Help! Whats the deal with my trans??

TokyoJoe

New Member
Mar 25, 2007
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Ok, I installed a Spec stage 3 clutch with a Tremec TKO. The car is a 347 making about 350whp n/a and about 500whp on the bottle. When I run the car off the bottle the trans shifts and performs great, when I juice it I cant' get into any gear to save my life. For example, I start in 2nd and get it to about 5800 and then can't get into third, the same from third to fourth. When I tried to get it into fourth last night I kind of held the handle against 4th waiting for it to drop in, it finally did after about 5 seconds and then when I let up on the clutch it let out an awful grinding noise and the revs headed towards redline until I jumped back on the clutch almost like I was in reverse or something. WTF?!! Why would it work fine at a lower power level? Please help.
 
Sounds to me like the bottle is causing your engine to rev between gears (as if you still had your foot in the gas) and this causes a mismatch between engine speed and the speed the tranny is looking for to synchro the next gear. You might try lifting off the gas just a fraction of a second earlier before a gear change, helping the engine stay in the proper rev range for you to grab the next gear.
Good Luck.
 
if you want to speed shift without lifting a synchronised tranny will not last. Now if you are serious about driving like this and the car is not a daily driver. call g-force long shifters and get a dog ring tranny (just a modified t-5) it will do what you want. Chris
 
speed shifting. running it to 6000 rpm and shifting as fast as humanly possible with out lifting off the throttle. On a synchronised tranny you need to lift off the throttle and clutch. On a dog ring tranny you can take it to redline stab the clutch and with out lifting off the trhottle at all slam it into the next gear and thats the way to be nice to it. You want to get nasty with it run it to the redline and just yank the gear shift into the next gear with no clutch no lift. They (dog ring tranny's) take a little bit of getting used to it does take finess but when you get it right it is awsome!!!! chris
 
I understand what you are saying but that's not what I'm doing though, sure I'm taking it to redline obviously but I'm lifting the throttle, granny shiftin' lol, as I try to shift, it just wont go into the next gear on the spray.
 
mr toyko you stay on "the spray" after you lift???:nice: and the tranny still grinds?? but doesnt grind when you do the same with no "spray" sounds fishy to me. If you are indeed granny shifting and it still grinds your synchros are shot.

chris
 
I think this is most likely a clutch adjustment issue. I doubt it has anything to do with the tranny itself. I know the older TKO's had a problem with high rpm shifting...but apprently that issue has been solved. I suspect the clutch may not be disengaging all the way...and its just more prevalent when you are on the juice.

Do you have a firewall adjuster? Try moving the clutch engagement point up a little bit so it catches further off the floor. let us know.
 
Check your clutch adjustments, as mentioned, If they are ok, change your tranny. TKOs are not made for that kind of driving, only for Granny shifting, normal street driving and so on. Its made for small trucks, and not for fast Foxes. AND , the third gear and so on problems are not solved. Ref. Astro performance, Promotions gear and four of my friends in our Mustang club. I sold mine, an one year old TKO600 after a lot of shifting problems, Astro A4 (strong T5) is my next choise.
We are all doing street/ strip driving, 10 sec to 12 sec Cars, and we adjusted, changed clutches, bellhousings etc. Just Me.
 
I think this is most likely a clutch adjustment issue. I doubt it has anything to do with the tranny itself. I know the older TKO's had a problem with high rpm shifting...but apprently that issue has been solved. I suspect the clutch may not be disengaging all the way...and its just more prevalent when you are on the juice.

Do you have a firewall adjuster? Try moving the clutch engagement point up a little bit so it catches further off the floor. let us know.

that's what I was thinking as well, I've adjusted it to where the bite is on the floor all the way up to full release on the pedal. Guess I'll just have to take it to a shop and see what they say.

What fluid is best for these, I was told GM synchromesh?