Shift flair between second and third.

caddywhompus

New member
Hey Vandals. New sprinter owner. New forum member. Let explain my issue and I’ll include the back story in the end if you care to read it. Thanks

2004 /280k / T1N / NAG1
Received this van in this condition recently. Has a shift flair between 2nd and 3rd. Research led me to changing the conductor plate and cleaning speed sensors and valve body. To hopefully eradicate the flair. Today I drained ATF from trans and torque converter. Replaced trans filter, rubber gasket and 13pin connector and ATF fluid. Didn’t work up the nerve to remove valve body and inspect. Wish I would have just wasn’t feeling confidant as I’ve never messed this vehicle nor any transmission.
After driving everything is working as it was before. Maybe even shifting a bit smoother but still has the shift flair.
So my question is for advise on replacing conductor plate and dropping valve body. Any tips, knowledge or advise is greatly appreciated. The van runs amazing and shifts as it should in all gears but the flair doesn’t drive confidence. Is this fixiabke. Am i looking at a new transmission. How many miles can I expect in this condition. Etc etc. thanks guys.




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MillionMileSprinter

Millionmilesprinter.com
That's a tough one. I wish you had dropped the valve body and cleaned it and the conductor plate. Sometimes cleaning them gets rid of shift flares, but if it doesnt, then you know you have a dying clutch pack. The clutch pack will require rebuilding the transmission, but as long as you dont mind the flare, it can go on like that for months, even years.
 

caddywhompus

New member
Yeah I should of dropped it. I will soon. Just wanted to service it for now untill I felt a little more comfortable about taking it out. Need to study a bit more personally. I’m sure it’s not difficult. But I don’t wanna Booger **** up. Lol


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220629

Well-known member
Do you push the engine/transmission? I now drive like the old man that I am. My 2004 occasionally will start to flare shift. Whenever I notice the flare, I intentionally drive it a bit hard for a time especially accelerating up on freeway ramps, etc. The flare has always gone away and stayed away for a good amount of time. It doesn't seem that the frequency of needing to apply the "cure" has increased so I don't believe that my flare issue is a deteriorating condition.

:cheers: vic
 

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
Under load forced down shifts and upshifts can burnish a glazed clutch pack. Note that what may feel like a flare may actually be the tc clutch regulating lagging behind. The only way to tell for sure is to monitor/graph the trans speed sensors in real time.

I had what I thought was a mild flare and hard downshift into 1st. Turns out its due to slow TC clutch response. The NAG1 uses a mechanical main pressure regulator. This is partly responsible for the RSN these trans can see. I will be installing a new main pressure plunger assembly at some point.
 
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