I have posted some of this before in other threads, but the subject wasn't as focused as it might have been. So here is my last crack at it:

1. My 1980 has the "vacuum-only" transmission. No linkage connected to the throttle. When I got the car last fall it revved way to high to shift into 2nd, then stack-shifted into 3 immediately.

2. The car had sat for some time so I decided to drive it a bit before looking into the shifting. After a few days it suddenly started shifting much better when warmed up, just a bit of slip into 3.

3. Then without warning it stopped going into 2nd. Winds up in 1st and if you back off the throttle it just loses drive entirely until you slow down a bit. Then gives a slippy first. If you roll to a stop it goes back nicely into first.

4. I checked the main vacuum line and output was low. Changed the pump diaphragm this weekend, turned out the old one was probably fine but was installed wrong side in and the cover was barely locked in place. Road test, no difference. Tried swapping around vacuum lines in case they were misrouted (there is a post in this somewhere). Road test, no diff.

5. Then installed a new vacuum splitter valve (the white valve on the VC). Road test, no difference. At this point the predicted fine day turned into a nasty afternoon of thundersorms so that was it for the weekend.

6. The buddy who was helping me (he having small hands, me not) wants to try switching over the modulator valve from my parts tranny, next weekend. I figure at this point it's a waste of effort.

In need of ideas. Maybe I should just swap in the known good 'regular' used tranny from my old 240d, and install the linkages to make it work. This is getting very old and the car needs much other attention that I'm not getting to....

Thanks

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22