaked out which was about 1/2 bottle. But the stuff i used might have been Dexron-Mercon from a 94 SABLE from the powersteering that I had saved which was brand new. Could that much affect shifting?

<small>[ November 30, 2003, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: philallemang ]</small>

 

[SHO_Driver]

Seems to be the fluid since nothing else was done on the transmission.

 

[Bizzy]

What method did you use to drain the tranny?

 

[projectSHO89]

Drain it again and refil with 2.9 qts of fresh type F or Mercon.

Steve

 

[philallemang]

Well Bizzy, all i did was drain the fluid from the bolt that is almost directly underneather the fill hole. I know that it was 13mm.

To refill it all i did was used a hose and ran it up thru the engine and use a bottle with a pointed end and push it down the hose.

I thought that i would drain it again, this time I might drill and put in an actual drain hole.

 

[sdpatt]

The shift interlock bolt "drain hole" is fine for draining the transaxle, but your choice of fluid and level of fill are in question.

The owner's manual specifies Type F ATF or MERCON II (now III) for the Gen I SHOs, but IIRC, the Gen IIs specified only the MERCON II(?). You can try synthetic versions of these or add a dash of the Ford Friction Modifier to the petrolium based ATF. The "Dexron-Mercon from a 94 SABLE from the powersteering" might very well be your problem.

The level of the fluid should be at the bottom of the fill plug hole with the car on level ground or jacked evenly from front to back and side to side. I use a funnel with rubber hose to fill the trans from above (like you?). Fill until the fluid begins to leak out of the fill hole and then reinstall the plug.

 

[philallemang]

Great new!!! I drained the tranny and put in 3 new quarts of ATF and it shifts fine now. It took about 20 miles pf shifting to get it back to the way it was. I guess there is a big difference in the two. So now iam working on my tranny cooler.

<small>[ November 30, 2003, 02:38 PM: Message edited by: philallemang ]</small>

 

[Bizzy]

Good deal Phil. I'm happy that things worked out for you.

On a side note for future reference for everyone. The shift interlock bolt is ok to use as a drain plug, however when removing this bolt never move the wheels or shifter while it's out.

 

[autobahnsho]

Bizzy:
Good deal Phil. I'm happy that things worked out for you.

On a side note for future reference for everyone. The shift interlock bolt is ok to use as a drain plug, however when removing this bolt never move the wheels or shifter while it's out.

Even if the E-brake is on??

J/K!!!

I put Dexron III in because that's what the manual recommended. (Actually, Mercon, but it said it's teh same..) The stores here don't offer much else.

But it shifts very notchy (solidly) since I changed the fluid w/ my clutch job. Is this good or bad?

 

[Bizzy]

autobahnsho:
Even if the E-brake is on??

J/K!!!

I put Dexron III in because that's what the manual recommended. (Actually, Mercon, but it said it's teh same..) The stores here don't offer much else.

But it shifts very notchy (solidly) since I changed the fluid w/ my clutch job. Is this good or bad?

Yes, even with the e-brake on. I know you're kidding around but this is the reason why. Behind that bolt is the shift interlock, and behind that is a dentent plunger spring and ball bearing. If you move the shifter (and I say the wheels also just for safe measure because when you turn the wheels the internals move) you could cause the spring and ball bearing to fall free. It may come out......ooooor not..... And if it doesn't someone will be in for a heap 'o' work.

If I were you I'd try to replace the fluid with 2 parts Trick Shift, Synchromesh or Redline and 1 part regular tranny fluid to see if that helps with the notchiness. Give it 1000 miles of normal driving to see if it helps. If not, it might be time to replace the blocking rings and/or synchros.