88grandmarq
03-16-2016, 06:49 AM
Fellow Crown vic owner contacted me, saying the transmission was shifting erratically and would randomly neutral out. He also said the shifter had been stuck in park and another shop had replace the shift linkage bushing.
He brought the car to my shop to check it out. quick test drive confirmed the shifts were soft, erratic and the transmission would neutral out at random times. transmission fluid was grossly overfilled, brown in color and had a varnished odor.
The car was a retired patrol car from Ohio with a 211,000 miles on the odometer.
It appeared the transmission was serviced regularly.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1281_zpsmsqia0js.jpg
I dropped the pan to check for debris and found the filter had fallen out of the valve body and was laying in the pan. The magnet had been removed from the pan at some point in the past. I found no heavy debris, clutch or metal, in the pan.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1277_zpsitgcx0qx.jpg
With the pan removed, I inspected the shift linkage bushing and found an aftermarket bushing had been installed the shift arm was not fully seated on bushing. with the transmission and exhaust installed in the car it was impossible to get any tools in the tight spot to attempt to squeeze, or pry the arm back on the bushing.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1290_zpsnwbgnggh.jpg
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1289_zpsvv3nvsjw.jpg
Since the valve body was being removed and the shift shaft seal was leaking. I decided to remove the shift arm from the transmission. Once the arm was removed, it was obvious the aftermarket bushing was incorrect, the groove in the bushing for the shift arm was too narrow, so it would never fit correctly, additionally the ramp on the shoulder of the bushing was too steep and larger than the diameter of the hole in the shift arm, it would be impossible for the arm to fit.
As luck would have it, I had some new shifter bushings left over from a previous project from several years ago, which happened to use the same bushing. With the shift arm and shift lever removed from the transmission I was able to remove the old bushing and use a bench mounted vice as a press and install the new bushing.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/shifter/IMG_0792_zpsg2n7dcvk.jpg
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/shifter/IMG_0791_zpsvn6cthxo.jpg
Since the shift arm was removed from the transmission, I removed the EPC solenoid to check the o-rings. As I suspected, they were flat and brittle.
New o-rings installed on the EPC, new shift shaft seal installed in the transmission case and shift arm and lever with new bushing was re-installed in the case.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1291_zpsnwkwmoqh.jpg
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1295_zpsmsgzncg2.jpg
Got the valve body apart a found the pressure regulator valve was worn and both shuttle valves were worn. The OEM separator plate was worn in the usual spot with cracking and a dimple where the 2-3 accumulator piston cover/retainer pushes against the plate.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1285_zpskqyfmxo3.jpg
The valve body is rebuilt with a new Tuff plate that has been drilled to Jmod spec and the sonnax shift valve replaced the worn stock pressure regulator valve and shuttle valves. Valve body was assembled, installed on the transmission with a new motorcraft filter and 10 qts of fresh fluid.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1287_zpsiys1on1k.jpg
He brought the car to my shop to check it out. quick test drive confirmed the shifts were soft, erratic and the transmission would neutral out at random times. transmission fluid was grossly overfilled, brown in color and had a varnished odor.
The car was a retired patrol car from Ohio with a 211,000 miles on the odometer.
It appeared the transmission was serviced regularly.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1281_zpsmsqia0js.jpg
I dropped the pan to check for debris and found the filter had fallen out of the valve body and was laying in the pan. The magnet had been removed from the pan at some point in the past. I found no heavy debris, clutch or metal, in the pan.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1277_zpsitgcx0qx.jpg
With the pan removed, I inspected the shift linkage bushing and found an aftermarket bushing had been installed the shift arm was not fully seated on bushing. with the transmission and exhaust installed in the car it was impossible to get any tools in the tight spot to attempt to squeeze, or pry the arm back on the bushing.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1290_zpsnwbgnggh.jpg
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1289_zpsvv3nvsjw.jpg
Since the valve body was being removed and the shift shaft seal was leaking. I decided to remove the shift arm from the transmission. Once the arm was removed, it was obvious the aftermarket bushing was incorrect, the groove in the bushing for the shift arm was too narrow, so it would never fit correctly, additionally the ramp on the shoulder of the bushing was too steep and larger than the diameter of the hole in the shift arm, it would be impossible for the arm to fit.
As luck would have it, I had some new shifter bushings left over from a previous project from several years ago, which happened to use the same bushing. With the shift arm and shift lever removed from the transmission I was able to remove the old bushing and use a bench mounted vice as a press and install the new bushing.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/shifter/IMG_0792_zpsg2n7dcvk.jpg
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/shifter/IMG_0791_zpsvn6cthxo.jpg
Since the shift arm was removed from the transmission, I removed the EPC solenoid to check the o-rings. As I suspected, they were flat and brittle.
New o-rings installed on the EPC, new shift shaft seal installed in the transmission case and shift arm and lever with new bushing was re-installed in the case.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1291_zpsnwkwmoqh.jpg
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1295_zpsmsgzncg2.jpg
Got the valve body apart a found the pressure regulator valve was worn and both shuttle valves were worn. The OEM separator plate was worn in the usual spot with cracking and a dimple where the 2-3 accumulator piston cover/retainer pushes against the plate.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1285_zpskqyfmxo3.jpg
The valve body is rebuilt with a new Tuff plate that has been drilled to Jmod spec and the sonnax shift valve replaced the worn stock pressure regulator valve and shuttle valves. Valve body was assembled, installed on the transmission with a new motorcraft filter and 10 qts of fresh fluid.
http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a414/88grandmarq/Nick_2005CVPI_black_cobbcounty/IMG_1287_zpsiys1on1k.jpg