Blaine B.
02-19-2015, 05:24 PM
I will try to make this story as short as possible.
My car was originally not a Police Interceptor. It was a base model, elderly driven vehicle for about 65,000 miles before I acquired it in early 2009. Since then, I have changed just about everything that I could (minus the transmission tail shaft) to essentially convert the car into a Police Interceptor. I'm not kidding - I mean everything.
Anyway, we can talk about all of that goodness later. Since this post specifically refers to my transmission, I will stay on topic.
In July of 2010 I replaced the factory 12" torque converter with a re-manufactured 11.25" torque converter, compliments of the NTC Torque Converter shop in Chicago, Illinois. At the same time, I also installed a new Ford flex plate to accommodate the new bolt pattern of the smaller converter. This converter currently has about 40,000 miles on it.
In May of 2011 I installed a USED BC Automotive valve body, and removed the lower 1-2 and 2-3 accumulator springs. Essentially a J-Mod with some differences that I am not aware of. Everything was fine. I did install a new separator plate gasket, and also installed a new filter at the same time.
Fast forward to November of 2014, and I decided to re-install the lower springs for both the 1-2 and 2-3 accumulators. I did NOT replace the separator plate gaskets, but I did replace the filter once again.
Directly following the re-installation of these springs, I started hearing a buzzing noise when the transmission was warm. I originally attributed this buzz to the alternator, and drove over 1,000 miles since then with not ONE hiccup. My daily commute is only 4 miles each way, so the transmission rarely has a chance to get over 120 degrees, especially during the winter. However, in the initial test drive, I did see that the transmission fluid temperature did get up to about 220. I assumed that there was just some air in the cooler lines, and since my daily commute is never long enough to get the trans this hot, I really had not thought about it until recently.
Last week I was driving in Chicago for about 4 hours. My trans fluid temperature was getting HOT, I'm talking a steady 220-230 degrees. However, there was nothing abnormal about my shifting patterns. The buzzing sound was also audible. The buzzing is most audible in park or neutral when the RPMs are slightly higher. I recorded a video the following day, and was told by a transmission re-builder that this sound was the fluid pump sucking or purging air.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O9jJpQnUn8&list=UUPI0IsXyqiibAfF3QAdzSbg
His thought was that perhaps the filter dropped out of the valve body, or that the valve body gasket was leaking since I had not replaced it when I re-installed the accumulator springs, or that the main pressure regulator valve in the valve body was worn. Mind you, the buzzing sound and the hot transmission fluid temperatures suddenly started happening as SOON as I had got done re-installing the accumulator springs. I had no noises or high temperatures prior to that, and I have had my ScanGauge II hooked up since I got the car.
Anyway, fast forward to last weekend, I dropped the pan, and found that the filter was seated correctly. I then dropped the valve body, and pulled the 1-2 and 2-3 accumulator pistons. Everything looked fine. No debris in the pan.
I then pulled both covers on the valve body itself. I have never pulled these before, even when I got the valve body used. On the top side, I found no debris. So I continued to pull out every single valve, and found no signs of wear of debris anywhere.
When I got to removing the bottom cover, I found some black "plastic" looking debris. Photos of the debris can be found here: http://s20.photobucket.com/user/bbugaski/library/
Today, I was told that these particles must be from my torque converter, and that it had blown up. Now, I know that the guy that had this valve body before me DID have transmission and/or torque converter issues. It is possible that these plastic particles came from his transmission and are not from mine, since I had never opened up this valve body before.
I found these particles ONLY in the bottom half of the valve body. There was NOTHING else in my trans fluid pan, it was very clean. Of course, it had just been cleaned out about 1,000 miles prior.
Now I am very confused. The last thing that I have not done yet is cut open the filter, which only has 1,000 miles on it as well. Looking into the filter, I do not see any particles - of course, that isn't good enough. Perhaps cutting it open would be the best bet. Unfortunately, I do not have the old filter that I replaced 1,000 miles ago. Although, I wasn't having any issues at that time, either.
What is your opinion? I would like to know before I proceed. I cleaned out my valve body thoroughly, on both sides, purchased a brand new SuperTuff separator plate (I want to entirely eliminate the "shift kit"), 3 new gaskets for the valve body, and a Sonnax main pressure regulator valve for good measure.
What do you think is going on? As I stated, the buzzing and the trans fluid temperature issue started occurring RIGHT after I installed the lower springs for the 1-2 and 2-3 shift accumulators. Also, I have had absolutely NO transmission quirks throughout this entire time, even at full throttle. Absolutely none. No slippage and nothing strange AT ALL, minus the buzzing and warmer trans fluid temps!
