My tranny shifts super hard. After replacing my IP shutoff, and verifying that the pump and booster are solid, I still have vacuum issues. There are three lines heading into the pass compartment that will not hold vacuum. I have plugged them, but still shift unreasonably hard. Until I get around to digging out the heater, doors, ect., am I in danger of hurting the tranny?

From what I've been told it's actually easier on the tranny to shift like this. It's the rest of the drivetrain that it's hard on like the rear end, flex disks, tranny mounts, etc.

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1985 300D Turbo ~225k
2000 F350 (Powerstroke) 4X4, SWB, CC, SRW, 6spd ~148k
1999 International 4900, DT466e (250hp/660 ft/lbs), Allison MD3060 ~73k

See if you have vacuum coming out of the booster line that goes to the valve on the IP, the one where the line runs down to the transmission modulator. Sometimes the inside of the booster line cokes up and won't allow vacuum to the valve.

Gilly

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I also am driving with my vacuum lines plugged to the transmission. I actually prefer the harder shifting and have found that I can modify my foot technique to minimize the super hard shifting that may effect the drivetrain parts. Experiment with accelerating and then reducing the pressure on the pedal to control the shifting.

I use golf tees to plug my lines. I have a bag of mixed colored tees and color code the plugged lines with matching colors so I won't forget which ones match up.

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Mr Goodfahrt (pronounced FAIRT... means "good trip" in German)

1982 300D Turbo Pastel Gray (off-white) 200k+(?)
newbie but willing

Thanks folks.
Gilly, I do have solid vacuum coming from the black line to the tranny.
I have plugged all the lines except the black one to the tranny, leaving alone the network on the valve cover, and it still shifts ultra hard. It feels way too hard to me.
There is one black line coming from the pass compartment to the bleed valve that I am not sure what to do with.
Aaarg.



'89 300CD, Euro
non-turbo, but goes!!!

Any trans specialists not to pricey in the SF Bay area?

I have also been driving with 0" trans vacuum.

Be VERY careful doing this. I lost my flexdisk two days ago because of this and it left me stranded (Even worse, it was by a poo farm: waste management ). At first I thought it was the flex disk at fault, then I found the two missing bolts laying on the trans mount crossmember disfigured beyond all recognition. After some thought, I realized my hard shifting had obliterated the bolts. (One was bent 80* and flattened in the center, one was sheered clean off, and the third was ripped out of the disk with the flexdisk sleeve still on.)

If you want to keep hard shifting but reduce the stress on the drivetrain (It's the 4-3 downshifts that put the most stress [and thunk] on the flexdisk) then you can tune the plastic vacuum device on the IP to reduce, but not eliminate, the vacuum going to the transmission. This should give you nice firm upshifts, but make the downshifts more drivetrain friendly.

Do a search with my "82-300TD" name, I did a thread awhile back describing how to tune it.

Good luck