Need help before warranty expires in Oct. WHO DO I CALL??

[Nardo GT]

Here is the deal guys. You can view my WAY earlier posts concerning this (2 years ago). Hopefully someone here can help....maybe a Ford insider?? My trans. has ALWAYS crunched on the 1 to 2 shift. Does not do it every time but frequently. Please note NO real difference hot or cold. Ford says a normal condition when COLD, but it still does it fully warm. 12K miles now and warranty running short.

Someone here also posted a fluid change made a big difference. Ford will not pay for this to even to TRY and eliminate the problem. Seems a good business decision for Ford to attempt the fix with an inexpensive fluid change before a $15K transaxle...don't you agree??
Someone here with the same issue also posted that they had a 40yo GM relic that doesn't "crunch" shifting. I am in total agreeance with this. Not acceptable on a Ford Ranger, and damn sure not acceptable on a $160K Ford GT.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ist post Aug 06 1500 miles

My car has 1500 miles on it and has always been a bit sensitive shifting into second gear. All the other shifts are fine, just the one-two. You have to take extra care and shift really thinking about it into second. If you don't take a bit of extra care it will crunch SLIGHTLY going into second. This feels/sounds like a synchro problem to me. No popping out of gear....no whines..no other problems with the trans. other than this. Anybody else experience this? I am 50 years old and very familiar with manual transmissions. I have had Porsches, Ferraris, Corvettes etc....even Mustang GTs and never noticed such.. It is slight, but still noticeable

.......................................
2nd post Jan 07 //// I was told by other forum members that the second gear "crunch" was normal and would get better with time. Well, I am at 4800 miles now and it is EXACTLY the same. How long do I need to wait? I know all about shifting 1-3 instead of 1-2 but do I really need to be doing that? I think that is just getting around the real issue. It NEVER does this on a downshift from 3 to 2 but only on upshift and only sometimes....does seem better after FULLY warmed up....and I do mean FULLY....It is very annoying and I really want to keep a "numbers matching" transaxle....not a replacement. I really don't want the dealer tearing into or replacing my trans.....Maybe I will wait til the warranty is almost out and send to Saleen. I have heard many good things about them, but still concernred about "matching number" trans. Also......I guess I would be out the shipment expense which doesn't seem right.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Okay. This admittedly is V-E-R-Y basic and you pbly have considered/checked this, BUT - what about shifter cable adjustment/connections? Have those been checked?

 

[Nardo GT]

Okay. This admittedly is V-E-R-Y basic and you pbly have considered/checked this, BUT - what about shifter cable adjustment/connections? Have those been checked?

I am told yes....and bled the lines too. I noticed on the service ticket this week that the local "GT tech" could not duplicate the problem. The service advisor has duplicated it with me NUMEROUS times with HIM driving and I requested that I drive/ride with the tech to show him.....I never got a call to do that. The tech noted "the clutch is extending to within one inch from the top" indicating that might be a concern. Clutch is exactly where it was from day one and the trans. has exactly the same issue ....no better...no worse. IF the clutch is an ADDITIONAL issue I'm at 12K miles and isn't that covered until 12K ( I may be wrong here (ie brakes, clutches etc). I know that I have NEVER replaced a clutch in any manual trans, vehicle that I have ever owned for any duration. 12K seems very premature on a clutch if it is treated properly and there is no issue with slippage or chatter now. It DOES bring a new issue to the board though but totally unrelated to the trans. crunch it has ALWAYS done. THANKS for any and all advice!!!

 

[Empty Pockets]

I am told yes....and bled the lines too. I noticed on the service ticket this week that the local "GT tech" could not duplicate the problem. The service advisor has duplicated it with me NUMEROUS times with HIM driving and I requested that I drive/ride with the tech to show him.....I never got a call to do that. The tech noted "the clutch is extending to within one inch from the top" indicating that might be a concern. Clutch is exactly where it was from day one and the trans. has exactly the same issue ....no better...no worse. IF the clutch is an ADDITIONAL issue I'm at 12K miles and isn't that covered until 12K ( I may be wrong here (ie brakes, clutches etc). I know that I have NEVER replaced a clutch in any manual trans, vehicle that I have ever owned for any duration. 12K seems very premature on a clutch if it is treated properly and there is no issue with slippage or chatter now. It DOES bring a new issue to the board though but totally unrelated to the trans. crunch it has ALWAYS done. THANKS for any and all advice!!!

