[Mt.Hoodlum]

This job was not to bad but I had a lot of trouble with the shift lever assembly.

So i basically screwed this up. It took me a long time to get the "E" clip off that sits between the top lever (what is the top lever for?), did that e clip even need to come off? Anyways I was unable to get the e clip back on, nor did i get those 2 bolts tightened. I had planned on taking it into a shop on monday to have them straighten this assembley mess out. Also that connection to the right, the plug that sits on top of the valve body i broke those clips off when unplugging it from the old valve body, ti seems snug on there but what do you think i should do about that? New netrual/park reverse light switch but revers lights are still not working.

Now for the main problem, the truck is having trouble starting. Battery is good, something wrong with the shift assembly i think. At first on the ramps it started in P, then after off the ramps i had my wife shut it off. When i tried to start it back up it wouldnt start in P. I tried a few times, and shift to N and it started? Left it running while i topped off the fluid and we took it for a short drive. I didnt want to drive it for fear of that shift lever assembly popping off the vb as it is not secured on there, but also i wanted to make sure it would move.....shifts were good, 1-2 and 2-3 felt really good but I didnt get it in overdrive as we were just on a short side street. Got home, shut it off, tried to start it back up and it would not start now in P or N? I left it at that and we will be using a nother car for a few days.

Also another note, the column shifter used to be very hard to pull out of park, and change gears, really stiff. Now it slides like butter, but it doesnt fell right.

I am hoping someone tells me that my starting problem is just shift lever adjustment or something and not something internally that i did when swapping the vb as it shifts just fine while driving. Revers works fine fyi.

Thanks

 

[SmokinCummins]

It took me a long time to get the "E" clip off that sits between the top lever (what is the top lever for?), did that e clip even need to come off? Anyways I was unable to get the e clip back on, nor did i get those 2 bolts tightened.

No, it just pops off. But to clarify, where exactly is the E-clip? And why not tighten the 2 bolts?

I had planned on taking it into a shop on monday to have them straighten this assembley mess out. Also that connection to the right, the plug that sits on top of the valve body i broke those clips off when unplugging it from the old valve body, ti seems snug on there but what do you think i should do about that? New netrual/park reverse light switch but revers lights are still not working.

Now for the main problem, the truck is having trouble starting. Battery is good, something wrong with the shift assembly i think. At first on the ramps it started in P, then after off the ramps i had my wife shut it off. When i tried to start it back up it wouldnt start in P. I tried a few times, and shift to N and it started? Left it running while i topped off the fluid and we took it for a short drive. I didnt want to drive it for fear of that shift lever assembly popping off the vb as it is not secured on there, but also i wanted to make sure it would move.....shifts were good, 1-2 and 2-3 felt really good but I didnt get it in overdrive as we were just on a short side street. Got home, shut it off, tried to start it back up and it would not start now in P or N? I left it at that and we will be using a nother car for a few days.

Also another note, the column shifter used to be very hard to pull out of park, and change gears, really stiff. Now it slides like butter, but it doesnt fell right.

I am hoping someone tells me that my starting problem is just shift lever adjustment or something and not something internally that i did when swapping the vb as it shifts just fine while driving. Revers works fine fyi.

Can you feel it ratchet through the gear selections?

 

[SmokinCummins]

http://www.suncoastconverters.com/images/dodge/valve bodies/dvlvbdy.jpg

Is the E-clip your referring to in this picture?

 

[Mt.Hoodlum]

There is a groove on that shaft of the vb there that the e clip goes on, but i dont think i could get the top lever bracket down far enough to see the groove?




Yup, thats it right there. The shaft that these levers sit on.

 

[Mt.Hoodlum]

^^sick skillz huh......

 

[varsis]

No that clip did not need to come off! lol.

The piece looks far enough in the pic. It pretty much should just sit there. But if your in your truck and you can feel each gear it should be working right... Did you properly seat the eclip on the park brake rod or whatever it's called?

 

[Mt.Hoodlum]

No, it just pops off. But to clarify, where exactly is the E-clip? And why not tighten the 2 bolts?

Can you feel it ratchet through the gear selections?

I did not tighten the two bolts because i couldnt get the eclip on, and i wasnt really sure if i had them put back on correctly, and as far as i could tell the way i had the bolts on did not serve a purpose that i could see....


No not really. You can hear when it shift into reverse or drive, but as far as the hearing the column ratchet no.

Thanks alot for your help. My main concern is the starting issue, but i guess this could all be related. I am pretty sure i get everything internal done correctly, the only thing i wasnt sure about was the parking rod that attaches to the vb. I didnt see any way i was hooking that up while holding the vb down there and getting the e clip on it, so i pulled the parking rod out of the tranny (magnetic end in tranny) and hooked it up on the bench and then istalled it all at once.

 

[Mt.Hoodlum]

No that clip did not need to come off! lol.