My car was originally not a Police Interceptor. It was a base model, elderly driven vehicle for about 65,000 miles before I acquired it in early 2009. Since then, I have changed just about everything that I could (minus the transmission tail shaft) to essentially convert the car into a Police Interceptor. I'm not kidding - I mean everything.
Anyway, we can talk about all of that goodness later. Since this post specifically refers to my transmission, I will stay on topic.
In July of 2010 I replaced the factory 12" torque converter with a re-manufactured 11.25" torque converter, compliments of the NTC Torque Converter shop in Chicago, Illinois. At the same time, I also installed a new Ford flex plate to accommodate the new bolt pattern of the smaller converter. This converter currently has about 40,000 miles on it.
In May of 2011 I installed a USED BC Automotive valve body, and removed the lower 1-2 and 2-3 accumulator springs. Essentially a J-Mod with some differences that I am not aware of. Everything was fine. I did install a new separator plate gasket, and also installed a new filter at the same time.
Fast forward to November of 2014, and I decided to re-install the lower springs for both the 1-2 and 2-3 accumulators. I did NOT replace the separator plate gaskets, but I did replace the filter once again.
Directly following the re-installation of these springs, I started hearing a buzzing noise when the transmission was warm. I originally attributed this buzz to the alternator, and drove over 1,000 miles since then with not ONE hiccup. My daily commute is only 4 miles each way, so the transmission rarely has a chance to get over 120 degrees, especially during the winter. However, in the initial test drive, I did see that the transmission fluid temperature did get up to about 220. I assumed that there was just some air in the cooler lines, and since my daily commute is never long enough to get the trans this hot, I really had not thought about it until recently.
Last week I was driving in Chicago for about 4 hours. My trans fluid temperature was getting HOT, I'm talking a steady 220-230 degrees. However, there was nothing abnormal about my shifting patterns. The buzzing sound was also audible. The buzzing is most audible in park or neutral when the RPMs are slightly higher. I recorded a video the following day, and was told by a transmission re-builder that this sound was the fluid pump sucking or purging air.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O9jJpQnUn8&list=UUPI0IsXyqiibAfF3QAdzSbg
His thought was that perhaps the filter dropped out of the valve body, or that the valve body gasket was leaking since I had not replaced it when I re-installed the accumulator springs, or that the main pressure regulator valve in the valve body was worn. Mind you, the buzzing sound and the hot transmission fluid temperatures suddenly started happening as SOON as I had got done re-installing the accumulator springs. I had no noises or high temperatures prior to that, and I have had my ScanGauge II hooked up since I got the car.
Anyway, fast forward to last weekend, I dropped the pan, and found that the filter was seated correctly. I then dropped the valve body, and pulled the 1-2 and 2-3 accumulator pistons. Everything looked fine. No debris in the pan.
I then pulled both covers on the valve body itself. I have never pulled these before, even when I got the valve body used. On the top side, I found no debris. So I continued to pull out every single valve, and found no signs of wear of debris anywhere.
When I got to removing the bottom cover, I found some black "plastic" looking debris. Photos of the debris can be found here: http://s20.photobucket.com/user/bbugaski/library/
Today, I was told that these particles must be from my torque converter, and that it had blown up. Now, I know that the guy that had this valve body before me DID have transmission and/or torque converter issues. It is possible that these plastic particles came from his transmission and are not from mine, since I had never opened up this valve body before.
I found these particles ONLY in the bottom half of the valve body. There was NOTHING else in my trans fluid pan, it was very clean. Of course, it had just been cleaned out about 1,000 miles prior.
Now I am very confused. The last thing that I have not done yet is cut open the filter, which only has 1,000 miles on it as well. Looking into the filter, I do not see any particles - of course, that isn't good enough. Perhaps cutting it open would be the best bet. Unfortunately, I do not have the old filter that I replaced 1,000 miles ago. Although, I wasn't having any issues at that time, either.
What is your opinion? I would like to know before I proceed. I cleaned out my valve body thoroughly, on both sides, purchased a brand new SuperTuff separator plate (I want to entirely eliminate the "shift kit"), 3 new gaskets for the valve body, and a Sonnax main pressure regulator valve for good measure.
What do you think is going on? As I stated, the buzzing and the trans fluid temperature issue started occurring RIGHT after I installed the lower springs for the 1-2 and 2-3 shift accumulators. Also, I have had absolutely NO transmission quirks throughout this entire time, even at full throttle. Absolutely none. No slippage and nothing strange AT ALL, minus the buzzing and warmer trans fluid temps!