Charlie Dinges

Hello all,

I've searched, but cant seem to find any results that match my exact issue?

Here's the deal

On initial start, the car shifts fine. For instance, just this morning, started the car, drove about 4 miles through stop lights etc, with zero issues shifting up or down.

I got to the last stoplight by where i work and all of a sudden it feels like 2 and 3 are literally blocked out.

Sitting at the stop light, i was unable to put the car into 2 or 3, but it would go into 1 and 4. It feels like transmission guides you out of 1 and directly into 4 and vice versa.

As far as I can tell, it seems like it is related to temperature in some way? I would assume that if there was something wrong with the internals in the transmission, that it would straight out not work from the start?

Could it be the clutch? Just at a loss. Any help or thoughts would be awesome.

Thanks!

AU Doc

Is this an issue that has developed or is this a new install? T56s are apparently particular about the fluid you use. Have you changed the fluid before this started?

I assume you have a hydraulic clutch. Have you changed the fluid there, or is it possible the fluid is contaminated or you have air in the line?

Charlie Dinges

This transmission came in a car that i recently purchased. When i test drove the car, the shifting was fine. In the interest of transparency, this LS2 / T56 combo is in a 92 BMW E36.

Fluid was just changed yesterday with standard DexIII fluid.

It does have a hydraulic clutch, which is ran off the same master as the brakes. The fluid was nasty black, but was recently removed and flushed with standard dot4 fluid. this was accomplished using the remote bleeder installed on the T56 from inside the engine bay.

Since the clutch slave is ran off the same master as the brakes, it should be known that i have not flushed the entire brake system as well. Just sucked out all the fluid from the master, and flushed the remote bleeder for the clutch until it was clear.

In regards to having air, or bad fluid etc.... My question is, why would the transmission work fine for a while and then all of a sudden stop.

I almost guarantee that when i go back and get in the car today, it will once again shift as it should and then stop and feel like 2 and 3 are blocked out with no chance of getting in gear.

AU Doc

DexIII should be fine.

I'm was just brainstorming with regard to the air and/or contaminated fluid. But I've read people have had trouble with their clutch once the fluid in the slave/MC heats up.

Also, was the skip shift bypassed? That sounds like what it's supposed to do. I think in some (all?) applications, the skip shift doesn't work until the engine comes up to temp. You could try seeing if it will shift into second at greater than 35% throttle.

Charlie Dinges

Wow, I just looked up the skip shift solenoid. That seems like it could very well be the problem. I have no idea if it was bypassed. Is there a way you recommend to bypass it? Otherwise, I will have to look it up;.

AU Doc

Here's the first article that popped up on a google search.

http://jalopnik.com/5252686/how-to-d...or-seven-bucks

There are lots of kits available that just plug in to bypass it.

pdxmotorhead

Check the whole clutch line ,,, if its the original re-used some of the BMW's with a dual mass flywheel/clutch had a limiting valve in the clutch line to "smooth out" shifts. Its usually right at the junction where the fleet line goes to the transmission, with anything but the BMW dual mass they really screw up the clutch action.

chrysler kid

iTrader: (14)

You can just unplug the skip shift sensor to see if that is the problem

Charlie Dinges

thanks for all the ideas. i need to crawl under there and check to see if i can unplug it. hopefully this is the issue since i am at a complete loss.

thanks again

chrysler kid

iTrader: (14)

Good luck.

A past issue I had with my t56 was knocking a dent in the merge in my x pipe under the transmission, when the car got warm it would heat up the trans and magnify any shifting issues and caused my fluid to get darker than normal pretty quickly

Charlie Dinges

Hey all and thanks for the help.

It ended up being the skip shift solenoid. I disconnected the solenoid and everything is work as it should now! Phew!

Thanks again

Firebrian

If your skip shift was working properly, it would block you out of 3rd/4th gears anytime you were a bit lazy or slow on the throttle (say under 2200-2500 rpm) once at normal coolant temps. Before disconnecting it you should have tried stronger rpms just to see if you could do a 1-2 shift once the car was warmed up (2-3 miles).

Charlie Dinges

Yep, thanks for the info. I already disconnected, since i don't want that in place regardless.