Quote:
Originally Posted by 86-300sdl
When my SDL Trans which I think is similar would not go into 4th I tried everything but change the trans oil (including the T. Converter oil). Added some Trans-x (1-pint), new filter, and equally important put MD-3 fluid in. Solved the problem.
I previously had run low due to leaks, had put MD-5 in 'cause it was all I could get while on the road. Problems started. Now it shifts fine. You also may check to see if you can manually shift from 3rd to 4th (i.e start in D3 or what ever yours is, and wait until around 2,700 rpms, let off the fuel and shift to 4th).
What does Sun Valley say about it? I'm about to buy one from them due to 317k miles and leaks. Thought they had a pretty good warranty program. If past warranty I'd think they would give you some tips.
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Sorry to take so long to get back to you. It started working right about March of last year and I did not look at the thread again. I think Sun Valley is probably a good bet especially as you live near them. They shipped me the rebuilt and I had it installed here. It had a three year warranty and they said they would "work with me" if it failed, though they obviously would not pay for the R & R.
In response to the current situation, they sent me a new valve body, which lists for
over $1,000. I had to heckle them for it, but they apparently did not have one come in for rebuild and got a new one instead. I installed it because they sent it and they wanted the core, but the tranny was working at the time. (It had gone back to working while I was heckling them.)
It's got this behavior again, but now I have been able to duplicate it on command. I don't think it is anything organic to the mechanism as it worked for about two years after I installed it and then started with the not-being-able-to-run-in-4th behavior. It started off being able to run in fourth but as soon as you shifted down after about six miles it would not go back up.
It disappeared but last reappeared just now. Interestingly, it appears to happen only in the Fall and Winter, but not always. However, it is repeatable now. Starting from a dead cold, overnight, it will run properly for up to six miles. However, if it is going to fail, it will flare and go to neutral, i.e., no connection between the drive shaft and the engine. The only way you can get it reestablish drive is to manually shift it down to 3rd. It then grabs and runs fine in 1st, 2nd,and 3rd and won't go to fourth. Even with the shift lever in 4th, it will only go to 3rd. Occasionally, it will spontaneously go to fourth, but I have not found a way to force it.
Since it spontaneously fixed itself last time and ran for a year without incident, I expect it is something to do with the fluid or the filter. Sun Valley recommended to change the filter and use a Mann (good quality) replacement and add a product called Prolong which is apparently a friction reducer. I'm about to do that. Sun Valley says that the filters sometimes crush and restrict flow. I haven't observed that, but a lot of the filter is enclosed.
See my post later on in this thread regarding Sun Valley. I perhaps misinterpreted their apparent lack of response when trying to noodle this out the first time. They have been, I would say, most attentive and cooperative this time 'round and I would recommend them to anyone.