Official Tremec 3650 Issues Thread

CraigThaCrab · Oct 29, 2003

no idea what the tsb is, just have ford run it for updates, and it comes up, they did it for my car, it didnt help.

Angus · Oct 30, 2003

70mach03 said:
2003 Mach 1. Just over 1000 miles. At or close to WOT, when shifting 2-3 between 5500-6000 RPM, it just "refuses" to go into 3rd. No grind or clunk , it just don't wanna go. Shifter feels kind of "soft" when it happens. No problems with 1-2. I really don't want to bring it to the dealer and give the tech a reason to beat on the car. Installed a Pro 5.0, seemed to help but, not eliminate the problem. It's frustrating as hell, cause otherwise this is an awesome car.

Jim

I have the exact same problem.

Transmission was fine for ~ 1000 miles or so.
Now it won't go into 3rd gear over 5500 rpm 95% of the time - car has ~ 1700 miles on it today.
It's a shame really, because this tranny is quieter & smoother than the one in my '01 Cobra was...

CuddaWuddaShuda · Oct 30, 2003

Angus said:
I have the exact same problem.

Transmission was fine for ~ 1000 miles or so.
Now it won't go into 3rd gear over 5500 rpm 95% of the time - car has ~ 1700 miles on it today.
It's a shame really, because this tranny is quieter & smoother than the one in my '01 Cobra was...

Wait a minute: are you sure that your car isn't a Z28, and that you're not trying to shift from 1st to 2nd? Because that sounds a lot like the CAGS skip-shift "feature" GM built into the last LS1 cars.

Seriously, I don't mean to make fun of your problem, just of the Z28. But you might want to make sure that there isn't a hump in your front passenger side footwell.

OK, seriously for real this time: that sounds like a different (but equally annoying) problem from the crunching problem. I can't imagine what would cause that. What happens when you try and shift into 3rd? Are there any noises or anything? Usually if a standard trans doesn't like what you are trying to do, it will give you some kind of audible feedback.

1FAST46 · Nov 2, 2003

2002 Gt Klunk!

White360RFnSwee said:
synchros went bad around 4000 miles... my 2nd to third shifter is tough, and before I put it into reverse I need to put it into first or else it will grind

-Ryan

I just purchased my 2002 GT frome a local dealership. It has 20000 miles and i am experiencing the 1/2 klunk. After i bought it the next day i noticed the driver's side axle seal was leaking so i took it in cuz it was under warranty. Well before i dropped it off i noticed it was kinda notchy and klunking between 1/2.
I told the dealership about it when i dropped it off.
When i picked it up i asked him about it. He said some b/s about it being normal cuz of it having a cluster gear or some b/s. I didnt think nothing of it til i just opened this thread. Mine seems to do it all the time cuz it isnt cold weather here right now in southeastern ohio. What should i do?
Should i contact the Ford company now? This is my first Mustang and i love it but i dont want my tranny tearing up.
Thanks and im glad i read this.

stangfromhale · Nov 3, 2003

I had my 2002 GT in the shop the first time at around 20000 miles. They replaced the synchronizers and gears for 2nd and 3rd. A month later it did the same thing (grinding into second). When I went to pick it up the second time they told me that a new tranny was on the way because apparently it was now stuck in 4th. WTF! It wasn't stuck in 4th when I took it to them. They installed the new tranny and I've been bangin' gears ever since, but 2nd still feels a little awkward at times.

stangfromhale · Nov 3, 2003

STANG07 said:
JOHN BURLESON 2003 Mustang GT 2500Miles

Jon Hale 2002 GT 27000 miles 2nd tranny.

jorge · Nov 3, 2003

jorge lopez 1100 miles, FEARING THE WORST, but nothing yet. just hessitation going from 1-2 (like a bump) and tiny bit from 2-3

Mustang225 · Nov 4, 2003

jorge said:
jorge lopez 1100 miles, FEARING THE WORST, but nothing yet. just hessitation going from 1-2 (like a bump) and tiny bit from 2-3

Hate to say it, but join the club. Just wait until it gets real cold outside where it's worse from 1-2. I now have 26,000 on my 03 GT (bought 9/02) and hate the tranny during the winter. Ford changed the trans fluid last Nov and nothing has changed. Been doing alot of reading here on dropping to 3.2 quarts but my mechanic spoke to Tremec and they won't warranty the tranny if there's a problem in the future.

mustangbob19 · Nov 6, 2003

Mustang225 said:
Been doing alot of reading here on dropping to 3.2 quarts but my mechanic spoke to Tremec and they won't warranty the tranny if there's a problem in the future.

