No third gear in Ford C-4

junkyardjeff · November 29, 2018, 10:27:13 PM

Lost third on the trip to Florida,reverse,first and second still work great and sometimes can get third. From what I have heard that if third goes it should not have reverse but it does,fluid is still red but starting to smell burnt so what could cause this and it has less then 20,000 on a rebuild.

Crosley.In.AZ · November 29, 2018, 10:50:53 PM

Reverse has 75 to 100 psi higher pressure than 3rd gear. This can help the direct clutch (3rd) operate if it is marginal , that will produce reverse , yet no 3rd gear when in the forward gears.

junkyardjeff · November 29, 2018, 10:52:38 PM

So time for a rebuild again.

chimp koose · November 30, 2018, 12:39:54 AM

did the vacuum line come off the vacuum modulator maybe ? I had that happen once and it was just about the same , 1,2 ok drive was not there . Easy to check .

junkyardjeff · November 30, 2018, 08:27:17 AM

Hose was still on and plenty of vacumn and might try another valve body since I have one,when the trans is cold I can get it in third but when it heats up there is nothing in third.

Crosley.In.AZ · November 30, 2018, 10:22:56 PM

typically: if you have a vacuum problem or a faulty modulator ... the 1 - 2 shift would be late shift. Not normal shift timing.

Try the simple stuff first as you mention... vacuum , modulator , swap the valve body if it a proper year fit for the case. Be careful of the linkages on the v-body.. easy to install incorrectly and bend the TV inner arm at the v-body

junkyardjeff · November 30, 2018, 11:08:36 PM

The other valve body is in and ready for a test drive,going to the car wash to give it a bath and if its still not right going to cover it up and deal with it later since I have other projects that need attention now.

junkyardjeff · December 01, 2018, 12:52:49 AM

It now has third gear but also the wonky shifting the old trans had so it looked like it only needed valve body work,going to find a rebuilt valve body and do a fluid change before it comes back out in the spring. Even though I spent 800 dollars getting it back home I am probably money ahead since I probably would have been taken to the cleaners and wondering if a trans shop would have caught that before trying to sell me a rebuild.

junkyardjeff · March 11, 2019, 03:50:37 PM

Installed the original valve body and did a complete fluid change,it now has a third gear but after warmed up I notice a slight slide into third at light throttle so it looks like there might have been some damage done. I think the fluid got hot since some debris got caught between the cooler and radiator,it does not have a cooler in the radiator and only the external cooler. I did install a cooler with more cooling tubes and about a inch from the radiator so this will not happen again,the weather has not been that nice to really get it out and hot to see how the trans does but will probably have to come out.