If it were a clutch issue, one would THINK you'd get "the crunch" when going into in any gear as the clutch has no idea what gear you're selecting...'only that IT is being called on to disengage/engage. So, unless you have some kinda SLIPAGE, my guess is the clutch isn't a contributng factor in any way.

Beyond the linkage adjustment/connection angle - or some kind of manufacturing defect in the tranny - I'll be darned if I have the answer. (Mebbe the throwout bearing/clutch adjustment ought to be checked for "throw" anyway.)

Another thought...what about a KINK somewhere in the 1-2 cable? Have the cables been examined along their length?

Hopefully Shadowman, or Jay, et al, will chime in here...

Stumped Pockets

 

[cobrar1339]

After this long, without a cable adjustment issue. There is a Rotella built tool I'm sure the GT GUYS have. It is a plastic device that is used for checking and setting the cable length. You will see it in the shop manual. Torrie may be able to help find one, if your dealer did not have it.

Did the transaxle fluid ever get changed?. The shop manual recommends a change around 3,500 and then several thousand miles later. I might pay up for this first rather than swapping the trans.

After that. Well

I would be leaning toward a synchro issue.

Mine does it all the time when cold and takes about 3 -4 miles to warm up, then it is wonderful.

 

[Nardo GT]

One more question guys.......and THANKS.... more than you know!

Curious, but seems feasible and a BIG concern. For whatever reason it is doing it, will or could it cause synchro damage in the future. Slight crunching could turn into major crunching? Living with it as-is is one thing, but at 40K miles and 6 years old Ford won't have anything to do with the repair even with my documented history I'm afraid.

 

[Indy GT]

I tend to agree with Cobrar1339, go ahead and change the fluid and see if any difference is noted. Just spend the money to have it done. Make sure to use the specific GT transaxle Motorcraft fluid.

If that does not help, drive the car to Scottsdale in 3 weeks and have Dennis and Rich diagnose. You will not get any better than these guys to tell you if you have a problem or not.

 

[TifosiTed]

Mine has 1500 miles and does the same thing. Shifting to 2nd from cold is almost not an option so I do the 1-3 shift untill it gets warmed up.

Once warmed up it will up shift into 2nd with a very slite gear crunch. I don't hear it but I can feel it in the shifter. Even if I shift it very slowly. However, I have no problem down shifting into 2nd.

I too am a 50ish driver with loads of manual shifting, both standard gearboxes and transaxials (including SCCA racing) under my belt so I don't think it's the operator.

I am suspect the cable needs adjusting. Beyond that maybe a bad synchro? I have never slamed it into 2nd but can't vouch for the first 500 miles as I bought the car used.

Prowler, I would be very interested in what you find out as to a fix as my warranty goes out next Spring.

Thanks,

 

[BlackICE]

I am suspect the cable needs adjusting. Beyond that maybe a bad synchro? I have never slamed it into 2nd but can't vouch for the first 500 miles as I bought the car used...
Thanks,

The cable adjustment merely positions the shift lever within it's housing. I played with the positions, wanting the lever to be more towards the driver (left to right) and further back. After I made these adjustments I found that the lever was lazy moving into the neutral position and some gears harder to shift into. (The lever's leverage being reduced) I found the best position was to get the lever into the middle position when in neutral, giving transaxle the best mechanical advantage to move the lever. Note that the shifter is just a level arm that pulls and pushes on 2 cables. The stops and neutral detent are from within the transaxle.

Positioning the lever has 3 tradeoffs.

1. Leverage
2. Travel
3. Position

Note that 2 and 3 are best checked with the center console removed. Caution you would never want to drive the car where the lever at its' end of travel in any gear, his may result in less than full engagement!

My suggestion for positioning the cables are to have the lever in the middle position for neutral while adjusting the cables on the shifter side such that the cables adjusters on the transaxle side are in the middle. In that way any future adjustments can be easily done from the transaxle side without removing the center console.

 

[fjpikul]

Mine still grinds a little when cold. Make sure you get some good (better than Ford) magnetic drain plugs from Analog or Kendall. My personal opinion is that it's not the number of miles you have on it, it's the number of shifts. I have 10K, but they're all almost highway miles with not much shifting.

 

[sawb]

I had an 05 and now an 06 both did it,a friend of mine was one of the engineers on gt from the start ,tells me it is inherent to this trans,suggested I double clutch,mine is worse when cold