hard 1st to 2nd shifts
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 15
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hard 1st to 2nd shifts hi guys new to this site and find it extremely informative. My issue is after a tranny rebuild I get very hard shifting from first to second. I was told that this could damage the rear main seal. The shift doesn't really bother me but i dont wanna damage the block would that really be an issue
Moderator
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 7,323
Likes: 529
From: Ann Arbor, MI
I'll let someone else answer whether hard shifts could damage the engine seal. (I doubt it.)
Sounds like someone got carried with with the "shift kit". If you drop the trans pan, you can easily access and remove the 1-2 Accumulator with just 3 bolts. The spring(s) in it have a big effect on how hard the 1-2 shift is. Lighter springs or a different spring configuration (top versus bottom) can soften the shift. Sometimes "excessive" people replace the springs with spacers for a brutal shift. Or the piston gets cracked and the shift gets very hard. You can buy a Sonnax "Pinless piston" for about $12 which solves all the accumulator piston problems.
If you decide to tackle this yourself, post a picture of the springs and exactly where they were located in the accumulator and we can give you advice to soften the shift.
Note: An excessively drilled 1-2 hole in the separator plate could also give you very hard shifts. This is a bit more difficult to fix, but still do-able under the car.
Sounds like someone got carried with with the "shift kit". If you drop the trans pan, you can easily access and remove the 1-2 Accumulator with just 3 bolts. The spring(s) in it have a big effect on how hard the 1-2 shift is. Lighter springs or a different spring configuration (top versus bottom) can soften the shift. Sometimes "excessive" people replace the springs with spacers for a brutal shift. Or the piston gets cracked and the shift gets very hard. You can buy a Sonnax "Pinless piston" for about $12 which solves all the accumulator piston problems.
If you decide to tackle this yourself, post a picture of the springs and exactly where they were located in the accumulator and we can give you advice to soften the shift.
Note: An excessively drilled 1-2 hole in the separator plate could also give you very hard shifts. This is a bit more difficult to fix, but still do-able under the car.
