Tremec 3550 Can't Find shift into 1st and 2nd

jikelly · Apr 26, 2009

I changed my clutch last week and was rewarded with smooth firm, solid shifts into all gears without a hint of driveline vibration.

Unfortunately, after a couple 100 miles with the new clutch I'm having a problem getting my transmission to shift into 1st and 2nd.

It's like I can't reach the 1st and 2nd shift gates. The transmission sifts easily into all gears including 1st and 2nd, if, I can find them. I thought maybe the shifter might have been out of adjustment so I took that apart.

I've got one of those pro 5.0 shifters and was surprised by the actual mechanism inside it. Basically the handle floats on a ball bearing (plastic/nylon bearing?) and there are springs that keep it centered and provide maybe the positive and smooth feel.

Maybe, the springs are weaker now and I'm not getting quite enough throw out of the shifter. I figure I can add washers under the springs to increase the pressure on the main shaft.

More than likely the problem with the shifter not quite reaching the 1st and 2nd shift gate is the missing bushing that should be under the shifter ball, taking up the slack between it and the socket on the transmission shift selector shaft.

I rebuilt my tranny a while back maybe 6000 miles or so ago and it could be that something inside, the fingers on the selector have shifted position slightly. There are pins in there that hold everything in place, but you know how it is. If it can go wrong it will. Makes life fun

I am going to try adding a nylon busing to the socket on the transmission to see if that takes care of things. Still the fact that it's shifting into the other gears including 5th and reverse makes me nervous that something might actually be amiss in the transmission.

What do you guys think?

2+2GT · Apr 26, 2009

If the new clutch is dragging, it's going to make it hard to get into those gears. Hard to tell from here, of course, but since the clutch is what's different, seems logical to check that.

C0V3R · Apr 26, 2009

How is your clutch disengagement?

jikelly · Apr 26, 2009

The clutch disengagement feels good.

When I can get the tranny to find the 1st/2nd gate the clutch engages and disengages those gears smooth and easily.

The other thing is when I try to push the tranny a little harder into 1st or 2nd I can feel the shifter slip off the notch between the gates into 3rd or 4th which makes me think it's just the shifter not reaching quite far enough to get into 1st and 2nd.

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Hack · Apr 27, 2009

Your bushing theory makes sense, except I don't know why it would shift sometimes and then not shift other times. Is it possible that the entire shifter assembly is slightly loose and moving around a little bit on the transmission?

I don't really like the shifter on my 3550. It's got two thin plates sandwiching the main body of the shifter and there are some smaller straps that go between two bolts and preload the springs. The whole assembly seems unwieldy compared to the stock Ford T5 shifter. The T5 shifter has a single thin plate that bolts on, but the 3550 shifter I have is a larger assembly that is confusing to me. The guy I bought it from said it was a Hurst shifter, but I don't know. If your shifter is similar to mine possibly it's a little loose on the transmission or slightly out of position.

jikelly · May 13, 2009

Update:

I made it worse.

I got a new bushing from the Ford house and plopped it into the socket on my transmission. Then I thought I could get more throw if I added washers below the springs on either side of shifter arm.

WRONG!!!!!!

It didn't help me reach 1st and 2nd and now I can't even shift into 5th or reverse.

Maybe I understand how the shifter mechanism works now. Na, I don't believe that for a second. I'm going to remove the washers and maybe and see what happens.

jikelly · Jun 1, 2009

I pulled my shifter out of my car and could immediately see the problem. The socket the shifter fits into on the selector shaft in the the transmission is cracked, and the set screw in it had backed out.

I don't know what to do about it being cracked, but I got the socket back to the centerline and retightened the set screw.

My stang is shifting into all gears properly again. I never liked the sort of vague feel in the tremec shifter, but it is considerably less now. Suck though because I know it's only a matter of time till that set screw works its way out again and I have to go back in there.

jlangholzj · Jun 1, 2009

jikelly said:
I pulled my shifter out of my car and could immediately see the problem. The socket the shifter fits into on the selector shaft in the the transmission is cracked, and the set screw in it had backed out.

I don't know what to do about it being cracked, but I got the socket back to the centerline and retightened the set screw.

My stang is shifting into all gears properly again. I never liked the sort of vague feel in the tremec shifter, but it is considerably less now. Suck though because I know it's only a matter of time till that set screw works its way out again and I have to go back in there.

you and i always seem to have the same issues when solving problems... lol. glad you got it worked out, if the socket is metal....get the welder out?

looks like its time for a hurst kelly

Hack · Jun 1, 2009

Loctite blue should prevent it from backing out.

I have a Hurst shifter on my 3550 and it's anything but vague. I like it.

Glad to hear it wasn't an internal transmission problem.

Tremec 3550 Can't Find shift into 1st and 2nd

jikelly

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jikelly

Hack

jikelly

jikelly

jlangholzj

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