The piece looks far enough in the pic. It pretty much should just sit there. But if your in your truck and you can feel each gear it should be working right... Did you properly seat the eclip on the park brake rod or whatever it's called?

son of a al;skdjfl;aksjdfl;kjfasl;dkf. you know how long it took me to get that clip off with all that shit connected up there........about 2 hours probably. I ended using my sister compaq make up mirror that set up in there so i could see, and one of her smallest crouche' ing needels that had a hook on it......fak.

i get it now, after i took the bolts off the vb would still not come out and i thought the problem was that clip, turns out it was just that bottom bracket had to be pried off the vb shaft.....

 

[SmokinCummins]

That e-clip holds the shift portion down and the kickdown portion up. Without it, the shift portion can come up, question is how far. If it can go up far enough, the detent ball will fly out and you will loose the ratcheting, or clicking between gear selections. That is what holds it in that particular gear. Also if it goes up far enough, you will slide off the PNR switch.

 

[Mt.Hoodlum]

son of a bitch. so i now i pretty much need to do it again, find a new eclip as the new one popped off and i lost up there somewhere, and the old one i bent up pretty bad trying to get it on and then lost it also in the mess of tools and fluid, find the detent ball as i assume it flew off and figure out how to get that put back in....i assmume i know what detent ball you are talking about, the one with a spring behind it next to the 5 ratcheting clickers or whatever.....dammit. where can i get an eclip like that?

 

[Mt.Hoodlum]

Thats why my reverse lights werent working than with the new switch huh? The ball must have fallen out. Will that ball hopefully just be sitting in the pan? What a waste of 7 hours.

 

[SmokinCummins]

Yea, the ball and spring are most likely in the pan, or possibly sitting on the valve body.

I could send an E-clip, but you should be able to find one at a parts store.

 

[Mt.Hoodlum]

Im going for most posts in own thread here......


The reason i thought that e clip was holding the top lever bracket on there was when i pulled out the old valve body that whole shaft plus the gear selctor thing stayed up in the transmisison and did not come out with the vb. It stayed up there because i didnt know alls you had to due was pry that shift lever off of the vb shaft. Once i pryed that shift lever off it came right out.

Once i had it out i compared it to the new one, and tried to put it back on with the spring and detent ball correctly the same way mine was shipped to me. I could not get it on there.

-So when i redue this, if i find the ball and get a clip will everything be ok when i put it back together or would there be any damage now you think?

-How do i get the spring, and detent ball back there with the gear selector in the correct place, and if i dot his all in park will everything line up, or will the truck think its in a different gear if i do something wrong? Thanks

 

[Mt.Hoodlum]

Yea, the ball and spring are most likely in the pan, or possibly sitting on the valve body.

I could send an E-clip, but you should be able to find one at a parts store.

Ok, the old ball that came out was sitting on top of the vb in a groove there.

What would I ask for at a parts store, or would i go to a hardware store like Ace Hardware. I can just see the guys at autozone being like huh..... Would you know what size to ask for?


Thanks smokin, i never would have figured this out without your help, even if i pulled the vb again. Really, thank you.

 

[Mt.Hoodlum]

Will this solve my starting issue, its def something with this job i did, it has nothing to do with the battery or anything like that.

 

[varsis]

It should solve your starting issues. I think the sensors that picks up what gear it's in isn't working. It thinks it's in probably r instead of park....

Chris

 

[varsis]

Funny thing Is I just put in my valve body today... lol.

 

[Mt.Hoodlum]

Yah ive been following your thread. Iv always wanted to rebuild a trans but from the looks of my work lately i probably shouldnt......or plan to spend a good year doing it.

I just called autozone and they have e clips behing the counter, the guy said i should be able to find something that works.

Im worried about how to get that spring and ball back in the valve and get the selector lined up, any advice?

I also just realized that is why my parking rod stayed up there becuase the peice it was attached to is what stayed in the trans when i pulled the vb, i am assuming if done correctly now that the parking rod should come with the vb......

i feel like such an idiot, but at the same time i done becuase well i just didnt know. No manual or anything, just what iv read on line and what i found was problem with "e-clip" and the "2 bolts" holding the shift lever in.......hence me being concerned about that e clip there, because i saw that e clip when i was checking out the vb, i guess he was just talking about the clip on the parking rod........

live and learn, thanks guys.

 

[Mt.Hoodlum]

im saving my damn fluid though, ima spend $10 on a new clean container......

 

[SmokinCummins]

-So when i redue this, if i find the ball and get a clip will everything be ok when i put it back together or would there be any damage now you think?

-How do i get the spring, and detent ball back there with the gear selector in the correct place, and if i dot his all in park will everything line up, or will the truck think its in a different gear if i do something wrong? Thanks

It will be fine. That stupid ball is a pain. I have a special tool for it, but I have done it many times without. Get the lever in the bore and slide it down until it is just above the ball cavity. compress the ball fully in the seat and hold it in with a thin screwdriver. Slide the lever the rest of the way down - make sure the manual valve is properly engauged.