Official Tremec 3650 Issues Thread

give them a link to this thread.

3650

I went into my dealership and showed them some of these threads . I got the same answer. They can only do what ford advises them. Ford states that is is a characteristic of the transmission and there is no fix at this time. I understand its going to be a little stiff when cold but you should not grind or miss 2nd gear due to it not wanting to shift at all. I think its BULL$H1t that ford is not addressing the problem. We all should write hot rod mag. and 5.0 mustang and super fords mag. see if we can get a story published.

This is weird.

For those who've been following my posts Ford ordered a new tranny for me about 2 weeks. So right now I'm just waiting for the call to bring it in.

In the meantime I felt that it would be better if I put the stock shift handle back on and removed this one, that was put on in Mar 03.
http://www.mgwltd.com/mustang_shift_handle.html, only because once they pull the tranny out I might not see this again and would have to buy another one.

My tremec has been notchy since day one (9/02) and was notchy with the new shift handle. So as of last Sunday I've had the stock shifter on and believe it or not, the tranny isn't as notchy anymore. I can't explain it and it's been pretty cold outside and once the tranny is warmed up it's even smoother.

Either way I'm letting Ford put the new tranny in and hoping as they claim the new Tremec is an updated model and the problem has been solved.

More to follow once the tranny is in....

If Skud & Twisted can get "HotRod Mag" to just check out this thread (it's like the #1 thread!), they would have a significant number of confirmed T-3650 problem owners. Unfortunately, it's apparent that Ford (and their Dealers) don't give a crap about what we are experiencing!

Twisted said:

hotrod@primedia.com

I'm writing them with my story.

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I had this idea not too long ago, but someone said that they couldn't publish anything negative about ford like that due to a legality issue. I say, do it anyway, and why your at it send it to car and driver and all the other mags that have anything to do with domestic cars in general. What's the harm.

i have a 2001 gt and i have had to replace the cluth not once but twice and that was replaceing the seconded one within 1200 miles had two NEW flywheels put in had 1,2,3,4 syncro gears replaced once and the had 2,3,4 gears replaced i think the trans SUCK and all this was at a FORD certified dealership in Dallas/Ft. Worth area it has costed me over 1500 dollars i wish they would just swap me for the t-56....yeah that wont happen though but there are my probs so far.. and right now i have a bent for so i onther words i have no 2nd gear k

I sent an email to hot rod. It read as follows:

Hello,

I was searching the internet for other people who have the same 1-2 gear "clash" as myself when I came upon your bullet project article. (http://www.hotrod.com/projectbuild/113_0312_pax/). It you state the following:

"So if you've got a late Mustang with the Tremec 3650 five-speed that already tends to crunch into Second and Third when cold, you might want to get that resolved before adding the blower."
I have this exact problem and it is very bad. Last week is was -30C (No Joking) here in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and my 2nd gear was unusable. It wouldn't go into the gear. I had to drive my first 10 miles going straight from 1st to 3rd.

The first time I took it to the dealer they said nothing was wrong, did a fluid change and told me it would help. Wrong. It made no difference whatsoever. The second time I took it there they told me nothing was wrong. Just today It crunched really bad and I got fed up so I took it into the dealer again for me to ride with a tech. The tranny specialist wasn't there so he told the service manager to tell me (and I quote) "Yeah, they're doing that when it's cold". He said there was no fix except to let the car completely warm up.

What's really scary is that this IS NOT an isolated incident!! The Stangnet community (which I am a member of) has an EXTREMELY long discussion about this problem. It can be found by going here --> http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=328655&page=1&pp=25. Most of the individuals there have had the same experience as me. It seems to be the same process over and over again. 1) Change fluid 2) If the fluid doesn't fix it it's "normal".

What I'd like to know is if you have gotten ford to do any repairs or if there is a fix for this problem. It appears ford would like nothing better than for this to go away.

The Stangnet community (which I am a member of) has an EXTREMELY long discussion about this problem. It can be found by going here --> http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=328655&page=1&pp=25

I also believe there is another member by the name of "twisted" that is writing you about this issue as well.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks!!

Riley ("Skud" on Stangnet)

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I have a good feeling that something will come out of this. I hope I'm right

Riley

brianmef said:

Or I've found 3 different things to keep it from grinding...
(1) Double clutch

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What is Double clutch and how that thing work

First off, I want to say (like some others) that I registered to join the forums after reading this topic. I couldn't help but to share my similar story that so many others are going through.


