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My driver is a 1984 D100 short bed with a 318 and a Torqueflite 904 automatic. Over the weekend, the transmission was occasionally straining to move the truck forward when starting from any uphill grade. When I returned home, I added a bit of gear oil to the rear end; it wasn't down much, and this did nothing to improve the trans performance.
I then changed the transmission fluid and replaced the screen. (I don't remember when I last did so, but this is the third time since buying the truck in 2006 with 89,000 miles showing. If original, it now has over 153,000 miles.) I have a shop manual for 1987 trucks, which shouldn't be much different from my model. It contains instructions for adjusting the kickdown and low-reverse bands. I was able to adjust the low-reverse band, and noticed afterward that shifting from first to second now occurs at or below 10 mph, when it previously didn't happen until around 15 mph.
However, I didn't adjust the kickdown band, as its location is difficult to reach, and I don't have the proper tools (wrench C-3380-A and adapter C-3705, according to the manual -- the wrench is a torque wrench that measures in inch-pounds rather than foot-pounds). The problem remains, though it's not consistent. After more driving, I noticed that, when coming to a stop, the trans will sometimes downshift below 10 mph. When this happens, the truck has no problems accelerating from a standing start. But when the trans doesn't downshift, it apparently starts from second gear, which may explain the slow initial acceleration.
I'll add that a thin layer of dirt was in the pan, which is probably normal, but no metal shavings were on the magnet (I cleaned both before replacing the pan). I also moved last month; I hauled a 6 x 12 foot trailer for a day, and made several more trips with a full bed.
So my questions are:
Where can I find the inch-pound torque wrench and the adapter that will work on the kickdown adjusting screw?
Will adjusting the kickdown band resolve the truck's problem? If not, what will?
Scrounge
I then changed the transmission fluid and replaced the screen. (I don't remember when I last did so, but this is the third time since buying the truck in 2006 with 89,000 miles showing. If original, it now has over 153,000 miles.) I have a shop manual for 1987 trucks, which shouldn't be much different from my model. It contains instructions for adjusting the kickdown and low-reverse bands. I was able to adjust the low-reverse band, and noticed afterward that shifting from first to second now occurs at or below 10 mph, when it previously didn't happen until around 15 mph.
However, I didn't adjust the kickdown band, as its location is difficult to reach, and I don't have the proper tools (wrench C-3380-A and adapter C-3705, according to the manual -- the wrench is a torque wrench that measures in inch-pounds rather than foot-pounds). The problem remains, though it's not consistent. After more driving, I noticed that, when coming to a stop, the trans will sometimes downshift below 10 mph. When this happens, the truck has no problems accelerating from a standing start. But when the trans doesn't downshift, it apparently starts from second gear, which may explain the slow initial acceleration.
I'll add that a thin layer of dirt was in the pan, which is probably normal, but no metal shavings were on the magnet (I cleaned both before replacing the pan). I also moved last month; I hauled a 6 x 12 foot trailer for a day, and made several more trips with a full bed.
So my questions are:
Where can I find the inch-pound torque wrench and the adapter that will work on the kickdown adjusting screw?
Will adjusting the kickdown band resolve the truck's problem? If not, what will?
Scrounge