Seeking the Wisdom
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Gravel Switch, KY
Seeking the Wisdom
of the Great Omnipotent Transmission Guru.
For about 6 months now, my T-18 has been shifting so hard I believe I could give Arnold Schwarzeneggar a run for his money in arm wrestling. Here are the symptoms. The gears DO NOT grind. It shifts hard when idling, driving normally, driving hard, even with the engine stopped. I have tried double clutching, no difference. It takes alot of effort to move it out of the gear it is in, then it feels as though it hits a brick wall before I can finally jam it into the desired gear. At first I thought it was the syncros, but I am not so sure since the gears don't grind and it does it with the engine off. It used to be as smooth as butter.
I do not have any air in the hydraulic clutch. Bendix makes the best slave cylinder, with a real brake type bleeder, no problem getting the air out. I will gladly sacrifice a Chevy upon the altar of whoever can diagnose this problem.
DannyP
89 F-150 4x4 former EFI I-6 now carbed 351W, Edelbrock heads,cam,intake,carb.
MSD 6A, T-18 but looking for a ZF. 3.55's.
For about 6 months now, my T-18 has been shifting so hard I believe I could give Arnold Schwarzeneggar a run for his money in arm wrestling. Here are the symptoms. The gears DO NOT grind. It shifts hard when idling, driving normally, driving hard, even with the engine stopped. I have tried double clutching, no difference. It takes alot of effort to move it out of the gear it is in, then it feels as though it hits a brick wall before I can finally jam it into the desired gear. At first I thought it was the syncros, but I am not so sure since the gears don't grind and it does it with the engine off. It used to be as smooth as butter.
I do not have any air in the hydraulic clutch. Bendix makes the best slave cylinder, with a real brake type bleeder, no problem getting the air out. I will gladly sacrifice a Chevy upon the altar of whoever can diagnose this problem.
DannyP
89 F-150 4x4 former EFI I-6 now carbed 351W, Edelbrock heads,cam,intake,carb.
MSD 6A, T-18 but looking for a ZF. 3.55's.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,860
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From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Seeking the Wisdom
First I am not a tranny guru, but it sounds like either your shift linkage is all messed up and binding or the tranny fluid must be all gummed up. Things to think about include whether the shift lever has too much play in it or has no play and what might have happened six months ago to cause the stiff shifting. You might try a thinner lubricant. While I didn't have your problem I drained my 4 speed on my '84 F150 at 90,000 miles and filled it with 10w40 motor oil. That thing shifted beautifully and is still going strong at 176,000 miles. Anyway a fluid change is cheap, though messy, if you have a drain plug on it.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Gravel Switch, KY
Seeking the Wisdom
Well, On the advice of a mechanic friend, I drained out the synthetic 90W last nite, ran it a couple of miles with diesel fuel in it to flush it, then put
20w-50 back in. I can't tell any difference.
I haven't inspected the oil I drained out of it yet, but there wasn't any metal particles in the diesel fuel. I think it may be worn out shift forks, detent *****, springs or shifter itself. This friend who has worked on semi's for years drove it and said he didn't think it was the syncros, just something in the shifting mechanism.
DannyP
89 F-150 4x4 former EFI I-6 now carbed 351W, Edelbrock heads,cam,intake,carb.
MSD 6A, T-18 but looking for a ZF. 3.55's.
20w-50 back in. I can't tell any difference.
I haven't inspected the oil I drained out of it yet, but there wasn't any metal particles in the diesel fuel. I think it may be worn out shift forks, detent *****, springs or shifter itself. This friend who has worked on semi's for years drove it and said he didn't think it was the syncros, just something in the shifting mechanism.
DannyP
89 F-150 4x4 former EFI I-6 now carbed 351W, Edelbrock heads,cam,intake,carb.
MSD 6A, T-18 but looking for a ZF. 3.55's.
Cross-Country
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
Seeking the Wisdom
Not that familar with the big tuck tranny. But if you have any mechanism outside of the tranny, try spraying it with a good lubricant, like PB Blaster. Can be found at many NAPA's, much better than WD40 or Liquid Wrench.
I see your looking for a ZF. I run a ZF in my '91 F250 4x4. A super, but a bit noisy transmission. My first one was replaced at 18000 miles due to noise and showed zero wear. We think the noise was generated by the shift slides and transmitted to the drivetrain. On a nice smooth street coasting to a stoplight it sounded as though I had thrown a rod thru the side of the block. The replacement has 125000 on it and has been great and much quieter. Also, the ZF runs ATF and one of the first attemps at curing the noise was to replace a qt. of ATF with 10w motor oil. It was winter and I almost could not shift the stupid thing till I ran a few blocks. The wrong fluid can really be a pain.
Good Luck
Carlos
I see your looking for a ZF. I run a ZF in my '91 F250 4x4. A super, but a bit noisy transmission. My first one was replaced at 18000 miles due to noise and showed zero wear. We think the noise was generated by the shift slides and transmitted to the drivetrain. On a nice smooth street coasting to a stoplight it sounded as though I had thrown a rod thru the side of the block. The replacement has 125000 on it and has been great and much quieter. Also, the ZF runs ATF and one of the first attemps at curing the noise was to replace a qt. of ATF with 10w motor oil. It was winter and I almost could not shift the stupid thing till I ran a few blocks. The wrong fluid can really be a pain.
Good Luck
Carlos
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Elder User
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From: Gravel Switch, KY
Seeking the Wisdom
Well, all the linkage is on the inside and I took out the shifter to peer inside and everything in there looks great, what little bit I could see anyway. As I said earlier, The oil I drained out the other day was almost as clean as the day I put it in. Whatever it is I am sure it is gonna take a partial if not full teardown. For now I will just live with it and maybe someone will respond who has been thru the same sort of situation and found the solution. The solution will most likely be taking out a mortgage to purchase a ZF. It does seem to shift easier without the engine running, so maybe it is the syncros, tho it perplexes me why the gears don't grind.
DannyP
89 F-150 4x4 former EFI I-6 now carbed 351W, Edelbrock heads,cam,intake,carb.
MSD 6A, T-18 but looking for a ZF. 3.55's.
DannyP
89 F-150 4x4 former EFI I-6 now carbed 351W, Edelbrock heads,cam,intake,carb.
MSD 6A, T-18 but looking for a ZF. 3.55's.
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