New T18 Issues Maybe Not Hydraulic Clutch Related?

My t18 is from a later cj with the reverse all the way down and to the right.

Ive farted around with the Hydro clutch set Up I put into the jeep. I've bleed it again and checked that it is pushing it far enough back to disengage it.

I was able to get it into gear while the engine is running and it felt normal. Here is the current issue..

1st to 2nd to 3rd is great! So is reverse. Rolls right into it like it has for the 30+ years I have owned it..

Well 1st to 2nd is always a double clutch or stop and shift endeavor But feels fine


Going from 3rd to 4th the pull is very firm! Like I'm pulling it out of 3rd with no clutch. None of the other gears are like this.

Then it grinds into 4th and pops out. Like it feels it never gets into 4th fully. This Transmission was completely rebuilt years ago and has maybe 700miles on it. It shifted fantastic and I never had a issue with it. I put the jeep up years ago and at the time it was fine. I drove it 30 miles to where I had it stored and it was fine. I moved it years later due to an impending flood and drove it 2 miles up a mountain to store it again.

When I started to restore the jeep I pulled the engine and trans out as a unit and replaced the clutch and pilot and put it back together. At the time I pulled the top cover out and resealed it.

Ive pulled the shifter out of it in Nuetral and I can see all the shift gates are lined up. It has a fresh shifter alignment pin and the cap is snugged down correctly. I've gone as far as pulling the clutch fork back to the limit with a ratchet strap on the frame to try and rule out the clutch fork not fully disengaging. Same deal. Shifts fine through the first 3 gears until you try and shift from 3rd to 4th.

Im wondering if somehow I jacked something up with the shift forks when I put the cover back on and the shifter forks in the top cover aren't allowing 3rd to 4th shifts??

It runs and shifts fine until you try to go from 3rd to 4th and then it is NOT happy.

Any thoughts with this new set of issues?

Thanks in advance with all the silly questions. I'm near Wit's end.

 

I once had (different) problems with a four-speed in a CJ5. Eventually the solution was check the bell-house for being square to the engine, and concentric - which it was not. When I shimmed the bell-housing, the problems went away.

 

Also sounds like the 4th gear syncro ring may be going bad

 

There's a definitive hard pull to get it out of 3rd gear and down into 4th like somethings jammed up in the works. The synchro have less than 700 miles on them and they looked great when I had the cover off last year.

 

1st to 2nd is loose and 3rd to 4th is tight...

Did you use new blocking rings in the rebuild?

 

If you didn't rebuild the shifter top it may be worth it. Not hard, often the springs and balls are pretty gummed up. What are you running for oil?

 

Yes. Only thing that wasn't replaced was the actual gears. But this wouldn't matter. The rebuild has 700+ miles on it and it's been perfect up until the above.

 

85w-90 GL1 gear oil. Same stuff I've used since putting the transmission in in 1994.
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I have torn the Hydro setup I have off and am starting anew. It's really been bothering me that I am so close to getting this thing back on the road and trail and cannot figure this transmission issue out. I pulled the top cover off the trans and everything is in alignment . Its to the Manual Perfect! . Nothing is out of place and nothing has changed except for time sitting from when it ran and shifted perfect... Well...that is save for the hydro clutch install and current issue. This trans I have, had a Novak 350 adapter on it when I bought it. I gutted it and replaced everything save for the gears and an input shaft from novak. I called Novak and told them I wanted to convert it back to AMC and they sold me a supposedly short ford style input from them and told me to use t150 a bellhousing. This was all of 30+ years ago now. So stuff is hazy. I used to hang with a old hotrodder (rip Mick Cook) That told me to make a diary of every mod to rehash when things went south! (Kicking my arse for that)

I think there's just enough change from the normal stock parts in my setup that I am just not getting the extra throw ( could be 1/32") needed to stop rotational movement through the trans when I depress the clutch. And it's causing this issue. It's not showing up in the lower gears but presenting in 3rd and 4th Or whatever folks presume they are in a t18a. ............The last 2 gears.

Anyhow... I decided to go with a Hybrid of Peilut's (Fellow Member of Earlycj5 forums!!!!!) Pull style Hydro clutch set up. If the math is correct ( and boy do I suck at math so bad it stinks! ) It should give me an extra 1/2" of movement (Depending on adjustment) than the conventional (Or what we all consider the normal cj type jeep hydraulic clutch conversion setup) That I have.


Pieluts jeep is a earlier cj5 with the frame mounted pedals, so I had to adapt somewhat.

I ordered the same PULL style slave cylinder and a similar master cylinder and modified yet again my 1973 cj5 to cj6 project to accept them.

Through hours of absolutely body and mind torturing gymnastics, I have Fabri-cobbled a (Way too over engineered bracket fastened to the t18a to dana 20 adapter) to facilitate the pulling action of the Willwood slave cylinder and bolted in Speedway 3/4 Master cylinder to accommodate it . This should give me the extra length or Movement needed to stop rotational movement of the transmission. My tits and shoulder blades hurt so much from laying on my back and wrenching above my face It's pathetic! Too much info? My regrets..


I am only held up by the clutch line I ordered that was supposed to be here Friday.


If this doesn't work... I'm thinking of setting the whole thing A-blaze and getting that Cj3b that My Beautiful , but Ornery wife has wanted for 40 some odd years. She's tiny, but mean as all get out! Pinches something fierce as well!


I hope ( and pray) I have a resolution this week. If not...... I am stabbing the Amc Bellhoused TF 727 I've been tripping over in the shed for 30+ years into the CJ6 and calling it a LAME 2 pedaler!! And or getting my wife the cj3b she has always wanted!


Wish me luck....I am gonna need it. Those Tj LJ's are looking good right about now...


Where's the Ibuprofen? Lord.. Help me.