I no position did the vcv hold vac. I went to the junkyard and found one that held vac 100% in the idle position. I installed the unit on my vehicle and noticed the correct curve of 10-12 at idle then down to zero at full throttle while the car is in park.

The new vcv didnt change the shifting at all.

I then went for a drive. The mityvac shows approx 12 at idle. When I drive under normal acceleration the it drops down to approximately 5 and seems to stay there on and between all shifts.

I then hooked constant vacuum at 12 to the transmission and ran around the block quickly knowing that you don't want to keep constant vac on the trans for a long time. When I did this the 1-2 shift was so soft you could barely feel it, but it had no flare at all. 2-3 was still hard and 3-4 was even harder.

It now seems like my problem isn't vac related as several levels of vac dont seem to change the shifting in any way. I am going to take a closer look at the fluid level as it may still be a little high. Would this high fluid level make the trans shift hard and not respond to vac?

__________________
1998 E320 150,000
1980 300SD 240,000
1965 190D 79,000

You can leave a vacuum of 12" on the modulator without any harm. Usually, the shifts will be extra soft if you do so, however.

The only question I have is whether the modulator held the full 12" during the time you made the tests for the shift quality. You stated the 1-2 was so soft you could barely feel it............a characteristic of high vacuum.

If the vacuum level remained at 12" to the modulator and both the 2-3 and 3-4 were exceptionally harsh, the problem is likely internal to the transmission. I don't believe that the modulator is the culprit because the 1-2 was so soft.

Your issue is somewhat unique...........a very soft 1-2 and harsh 2-3 and 3-4 shifts.

You may get some relief with the superior shift kit that has a multitude of replacement springs............however, they usually solve the problem of excessive flaring. Your issue is quite the opposite.

I agree. I have been unable to find this situation in previous threads. Iamgoing to testdrive some more to pay attention to the 1-2 shift, because the 1-2 shift has always been soft but it seemed to soften even more. There still hasnt been comments on the overfilled transmission. I am in the process of taking more fluid out with my mityvac. I think it may be even more overfilled than I thought because when I pulled some fluid out it wasnt near the heat I expected.

I wasnt monitoring the vac when I hooked the constant 12. It however was hood straight to the main vac line and I can't see any reason for the vac to change at all.

Hey, and a new idea might be a transmission mount that is allowing the transmission to move when it shifts making it seem like a hard shift. I notice that the 1-2 shift gives a sensation of acceleration when it shifts (With normal vacuum and the new vcv, with the constant 12 it is almost nonexistent). On the other hand the 2-3 and the 3-4 shifts dont have this sensation. Who knows?



Thanks for the help Brian!!

__________________
1998 E320 150,000
1980 300SD 240,000
1965 190D 79,000

My experience with slightly overfilled is that it doesn't affect the shift quality.

My experience with slightly low is that the shifts become quite a bit firmer.

What about a transmission mount? When I changes the motor mount it seemed to help slightly.

I also edited post #33 talking about the shift's sensation

__________________
1998 E320 150,000
1980 300SD 240,000
1965 190D 79,000

I have now ensured proper fluid level and have hooked the transmission up tp a constant vac of 12. This is by far the best set up yet! I can almost say that this is a normal hard shift now. It still seems to slightly shake the car on the 3-4 and I thikn it might be due to the transmission ount being shot.

I think that compared to other 116 and 123 diesels the shifting is a little harder but it is accompanied by a shake or jolt of the car. I will update after inspecting the transmission mount.

__________________
1998 E320 150,000
1980 300SD 240,000
1965 190D 79,000

I have been reading more about these Superior Shift kits. I am wondering if there is a possiblilty that the firmest possible spring has been added to the 3-4 shift. Could this be the source of the hard shift?

__________________
1998 E320 150,000
1980 300SD 240,000
1965 190D 79,000

Any ideas on what my next move should be? I guess that I need to ensure that I have a reading of 12 during every shift when I have constant vacuum applied.

Maybe I should........?

__________________
1998 E320 150,000
1980 300SD 240,000
1965 190D 79,000

I have made sure that with the constant vacuum hooked to the transmission, there is a constant 15 going to the transmission on all shifts.

After driving the car a little more with the constant vacuum, I think that I am getting hard shifts on every shift. Am I to the point where I should be adjusting the modulator on the transmission with the "T". It seems as thought there are no other options before considering it an internal problem.

Somebody has to have some advice!

__________________
1998 E320 150,000
1980 300SD 240,000
1965 190D 79,000

We need pictures or your vacuum routing.

The following is what the bowden cable replaced on later models:

Check the linkage from the passenger side of the transmission to your throttle linkage, for damage, warped, binding, broken..
There is a bushing in the transmission end of the rod, it is common for it to disintegrate.
A/T Kick-Down Rod Bushing
MB# 110 277 05 50

Fastlane:
http://catalog.peachparts.com/item.wws?sku=W0133-1641458

So last night I believe the transmission went out on me. It made one big slip then wouldn't go in to any forward gears. When I checked the transmission fluid level it was low. When I added more fluid it didnt correct the problem.

With the way it was shifting before the big faliure I think that I am going to roll the dice on a new transmission. I found a used one here locally for $250. It seems like a decent deal.

__________________
1998 E320 150,000
1980 300SD 240,000
1965 190D 79,000

The transmission information in these threads is fantastic! However, I have a questions that I have not seen yet. I just installed both the K1 and K2 springs )pi nk and purple) in my junkyard refugee. They made a significant difference but I still have an occasional flare on both the 2-3 and 3-4 shift. At hard acceleration it isn't noticable.

My question is that the Superior Kit has lots of springs and directions that make sense for a transmission mechanic (which I am not). Included was a separate plastic envelope withe two small springs marked "Diesel Model". I think the springs are supposed to be installed inside the larger springs that replace the inside assembly. But, they are different sizes and the instructions do not say which goes with the K1 or which with the K2. I installed just the large colored springs in place of the plastic and spring assembly (both assemblies seemed to be in fairly good shape). I did not pull the valve body or replace anything else. I did change the filter and used full synthetic ATF. I had the B-whaterver done by a transmission shop last year (The car was "new" and I had little confidence in my mechanical abilities.)

Should I have installed the two small springs also as indicated on one of the instruction pages(s)? If so, which goes into the K1 and which goes into the K2. From the drawing with the springs, it looks like the short spring goes inside of the purple K1 and the longer of the two small springs goes into the pink K2. I am talking about the accumulator, not the control valves.

I also tightened the bowden cable until it seemed to be constant light pressure. Now the shift into first or reverse from park is quite hard (a noticable clunk and it feels like someone hit the back of the car). The 1-2 is not noticable except on the tach, the 2-3 and 3-4 have occasional light flare under normal acceleration. I can easily live with what I've got, but would prefer to make it a little smoother.

The refugee is an 82 300D turbo with 199,000+ miles.

__________________
Better, Faster, Cheaper, pick two.

What's the vacuum level going to the VCV at idle?

As I recall, the guage read 18" Hg at idle and went to zero at full throttle. If there is a vacuum leak, I can't find it. I have not rebuilt any vacuum stuff, just disconnected the door locks and plugged the line with a golf tee and did the same with a couple of climate control valves. I went through the vacuum troubleshooting a while back. The system was about 1" Hg low, but the parts that are supposed to hold vacuum do so.

I left yesterday because I didn't think anyone was still on the forum (and dinner was ready).

__________________
Better, Faster, Cheaper, pick two.

If the 18" value is correct, that would be your problem. The figure should be adjusted to approx. 12" at idle, or less. I have the SD at 8" for very crisp shifts and additional transmission durability.