Looks like I'll be dropping the trans out of Blue pretty soon. Installing the K1 kit didn't help. From a slight flare when really cold (<10F) to pretty much gone now unless it's warm, 3rd gear is pretty much gone. Maybe it's the clutch pack, maybe the valve body. Unfortunately, if it is the valve body, I'm not sure what to check. But right now the fluid is clean and there is NO crap in the pan at all. I can probably reuse the torque converter as long as I don't keep driving it until I munch something major. Can anyone think of something worth trying before the tranny comes out for a rebuild? (the B2 is new w/new bushing, Mobil 1 ATF, new filter)

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

If you have the older 722 with a 4-bolt pan, you only have (2) clutch packs. One of them is forward (on all the time the car is moving forward) and the other is Direct (which is 4th speed only.)

The rearmost band has a seal in the case that fails and allows fluid to blow past it. I would not only check this, but ensure you didn't allow one of the little struts to fall out when you changed the band...Bert

4-bolt pan like the 722.120 on a W116 300SD??!?!?!? I have a 'delayed engagement' of 4th on my car.... It will shift, then less than a second later will feel like its shifting into gear again. Its not really flaring, just seems like there is an intermediate gear in there.

Is that a symptom of that seal failing? The car has almost 300k on it so I figured the tranny was just on its way out...

Thanks!

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John Robbins
'05 E320 CDI - 240k
'87 300TD - 318k

The old 722.120 is a 4 speed. There is an intermediate gear in there. Turn the modulator in (Clockwise) 1 full turn. You will now notice a little more space between the shifts...Bert

Pete...sorry...I looked at your post again. In 1982, you should have the 6-bolt pan. Turn the modulator screw in (clockwise) 1 full turn and then drive the car again.

You said you went from a slight flare when cold to almost nothing hot??? Sounds like control pressure.

Tymbrymi:

When the servo seal fails on a 722.120, it shifts normally into 3rd, but when it comes time to shift into 4th, it just feels like you started dragging the brakes. There really isn't a 4th speed shift at all.

I have felt what you are describing once and it was a worn center support bearing. The rubber was gone and the driveline was banging just after the shift.

I think adjusting the modulator will improve the shifts greatly on your car...Bert

Thanks! (Sorry for the hijack Pete!) I have no doubt that the center bearing is toast on the car as it is pretty easy to move the driveshaft around by hand. There was rubber left on the support though... its on the todo list (just lots of stuff before it). Would it actually cause a forward surge though? Its not really a clunk or anything...

Have some other weird tranny issues that I'll start a thread on later when I'm not at work...

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John Robbins
'05 E320 CDI - 240k
'87 300TD - 318k