[QUOTE]Originally posted by JTpantera:
Check for a loose trunion adjacent to the lower rear of the fuel tank. When that begins to rock, shift rod travel is reduced encumbering full engagement of the 3rd gear detent. This is your most likely culprit and easy to assess.[/QUOTE
Trunion felt snug when grabbing it from above but will jack er up and make sure the bolt is tight and rod lubed. That is what I was going to try first till I had found my air ride failed and I couldn’t get a jack under the car. I recall that bolt is huge too, and without jacking up I found it useless to try and get a wrench on it. So that may be my first task.
Jan as a last resort, grinding in one gear may simply be a bad synchro ring inside the ZF.... There goes $$$ your Christmas presents this year!
Yeah the wife hopes it’s no syncro! I was able to get to the bottom bolt on the trunion (took a 15/16 wrench perfect). It did turn maybe 1/4 turn, but the stinkin wrench is so thick in that small area making it hard to tell if the outer part of the wrench was preventing further turning or if it was at max tightness. I greased the rod too. Not feeling well I can’t get out and drive, so as far as testing for grinding while shifting into 3rd I started it up and then shifted into 3rd a few times with no grinding noise experienced, at least until the wife was grinding at me for running it in the garage. I guess the real test will be to drive it again, maybe later this week. Funny though, when I had it out it always seemed the 3rd gear grind was worse after a good warmup but maybe just coincidence or my aging imagination.
Jan, in cases like this, I buy a cheap import open end wrench and grind the sides until about half the wrench is dust. Then it fits in the space available so you can adjust to your hearts content. Cheap wrenches are usually poorly heat treated so the grinding is easier, the wrenches are cheap to replace and such nuts aren't very tight anyway.
Yeah fat ass wrenches! I will try and grind the one I have and see how that goes. I’m no engineer but wrenches seem to be way overbuilt to me. Ive had to grind a few in the past, and yes is difficult with certain wrenches. Taking off a little edge on this one may go along way though.
also a couple 2x6s cut at 45 deg. to drive up on so the jack will fit and or you don't dent your front spoiler with the handle. two stacked up for the front works best for mine.
Well it seems that tightening the trunnion most likely did the trick. Now shifts like butta through all gears on the road. I didn't implement any of the other ideas because I was going one by one to see what may help. I forgot how fun it is to drive that car, such a ridiculous monster. But with my limited knowledge I would be lost without all the input here. Thanks again.
quote:Originally posted by Rocky:
Check your grunion bushing, and make sure one of the linkage U-joints is not slipping.
Same symptoms on mine - it came on suddenly, it was one of the joints slipping.
Rocky
Whoo-Hoo! Called it in the second post!
Congrats!
OBTW: You know I was just funnin' you when I called it a "grunion" bushing - the grunion run on the California beaches - not in Pantera linkages!
It cracked me up, anyway!
Rocky
Yeah Rocky you got it right Godfather style sleep with the fishies. Didn’t even need to jack up the car. Was able to place an angled mirror on the ground to see wrench size needed and to tighten as well. Now to enjoy the ride until the next mechanical adventure.
I would like to snug up the trunion nut just a little more but as mentioned before the sides of the wrench are too thick on the 15/16” wrench that I have. Not sure where to find a weaker wrench to grind down? Mine is forged and won’t grind down. Anyone ever used this crow wrench thing? I hear some complaints on line that it tends to open up & slip when turning with pressure.
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Nice grind job, that would be a perfect grind size for me but I would be all day trying to grind mine. For some reason manufacturers make those heads so huge an elephant couldn’t break them. Musta been attorneys involved “make it excessively large so it will never break during use”.
rocky posted:I just bought a wrench at a used tool store (like a pawn shop) and took my angle grinder to it.
Works great.
Wow! Could you fit a Chevy in a Pantera with that grinder?