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MidnightAuto · 06-05-2022, 10:39 PM

As it states - I've got a problem with my TKO 600. I limped home just a few moments ago in 5th gear, but alas I could not get in driveway so its sitting on street tonight.

The story goes like this - i was test launching and some aggressive shifting- got to 3rd and kind of missed it, and then all of the sudden I could not get it in gear at all. I did finally test 5th and was able to get in gear there. Would not go in any other gear. I get home burning the clutch a bit going 15-20 miles an hour in 5th in my neighborhood. I usually back down my driveway and thought maybe reverse would be fine - it wasnt. so the car is now stopped in middle of street . I am able to get in first now, but when I let out the clutch the car bogs down and conks out. like its jammed or stuck. I also discovered that when I let the clutch out while in neutral it also bogs down and conks out. the only way the car will idle is with the clutch fully depressed.

Also with the car shut off in neutral, it cant be pushed. It seems to be in gear while the shifter is in neutral.

I don't know much about transmission innards and with the TKO 600 assemblies being fully inside the case, not sure how I would trouble shoot from the outside. Any thoughts on what this is and how I might trouble shoot?

It also dawned on me that if the rear wheels are in gear - I think that means the only way to tow this car is from the back - which makes me nervous.

so thats it. a painful sunday night.

any and all thoughts welcome.

ponchonlefty · 06-05-2022, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MidnightAuto

As it states - I've got a problem with my TKO 600. I limped home just a few moments ago in 5th gear, but alas I could not get in driveway so its sitting on street tonight.

The story goes like this - i was test launching and some aggressive shifting- got to 3rd and kind of missed it, and then all of the sudden I could not get it in gear at all. I did finally test 5th and was able to get in gear there. Would not go in any other gear. I get home burning the clutch a bit going 15-20 miles an hour in 5th in my neighborhood. I usually back down my driveway and thought maybe reverse would be fine - it wasnt. so the car is now stopped in middle of street . I am able to get in first now, but when I let out the clutch the car bogs down and conks out. like its jammed or stuck. I also discovered that when I let the clutch out while in neutral it also bogs down and conks out. the only way the car will idle is with the clutch fully depressed.

Also with the car shut off in neutral, it cant be pushed. It seems to be in gear while the shifter is in neutral.

I don't know much about transmission innards and with the TKO 600 assemblies being fully inside the case, not sure how I would trouble shoot from the outside. Any thoughts on what this is and how I might trouble shoot?

It also dawned on me that if the rear wheels are in gear - I think that means the only way to tow this car is from the back - which makes me nervous.

so thats it. a painful sunday night.

any and all thoughts welcome.

shift fork broken possible. im not an transmission guy but i have broken alot of stuff. i commented to draw attention to your post. i hope someone chimes in.

67GTONUT · 06-05-2022, 10:53 PM

Yeah.... you have multiple gears engaged at the same time - internal failure of some sort. Going to have to jack it up, remove driveshaft to move it around.

MidnightAuto · 06-05-2022, 11:06 PM

Thanks guys. Ok removing drive shaft makes sense for a tow truck if it comes to that. This is so frustrating this is a brand new tranny, and it’s not like I am making an unreasonable amount of power against this tranny.

Stuart · 06-05-2022, 11:22 PM

You can get a rollback truck, or else most wreckers these days have dollies they can put under the rear wheels. For that matter, towing the car from the rear shouldn't be an issue either.

tom s · 06-05-2022, 11:23 PM

Seems like when you “missed”a gear you doom how ended up in 2 gears.I have been driving TKOs since they were released and never ran into that.Tom

Sirrotica · 06-05-2022, 11:27 PM

Been towing cars with a wrecker since the late 70s, there is no reason to worry about towing a car from the rear whatsoever, It's the lighter end of the car and towing with the front wheels down is perfectly acceptable.

If your worried the car can also be placed on a dolly that is made for towing a car that can't use the wheels while being towed, such as an all wheel drive.

If you tow it with a rollback, there are skates that can be used under the locked wheels to slide it on and off the deck. This is how repo guys take cars that they have no keys to.