As of last week, I am the proud owner of an 04' Sonic Blue Mustang GT. Yes, it finally happened! I am 24 years old and my previous cars are a 94' Mustang (3.8 liter) and a 98' Pontiac Trans Am. I have always had the mustang fever as far back as I can remember and my love for the T-5 while riding in other people's fox bodies in high school all but forced me to go with the 5-speed in my new stang. Wow! What I ride I have now. I am so in love with my car even though I miss the brute power I had in the LS1... it just doesn't matter because between the Sonic Blue trick paint job and the boxy curves of the new body, I don't even want to remember the T/A.

Okay, so I have now had the car for 1 week as of today and 200 miles on the odometer... 3 days ago I could barely shift into 2nd gear and when I say barely I mean BARELY. It seems as if the last 3 days everytime I start my car in the mornings I have to shift as soft as I can from 1-2 to try and avoid the grinding. Rediculous but true! Well, I had no idea that other people were having the problem I was. Not until I did some research and came to this forum and actually read the 20+ pages before this one and the hundreds of victims before me spill out there guts on their tranny problems. The last 100 miles on my car have been a nervous hell and after reading about what people said on this board I seem to have the same exact problem. What did I do? I took my car back to the dealer at Crossroads Ford in Cary, NC where they claimed to be the #2 in sales in the country next to California when I purchased my car last week. Okay so I arrive and speak to my salesman about this problem, along with filling him in on this forum and the 3 parts. . . and he sets up a test drive with my car. They find not a problem whatsoever. I told them that in the mornings when it's cold I can't seem to shift at all into 2nd and have to actually skip the gear altogether it's so bad. He begins to tell me there is no recall on such the problem and if it would satisfy me, that I can have the tranny replaced under warranty if this satisfies me. No! Not after talking with someone at the dealer with my same exact problem. I want this **** fixed and not replaced. I don't care to have another broken tranny 2k miles later... hell no, not after shelling out the hard earned cash I made for this baby.

Anyhow, I would like to comment on my LS1 if you don't mind. I understand this is StangNet and I shouldn't praise such a car as this but I only find it fit to be added to this discussion. When I was 18 I had saved up from working all throughout school and made a huge downpayment on the Trans Am in 1998 and had it paid for in less than 2 years. I bought it with about 7 miles on the clock. I waiting my usual 3k miles before shifting aggressively and after about 5k I powershifted like there was no tomorrow all the way up until I got rid of the car. I took it to the track and was pleased with my all-best stock time of 13.20@107. I had a HARD 64k miles on the clock when I traded it in last week to the dealer for the stang. I handed it to them like it shifted when it was brand new. My 94' Mustang I should add didn't give me many problems but I did have to replace 3rd and reverse, but I know it was my fault.

The bottom line is that I traded my T/A in for a reason and that REASON is that my heart and soul is in the 5.0/4.6 and not the LS1 (after 5 years of trial and error). But, after reading about the cases brought upon this forum and my experiences with the Ford dealership... I must say that my patience and respect for Ford has marginally droped. Droped further than I thought would ever happen. I do not plan to go out and get myself another LS1 or anything of the like, but I do wish to see this dilema resolved in a positive matter, and rather sooner than later. There is nothing more embarassing than having my new 40th ann. with the Sonic Blue paintjob, showing it off to some friends and having to "granny-shift" into 2nd gear. That is rediculous. I know with such low milage I'm not suppose to be murdering the car, but I'm not suppose to fear for the live of the car either.

Thank you for reading my story and my first post on the boards. I do plan on going back to the dealership with my buddy (whom also has an 03 GT) and give them a piece of what's on my mind. As a matter of fact I am going to do this within the next couple of days. I am going to the dealership with the 3 part #'s from Tremec, and demanding they have these replaced. If they can't do it at their expense, then I guess I have to take care of it myself. Either way, I WILL try this out and let you know what happens because as of right now I have a little over 200 miles and the 1-2 shift is about as pathetic as can be (coming from a previous LS1 owner).


Thanks and long live the Ford Mustang (even with it's problems)

bad 3650

I wish someone would get up a class action lawsuit.

I too have to drive it like a granny till it warms up. I get the 1-2 clunk. dropped the fluid down to 3.2l like tremic said also used dextron III like they said helped a little bit but the garage is heated and she has never really been outside all night on a freezing cold evening... Makes me wonder if this will be fixed on the 05 stang. Ill have to go test drive one in the dead of winter. PS cas has 2400 miles on it. Mabye i just need to beat the piss out of it and then it will shift better?

It's worth a shot. GM Synchromesh has been highly recommended by a lot of people.