wofat Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 It was running rough, low idle, dash lights coming on because the engine was close to cutting out. I went through all the vacuum lines and plug wires, cleaned the MAF, checked timing, cleared the error codes (had a #32 EGR, replaced a cracked vacuum line), new fuel filter. Put in a proven third member (had to rule it out), engines running better but still not awesome. My thinking is that the torque convertor is always partially engaged, at least it kind of feels that way. Runs a little sluggish in Park even, kind of like it's pulling a little load. You guys ever hear of anything like this? I saw a thread awhile back explaining how to install a bypass switch that 'locks' the TC. Maybe electrical? Anything I can try? I really don't have time right now to drop the transmission. TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 I can't help much with this, but if you think the engine is under load via tranny, jack up the rear and see what it does out of gear while running?? Jacking up the rear was the only way I found that my drive shaft was wagging the truck due to binding Uni joints. Just saying, unloaded can tell a lot... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wofat Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 I can't help much with this, but if you think the engine is under load via tranny, jack up the rear and see what it does out of gear while running?? Jacking up the rear was the only way I found that my drive shaft was wagging the truck due to binding Uni joints. Just saying, unloaded can tell a lot... B OK, I did it. Rears don't move in park or neutral, they scoot in D, 1, 2 and R. The whole truck shakes like something is out of balance (regardless of the wheels motion), seems worse when the truck is cold. It def pulls and pops out of gear, feels like something is grinding/dragging/slipping when moving. Drive lines look good, looks like this is coming from the front. *big sigh* Tranny looks aight (don't quote me out of context), something is giving up the ghost. I'm about ready to drive it into exhaustion to find out what's broke. I always wanted a 5 speed, careful what you wish for....... If it's TC I'm not going in with another AT, this'll be the third for this car. Either it's scrap or a conversion and I gotta find someone to do the rough work. I can do the finishing, but I have no time to do the install. No (reputable) shop will do this. Anybody in Seattle up for a project? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 whats your setup like? If you got a garage I might help... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wofat Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 whats your setup like? If you got a garage I might help... I'm garaged, I got the small side. Pretty tooled up but I gotta get organized. I have air, not enough cpm to drive an impact wrench but enough to drive a ratchet. I got the tools, I just needed the time. This is just a fussy job and I can't dig in. I want this truck but it makes more sense for me to just buy a friggin 4runner, dang it. If I can buy the parts and let somebody do the ruff-in, I'm good with that. The set-up is sano, covered space, garage warmth and a @!*%ter. It's really just a ratchet and jack job, I got it out of the rain. If You wanna just do it let Me know and we can work a price, if you wanna help then I got beer and steaks! Either way, beer and steaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 (edited) I'm garaged, I got the small side. Pretty tooled up but I gotta get organized. I have air, not enough cpm to drive an impact wrench but enough to drive a ratchet. I got the tools, I just needed the time. This is just a fussy job and I can't dig in. I want this truck but it makes more sense for me to just buy a friggin 4runner, dang it. If I can buy the parts and let somebody do the ruff-in, I'm good with that. The set-up is sano, covered space, garage warmth and a @!*%ter. It's really just a ratchet and jack job, I got it out of the rain. If You wanna just do it let Me know and we can work a price, if you wanna help then I got beer and steaks! Either way, beer and steaks. I usually make it a policy not to work on peoples cars for them. I'll work with them and teach if necessary but they gotta be there to get their Hands dirty and smash as many fingers as it do lol. Edited November 29, 2010 by MY1PATH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wofat Posted December 2, 2010 Author Share Posted December 2, 2010 I usually make it a policy not to work on peoples cars for them. I'll work with them and teach if necessary but they gotta be there to get their Hands dirty and smash as many fingers as it do lol. I don't blame ya, I wouldn't do it either. Offering to help is by far the most generous thing I've seen in ages, that's pretty cool. Thanks! Couple things I've still gotta try, a flush out and new fluid and cut the TC solenoid to see if that's causing it. If it's just a solenoid I'd be awful happy but I rarely get that kind of luck. If it's grungy enough to cause a full lock up I doubt I'll be able to flush it out. I'll probably start shopping for a donor 5-speed pathy this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 SeaFoam product called transtune does wonders. I used a full can on the wifes pathy and let it go 200 miles. Cleaned that puppy right up! But I still like the stick in mine better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wofat Posted December 3, 2010 Author Share Posted December 3, 2010 (edited) Sry, double post....... Edited December 5, 2010 by wofat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wofat Posted December 3, 2010 Author Share Posted December 3, 2010 SeaFoam product called transtune does wonders. I used a full can on the wifes pathy and let it go 200 miles. Cleaned that puppy right up! But I still like the stick in mine better. We're on the same bandwidth. I shopped the seafoam today to see if NAPA had it, tons on the shelf. No TC solenoid. I have Lucas (thick as butter cold) in the tranny, that might be gunking up. It's real fresh fluid in there but I added extra lucas, even pumped out some ATF. Damn snake oil. The fluid smells fine, not hot. I'm gonna talk to a shop about a flush, see where that goes. I never ran an ex-cooler, if I cut the lines and let the pump run out I don't think it will clear out the TC, will it? Thanks for hanging with Me, I'll keep you posted. cjg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wofat Posted December 5, 2010 Author Share Posted December 5, 2010 *update* It's a lot warmer out today and I ran it a little bit, torque converter seems much better. When I finally garaged it the (outside) temp was below freezing, today I'd guess it was 50f or above in the garage. I think the Lucas was too thick in the cold weather, I remember having to heat that stuff up on the dash with the defroster on full to get it thin enough to go down the funnel. Gonna put the transtune in tomorrow and do the short commute to the park and ride all week, flush/filter and new fluid next weekend. I gotta ask again, since I'll be putting a cooler in and cutting the lines anyway will I get more of the old fluid out (maybe from the torque converter as well) if I run it with the hoses cut? Is that risky? TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 Some people do run the motor to clear as much ATF out as possible. Shut it off when it burbles is the rule... It is good? Can it cause harm? I really don't know. There are so many tranny failures that it is hard to correlate the ones that might have done this. There was a write up/thread about this by 88pathoffroad IIRC. