Tremec TKO, Shifting problems

[Fultz1275]

Hey Guys,

I have a Tremec TKO 5-speed in my 68 chevelle. I just put a 500+ hp 383 in it. I am having problems shifting into 3rd at high rpm (5000 and above.) I called Tremec and the said it would be hard to shift above 6500 rpm but 5000-6000 shouldn't be a problem. Sometimes it just won't go in, and sometimes it grinds when it's going into 3rd. And it's only 3rd that is difficult. Has anyone had this problem???

check out www.haulnss.com for some pics of my car. It is the 68 Chevelle. Let me know what you think of the site.



Thanks

[morrisclassic]

Yes I have the same problem with my Camaro, 383 mildly built. When I shift to third it just isn't there. The shifter stops, also that is the only gear that I have a problem with. I have talked to Charlie at Standard Transmission in Texas. He told me to send the trans back to him and he would look at it. Now maybe there is something more than just my inability to shift. Call him and ask questions 800-783-8726. Keep me posted as I will be interested in the fix.

Billy

[Fultz1275]

Is yours only at high rpm too. Mine shifts into 3rd fine under normal highway conditions. It's only when I'm tearin' into it.

[Blown353]

How is your bellhousing alignment, both concentricity and parallelism?

My TKO shifts very smoothly and easily into all gears even at 6700-6800 rpm. The more miles I put on it the smoother/easier it gets. My bellhousing is concentric to the crank within .0025" and parallelism is about .0016. This was measured using a Starrett magnetic base/post and an Interapid dial test indicator.

What fluid are you running in the tranny?

Before blaming the transmission I would measure and inspect your bellhousing and also take a good look to make sure the pilot bushing is OK and you have adequate clutch release (I like to be able to get at least a .030" feeler gauge in between the disc and the flywheel at full throw.) Most shifting problems are usually a bellhousing/clutch problem, not the transmission. Modern trannies won't tolerate as much bellhousing misalignment as an older 4-speed.

[morrisclassic]

Do you have a TKO 500 or TKO 600? I'm running a lakewood bellhousing.
Fluid is GM Syncromesh. I will check the clearances that you have mentioned. Thanks for the information.

Billy

[Fultz1275]

I am using a Lakewood bellhousing and the guy that installed it said that they checked the runout. I'm not sure what the tolerance was though. I am running GM Syncromesh too. Currently I have about 1000 miles on the tranny. It's wierd because sometimes it shifts fine and sometimes it grinds. Maybe I'm a dumbass and am not shifting well enough.

[sinned]

I am using a Lakewood bellhousing and the guy that installed it said that they checked the runout. I'm not sure what the tolerance was though. I am running GM Syncromesh too. Currently I have about 1000 miles on the tranny. It's wierd because sometimes it shifts fine and sometimes it grinds. Maybe I'm a dumbass and am not shifting well enough.

Always be careful of what they guy you paid to perform work says. They will almost always blame everything under the sun before agreeing they made a mistake and have to re-do some labor for free. I would ask exactly what he measured the bellhousing at. If he actually did it I'm sure he wrote the numbers down somewhere.

[parsonsj]

I'm with Denny. $5 says the guy bolted it in and didn't bother checking runout.

jp

[GMJim]

My experience is that Lakewood housings will not align within the .005" Tremec spec. and will require offset dowels. Installing these dowels in the car can be very challenging especially if you have headers. Another thing to consider is that Lakewood housings are machined to 4.684" which is .004" divided by 2 = .002" larger than the retainer flange on a Muncie or a TKO. Having a .005" tolerance to deal with for a TKO means that to use the Lakewood you must be within .003" when you align the housing. This .003" can be difficult to achieve while the motor is in the car. I would have to agree with the others that the bell housing was not correctly aligned. It can take hours to get this right if you're not doing it every day, and can be very frustrating. McLeod bellhousings are manufactured to be within the .005" spec right out of the box using stock straight dowels provided your block has not been line bored/honed. It is also machine ground to fit a Muncie or TKO perfectly at 4.680". The extra fifty bucks or so for the McLeod is well worth the money when you consider the cost of offset dowels and the time it will take to align the housing. I would pull the transmission and check the alignment and the condition of the input shaft and pilot bearing. If alignment is good and all the parts look good then it would be a good time to get the tranny checked. If the alignment is out you can correct it with the dowels or go for the McLeod.

[Kenova]

I agree with Jim. I have a Lakewood scatter shield in my Nova. It took me a couple of hours to get the alignment right, and that was with the engine on the floor. I was about to chuck it all when I got lucky and the alignment finally came in at .002". I can only hope it stayed there.
Ken

[Bigblue73]

First off, I'm running a mopar conversion from Keisler. I experienced the same problem with the TKO-1 (the predecessor to the TKO-500). My shifter location is mounted outside the transmission and offset about 1 1/2 inches to enter into the interior in the stock location. Your tranny may be different with the shifter mounted on the top of the tranny. The mounting of the shifter on my tranny had slightly oversized hole that I had to adjust the shifter back in the holes to get the tranny into 3rd gear under hard acceleration. Granted this seems like a freakin' quick fix, but this is what keisler told me to do and it worked. By the way, my runout is .0015 on the left, .0020 on the right. My lakewood is custom machined by Keisler and I am running offset dowels.

On another note, even though the McCloed bellhousing machined concentric to .005, the mounting on the block may not even be close to spec'd. You still should dial indicate your bellhousing every time it's off.

Best of luck getting your tranny to work, 5th gear (o.d.) really is nice.

[PhillipM]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse but did any of you guys find a solution to your hard shifting problems. The TKO600 in one of our camaros is just a pain to shift and I was hoping to find some sort of fix. The bellhousing alignment is within spec so... I don't know where to look next. Thanks Phillip

[parsonsj]

No, mine shifts great. I checked runout and aligned my adapter plate to within .002.

jp

[toofun]

Well Im no transmission expert, BUT I have a very torquey 383 (THANKS AGAIN JEFF!!) that has a TKO-600 in it. I bought a Mcleod scattershield and the tranny ligned up balls on and slide in super smooth first slide into place!! It easily shifts into all gears at ANY RPM. In fact the second to third shift for me is just a matter of pushing lightly up on the shifter and it finds the spot on its own. It is like butter. I know many of you said that the alignment is right but for the extra money, well worth using the Mcleod setup. My advice is to buy one and sell off the Lakewood or other bellhousings you may have. It makes all the difference in the world. I have not heard of one problem like this with anyone who runs the Mcleod unit. Also make sure you are using the right fluid GM SYNCROMESH. It makes a huge difference as well and I believe is the only fluid you are suppose to run in it.

Mark
TOOFUN

[parsonsj]

I just re-installed my tranny last night, after getting a leak fixed. It went in so easily that it slid back out about 3/8" of an inch from gravity. I could push it back flush with just a couple of fingers. I guess I got the clutch aligned pretty well.

jp

[andrewb70]

I just re-installed my tranny last night, after getting a leak fixed. It went in so easily that it slid back out about 3/8" of an inch from gravity. I could push it back flush with just a couple of fingers. I guess I got the clutch aligned pretty well.

jp

No need for my fancy alignment tool then?

Andrew

[4MuscleMachines]

I had the same issues, not only do you have to check for run out but also for parallelism. The parallelism on mine was off because I had powdercoated the scattershield.

[parsonsj]

No need for my fancy alignment tool then?

LOL, no not this time! I guess my universal tool works pretty well. It's 2 for 3.

jp

[Steve Firebird]

I was at RTTH4 with my Firebird running a TKO600 and after the first two runs down the strip it would not go into 3rd gear to save my a$$. I am sure some of you noticed I missed 3rd several times. My brother called it running out of talent which was pretty funny. When I am driving it on the street it shifts great. I contacted CC5S and they put me in touch with Tremec. My TKO was built at the end of 05 and when I gave Tremec the numbers off the tag they said there was a problem with the shift lug design during the time mine was built that caused a shifting problem. I had the new lugs in my hand with in 3 days. I don't plan to replace them until this winter but when I do I will also recheck the run out before I reinstall the transmission. Just thought I would post this to add to the info on this thread if anyone else is running out of talent going into 3rd gear on the track.

[69keith]

I used a old lakewood and dialed in pretty good with just filing the paint out the holes. I think I read somewhere that the older lakewoods were better than the newer ones...
Keith