Slipping out of 6th gear during highway cruising

[flbchbm]

As if getting a re-manufactured engine that took almost 6 months to get wasn't enough...now I have this issue. The day I got it back I noticed it making more clunking than usual, but no issues otherwise.

Here I am, 6 months after receiving it back and I noticed more noise when shifting and some "slack" when engaging. I ignored it until it got louder and more pronounced in feeling. And THEN.....while highway cruising to work last week, it slipped out of 6th gear twice in two weeks. It NEVER EVER did that before the engine swap. It is not the short shift adapter or the Boomba short shifter's fault, afaik...(anybody that did experience issues after trans or engine swap, speak up now)

Yes, I had the Boomba AND a short-shift adapter under the hood for years. Never an issue until the engine swap. I either have to remove the adapter before I drop it off (still under warranty) or hope they don't balk at it and say, sorry, your fault. The weather forecast is cold and windy. 26 + 7 wind.

Pilot bearing ?
Synchronizer ?
Input shaft seal leaking onto the clutch ?
short shift adapter and the way he reassembled everything? Perhaps he kept it all connected and bend it near the ball end? idk

 

[kivnul]

I've had issues with a short shift adapter that was mounted transmission side. It would rub/catch on the computer? mount point (attached to the battery box) which required some bending of metal. It is very possible that an engine swap, with its assosicate disasembly of basically everything under the hood could have shifted things just enough for you to have a similar problem. I would take off the intake piping above it and have someone row the gears while you check for clearances.

 

[flbchbm]

I've had issues with a short shift adapter that was mounted transmission side. It would rub/catch on the computer? mount point (attached to the battery box) which required some bending of metal. It is very possible that an engine swap, with its assosicate disasembly of basically everything under the hood could have shifted things just enough for you to have a similar problem. I would take off the intake piping above it and have someone row the gears while you check for clearances.

I removed it last night and did not see any binding/interference. I was dropping it off today, although the appt email said Thu, and then I get there and they say, the transmission tech is off Thu and Fri, so drop it off Monday.......f'n dealerships suck azz...I'm driving the Mazda until then.

 

[Sam4]

I removed it last night and did not see any binding/interference. I was dropping it off today, although the appt email said Thu, and then I get there and they say, the transmission tech is off Thu and Fri, so drop it off Monday.......f'n dealerships suck azz...I'm driving the Mazda until then.

Late next week, they'll let you know they couldn't 're-create' the 'issue'.

 

[kivnul]

Did it pop out of 6th gear after a hard brake by chance? I also had that problem (albeit in 2nd, autocrossing). The combined mass of the short shifter on the transmission + heavy steel shift knob was enough have it pop out of gear. Removing the short shift fixed it. (I was not going back to stock lightweight knob)

 

[flbchbm]

Did it pop out of 6th gear after a hard brake by chance? I also had that problem (albeit in 2nd, autocrossing). The combined mass of the short shifter on the transmission + heavy steel shift knob was enough have it pop out of gear. Removing the short shift fixed it. (I was not going back to stock lightweight knob)

No, just cruising to and from work at 65mph.
Shifting clunk became more pronounced a few weeks after getting it back, engine on or off. It got louder and I knew I needed to take it back, but then it happened. (The shop that did the LSD years before didn't cause it). I NEVER had an issue until the dealer replaced the engine.

Dealer said drop it off Sunday bc trans guy is off Thu and Fri. Wtf. Appt was set for wed. SMH.

{Elderly Jimmy Koons sold his ~20 local dealerships for 1.2 BILLION to Asbury Motors. Koons name will remain. I just don't know how Jimmy's going to fuel his jet with 1.2 billion. }
Asbury Automotive Group is a company based in Atlanta that operates auto dealerships in various parts of the United States. Founded in 1995, it was ranked No. 360 on the 2022 Fortune 500 list. Net worth $4.3 billion before this upcoming acquisition.

 

[flbchbm]

If you're sitting still and let the clutch out a little too quickly, but not popping it, just too quickly it's an abrupt thud. I know it's hard to describe it, but it's nothing like it was before. It's like they're slack.
If I remember correctly, there is no shimming requirement for the Fiesta, but there is for focus and other models.

 

[flbchbm]

Needless to say, the dealer cannot replicate it, come get your car......of course they can't. I can take days and miles.... and what, I'm supposed to catch it on video? They'll say I faked the video probably. And I don't drive it once they lay down brine or salt.

 

[kivnul]

Unfortunate but not surprising. For giggles, I would leave the short shift adapter off for a while.

 

[flbchbm]

they said FORD warranty has "PROTOCOLS" and one is the mech must see it happen in front of his very eyes....video proof is not proof.....I talked them into the mech driving it home and back Thursday night. 50 miles each way....gonna cross my fingers. If it doesn't do it before first salt/snow, I'll bring it home, cover it and wait until spring and take back and say DRIVE IT AGAIN...

