I wrote this in a post a few months ago:
"
I know that some of you as well as myself have been looking for parts for the Tremec 3650. Most places you call like to sell you an entire "rebuild kit" which can range from $700 - well over a $1000 if bearings are included. Since most of us probably only need parts related to our 2nd gear abuse I found this place which I think will be very helpful.
Call
Auto Gear, they are located in NY.
1-800-634-3001
http://www.autogear.net/
They have a "2nd gear fix" kit..
The kit includes:
1st & 2nd gear slider
1st & 2nd gear synchronizers/blocking rings
the actual 2nd speed gear
The price for the entire kit is a little less than
$360 .. much cheaper than the $700 everyone else wants.
The difference is that with auto gear, you just get 1st and 2nd synchros, where everyone else wants to sell the entire synchronizer/bearing kit, a 2nd gear assembly, and a slider kit..
This 2nd gear fix kit basically includes the parts you need to fix your 3650 if it is grinding going into 2nd or jumping out of 2nd gear. Other problems will require other parts, but the 2nd gear grind is the most common problem with a 3650.
In my particular case.. the plastic piece on the end of each side of the 2nd gear shift fork
some how got jarred off. The shift for was pushing against the 2nd gear slider with only one side putting it in a bind. This eventually caused severe wear on the synchronizer as well as the tiny teeth on 2nd gear itself.
here is a picture..sorry for the quality (took with a motorola razr)
There was also an article in this magazine about the 3650:
It says stuff like:
"The factory rates the 3650 at 360 lb. -ft of toruqe, which is extremely conservative. I race against mustangs which are easily putting out 500-600 lb ft of torque with no ill effects on the transmission. Present day america is ruled by lawyers and most of the factories tend to be very conservative on torque ratiings to prevent unnecessary litigation."
It goes on to say..
"On 2001-04 models of the 3650 the oil fill specs was 3.8 liters of dexron III ATF. The unit was validated using mobil one synthetic transmission fluid but was changed to dexronIII for a slightly lower viscosity and improved cold shifting performance. these units has a problem with a "nibble" on the 1-2 shift, After much study and research it was found that the oil level was too high in the uni. This caused windage problems with the excess lube causing the gears to over-synchronize. this is because when the gear train is submerged in too much oil the transmission fluid overheats and foams and affects the turning ratio of the gear train similar to your trying to run on the beach in 2 feet of water. The increased resistance to turning slows the gears prematurely and alters the synchronizer timing, causing shift problems.
The oil level was reduced to 3 liters and the problem was resolved."
Some other facts I didn't know was that there are 10 different tremec 3650's [ul][*]T3650 being used in mustangs 2/2001- 9/2001 with a
.68 5th ratio[*]T3650-2 in falcon barra- austraila[*]T3650-3 in mustang 9/2001-7/2002 which has .
62 5th ratio[*]T3650-4 In mustangs 7/2002 - 6/2003[*]T3650-5 in toranado australia[*]T3650-6 MG rovers[*]T3650-7 Mustang Service Ass'y[*]T3650-8 Mustang 2004 GT[*]T3650-9 2004 GT[*]T3650-10 Mustang 2004 GT service ass'y[*]T3650-1 S197 mustangs, the position of the shift rails was reversed and made into a mirror image,
none of the internal or external shift linkage is the same[/ul]
SOOO .. the idea is to put only 3 liters
not 3.8 of straight up cheapass automatic transmission fluid dexron III. This lets the syncrhonizers spin easier which cuts down the grind going into gears which will lead to longer life out of your transmission. Oiling WILL NOT be an issue by lowering the level of fluid. Both shafts are in fluid, the lower shaft being completely submerged. The lower shaft will also constantly sling fluid around inside the case oiling every gear all the time...
BUTT If its too late, don't buy an entire rebuild kit for $1000+ if you only need 2nd gear parts.. Call Auto Gear, and ask to speak to George. He will set you up right with all the parts you need to fix a 2nd gear grind for less than $360. The Transmissions are simple to work on, more so than a T5 or T45 so labor shouldn't be very much. Labor should not be over $200 and normally is around $100 in my area. (considering you take the transmission out yourself) This could add $100 or more to the cost (around $150 in my area to pull transmission) If you live in a bigger city, expect a much higher labor charge..
IF your transmission is so far gone that you are going to
have to spend well oever a $1000 I would suggest looking into a TKO500. The removable bellhousing alone makes it dam near worth the price.
"
RE: Transmission Fluid
