hey guys i just changed the trans kickdown cable on my 240 wagon and i am pretty sure i have the cable adjusted correctly. It is just past where the click is heard. The wierd thing is that the car still doesnt shift right when the engine is cold.

Here is the situation:
In the morning the car starts fine and will go into reverse and drive easily and smoothly. But once i get going the car will not shift out of 1st. I try full throttle just before the wide open throttle. lightly accelerating and inbetween. I wont shift up until the engine gets "warm" after about 2 minutes (estimated) I finally get it to shift up (be it at 42+mph) and the engine is screaming. After that first VERY VERY late shift i dont seem to have any problem at all. after that it will shift great up and down through every gear actually better than it ever did before. It shifts so smoothly that i can barely feel it.

Also after that very late shift im not sure but it might be jumping into 3rd, so going from 1 to 3 directly. not sure

What is wrong.

 

Was the trans shifting hard before the kick down cable was replaced?
To adjust the cable...the clamp should be about 2" from the cable end when the throttle is wide open and 1/32"-1/16" (1 mm) from the cable end when the throttle is closed, almost touching the rubber end cap.


Dan

 

it shifted normally before. just now it is smoother after the first shift from cold start.

I dont have that little thing on the new cable. I adjusted it so that it is just above the little click sound.

 

The little clicking sound you here is the tps sensor,that has nothing to do with adjusting the kick down cable.Adjust the cable per instructions above,if the rubber end cap is missing,adjust measuring from the little clamp.


Dan

 

no i have the rubber cap. i dont have the small "marking" on the cable.

 

I have seen this before on one of my fords, When the engine got to full operating temp the cable would expand just enough to start shifting normally when cold at first start it wouldn't shift out of first gear until about 4500 rpm's mine was missing a small gromet that had fallen off. I would follow the instructions posted for adjusting it earlier in the thread and that might just clear it up.

 

Measure your old cable from the ball end to the clamp,transfer measurement to the new cable and mark with a sharpie.


Dan

 

i dont think i have the old cable. Can someone PLEASE help me with the measurement.

 

If someone doesn't post a measurement tonight,I'll measure and post in the morning when I get to the shop.



Dan

 

thanks

 

Is this a late 240 with the AW trans? Some of the AW's have a known issue when cold, something to do with oil flow in the valve body when cold fluid. I believe it is a mileage related problem, but don't hold me to that.
Search around the net for it, there was a recall and there is a fix, but it means valvebody removal.

Regards, Andrew.

 

It's 4 1/2" from the center of the ball to the end of the clamp.(see pic)

There's a rubber ball in the valve body that wears over time,this regulates how fast the various clutches and brakes are applied. As the ball wears, the fluid flow rates in some of the passages can increase which will cause the various actuators to engage faster.This in turn causes hard 1-2 shifts,
replacing the ball requires valve body removal.


Dan