[dh114]

Hello Everyone.

Working on the Dakota again. 89 4x4 3.9 motor and automatic transmission.

Lost 2nd gear after adjusting the kick down band so I decided to drop the transmission pan and filter and remove the valve body so I could see the kick down band. What I found is when I adjusted the band somehow the adjustment screw got off the band. Thus, when I adjusted the band nothing was happening.

I have now adjusted the kick down band with the valve body removed. I'm trying to re-install the valve body and having a little problem. I just can't get it lined up properly to get the bolts started. It's almost like the parking rod is too long. I'm sure the problem is there's a spring or something in the hole that the parking rod sticks into that holds the parking rod. How can I get the parking rod all the way in the hole so the bolt holes line up correctly?

Thanks for reading!
Danny

 

[Bob Lincoln]

The parking pawl engages the output shaft somehow, and I found it was safer to disconnect the other end at the valve body instead; it's held by an E-clip there. Although it was a struggle to clip it back on, I didn't want to be in the situation that you are finding right now. Somehow you need to seat the rod fully. is there any way that the truck was allowed to roll an inch or two, so that the output shaft turned after the rod was removed?

 

[dh114]

Thanks for the reply Bob!

No the truck didn't move at all after I removed the rod was removed. Would it hurt anything to do as you say and remove the rod from the valve body and tap the rod gently with a mallet to seat it then clip it back to the body?

Danny

 

[Bob Lincoln]

I would avoid that for two reasons - I don't exactly know what the rod engages, and it took me 2 1/2 hours of swearing and crying to get that E-clip back on at the valve body. I swore I'd never disconnect it there again. You can't get your fingers into that tight space to snap it back on, you have to push with pliers or a screwdriver, and I can't count the number of times that the clip went POING and away.

Keep trying to manipulate the rod to get it seated fully. It sounds like it's not in all the way.

 

[ImperialCrown]

The parking sprag may need to move slightly so that the pawl can lock into a tooth. This can be done by slightly rotating the prop shaft. You may hear a 'click' and then try seating the rod.