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Transmission will not shift into 2nd gear until it reaches 30-35 MPH, and even then you have to get off the gas for it to shift. The engine is a freshly overhauled FI 302, so I dont' want to stress the engine till it has had to break-in. Any help would be great.
Can't offer any assistance. No clue what transmission it is. We don't guess 'cause we'll give you bad info. Please tell us everything that is going on, like what transmission, how long it sat w/o driving, and any mod's you've done to the tranny.
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Dad's '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4 w/a 351M sporting an RV cam and Performer carb & intake/ZF5/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches in the rear LS, and sitting on 30 x 9.5 Starfire's wrapped around aluminum bullet holes
Can't offer any assistance. No clue what transmission it is. We don't guess 'cause we'll give you bad info. Please tell us everything that is going on, like what transmission, how long it sat w/o driving, and any mod's you've done to the tranny.
This ^^^!
If we don't know what it is, we can't help you. A fuel injected 302 doesn't tell us whether or not your 302 came with a C4, a C6, or an Automatic Overdrive.
If it's a C4 or a C6 it could be the modulator valve or the way the vacuum lines might've been (incorrectly maybe?) installed.
If it's an Automatic Overdrive, you might need to adjust the linkages that control the shifting of the transmission (and also serve to keep the transmission from burning itself up).
If you know what transmission you have, tell us. If you don't, you're going to either have to tell us the transmission code on your door jamb sticker, or you're going to have to get up under there and count transmission fluid pan bolts to tell us.
Agree, I will check it tomorrow and get back with you all, the truck did sit for over 3 years
See, you've already started to help. We can work in the dark, but our answers will be very suspect and might include phrases like "push in the clutch and shift gears" if you don't tell us what tranny you have.
But, the thing about sitting, which I suspected, is likely a big part of your problem. I'll save my response to that until you report back with more info, but please tell us everything and then some. We'll discard the irrelative bits.
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Dad's '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4 w/a 351M sporting an RV cam and Performer carb & intake/ZF5/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches in the rear LS, and sitting on 30 x 9.5 Starfire's wrapped around aluminum bullet holes
It says automatic overdrive metric, it has 14 bolts, it's shifting now after a good drive, but it stills shifts hard, and it seems to sprudder also, doesn't have the power you think a rebuilt engine would have. Any advice on how to get it have more power?
AOD tranny. Since it sat for over 3 years you have varnish or somesuch in the passages. I had a similar problem on a C6 and cured it by putting half a bottle of Sea Foam Transmission stuff in it - and then drove it, and drove it, and drove it. Took about 500 miles to completely straighten out.
As for the engine, you are back to doing the "please tell me the answer without any clues" thing again. In order to discuss power we need to know what gear ratio you have, what tires you are running, and what's been done to the engine. Further, you will need to pull the codes from your computer as it'll tell you if anything is wrong. Here are a couple of links on that: Pull Codes 1 Pull Codes 2
I'm sorry if I sound gruff, but you don't seem to get it very quickly. We want to help you, but we cannot give you decent answers without understanding the problem. Please do not ask another question without giving us the detail. And it would be highly preferable if you would give us the results of pulling the codes in your very next post.
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Dad's '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4 w/a 351M sporting an RV cam and Performer carb & intake/ZF5/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches in the rear LS, and sitting on 30 x 9.5 Starfire's wrapped around aluminum bullet holes
Also, regarding the power - if the engine is still very newly rebuilt it will be tight, giving a 'resistant' feel driving.
All the engines I have rebuild & run-in have felt this way, then after a period you realize that resistance has (quite suddenly sometimes) gone, & the engine feels a lot freer.
You can then also get a better tune up on the engine.
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1983 F250 XLT 2WD, 351W, T19, 3.54 Dana 60
1983 F150 302, T18, 3.55 8.8, Supercab - parts truck
1941 Ford 1 Tonner - deceased
1942 GMC CCW-353 6x4
AOD tranny. Since it sat for over 3 years you have varnish or somesuch in the passages. I had a similar problem on a C6 and cured it by putting half a bottle of Sea Foam Transmission stuff in it - and then drove it, and drove it, and drove it. Took about 500 miles to completely straighten out.
As for the engine, you are back to doing the "please tell me the answer without any clues" thing again. In order to discuss power we need to know what gear ratio you have, what tires you are running, and what's been done to the engine. Further, you will need to pull the codes from your computer as it'll tell you if anything is wrong. Here are a couple of links on that: Pull Codes 1 Pull Codes 2
I'm sorry if I sound gruff, but you don't seem to get it very quickly. We want to help you, but we cannot give you decent answers without understanding the problem. Please do not ask another question without giving us the detail. And it would be highly preferable if you would give us the results of pulling the codes in your very next post.
Inappreciate it, and I understand about needing more info, I apologize. I will run the VIN through the LMC VIN identifier. I will drop some sea foam in it as well, since I plan on dropping a can in the gas tank.
Also, if the engine is still very newly rebuilt it will be tight, giving a 'resistant ' feel driving.
All the engines I have rebuild & run-in have felt this way, then after a period you realize that resistance has (quite suddenly sometimes) gone, & the engine feels a lot freer.
You can then also get a better tune up on the engine.
Makes sense, what would be a better tune up? Would it be adjusting the timing?
On the EFI 302 w/AOD, there is a transmission TV (throttle valve) cable at the throttle body. It is adjustable, but be very careful, this is a 26 year old plastic housing! The cable core is pulled by the throttle linkage, if you are getting late, hard shifts, you need to unlatch the clip that hold the casing and move the casing toward the lever by one notch and relatch it. DO NOT GO A LARGE AMOUNT!! To far will make it slip and ultimately burn up your transmission.
Timing, if you haven't checked it since installing the engine, yes, it should have been set as soon as you warmed it up the first time. For all who need it, TFI distributors, if you set it so that the leading edge of the shutter is just at the center of the Hall effect pickup you will be almost dead on when you check it with a light.
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Bill Vose (Old School Hot Rodder) 1986 F350 crew cab DRW 460ci EFI, E4OD, PMGR starter, 160 amp 3G alternator, 12X3 rear brakes, Traction lock 3.55
1995 Lincoln Continental (project car), 1994 Taurus LX (daily driver) http://www.oldschoolhotrodder.com
"growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional"
Makes sense, what would be a better tune up? Would it be adjusting the timing?
IIRC, you don't even get to set the timing on those engines. That's set by the lobes on a star reluctor that is pressed into the harmonic balancer and picked up by a coil in the timing pointer. So everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is done by the computer. That is why it is necessary to pull the codes to see what the computer thinks. Everything may be ok, but if not the computer could be in limp-home mode and you will not have reasonable power. The computer knows and you need to find out.
Edit: I forgot you can turn the distributor. Duh!
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Dad's '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4 w/a 351M sporting an RV cam and Performer carb & intake/ZF5/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches in the rear LS, and sitting on 30 x 9.5 Starfire's wrapped around aluminum bullet holes
Timing has been set to the factory spec, but I thought maybe there was something like advancing it to maybe make it perform a little beter.
You can advance it some. But you really need to know that the computer is happy FIRST. If it isn't happy is is probably not advancing the timing at all, IOW limp-home mode.
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Dad's '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4 w/a 351M sporting an RV cam and Performer carb & intake/ZF5/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches in the rear LS, and sitting on 30 x 9.5 Starfire's wrapped around aluminum bullet holes
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