You have discovered why I started buying muscle cars in 1973 with automatics in them, much more reliable, and easier on the whole driveline. Broken clutches, transmissions, rear axles from neutral clutch dumps, broken u joints, bent driveshafts, jammed shifters, that's all I'm going to say on the subject.

I would guess that the shift mechanism is broken internally from your description. The plate that the mechanism is in, probably on the top of the case, is going to have to be taken off to see what is amiss. It could be cheap, and easy, but when parts fall into a manual transmission they can travel through the gear sets and cause collateral damage. Just hope for the best, and hope the warranty will take care of the repairs, good luck......

Half-Inch Stud · 06-06-2022, 08:29 AM

Good time to investigate repair from the topside: removing the shifter hump, and pull the Shift topplate. Anybody got this setup to confirm?

JLMounce · 06-06-2022, 10:31 AM

Generationally, it's my understanding that the TKO600 shares the technical lineage of the T45 and TR3550 oem units. Especially the T45 was fairly notorious in SN95 mustangs for bending shift forks if you hit the positive stops between the shift gates. It would be the first thing that I would think may have happened to your unit, based on your description.

I don't believe you can necessarily diagnose the shift fork from the top plate of that transmission, but it couldn't hurt to open it up. On the positive side it's probably unlikely that you damaged the trans beyond the shift fork. That's little solace considering the trans is going to have to come out and come apart however.

"QUICK-SILVER" · 06-06-2022, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLMounce

Generationally, it's my understanding that the TKO600 shares the technical lineage of the T45 and TR3550 oem units. Especially the T45 was fairly notorious in SN95 mustangs for bending shift forks if you hit the positive stops between the shift gates. It would be the first thing that I would think may have happened to your unit, based on your description.

I don't believe you can necessarily diagnose the shift fork from the top plate of that transmission, but it couldn't hurt to open it up. On the positive side it's probably unlikely that you damaged the trans beyond the shift fork. That's little solace considering the trans is going to have to come out and come apart however.

Remember working on some of them mustang 5 speeds. Seems they had a bushing that fit the gaps in the rails and the shifter had a pin on bottom that fit the center of the bushing. Shifting gears like 'Big Bad John' fightin' over a Cajun Queen would bust the bushing. That made it nearly impossible to get the transmission out of the last gear it was in and not get hung up in two gears.

Clay

MidnightAuto · 06-06-2022, 08:29 PM

Ok thanks for the insights. I took out the driveshaft and got it back into my garage so that is sorted. If I am opening this tranny up- what would u guys do to resolve some of the weak spots with the tko 600? Assume I would like to power shift every once in awhile. 😊

AG · 06-06-2022, 08:44 PM

Replace the synchros with carbon fiber lined ones, use brass shifter fork tabs and there is a mod to the shifter mechanism for faster 2-3 shift.

Half-Inch Stud · 06-06-2022, 09:43 PM

Anybody figure on shortening the shift arm?

Stan Weiss · 06-06-2022, 09:58 PM

What do you have for a shifter? Many years ago in my 2000 Mustang GT I replaced the FORD shifter with a PRO 5.0 and it did make a difference.

Stan

MidnightAuto · 06-06-2022, 10:22 PM

Got it ag. Thank U.

I am using a hurst style round bar shifter. I will say the 2 to 3 feels a long way away and a lot of room for error on hitting the gate from on each side.

MidnightAuto · 06-07-2022, 06:14 PM

well I had an illuminating conversation with American Powertrain today. I have been shifting wrong. I just assumed 3rd gear was a bit of a diagonal from second - but apparently for the TKO's that is not the case. 2nd to 3rd is straight up as its explained to me. Not at al like a 4 speed H. So perhaps that caused it. In any case, based upon my description he thought I probably broke the 5th gear rail and that will cause the issue I described. and yes, it requires the tranny to be pulled.

i was thinking i was not going to try this on my back - but after talking with him - it does not seem that bad. take out cross member, unbolt 4 bolts going to bellhousing and pull out. I have a manual clutch so he said no need to touch any of that. He also said upon re-entry I should not need to do any type of alignment as the clutch was not touched. Anything else messing from that description or is that the jiist of it?