I tried lowering the fluid and it helped a little, but 1st to 2nd is still a pain in the ass in my 03 GT. (15,000 miles)

194kw · Nov 7, 2003

i've downloaded the tremec 3650 service manual, according to it the ATF level is 3.8 L or 4 quarts. I'm confused as a few posts have said that Tremec adivsed using 3.2 L, which goes against what they have in the service manual. Could someone please let me know what the correct amount is?

jorge · Nov 8, 2003

Jorge,

The original oil fill for a TR3650 was 3.8 liters. For 2004 the oil level was reduced to 3.2 liters for this transmission. This was done only after considerable testing. You can safely lower the oil level in your transmission to the 3.2 liter level. The only way to know you have 3.2 liters of oil is to drain the oil out and then add 3.2 liters. The reduced oil level should improve shift quality and keep the transmission cooler.

Our first choice of oil for your transmission is Dexron III ATF. The TR3650 was developed using this oil. We use Texaco Dexron III ATF in the factory for the original fill. It is very good oil at a reasonable cost. If you want to use a synthetic, use Mobil 1 ATF. Mobil 1 ATF is the only synthetic oil we recommend.

I hope this answers your question.

Best of Luck!

John Loeffler

i have a 2003 mustang gt. i just read a thread on some forum about this tranny. it wasnt good. but i got this info from it, (fill the tranny with 3.2l of some duratec stuff. coud u tell me exactly what i should fill this tranny with. im going to tell ford to do whatever u tell me in this e-mail your going to send me, cuz i dont want to be changing this tranny EVER. so please help me out before i damage it. the car has 1200 miles on it right now, but want to have 200000 miles on it before anything starts going wrong.

BTW i live in miami, kinda warm here year round.. anyways, i've found that by starting to shift to second before clutch is depressed makes it easier to shift and smoother (for whatever reason) but yea, when i go to my dealer, ima tell him about the 3.2l dexron stuff.

Mustang225 · Nov 8, 2003

jorge said:
Jorge,

The original oil fill for a TR3650 was 3.8 liters. For 2004 the oil level was reduced to 3.2 liters for this transmission. This was done only after considerable testing. You can safely lower the oil level in your transmission to the 3.2 liter level. The only way to know you have 3.2 liters of oil is to drain the oil out and then add 3.2 liters. The reduced oil level should improve shift quality and keep the transmission cooler.

Our first choice of oil for your transmission is Dexron III ATF. The TR3650 was developed using this oil. We use Texaco Dexron III ATF in the factory for the original fill. It is very good oil at a reasonable cost. If you want to use a synthetic, use Mobil 1 ATF. Mobil 1 ATF is the only synthetic oil we recommend.

I hope this answers your question.

Best of Luck!

John Loeffler

i have a 2003 mustang gt. i just read a thread on some forum about this tranny. it wasnt good. but i got this info from it, (fill the tranny with 3.2l of some duratec stuff. coud u tell me exactly what i should fill this tranny with. im going to tell ford to do whatever u tell me in this e-mail your going to send me, cuz i dont want to be changing this tranny EVER. so please help me out before i damage it. the car has 1200 miles on it right now, but want to have 200000 miles on it before anything starts going wrong.

BTW i live in miami, kinda warm here year round.. anyways, i've found that by starting to shift to second before clutch is depressed makes it easier to shift and smoother (for whatever reason) but yea, when i go to my dealer, ima tell him about the 3.2l dexron stuff.

Are saying that John Loeffler is a service tech at tremec? I would love to see a page out of the 2004 owners manual showing 3.2L.

CuddaWuddaShuda · Nov 9, 2003

John: my 2001 GT owner's manual recommends "Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF" in the Service Station Information section at the back of the book. I guess that doesn't necessarily mean the trans was filled with that type of lube originally, but it sure seems to imply that it was.

Jorge: Your comment about starting to shift before you depress the clutch rings true to me, and I am one of the people who has no problem with the T3650. I have noticed that I am pulling on the shifter early, and I can feel it free up a bit as the clutch disengages.

In general, this is the shifting procedure I follow: reach for the shifter and begin pressing the clutch pedal simultaneously, pull the shifter to a position in the middle of its front-to-back travel, at the side-to-side position of the desired gear, and then gently engage the gear by moving the shifter forward or backward. Noteably, I do not use a great deal of force in this process, and it is definitely a two-step move of the shifter. On the other hand, this has become a quick, natural process for me.

And to reiterate, I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to shift a transmission the way it wants to be shifted. To paraphrase an alien in the movie Galaxy Quest, operation of a stickshift is "more art than science." Yes, the T56 will let you do whatever the hell you want as long as the clutch is down and it won't grind - so what? It has its drawbacks as well, which I have pointed out many times.

