Just got my transmission rebuilt, having some problems..

segxr7

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My one-way clutch crapped out, so I took my car to an independent transmission shop.. They're not the cheapest place around, but they have a good reputation. They also seemed to be familiar with the 4R70W and its issues. The tech drove the car and confirmed that it was indeed the OWC. He told me that it would be replaced with a mechanical diode, and it would be rebuilt with all other applicable upgrades. My invoice includes an overhaul kit, valve body, solenoids, torque converter, and intermediate OWC.

I got the car back yesterday evening. It seemed great on the way home. However I took it for a spin today, and ran into a few issues...

- The speedometer reads 10-12 mph high on the interstate. I verified this based on the tach (it's usually 1500 rpm @ 55 mph, now it indicates 67 mph!) and one of those radar speed readout signs. It's very odd that I now apparently have the wrong speedo gear, but I thought perhaps the rebuild kit came with a few different ones and there was a mix-up.

- There's a very long downhill stretch with a 25 mph speed limit, and I always shift into 2nd so I don't have to keep riding the brakes. I did that today, and the car jolted really hard and dropped to 900 rpm. There wasn't any engine braking at all. It was still in a gear, but I couldn't tell if it was 2nd or 3rd.

- I drove it on the highway for a while. After getting off an exit, the 1-2 upshift was very mushy and took forever. Also, every RWD Ford I've owned makes a whining noise in first gear, which goes away the instant it upshifts. This time, the whine sounded louder than usual. And instead of disappearing when it upshifted, it gradually went away, kinda like a jet engine spinning down.

- After the 1-2 shift got all crazy, I gently drove it home and checked the fluid. It was bright pinkish-red, but smelled burned already. After all of 30 miles. :eek:

- The stall speed seems to be lower than before. I checked it per the instructions in my Ford service DVD (warm the car up, set the parking brake, stand on the brake pedal, briefly floor it in Drive). According to the manual, the minimum stall is 2362 rpm. I got 2100 rpm.

Between the problems, the VSS gear, and the torque converter, I'm starting to get very concerned.. It seems more like something out of a junkyard than a rebuild of my own tranny! Is the VIN or any other identifying info stamped on the case, by any chance?

I have an appointment on Monday to have them check it out. I'm not going to make any accusations or anything at this point; I'm just going to tell them what's wrong and give them a chance to fix it. Well, aside from the torque converter test.. I'm afraid they might say it's "abusive" and weasel out of the warranty.

At this point I'd appreciate any insight on what could be wrong with it, and how I can see if they really did rebuild my original tranny (without having to tear it apart, that is!). I want to have plenty of ammo in case they don't make things right.
 
Your rebuilt tranny is toast if you say the fluid smells burnt. They are going to have to rebuild it again, good thing you have a warranty on this rebuild right?
 
Yep, the fluid smells like burnt brakes/clutch. It has a 1-year/12k-mile warranty through "Automatic Transmission Rebuilder's Association".
 
Make sure they flush out all the lines of old tranny fluid or it will break again.
 
I don't think using Mercon 3 would cause the tranny to fail especially within 50 miles.
 
The invoice says "synthetic fluid", which I assume is Mercon V. Even if it was III, I don't think it would cause the transmission to crap out in one day, either.

I'm especially curious about the different speedo gear and torque converter.. Is the VSS gear normally replaced when the tranny is rebuilt, or is there any other reason why a rebuild would cause the speedo to read 10+ mph high? And is there a good reason why the replacement TC would have a lower stall speed than OEM? With all the issues I've had, I'm really starting to wonder if they just bolted some other 4R70W on and charged me for a rebuild.
 
I use mercon III in my 95 Mark VIII and have never had a tranny problem. No shudder or any other issues. 118,000 on her too. I really think the key is to change your fluid and filter once a year!
 
yeahmMerc 3 wont kill it,these cars (gen1) came factory with mercon 3 and i have an extra 4r70w (1995) with 225k miles with merc 3 from new,and it works like new :eek: ,
i definately recommend using merc v over merc 3,but it is not the problem here.
 
Yeah, burnt fluid definitely = bad tranny. Also, don't be suprised by the speedometer. I just got my transmission rebuilt and I've got the same issue. Oddly enough, I also have my own list of accompanying issues with the rebuilt transmission.

Oh, and "synthetic fluid' might mean just about anything really. The guys at the shop I went to put some ATF crap in there and said it's the same as Merc V. Since my trans is going in for some work anyway, I'm probably going to have them flush it with the right stuff.

I guess in the future, it's generally not a good idea to go back to a transmission shop that can't even get your speedo gear right. Then again, we're both in the same "bound by warranty" boat for now.
 

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