| Author |
Message |
JKucajr (4.240.120.54)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 17, 2004 - 9:39 pm: | |
I recently bought a '73 Flxible transit for conversion and am having a problem with it shifting out of low gear. I was cruising around 50 mph when it felt like the motor died so I pulled over. To my surprise it was still running so I pulled back out and it wouldn't shift out of 1st gear. After VERY slowly continuing home, I popped the side engine cover and left it running and heard a loud 'air-leak' so upon investigating it's origin, I found a threaded hole with very clean threads (the surrounding area was very greasy in comparison until I cleaned the immediate area with degreaser) where it looks like I may have lost a part on the highway. On the side of the transmission there is an air cylinder with the end of it's center shaft connecting to a trans. linkage arm. The bracket that holds the cylinder has what looks like an electrical solenoid on top with a steel block that the air lines are tapped into. It is on the lower end of the steel block where there is an open threaded hole. I am going to post a picture on my web server of this at: http://www.vertigobutterfly.com/Bus/Trans.jpg
No one here seems to have a clue who I should talk to locally (ALbuquerque) - so I am clueless as to what to check for and hope someone here can please help. The transmission is an VS2-8 (V-drive). |
two dogs (65.179.209.6)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 17, 2004 - 10:39 pm: | |
ol' brown booties can tell ya'....where are ya' DON KS/TX |
Don KS/TX (66.82.9.18)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 8:02 am: | |
The photo you have is of the shifter cylinder, it merely pulls or pushes the arm into either reverse or forward position. I think that connector is just an air exhaust for when the cylinder changes position. The electrical things on the ends are simply a circuit completion switch to energize the neutral solenoid only AFTER the gear box is in position. It would seem from your description of the problem that the air leak has nothing to do with the upshift problem, which is activated by the governor up on top. Scott has one just like yours, maybe he will have some helpful information. |
jkucajr (4.240.117.231)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 12:13 pm: | |
Well it does go into gear and go backward and forward, that much I know. It just wont shift into a higher gear. I have a fairly decent working knowledge on car and small truck repair, but no experience working on something like this beast!! I feel like I'm in a bit over my head as far as being able to diagnose what the problem is. I hope that Scott (whoever Scott is) will be able to provide some ideas of what to check for. I don't have a clue what to do here. |
Don KS/TX (66.82.9.56)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 6:30 pm: | |
Scott Whitney, we had lots of fun with VS2, email him at scott@dustyfoot.com.
The going into higher gear starts with the governor and proceeds from there thru the valve body. I no longer have my manuals, Scott does and can help you out. He has a Flexible also. He also has a darned neat web site, lots of bus stuff there you would enjoy. |
Jimmci9 (209.240.205.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 6:43 pm: | |
give jeff hartman at tri-point energy services in victoria texas a call tomorow after 7 am central time.... 361-576-1171... he's good... tri-point energy services is a factory authorized 2-stroke detroit diesel/allison repair shop |
John Rigby (24.174.238.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 9:59 pm: | |
Jimmci9 Have you been getting my e-mails??
John |
Jim-Bob (64.12.116.135)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 11:46 pm: | |
I bought a 4905 with a freshly overhauled VS-2 that wouldn't upshift. Turned out the shift governor was full of grit & couldn't move to shift. The governor is on top of the trans housing, toward the front of the bus & looks like a mushroom with two oil lines connected to it. It governs the shift from direct to splitter overdrive. (What feels like 2nd to 3rd.) I'd start by removing it. Take the top off & make sure it is squeeky clean inside, that it moves smoothly without binding & that the fluid line that feeds it comes from the oil filter. (there may be two oil filters on the trans.)
I also do not think that your electric/air shifter mechanism should continually pass air. Just a short blast when it actually shifts. It should have one air line connected to it & one exhaust port which is threaded. |
jkucajr (4.240.117.127)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 2:52 am: | |
Man, I appreciate everyone here attempting to help me!! You guys are great and this forum is great. I will look inside the governor as recommended by Jim-Bob (Thanks for the tip) and will let you know if cleaning it out helps. I like to think I can manage cleaning that thing out. I have also emailed Scott Whitney (thank you Don KS/TX) and have not received a reply as of yet, but am hopeful. I will call Jeff Hartman if cleaning the governor out doesn't work (thank you Jimmci9). It sucks to have the bus just sitting in the yard and me being clueless as to what the problem could be. I've always managed to figure out what's wrong with any car I've ever owned and am part of a seeming small handful of people in the world that has never once brought a car into a repair shop - never - for anything. I like to think that with a hand from good folks like yourselves that I will be able to fix this bugger without having to spend a fortune on a shop bill. I will keep this post updated as I am able to figure this out!! I sincerely thank you all and appreciate the help and guidance more than you may know.
John in Albuquerque |
two dogs (63.185.72.63)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 12:37 pm: | |
bet ol' 9 mile hill is a blast with your new bus...good luck,hope cleaning the valve body fixes it& hope you find out what goes in that hole,Ill keep a lookout for a service manual on it for you... |
two dogs (63.185.72.63)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 1:00 pm: | |
this is just a suggestion...if it was me,before I took anything apart,I'd go to the local city bus garage & ask if you could talk to the transmission man,hopefully,he can look at that picture & tell you what goes in that hole & that might fix everything.. |
Gary Carter (68.25.110.14)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 1:17 pm: | |
Make that a long time transmission man.
Also
Williams Distribution
1395 Triplett Boulevard
Akron, OH 44306-3124
(800) 229-6110 (toll free)
(330) 794-0504 (fax)
as they do repair and support the VS transmission |
two dogs (63.185.72.221)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 1:59 pm: | |
It "looks" like a 1/2 " pipe plug goes in there($.50) |
Jim-Bob (12.46.52.74)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 3:31 pm: | |
Don't plug the exhaust on the air shifter or the bus will not shift from fwd to reverse! Mine came with two air lines connected. (It didn't shift!) One was the supply, the other was connected to the exhaust.
Clean the area well. Mine says supply & exhaust on the body.
This is an odd transmission by todays standards. When equipped with the air shifter, the shifter provides F-R shifting & neutral is supplied by the solenoid on the valve body on top of the big housing. If properly set up, the trans gets put in neutral when you want to shift, then you select F or R & the air shifter BANGS the F-R shift. You will hear a good "chunk" when it shifts. Mine has two toggle switches on the dash. One for neutral/drive, and the other for F-R with a red & green pilot lamp for gear indication.
This trans starts out in Direct drive, but running through the torque converter for "first gear". At about 25-30, the torque converter is removed from the circuit & you have "second". At about 45, the splitter clutch engages & the splitter (planetary gears in the bell housing) engages providing "third" or overdriven direct.
A very sturdy trans with the unique ability to be overhauled in-frame! |