2-3 Shifting problem with my Beater neon Auto

[Sgt Craig]

My beater neon when stone cold will not Shift into 3rd until It warms up and i completely back off the pedal.Ive Adjust the throttle cable,adjusted kickdown band,Flushed trans(ATF4),No coolant in the fluid.It shifts fine once warm.I havent dropped the pan yet.Anyone have any ideas?Thanks in advance.

[Aries_Turbo]

yeah mine does a similar thing.

when its summer it will take a little bit to shift into 3.

when its cold, it will seem to bump into neutral and then shift into 3.

i just leave it in 2 till i get a mile from the house and then its fine.

Brian

---------- Post added at 08:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:22 PM ----------

oh yeah, what year is the car? mine is a 97.

now my wifes is a 98 and has 200k on the original trans and only flares a little into 3rd when its cold but i havent done the band adjustments ever.

Brian

[black86glhs]

Is there a trans temp sensor on the Neons? Or could it be a sensor that isn't working right in the cold? Looking at live data when cold might be able to find it.

[Sgt Craig]

Is there a trans temp sensor on the Neons? Or could it be a sensor that isn't working right in the cold? Looking at live data when cold might be able to find it.


No sensors on it other than Neutral safety/reverse lights and TCC sol.Its a 98

[RoadWarrior222]

Seems like that's always been a feature of torqueflites and derived designs with a few miles on them. I'd just adjust the bands, put some lucas tranny fix in it, and pound on it a bit.

[black86glhs]

Maybe 1 or 2 of the valve in the VB are sticking?

[Aries_Turbo]

yeah it does sound like maybe the governor is sticking a little (late shift).

and for me, the 2nd half of the gearchange is sticking a little. i cant remember the sequence for 2-3. release a band and apply a clutch or something like that. or maybe the opposite.

mine is fine once i get down the road less than a mile from my house. once it shifts 2x, its fine.

Brian

[black86glhs]

yeah it does sound like maybe the governor is sticking a little (late shift).

and for me, the 2nd half of the gearchange is sticking a little. i cant remember the sequence for 2-3. release a band and apply a clutch or something like that. or maybe the opposite.

mine is fine once i get down the road less than a mile from my house. once it shifts 2x, its fine.

Brian
Oh yeah, I forget about the governor. I guess not having a 413 equipped car can cause memory lapse. lol

[Sgt Craig]

Already did that,lol.

---------- Post added at 06:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:56 PM ----------

When I get a free Sat ill drop the pan and check out the valve body.Other than a pan gasket anything else I should get?

[RoadWarrior222]

yeah, a 50mm x 6mm rod, a 6mm ball bearing, a set of drillbits and a #25 TX bit.... may as well shift-kit it :D

[turbovanman²]

If it does it cold, most likely its the clutch seals, they've become hard and it takes some heat for them to become pliable and seal. Try the Lucas crap, drop the pan, do the valve body mods and that's all you can do until you take it apart and replace the clutch seals.

[black86glhs]

If it does it cold, most likely its the clutch seals, they've become hard and it takes some heat for them to become pliable and seal. Try the Lucas crap, drop the pan, do the valve body mods and that's all you can do until you take it apart and replace the clutch seals.
Hell, just add an ounce of brake fluid to help swell the seals. J/K.....don't.:eyebrows:

[Sgt Craig]

I did that on my 89 Turbo Auto Van.It worked for a bit.

[turbovanman²]

Hell, just add an ounce of brake fluid to help swell the seals. J/K.....don't.:eyebrows:

How would brake fluid swell the seals? If it did, the braking system would never work, lol, :confused:

Ask me what happens to a very expensive ABS system when you add a teaspoon of oil by accident, :banghead:

[Aries_Turbo]

brake fluid seals are designed to be in contact with brake fluid. you hit other types of seals with brake fluid that isnt designed to be in contact with it, they swell.

Brian

[22shelby]

brake fluid seals are designed to be in contact with brake fluid. you hit other types of seals with brake fluid that isnt designed to be in contact with it, they swell.

Brian

yep!! old trick... but more of a get you home trick....

[turbovanman²]

brake fluid seals are designed to be in contact with brake fluid. you hit other types of seals with brake fluid that isnt designed to be in contact with it, they swell.

Brian

I honestly didn't know that, I am going to try that today, :nod:

[Sgt Craig]

I honestly didn't know that, I am going to try that today, :nod:

It got my 89 Van around for a few weeks of short trips.Trans had to come out anyway as it was a 3 bolt flexplate trans.

[Sgt Craig]

If it does it cold, most likely its the clutch seals, they've become hard and it takes some heat for them to become pliable and seal. Try the Lucas crap, drop the pan, do the valve body mods and that's all you can do until you take it apart and replace the clutch seals.

Thats what ive been afraid of it is.Ill still check out the VB anyway in a few weeks.If the that doesnt work Ill drive it until spring and get it rebuilt.Thanks for the help and info guys!

[Aries_Turbo]

im just going to leave mine alone. i work around the problem. :)

[turbovanman²]

im just going to leave mine alone. i work around the problem. :)

Tow truck? Bicycle?

[Aries_Turbo]

simon, my neon has been this way for a long while. you just gotta know how its going to behave and not hammer it when its not engaging properly.

i just took the car on a 600mi trip. its fine. just baby it while its cold and you can then hammer the car. i do every day.

my wifes old car has been slow to engage 3 for 100,000 miles when its cold. its sitting out front in the driveway as the emergency car. if my wifes current car (forester) has issues or my 97 neon decides to puke, we'll grab the 98 neon that has 200k on the original 2.0 dohc and 3 speed. it has (10) 8ft long 2x4's in it though.... id have to unload them first. i took it to the lumber yard the other day to keep the fluids circulated. :)

Brian

---------- Post added at 08:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:24 PM ----------

when i still had my 3.0L/604 white k car, it lost 4th gear. i drove it that way for almost a year. just keep it in 2 (k car column shift) and it was fine. revved a little high but it wasnt bad.

i had another 3-speed k car that the trans was insanely bad when cold. didnt want to shift, dropped into neutral between gears etc, i drove it like that for 10k miles.

Brian

[turbovanman²]

It was a joke, I know how to nurse broken shitt, lol. :p

[black86glhs]

How would brake fluid swell the seals? If it did, the braking system would never work, lol, :confused:

Ask me what happens to a very expensive ABS system when you add a teaspoon of oil by accident, :banghead:See below....lol.


brake fluid seals are designed to be in contact with brake fluid. you hit other types of seals with brake fluid that isnt designed to be in contact with it, they swell.

BrianWERD!!!!


yep!! old trick... but more of a get you home trick....Surprising how well it works.

[turbovanman²]

I soaked an o-ring in brake fluid, we'll see what it looks like tomorrow. :p

[Aries_Turbo]

It was a joke, I know how to nurse broken shitt, lol. :p

oh.... shoulda used a smiley to indicate a joke. :)

Brian