Loss of power, no smoke, transmission doesn't shift - SOLVED

foxmiles · **Posted:** Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:20 am

Lol! That's just my luck isn't it? Well, who knows? I may decide to buy it and get the GDE tune on it someday if you still have one you're willing to part with!
But I'll let my wallet recover a bit first~

foxmiles · **Posted:** Tue Sep 10, 2019 12:47 am

Just wanted to update, the stock TCM from ebay has been in over a week and works as expected. Still has the hesitation/puff of smoke I'm a little worried about, but shifting as she always has, which is nice. Next project is the in-tank lift pump! I had it sitting here before the TCM adventure and hopefully got a connector with the pins I need the morning the TCM failed. So maybe this weekend, maybe...

TKB4 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 10, 2019 8:26 am

Great ! Report back after the lift pump, I know you will.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Tue Sep 10, 2019 11:46 am

foxmiles wrote:

Just wanted to update, the stock TCM from ebay has been in over a week and works as expected. Still has the hesitation/puff of smoke I'm a little worried about, but shifting as she always has, which is nice. Next project is the in-tank lift pump! I had it sitting here before the TCM adventure and hopefully got a connector with the pins I need the morning the TCM failed. So maybe this weekend, maybe...

If you have any questions about the lift pump install, just ask. It's not a bad job.
Reviewing this may give you some pointers?> http://www.auerbach.ca/kj/lift_pump/

foxmiles · **Posted:** Mon Sep 23, 2019 7:38 pm

Got the lift pump installed, seems a little peppier off the line, or maybe it's just my imagination. Also could be the nice cooler temperatures we're having! I'm still suspicious of something turbo/air related.

I really wish I had tested the sending unit before putting it all together. it showed completely empty when I put it in, then climbed a little, so I dumped in 5gal and it went up to a little under 1/4, I took it for a spin and it dropped to empty... then came back before I got home. I went to work and it was fine all the way there, when I left it dropped to empty before I got out of the parking lot. I filled up on the way home and it's been pegged on E ever since. My guess was that maybe there was some grease on the contacts, so maybe it will start working before I'm low on fuel or I'm dropping it again. Fortunately it wasn't hard to drop, I did the whole thing in an afternoon! (note: I swapped the float and modified the tab for alignment, so it shouldn't be either of those issues)

Also a big thanks to the people who figured this mod out, wrote the guide and did it before me!

GordnadoCRD · **Posted:** Mon Sep 23, 2019 7:50 pm

The output fitting direction is exactly 90 degrees aligned to the path of the float arm.

If they are not perfectly aligned either forwards, (tab removed) or reverse (OEM, tab modified) you risk the float movement binding with the front or rear of the tank.

Or you could have just gotten a faulty float/sending unit.

Hopefully you swapped in your original float arm from your OEM unit. They are different than the ones with the Dodge truck setup. 5 minute swap, tops.

foxmiles · **Posted:** Mon Sep 30, 2019 11:47 pm

Ended up dropping the tank again, found one of the wipers bent, not sure if that was from the factory or if I did it when I swapped float arms. I straightened it out and it seems to work now. It looks like I could swap the old sender in if I had to, but I figured I would just try this first.

It's still doing the hesitation/smoking thing, seems especially bad when it's hot out. I see another thread by casm that sounds remarkably similar, I'm watching that. It really feels like turbo lag to me, once it's got some boost it pulls good. I also got out on the interstate and up a hard incline it will hold 20psi boost in 5th lockup, no noticeable smoke. I stomped on it to pass going up a hill once, it kicked down and let out a cloud behind me, but I didn't see what the boost was. In the driveway I hooked a vacuum gauge inline with turbo actuator. I get about 15wc at idle and when floored it blips to 20, then drops (below 15 but not sure where), then back to 15 and climbs back towards 20wc in about the time I would say the hesitation exists. I have to let off then as it has boost at that point and breaks the tires loose (and I don't want to break anything). I'll find some hose and hook something up to monitor it while actually driving. Might try getting some oven cleaner and cleaning the turbo out sometime.

At any rate, I'll probably start a new thread on this sometime, as I believe the issue with the transmission is solved!

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Tue Oct 01, 2019 12:06 am

Check all your vacuum hose connections and plastic tubing from the brake booster all the way over to the turbo vacuum reservoir and modulator. Check the plastic tubing from the modulator over to the turbo vane actuator real close for any cracks or flattening out of plastic tubing. Just discovered mine had a bad spot in it where it looked like it had gotten hot and melted enough to flatten out.
See my post with pictures on upgrading to silicone vacuum hoses. Doing this got rid of some turbo lag I was experiencing. viewtopic.php?f=5&t=90486

casm · **Joined:** Sun Jan 29, 2006 5:05 pm **Posts:** 694

foxmiles wrote:

It's still doing the hesitation/smoking thing, seems especially bad when it's hot out. I see another thread by casm that sounds remarkably similar, I'm watching that.

I've been keeping an eye on this thread as well. We should compare notes once you've got the new thread started.

FWIW, I've been thinking of starting another thread for my issues; the sheer amount of troubleshooting that's been done at this point can make it hard to know what's been done.

Loss of power, no smoke, transmission doesn't shift - SOLVED

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