Again to reiterate (in the interest of not giving the '01+ GTs a bad name by way of this stupid yet sticky thread): I think the 3650 is the best manual transmission I have ever driven (including a T5 and a T56), and mine has survived over 90 powershifted quarter mile passes.

BMan5150 · Nov 9, 2003

Mustang225 said:
Are saying that John Loeffler is a service tech at tremec?

Jorge - could you elaborate on the following as much as possible?

1.) Who exactly is Jorge Loeffler?

2.) Was your coorespondence with John on email or did you paraphrase a telephone conversation with him?

If the answer to #1 above is "a Tremec engineer or tech", then Im going to give the 3.2 leters of Dextron III ATF treatment to my 3650.

Cuddawoulda . . . I sort of agree with what you are saying about the 3650. I think it is tough, and it definitely seems to have better clamping pressure and a lighter pedal than my brothers's stock T-45 on his 2000 GT. However, I still say the 1-2 action - even in the warmest of summer - is pretty crappy. I've never jammed it into 2nd when it didn't want to go, which is why I like to think my tranny will treat me well for years to come. At the same time, I've powershifted the crap out of the tranny at the dragstrip for at least 30 runs since I've bought the car and it's not any different from day one. Same crappy 1-2 shift and a marginal 2-3 shift. The rest of the shifts are "one step" and don't require a pause.

Interestingly, when I pulled out of the garage over the past few weeks with temps in the 30s and 40s, the 1-2 shift seemed pretty good for the first 1 or 2 shifts. Then it reverts back to crap, then improves slightly when warm.

Also, in the summer when it's really hot out, the tranny gets progressively notchier once the trans heats up quite a bit (like after lots of hwy or stop and go traffic.)

Jorge- let us in on who this dude was and the nature of your coorespondence with him! Thanks!!!

jprez22 · Nov 11, 2003

Hey All---

I'd be a bit weary myself changing the tranny fluid from 3.8 to 3.2 without something in writing to cover my arse. Has anyone received anything in writing on this? I mean should something happen down the road on the tranny and FORD declines the warranty because of low fluid then I wouldn't have anything to stand on. I dont' think e-mail would hold up, especially not in court. I've e-mailed Tremec and haven't received anything back yet myself. If the 2004 manual really says it I'd love to get a copy of that so I can lower the fluid and try it out and have documentation to support it. Seems to me there would be a notice mailed out to us, or on their website or TSB Reports or something abotu this solutions. Just my $0.02 maybe I'm being paranoid.

JP

Roger Ramjet · Nov 12, 2003

My '04 owners manual says:
MERCON ATF, 3.7L (7.8 pints) - fill to botom of filler hole.

jorge · Nov 13, 2003

The correct amount of fluid is the 3.2L and you should use Dexron III.

Jon A. Vieth

Product Line Manager

yea man, i went to tremec site. clicked to e-mail tremec and got two responces, one from product line managet and one from the other guy, dont knwo what he is but i could ask him... im guessing that it has to be someone in the know about tranny's??? i mean they wouldnt let just anyone answer would they ?

edit: clicked on tech@ ttcautomotive.com, im guessing this is tech and not some regular guy answering e-mails.

BMan5150 · Nov 13, 2003

jorge said:
The correct amount of fluid is the 3.2L and you should use Dexron III.

Jon A. Vieth

Product Line Manager

yea man, i went to tremec site. clicked to e-mail tremec and got two responces, one from product line managet and one from the other guy, dont knwo what he is but i could ask him... im guessing that it has to be someone in the know about tranny's??? i mean they wouldnt let just anyone answer would they ?

edit: clicked on tech@ ttcautomotive.com, im guessing this is tech and not some regular guy answering e-mails.

Jorge - thanks for the update. However, it's unbelieveable how poorly Ford and Tremec appear to communicate. I have a hard time doing something different than what Ford tells me given warranty concerns.

jorge · Nov 13, 2003

well i dont care, im going to my dealer and demanding they do this, i cant wait till something starts going worng for anyone to do something about it. my dealer is scared that i call ford about ANY complaint, they went as far as tyelling me to fill out the service report thing where u rate ur experience in store. they want to make sure i mark everything perfect... so ima be like, u change this or get bad grades ******es

BMan5150 · Nov 13, 2003

jorge said:
well i dont care, im going to my dealer and demanding they do this, i cant wait till something starts going worng for anyone to do something about it. my dealer is scared that i call ford about ANY complaint, they went as far as tyelling me to fill out the service report thing where u rate ur experience in store. they want to make sure i mark everything perfect... so ima be like, u change this or get bad grades ******es

Be sure to give us an update on your experience.

Official Tremec 3650 Issues Thread

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