From: Joe Kuti (jkuti@swbell.net)
Date: Tue Mar 12 2002 - 21:56:13 PST
Attention all M135/M211 affectionatos,
I am at my wits end....
During the restoration process - I had installed a "Memphis Equipment
Rebuilt" Transmission in my M135. During the initial start up - an inner
seal failed in the internal heat exchanger and pressurized water from the
cooling system backflushed the Transmission and the filler tube produced a
gyser of "Pepto Bismol" appearing solution of water and Transmission fluid.
Memphis Equipment firnished a replacement cooler section and after the
transmission was flushed three times with transmission fluid - the Truck was
pressed into service.
>From the beginning - the transmission would not start in low gear from the
stop every time and most of the time it would take about thirty attempts of
shifting from neutral to "F1" High Range before the transmission would move
into gear. The physical effort necessary to move the shifter from F1 High
Range to R Low Range was unbeleivable and then it would crunch into
Reverse - never smoth.
After on year of very short trips - it finally hung up in Lowrange and I was
stuck in Downtown Houston on 4th of July eve at 11PM - at max speed of 3
mph - it took 4 hours to move it to the storage shed. By the time I got
there - white smoke poured off the transmission and it was so hot you could
light a cigarette on it.
Earl Tucker in Houston offered to take it apart and diagnise the problem.
Well 2.5K latter - the transmission did work, it would still be slow to go
in Reverse and when it shifted up in Forward or shifted down - the drive
train would "CLUNK" and the drive axel would lurch. The shifting of the
selector was smoth and you could move the selector to all positions with
ease and smothness. After less than 300 miles and 6 months latter (4 to 5
parades/shows) the transmission is now slipping again and this weekend it
overheated during a 30 mile run - so bad that when I came to a stop - I
checked the fluid level and the dip stick was so hot - when I pulled it out
of the sump - white smoke came off the stick - the truck smelled like a
chiken fryer vat - but the fluid was not low.
Now - Learned Members - have any of you been down this road? Do you have any
sugestion? I am considering adapting a electric oil pump with suction from
the drain hole and the return line to the filler hole and plumb the
transmission fluid through a an air cooler or another water heatexchanger
mounted in return line off the radiator - but the water-heatexchanger may
raise the engine temp more.
I am at a loss for ideas - you can quess how much I have sunk in this truck
already - but except for this transmission problem - the truck is a perfect
10 - and I like it a lot - I have addded a winch, M66 MG Mount above the
cab, Fording Kit - the paint is perfect - I do not want to part with it but
right now - I am very frustrated with the Truck.
No do not suggest taking it back to Earl Tucker - I can not afford his
work - and since his "rebuild" did not realy work - I do not think he has
anything to offer. Short of trailering it to Memphis Equipment - I at my
wits end.
What do you think guys?
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Mon Apr 08 2002 - 00:27:34 PDT