OK, so, first off, a while back I changed the tranny fluid in my 01 v6 with the dealer recommended ATF. I started it up, backed it up off the ramps, no problems till I hit 2nd gear and this awful clacking sound started happening. It only happens under load (even a tiny amount) and only in 2nd gear. It's been happening for about 2-3 months now. It doesn't slip or do anything weird besides the noise. It sounds like a large piece of metal in there lol. Anyways, my clutch is toast so I figured I'd get the tranny rebuilt while I have everything apart. Might as well? I mentioned this to a friend of mine and he went on and on about switching out the ATF for synthetic 10w30 and blah blah it'll fix everything and I'll be able to blow on the shifter to get it into gear. Apparently it's an old mustang trick and he's done it to all of his mustangs. He is pretty experienced with mustangs, but I figured if it's the magic tranny medicine, it would be all over the web. I couldn't find much of anything. So what do you think? Sorry for the long post, I'm on my way to work sitting in traffic. Very bored. Not driving btw lol.

 

COMPLETLY off topic, but I just noticed you're located in Mass and just stated how you're stuck in traffic, and i can't help but sneak a grin. (myself being a mass commuter, I feel yo pain!)

on another note, check your fluid for metal filings, that's usually a pretty good indication that something is horribly wrong

 

haha, yeah. to tell you the truth, i kind of like it. Like I said, I don't drive to work. I wake up and get in the van with someone else, And I get a nice hour long solid chill session going into boston lol. I bring my laptop and get time to wake up before the work starts. Where are you from in NH? My girlfriend lives in Derry and I drive up there 3 or 4 times a week.

When I changed the fluid I looked for metal and there wasn't any, surprisingly. That tranny's a champ. It's lived through many a 4k drop and definitely it's fair share of absolute failure powershifts. Like I said, it doesn't do anything wrong. It's pretty damn hard to get into 2nd at high rpms (hence the failed powershifts) and it grinds a little bit going into 5th over about 80, but I think all that is the clutch. *shrug*

 

If its hard to get into 2nd and 5th then bad synchronizer is my guess.

 

Bump? Nobody knows if that's a good/bad thing to do?

 

ATF is perfectly fine. You trans is losing syncros and probably just made it apparent. Normal wear or driver error. Get a new one before you lose a gear next, you can find one for about 500-700 new. I would get that and a Ram HDX Clutch.

 

I found a guy that said he would swap out my clutch and drop and rebuild tranny for 650. And he said he'd guarantee the work lol.

 

that's not a bad deal. and I'm around nashua and manchester a lot. you probably go rigt through manchester on your way to Derry through