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wofat Posted December 5, 2010 Author Share Posted December 5, 2010 (edited) Thanks for the quick reply, I'm gonna do it. Nothing to lose..... There are so many tranny failures.... Hah! So true. I guess I need to invest in a tranny jack. Edited December 5, 2010 by wofat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krmiller07 Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 (edited) I wouldn't think this should do additional damage. As long as your not subjecting it too alot of heat and FRICTION. Those are the 2 major killers of tranny's and probably the reason yours is acting up. I just had 2 friends of mine get there trannys flushed. 1 has a 2006 Ford F150, and the other has a 07 Dodge Magnum AWD. Both trannys failed within 1 week of each other. The shop said more than likely that, during the flush, something was dislodged from the valve body or pump. It may have been caught in the filter and starved the pump and rest of the clutches and gears from proper lubrication, burning out 3 rd gears in both transmissions. I was told along time ago by some very experienced tranny techs, too NEVER flush a auto tranny. Rather drain all the fluid,change the filter. Drive it a few hundred miles, and drain and replace it again. Edited December 5, 2010 by krmiller07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wofat Posted December 5, 2010 Author Share Posted December 5, 2010 .....NEVER flush a auto tranny. I've heard the same thing, the thought rattled around in my head for about a second but I'm glad you mentioned this. Drove it hard today, it's running better than ever. I swapped the pumpkin, cleared the error codes, fixed all the vacuum lines, stuffed more grease into the rear bearings, oil change, air filter, fuel filter, new top radiator hose, lubed, cleaned the battery posts and topped everything off. Transtune is in, next week is tranny drain and fill and the ex-cooler. I'm still gonna shop for a 5 speed and all the accoutrement, even though it's ok for now I have trouble trusting this transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 about 1/3 of the fluid stays in the TC If you change your fluid twice about 100 miles apart (I used trans tune each time) you should be able to displace or dilute all of whats in the TC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 That don't flush an auto tranny thing is BS. My fluid was as black as toby's ass and I had it flushed the week I bought the truck. Over 3 years, 100,000kms, and a cross America road trip later and it is still running fine. And that is not the first time I've heard of a Chrysler tranny failing at only 3 years old. They are junk. The ford is surprising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krmiller07 Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 I've heard the same thing, the thought rattled around in my head for about a second but I'm glad you mentioned this. Drove it hard today, it's running better than ever. I swapped the pumpkin, cleared the error codes, fixed all the vacuum lines, stuffed more grease into the rear bearings, oil change, air filter, fuel filter, new top radiator hose, lubed, cleaned the battery posts and topped everything off. Transtune is in, next week is tranny drain and fill and the ex-cooler. I'm still gonna shop for a 5 speed and all the accoutrement, even though it's ok for now I have trouble trusting this transmission. I've heard this stuff works really well. Read the testimony and decide for yourselves. http://www.auto-rx.comMy link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krmiller07 Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 (edited) That don't flush an auto tranny thing is BS. My fluid was as black as toby's ass and I had it flushed the week I bought the truck. Over 3 years, 100,000kms, and a cross America road trip later and it is still running fine. And that is not the first time I've heard of a Chrysler tranny failing at only 3 years old. They are junk. The ford is surprising. Well, in your 'professional' opinion, what do you attribute it to ? Bad karma ! Edited December 5, 2010 by krmiller07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 (edited) I didn't mean to come off as being an ass its just I hear this from people everywhere. As much as I try not to say stuff like this; I do find that it is mostly domestics that have this flushing then death issue. I have 3 wd21s, 2 of them have had annual tranny flushes since my ownership. One since 2005, the other since 2007. The same thing happened to my friend with his dodge stratus. But hey its a dodge stratus so it was probably doomed from the start. I apologize if I offended you though. I'm pretty sure it is just a coincidence. Edited December 5, 2010 by adamzan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 I gotta agree (and disagree at the same time) with Adamzan, that "don't flush" crap is car specific... dont really apply here in the Nissan world. We aint talkin about a 1980 Ford Fairmont. Don't 'professionally' roll some cars quirks with EVERY car on the road... Just because wd21s have frame rot issues don't mean every full frame car does... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krmiller07 Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 I gotta agree (and disagree at the same time) with Adamzan, that "don't flush" crap is car specific... don't really apply here in the Nissan world. We ain't talking about a 1980 Ford Fairmont. Don't 'professionally' roll some cars quirks with EVERY car on the road... Just because wd21s have frame rot issues don't mean every full frame car does... No offense was taken. I was just pointing out a coincidental instance, where that problem seems to be elevated due to flushing. And, I'm quite aware that some manufacturers are much more problematic than others. If it was a perfect world, all cars would last a lot longer than they do! As it turns out, the friends F 150 I mentioned was made with a Ford Crown Victoria transmission. The build sheet specifies that it has a 'Towing Package', most Ford techs will point out that the 'Towing Package' only includes an under engineered transmission cooler! Half way through the model year, Ford started building the truck with a application specific 'Truck' transmission ! Unfortunately, his truck has 125 k miles on it, and is out of warranty. But hey, whats $3800.00 for a re-built tranny ! lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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