tranny fluid and problems

[bigbadjx]

What are symptoms or problems that my manual tranny could give me if the fluid level is too low or too high?

[Max]

Too high? Really near impossible to do since the fill / level hole on the side will only allow the max to be pumped in, nothing more. The only way to over-fill is to add from above via the shifter input plate. Highly unlikely though.

Too low? Lack of lubrication, wear, noise, self-destruction. It would have to get pretty low though, as lubrication is achieved via "splash" (from the lower submerged / spinning gears), thus oil reaches all of the internal components with relative ease. A low level condition would also be predicated by an obvious visual external LEAK.

Are you experiencing some sort of malady currently?

[bigbadjx]

no, just trying to figure out what is wrong with my Kick since I am still experiencing my RPM problem. I think I am going to have to post a video of what I am talking about. It is hard to describe it, or when it happens.

[jtgh]

too low , whine , hard shifting followed by destruction and seize
too high, foaming, leaks , could cause problem if pulling something very heavy like a boat. Foam starves bearings....

yes, it can be overfilled.!!!

RANT:
to experience that , one only needs to be exposed (nice huh) to the fine skills of a JixxyLube joint. " as seen on TV "
Jam in gear oil nozzle, Bouncing head to hip hop and yaking to other idiot , bingo over fill, then he jams in the plug.
It's like a bad dream, played out all over the country.
end rant:


does your tranny make noise , parked, in neutral , clutch peddle out?
yes, then adjust clutch free play for max play and repeat.
yes? whine, then the bearings are bad. In dah tranny.
no, now. the throw out is bunged.

[bigbadjx]

I don't know if it is a whine, I don't know how to describe the sound, but when the clutch pedal is not depressed, it makes a faint sound, but when depressed, it goes away.

[Max]

Have you renewed the gear oil?

I'd suggest a Redline synthetic if it's time. The noise may just go away. Little to lose if you try.
Red Line Oil: Gear Lubricants

Redline Oil - Synthetic Motor Oil, Lubricants, Transmission Oil, Synthetic Greases and Water Wetter

yes, it can be overfilled.!!!

I said NEARLY impossible.

[jtgh]

Just go the heavier grade. lube oil.

over fill ,etc.
read this.

Goggle "juffylube sucks"

read. ( as vast SEA of really unhappy people )
for a wihile they (all the lube joints "fast") were blowing in the engine oil under high air pressure (fast fast faster).
then they found that it was backing up into the PCV circuit into the manifold and hydrolocking cyclinders. Stupid huh?

BOOM , blown engines, many FORD's

[bigbadjx]

the thing is, I just drained most all the tranny fluid a couple thousand miles ago when I replaced my clutch, and then refilled it, but my uncle helped me out, and he was the one that filled the tranny, not myself, so I am not sure as to how much was put in.

I am just trying to figure out my problem, because it seems it was not the cat. converter since my car is still topping out at 4000 RPMs.

How rich is the smell of the exhaust supposed to be with no cat? It seems way TOO rich smelling. Like a 60's carburated chevy engine. It is really strong.

But, my problem seems to only happen when it is in gear. If I top out at 4000 RPMs, no matter what gear I'm in, if it were 2nd doing about 30, or 5th going about 70, it will top out, and struggle itself to get past 4000 rpms. BUT if I depress the clutch, I can take it to redline with no problem. Although there was a few times before I took the Cat off where even if I did depress the clutch, it still seemed it wouldn't go past 4000, and would slowly bog out.

I also don't know if something was not tightened properly when we replaced the clutch, because sometimes if I come to a stop at a light, and start to release the clutch, the car will jerk as if the shaft from the engine is loose connecting to the tranny. I guess not loose, but more play in the teeth before it engages. But that is only once in a while, not all the time like my RPM issues. BUT both of these problems were not present before changing my clutch.

[Max]

Wow...a lot to consider here. Let's try and establish a basis to press on from.

Mileage on the engine?
Any codes or check engine light history?
Your most recent MPG?
Previous major repairs (besides the clutch)
The reason you replaced the clutch to begin with?
Replaced the pressure plate, disk, release bearing and pilot bearing?
Resurfaced the flywheel? Any evidence of grease / oil on the disk mating surfaces when apart? (I'm trying to establish if grease contaminated the disk to the point of causing grabbing / chattering on launch and determine if the trans is leaking out of the front seal).

Next...you need to check the trans level now. Period.
While doing so...is there any evidence of gear oil (or engine oil for that matter) leakage. "Hand over hand" your drive shafts and U joints (checking for looseness) while you're laying out down there out too.

When the engine appears to go "flat" at 4K, does it sputter and mis (ignition prob?) Or just ease off and surge back up (lack of fuel quantity?).

This is a start...

[bigbadjx]

The reason you replaced the clutch to begin with?
Replaced the pressure plate, disk, release bearing and pilot bearing? Resurfaced the flywheel? Any evidence of grease / oil on the disk mating surfaces when apart? (I'm trying to establish if grease contaminated the disk to the point of causing grabbing / chattering on launch and determine if the trans is leaking out of the front seal).

Next...you need to check the trans level now. Period.
While doing so...is there any evidence of gear oil (or enegine oil for that matter) leakage.

The release bearing was completely locked up, and did not allow me to move the car at all in gear. I did resurface the flywheel, was not too bad, there was a lil oil in the clutch area, but that was from a bad rear main seal which also was replaced along with the oil pan gasket. We pulled the tranny out completely and cleaned and degreased it. Transmission oil was basically drained, there may have still been a lil in there, but it was refilled. I guess I will have to double check the level.


When the engine appears to go "flat" at 4K, does it sputter and mis (ignition prob?) Or just ease off and surge back up (lack of fuel quantity?).


It does not seem like lack of fuel quantity, I have amazingly good power below 4000 RPMs. I don't know if you have ever driven a rental truck with a limiter on it, and basically it will just stay at ohh say 70 mph for example. It doesn't drop RPMs or misfire or anything, it just basically stops going higher, and sort of struggles to keep the RPMs to continue to increase. The video, if I can find it, will show what I mean. It is very strange.

My dad says that he has only ever replaced the fuel filter once in the lifetime of the car, and I'm not sure when the fuel pump was changed IF EVER, and the car has 266,xxx miles on it. I really don't know what it could be. I'm thinking could it possibly be the air filter I used to replace the stock air box as a lot of people here have done to create a short ram set-up? I just am not sure, and it is hard to pinpoint what this could be.