Shifting problems

35th T-bird SC

Registered User
I got my car back from Ford today, it was bad wiring causing my starter not to engage. They didn't want to troubleshoot the stalling and missing I'm having. Whatever, I don't want to deal with them if they don't want my car around. It ran better today with no air hissing sound. It even idled, it would bogg down a little when the fan kicked on. The tach was steady on about 750 rpm. I drove it around town to seat the rings a little and there was no overheat problems though there is still bubbles in the overflow tank. My new problem though is that I can't get iit in gear when running. I had to shut off the car at red lights to get in first, then when I went to start it with the clutch pushed in the starter moved the car! It will shift into second and up if I'm moving, reverse hasn't been a problem either. I put a new clutch on when the engine was out and had the flywheel resurfaced. Was I supposed to shim the flywheel? Is there a way to shim the slave cylinder without pulling the tranny instead? This is really starting to wear on me.
 
Your clutch is not fully disengageing. You are right as far as needing to shim the slave cylender. Here is the part that sucks. you need to pull the trans back out and use a peice of sheet metal under the slave cylender and that should bring it back to where you need to be. I need to do the same thing to one I am just about to install and Im glad I saw this post as I might have forgot to do this important step
 
Sounds like another job for the shop up the road, I can't see me dropping my tranny in my driveway with the car on ramps. I don't know how you guys do it. You have to drop the gas tank, heat shields, exhaust, drive shaft etc. That's to much for me with ramps and jack stands.
 
One thing to try before you go to all the trouble is to bleed your slave cylender just to make sure it dosn`t have any air left.
Oh I have a nice warm garage to work in. I will never do it the cold again.
 
35th T-bird SC, you can remove the tranny without dropping the tank and heatshields. Put a jack under the pumpkin, undo the four drive shaft to pumpkin bolts, then two large nuts at the front of the pumkin and lower the jack until you can slide the driveshaft up and over the pumpkin :D
 
okay just fixed this myself

I put in a clutch and new slave cylinder at the same time. Didn't resurface the flywheel and didn't replace pilot bearing (seemed good so just repacked it with grease). Before this had replaced the master cylinder and bled system plenty. I had the same problem you did with the clutch not disengaging.

Long story short the new clutch and slave fixed it. Now I didn't have to shim anything but if your flywheel is still in spec (something like .97 inches thick, do a search) then the problem might be your slave cylinder (assuming you didn't just replace that too). Pretty sure the slave cylinder was what went out on mine and it wasn't leaking or anything.

By the way I just did my clutch in a driveway with only the front end up on ramps (actually up on wood blocks). If you have a creeper it's not so bad - just don't drop the gas tank all the way and leave the tranny under the car on blocks. Just my .02

Brian
 
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