"Lazy" third gear torque converter lock-up

[sflrainmaker01]

Hey guys! I just had a really long weekend driving 80+ miles a day back and forth to an off-site event. The car drove great! Most of the driving was city-lots of stop lights!:rolleyes: No worries though, I was driving the Marauder and it was awesome!:D However, I did notice that it seems like under slightly less than moderate acceleration (driving almost like gas mileage matters :P), the car shifted into third gear fine (a little early in my opinion). But, then, the torque converter locks up shortly after and its like a weird drop in RPM and acceleration and then you get to 40+ MPH and it shifts into 4th (or O/D) no problem.
Under hard acceleration, it seems like third is not much problem, but by the time I am going that fast, I am backing off and it shifts fine. Under very light acceleration, it shifts thru the gears fine.
Is this some kind of programming issue? I know these transmissions are electronically controlled.

[martyo]

It can be in the programing or may not be.

Has it always does this or is this a new issue (tunes don't change over time).

[sflrainmaker01]

It seems like it has always done it since I have had the car (coming up on 6 mo and 5k miles). I think it was just more noticeable and bothersome because of the amount and type of driving I had to do this weekend.

[RF Overlord]

I think that's kinda "just the way they are". My 2000 MGM has a very lazy TC lockup at 40 MPH when I'm very light on the gas, just kinda maintaining headway. If I'm accelerating at all, it locks up much more firmly. The Blackbird and Phoebe both have tunes and I don't recall ever having that issue on either of them.

[martyo]

It seems like it has always done it since I have had the car (coming up on 6 mo and 5k miles). I think it was just more noticeable and bothersome because of the amount and type of driving I had to do this weekend.

I sent you a PM.

[sflrainmaker01]

replied...

[sflrainmaker01]

I think that's kinda "just the way they are". My 2000 MGM has a very lazy TC lockup at 40 MPH when I'm very light on the gas, just kinda maintaining headway. If I'm accelerating at all, it locks up much more firmly. The Blackbird and Phoebe both have tunes and I don't recall ever having that issue on either of them.

It doesn't seem like a problem with the torque converter to me because there is no problem in fourth/overdrive at all. It just seems like the timing of the 3rd gear change (and subsequently) the torque converter lockup is off. The transmission seems very eager to shift into third gear. Just easy cruising around town and it will be in third before you get to 25 mph :rolleyes:.

For example: It is most noticeable going up an on-ramp where you are not trying to be a race car driver but steady acceleration. Say it shifts nicely into third at 40 mph and you are still steady on the accelerator (clearly not "floored") and then the torque converter locks up. I can detect a slight decrease in rpm and engine sound and then it revs back up and shifts into 4th and of course the TC then locks up w/o any notice.

[RF Overlord]

If your transmission is getting into 3rd at 25 MPH, that sounds like everything is stock...no tune. One of the things Ford did badly on these cars was the shift schedule...it's highly biased toward fuel economy and is pretty pathetic for what was purported to be a "performance" version of the GM.

One of the things that makes a tune from any of our supporting vendors so nice is that they modify the shift schedule to something more suitable for performance and it really makes the car so much more of a pleasure to drive.

OTOH, you may have a problem developing with yours. How many miles on it and when was the last time the ATF was changed?

[sflrainmaker01]

If your transmission is getting into 3rd at 25 MPH, that sounds like everything is stock...no tune. One of the things Ford did badly on these cars was the shift schedule...it's highly biased toward fuel economy and is pretty pathetic for what was purported to be a "performance" version of the GM.

One of the things that makes a tune from any of our supporting vendors so nice is that they modify the shift schedule to something more suitable for performance and it really makes the car so much more of a pleasure to drive.

OTOH, you may have a problem developing with yours. How many miles on it and when was the last time the ATF was changed?

The car has got to have some kind of tune because it is hard not to get at least a chirp out of a second gear shift (at some pretty low rpm I might add). Also, the speedo is correct. The car just turned 76k miles. I was going to get a trans service done soon because I don't know when it was done last by the previous owner. The fluid (as inspected by me AND the Ford dealer) seems to be in good shape (no smells or discoloration of any sort). Also, when coming to a stop, you can feel the car downshifting, almost like a stick shift car, but not as pronounced.

[RubberCtyRauder]

Since you are not sure about who's tune. The trans may not have been changed. The speedo can be changed with a sct of similiar I think. It might have some sort of modified mustang tune. I'm only speculating on all this. I think you need to try to get a dyno tune who can tune a marauder would be best. Take 3 days off, drive to mo's, dyno it and drive back

[sflrainmaker01]

Since you are not sure about who's tune. The trans may not have been changed. The speedo can be changed with a sct of similiar I think. It might have some sort of modified mustang tune. I'm only speculating on all this. I think you need to try to get a dyno tune who can tune a marauder would be best. Take 3 days off, drive to mo's, dyno it and drive back

I wanted to do that last weekend for Marauderville, but work schedule got in the way:mad2:. I still might do that though. I would like someone who knows what they are doing to work on it!

However, I know Cobra25 and a couple others from South Florida have used Justin @ J&J Motorsports in Cape Coral for some tuning on their Marauders. Plus, I just met the guy that runs Mustang Motorsports in Fort Myers. He says he is familiar with Marauders too.

[RubberCtyRauder]

Awesome! You'll get it tweaked in. You've already rescurauder it this far. Hook up with one of those or try to set up appt at mo's sometime. I'm glad i took my instinct and drove to mo's last year

[sflrainmaker01]

Awesome! You'll get it tweaked in. You've already rescurauder it this far. Hook up with one of those or try to set up appt at mo's sometime. I'm glad i took my instinct and drove to mo's last year

I'd love to be able to roll up to Mo's with an Eaton swap in the trunk! Then, could install and tune it! :burnout:

Keep dreaming, not yet....:alone: