Harsh 1-2 Shift

[DGFourSixLX]

OK...

So judging from my last post about noisy fuel injectors, there are certain potential gripes about this car that are simply the "nature of the beast." On to my next question:

My '94 4.6 LX w/78,000 miles has a tight 1-2 shift. Tight is good, I know, but it's definitely much tighter than the rest of the gear shifts. Who else experiences this?

Believe it or not, changing to synthetic oil actually softened up this phenomenon. Initially, when the car shifted from first to second gear, I could feel a pretty tight jolt; the shift was definitely instantaneous and from my judgment, there is little to no overlap of clutch packs during this shift. At this point in time, it is still tight but not as pronounced. Again, mine is a 1994, and I wouldn't be suprised if this was one of the many glitches seen in the transmissions of this year. Anyway, your comments would be appreciated. Thx.

-DG-

[Rolling-Thunder]

The 1994 4r70w tranny had a defective 1-2 spring and accumulator design.

They have since been upgraded. You should have this checked, as one of two things usually happen;

1. The spring can break and chew up the finish on the bore.

2. The 1-2 piston material will fail, and score the bore also.

This can be serviced by removing the pan.

Also, the MLPS (also called the Neutral Safety Switch, and also called the Transmission Range Sensor) has been upgraded as well. Might as well replace that, too.

You are looking at around $90 in parts, and about 1 hour max. on the labor, if nothing has been damaged.

[DGFourSixLX]

Rolling-Thunder-

Thanks for getting back to me. I have a few more questions, which I hope you can answer for me. First, is there any indicator as to when these parts do fail? As I am a college student, and with winter approaching, chances are I won't be able to service this immediately. Second, is this a task I can take on myself? Is removing the valve body required to access these parts? Finally, if this is something you would recommend I leave to a "mechanic," should I let a Ford dealer do it? Thanks again, I appreciate your response.
-DG-

[Rolling-Thunder]

A delayed 1-2, or a harsh 1-2 upshift can by symptoms of a problem with either the spring or accumulator (piston).

You do not have to drop the valve body to access these.

Any REPUTABLE tranny shop that you trust can easily swap out these parts in less than an hour. 30 minutes would be do-able.

You should visit www.tccoa.com

Go to the Tech Articles, and in the Transmission section, read Transmissions 101, and the other two articles about the tranny.