I thought I would take the time to share with you guys the transmission and other problems I have had from day one with my Cobra.
I bought it new in October of 2001, a few months of pretty normal driving , 2nd gear seemed to just disapear. Going from 1st to 2nd, releasing the clutch and the car would rev like no gear was there. Sometimes it would catch, other times it would not.
I did some research on the Corral and found that there was indeed a problem with the transmission, something to do with a faulty shift fork. With that information, I went to the dealership, told them the problem I was having, also let them know about the horrible TOB noise I had. They told me to check back in a week.
A week goes by and I call the dealer, they said the car would have been ready, but that they had ran into a problem. The car was fixed, but as the technician test drove the car, the same thing happened to him. No second gear. They tell me to give them another week.
While the car was at the dealer, I went to the Spring Break Shootout, while there I talked with the guys from Tremec and they assured me that the problem would be fixed. They even took the time to show me the parts (on a cut open 3650) that would be replaced and went into detail on the problem with the factory part.
I go back and pick the car up and it seems to drive fine, very notchy. I install the shifter (UPR Blu Thunder) I bought while at the Shootout, and its a definate improvement, but this transmission is more notchy than my 3550 in my previous car. I just decide to deal with the notchyness and continue to drive the car.
A few months later, 2nd gear problems again, seems to be the same thing. I take it to a different Ford dealer that is very close by. They call me the next day and tell me the problem is with my shifter install, and that I didn't tighten the bolts good and the shifter is moving and not fully putting the car in second. They reinstall my stock shifter. When I pick up the car, I notice EXCESSIVE shifter slop. When I put the car in second, I could damn near touch my driver seat. Very rubbery feeling, and I know I have gotten used to the tight UPR shifter, but the factory shifter is NOT this sloppy. I deal with it and drive home.
A few days of driving my car, the rough shifting of the car from 1st to 2nd is very annoying, I have almost come to accept the fact that its just going to drive this way. In the mornings, its very hard to put the car in second, without being forceful. It always grinds going into second when its cold, sometimes when its hot.
Another month goes by and I decide to reinstally my UPR shifter. In doing so I notice that the bolt holes are pretty much stripped (they must have tighened the hell out of the stock shifter when they reinstalled it), one was pretty bad. I helicoil the hole and bolt the UPR up. Whats strange is that the shifter is tigher than it was with the stock unit, but their is excessive play, not as much, but its there. I talked with a friend that used to work for Ford, he says that the little rubber piece in the tranny where the shifter ball (end of the shifter shaft) fits into may be worn, but I didn't notice anything odd about it. Anyone have any ideas on this?
I am contemplating taking the car to the dealer, and raising hell til its fixed. What do you guys think? I have no mods other than the shifter, I have kept this thing stock.
On another note, the car seems to surge in cold weather, or when its humid. Going from coasting down the road to barely touching the throttle the car jerks. Also their seems to be excessive backlash in the driveline, and the TOB is still noisy as hell. I also hear a loud clunk when I drive over bumps, I thought I had a loose shock, but I checked that. Is this the clunk everyone talks about?
I guess the two problems I do not have is the vibration and the pinging problem. Anyone have any similar problems? I am just venting, and feeling the need to post for some reason.
It would just be nice to have all these problems fixed before I start modding the car. I know with modding a car you are going to have problems, ticks, noise, etc. That is to be expected, but I have problems with a bone stock car.
OK, I'm finished
I bought it new in October of 2001, a few months of pretty normal driving , 2nd gear seemed to just disapear. Going from 1st to 2nd, releasing the clutch and the car would rev like no gear was there. Sometimes it would catch, other times it would not.
I did some research on the Corral and found that there was indeed a problem with the transmission, something to do with a faulty shift fork. With that information, I went to the dealership, told them the problem I was having, also let them know about the horrible TOB noise I had. They told me to check back in a week.
A week goes by and I call the dealer, they said the car would have been ready, but that they had ran into a problem. The car was fixed, but as the technician test drove the car, the same thing happened to him. No second gear. They tell me to give them another week.
While the car was at the dealer, I went to the Spring Break Shootout, while there I talked with the guys from Tremec and they assured me that the problem would be fixed. They even took the time to show me the parts (on a cut open 3650) that would be replaced and went into detail on the problem with the factory part.
I go back and pick the car up and it seems to drive fine, very notchy. I install the shifter (UPR Blu Thunder) I bought while at the Shootout, and its a definate improvement, but this transmission is more notchy than my 3550 in my previous car. I just decide to deal with the notchyness and continue to drive the car.
A few months later, 2nd gear problems again, seems to be the same thing. I take it to a different Ford dealer that is very close by. They call me the next day and tell me the problem is with my shifter install, and that I didn't tighten the bolts good and the shifter is moving and not fully putting the car in second. They reinstall my stock shifter. When I pick up the car, I notice EXCESSIVE shifter slop. When I put the car in second, I could damn near touch my driver seat. Very rubbery feeling, and I know I have gotten used to the tight UPR shifter, but the factory shifter is NOT this sloppy. I deal with it and drive home.
A few days of driving my car, the rough shifting of the car from 1st to 2nd is very annoying, I have almost come to accept the fact that its just going to drive this way. In the mornings, its very hard to put the car in second, without being forceful. It always grinds going into second when its cold, sometimes when its hot.
Another month goes by and I decide to reinstally my UPR shifter. In doing so I notice that the bolt holes are pretty much stripped (they must have tighened the hell out of the stock shifter when they reinstalled it), one was pretty bad. I helicoil the hole and bolt the UPR up. Whats strange is that the shifter is tigher than it was with the stock unit, but their is excessive play, not as much, but its there. I talked with a friend that used to work for Ford, he says that the little rubber piece in the tranny where the shifter ball (end of the shifter shaft) fits into may be worn, but I didn't notice anything odd about it. Anyone have any ideas on this?
I am contemplating taking the car to the dealer, and raising hell til its fixed. What do you guys think? I have no mods other than the shifter, I have kept this thing stock.
On another note, the car seems to surge in cold weather, or when its humid. Going from coasting down the road to barely touching the throttle the car jerks. Also their seems to be excessive backlash in the driveline, and the TOB is still noisy as hell. I also hear a loud clunk when I drive over bumps, I thought I had a loose shock, but I checked that. Is this the clunk everyone talks about?
I guess the two problems I do not have is the vibration and the pinging problem. Anyone have any similar problems? I am just venting, and feeling the need to post for some reason.
It would just be nice to have all these problems fixed before I start modding the car. I know with modding a car you are going to have problems, ticks, noise, etc. That is to be expected, but I have problems with a bone stock car.OK, I'm finished