Yes, adapter will stay off until next year.

I do have one concern. If it is the synchro's, and it's a 1 for 1 swap, I'll need to tell them and pay (no problem) to swap it. and it will be then that they will blame it on the LSD...

 

[Dpro]

they said FORD warranty has "PROTOCOLS" and one is the mech must see it happen in front of his very eyes....video proof is not proof.....I talked them into the mech driving it home and back Thursday night. 50 miles each way....gonna cross my fingers. If it doesn't do it before first salt/snow, I'll bring it home, cover it and wait until spring and take back and say DRIVE IT AGAIN...

Yes, adapter will stay off until next year.

I do have one concern. If it is the synchro's, and it's a 1 for 1 swap, I'll need to tell them and pay (no problem) to swap it. and it will be then that they will blame it on the LSD...

Ya it’s kinda stupid But I would not put it past them to blame the LSD . The old refrain is someone else opened the transmission to put it in during warranty and since it was not us we will not honor warranty. Regardless of the fact that opening the trans to drop a diff in is merely cracking the case and removing your open diff and ring gear and reinstalling with the ring gear and LSD . Which has absolutely no effect whatsoever on the rest of the trans .

 

[flbchbm]

Ya it’s kinda stupid But I would not put it past them to blame the LSD . The old refrain is someone else opened the transmission to put it in during warranty and since it was not us we will not honor warranty. Regardless of the fact that opening the trans to drop a diff in is merely cracking the case and removing your open diff and ring gear and reinstalling with the ring gear and LSD . Which has absolutely no effect whatsoever on the rest of the trans .

AND the LSD was in for 2.5 years and no issues until...everybody say it with me...they replaced the engine.

 

[flbchbm]

Trans tech drove it home and back. It DID slip out of gear. Service Advisor called and said Ford is replacing the whole trans....that's when I had to tell him I have an LSD in it. They are charging me $3,500 to swap it and put the open diff in the old trans before they ship it to Ford (still under warranty). I neglected to ask if they are replacing the bearing. That's sort of a no-brainer.

 

[Dpro]

Trans tech drove it home and back. It DID slip out of gear. Service Advisor called and said Ford is replacing the whole trans....that's when I had to tell him I have an LSD in it. They are charging me $3,500 to swap it and put the open diff in the old trans before they ship it to Ford (still under warranty). I neglected to ask if they are replacing the bearing. That's sort of a no-brainer.

ouch that’s steep as hell to swap out a diff lol. The bench time on that is probably 10 hours even at $150 an hour it would come out to that. It cost me $1500 to have a trans dropped from the car and LSD installed and replaced . If this is warranty work you should not be paying $3500

 

[flbchbm]

ouch that’s steep as hell to swap out a diff lol. The bench time on that is probably 10 hours even at $150 an hour it would come out to that. It cost me $1500 to have a trans dropped from the car and LSD installed and replaced . If this is warranty work you should not be paying $3500

Yes, warranty. Remove TWO diffs and put back IN two diffs. They have to send the trans back to Ford assembled with the open diff from the trans they are sending them. $195/hr here in Metro DC. Land of high prices. Or at least high labor and high housing.

Warranty doesn't cover anything over straight swap.

Yeah, I paid $1,100 labor in 2020 to have it installed.

 

[Dpro]

Yes, warranty. Remove TWO diffs and put back IN two diffs. They have to send the trans back to Ford assembled with the open diff from the trans they are sending them. $195/hr here in Metro DC. Land of high prices. Or at least high labor and high housing.

Warranty doesn't cover anything over straight swap.

Yeah, I paid $1,100 labor in 2020 to have it installed.

wow ya $195 an hour is San Francisco dealership pricing.

 

[flbchbm]

wow ya $195 an hour is San Francisco dealership pricing.

Yeah, it should NOT be THAT high.....in 2019 it was $165.

 

[flbchbm]

Since they are replacing the whole trans, it must be the synchros? Assuming so, why did it have zero symptoms until they replaced the engine?

 

[Dpro]

Since they are replacing the whole trans, it must be the synchros? Assuming so, why did it have zero symptoms until they replaced the engine?

Synchros gone out you would be grinding into gear. clunks are different l I am guessing that Ford in their infinite wisdom 🤣has disco’d parts of the trans and they only have replacement transmissions at this point.

 

[kivnul]

I have never heard of a shop rebuilding these transmissions. I have 1 on my shop floor with 'issues' and the one in the car currently is generating metal shavings at a surprisingly fast clip (and sounds like a windup car). We looked into getting new internals and hit a wall. You may be better off just buying a 'new' transmission with a differential already installed from the UK and then just do a transmission swap. It will be cheaper.