I have an A833OD 4spd behind a 360 in my 68 Barraucda. This tranny has been in use for the past 50k miles in the car, initially behind a \6 and now for the past 21k miles a 360.

The tranny has never been a slick shifting unit but over the past few days getting it into 1st or reverse after it's been driven for awhile has gotten really tough and it won't go into reverse with out some gear grinding. A 1-2 is OK and 2-3 or 3-4 does not seem to be impacted at all.

First thing in the morning it's fine and it progressively gets worse the more you drive. I though maybe the clutch was dragging ( and it still may be) but I did adjust as much of the slop out of the pedal as possible and it didn't improve the situation.

When I got the tranny it had ATF in it. When I installed it in the Barracuda 50k miles ago
I put synthetic gear oil in it and it would grind in every gear. I immedaitaely replaced the syntetic gear oil with ATF and it's had the ATF until last year when I swapped in Penzoil Syncromesh manual transmission fluid. At the time it was an improvement over the ATF in shift quality.

Anyone got any ideas what might be causing the difficulty going into 1st and reverse when hot?

It's almost certainly a dragging input shaft, either from the clutch, pilot bushing/bearing, or ?? Pull the inspection cover and see what things look like. I suspect that the trans will be coming out soon, though.

I agree with Jim, make sure the clutch is dissengaging enough by maintaing proper free play.

MM

you ansered half of your own question yourself. you used synthetic to start with, had problems. switched to ATF, no probs. went to another synt and have probs again.. DUH...

a few years ago I rebuilt 2 OD 833s for a friends 2 Feather Dusters. 1 had ATF put in it. somebody told him to use Mobil 1 synt in the second, it was almost impossible to shift when cold. changed to to ATF, no more problems.

evidently the synt doesnt let the syncro rings float and thats where the grinding comes from.

change bact to ATF, maybe that will help. if not the syncro rings are worn and need replaced


hows the fluid level? is it low?

w/Jim.

Swapping fluids is only masking an evident internal problem.

i know this maybe alittle O/T but is it ok to run regular 80/90 gear lube in one? thanks
Ron

Check clutch disengagement first.

R.

Just bought some Mobile1 in the lighter weight. Was told Castrol Syntorque was good. They didn't sell it locally.

My Prothane mount got here yesterday from www.magnumhp.com in she goes tonight!

Well I dropped the inspection cover and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. There was adequate travel and the disk spun freely when the pedal was on the floor. I had re-gasketed the tranny over the winter because of some leaks around the shift shafts and speedo adapter and there was no signs of leaking but I checked the fluid anyway and it was right up there.

I took it for a drive and it was shifting like it had before. When I got back and went to back the car into the garage it was balking about going into reverse again. Then all of a sudden something popped and the car lurched. I though the linkage had come off but everthing was in place and moving but there is no resistance in the pedal.

I just ordered a new clutch and it will be clutch replacement time this week!

Well I have it apart! The piece that the release finger hangs on and provides the pivot the finger rotates on broke.

It looks like a forged piece and has a large buldge in the middle with a hole for the pivot pin. It cracked through that area and opened slightly. I would say that accounts for the sudden in ability to shift into reverse. The pop I heard and the loss of all clutch release was when the threaded area of this piece broke where it threads into the adjusting nut that is on the outside of the pressure plate housing. This allowed one of the fingers to float around and not provide for any release.

The other interesting thing. I always had to keep the clutch adjusted loose or when the pedal was on the floor the fingers would contact the springs in the disk. The hub area of the disk was about 1/2 to 5/8" higher than the surface of the friction material. The new clutch disk the hub area is only a 1/4" higher than the friction material. Looks like I won't have the issue of the fingers contacting the springs with the new clutch.

FWIW, the failed clutch had 22k miles on it and was a ZOOM OE Replacement clutch. The new one is a RAM Muscle Car clutch that is rated up to 500 HP. The RAM pressure plate has clamping springs with larger diamter wire and the the piece the fingers pivot on is much larger in diameter. The disk has a thinner hub area and the and the cush springs have a smaller OD with larger diameter wire. There is also a wave spring between the two sides of friction material that the ZOOM did not have.

Well the new clutch is in and the action is greatly improved over the previous one. I can also adjust the clutch to the proper throw out bearing clearance and not have to worry about pushing the fingers into the disk.

The new clutch is a performance clutch rated to 500 HP and is stiffer but not dramtically and I wouldn't think twice about it if I had installed that one in the first place.

did all 833od use trans fluid? i took one out of an 81 truck that had gear oil and one out of an 86 truck that had trans fluid. what year did they change over?

Don't know what years used what but I do recall reading that there was a TSB that said to replace the ATF with gear oil if the customer complained of gear noise in neutral. I know mine makes quite a bit of noise in neutral with the clutch engaged and engine idling that it does not make in gear or even in neutral when the clutch is disengaged.

FWIW, I used 75W-90 gear oil when I filled it this time because the local Autozone didn't have enough of the Penzoil Syncromesh fluid. It is quieter in neutral.