How bad did I screw up?

Humbucker · #1 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006, 04:33 PM

So I'm cruising down the interstate today and a kid in late 90's corvette flies right up on my bumper. Being in 5th, I just slowly press the gas down and accellerate up to about 85. He does the same and doesn't go around. Since he's still on my tail, I decide to drop it in 4th and gun it and show him what I've got. So I did it.... Only, I dropped it into reverse somehow (??) when I dumped the clutch all I head was my rev limiter screaming at me. I pushed the clutch in and coasted for a few moments trying to figure what the heck went wrong.

The dude behind me goes around and heads down the road. I try to get the car into 5th with no luck. But 4th got me back home good enough.

The end result is I now can't get into 5th and reverse is like neutral. It goes into the reverse position easy enough, but nothing is there. All other gears work perfectly.

So this poses the previous question: How bad did I screw up? It is a Tremec 3550 tranny. Do I see a TKO 600 in the *very* near future?

DAVID GAGNARD · #2 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006, 04:45 PM

Sounds to me like you've just "ate" reverse and 5th gear, don't feel too bad, your not the first to do this and surely will not be the last.........

A complete trans tear down/rebuild is what your looking at right now, unless you want to upgrade to the TKO 600.......

With my 3550, so far, I've been lucky and never hit reverse when going form 5th to 4th, but going from 4th to 3rd, I do manage to get it in 5th on a regular basis if I'm in a hurry............

David

BUCKEYE COBRA · #3 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006, 05:07 PM

Och!!!!!!!
I just HATE when I do that!
John

LMH · #4 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006, 06:30 PM

Drain the oil from the trans and see what you get.
You could go to the 600 or rebuild the 3550, which is probably the cheaper route. If you haven't been having trouble with the 3550, just rebuild it and stick with that.
Larry

hey,littlecobra · #5 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006, 06:30 PM

awww, too bad you don't live here in Dallas. when I 'ate' my reverse (don't know how that happened, but believe it was at Motorsport Ranch) all I did was have Jay Nordstrom push me anytime I needed to go backwards!

He has said he ain't pushing my car anymore.... I can count at least 3 times

I sent my tranny to David Kee in good ol' San Antonio. Came back good as new! Then Rob at Keith Craft put it back in. No more reverse problems.
good luck!
Kristen

trularin · #6 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006, 07:16 PM

Time to have the trans overhauled.

I am amazed you were able to get the tranmission into reverse. You would have been spinning the mainshaft of the trans forward.

Incredible! Sprry to hear of your incident.

Buzzmobile · #7 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006, 08:19 PM

there was a 3550 here for sale not just a couple days ago

Michael4yah · #8 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006, 08:54 PM

Years ago I did something similar and hit 1st from 2nd on a speed shift. The Muncie lived to see another day but the core on my 396 shifted. Later it felt like I'd lost 50-60 hp. A rev limiter wouldnt have helped but a better shifter would have. Id definately look into a better shifter. Call it cheap life insurance!

rblong · #9 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006, 09:00 PM

I have a 3550 with 10,000 miles on it I took out of mine when I upgraded my engine and trans to a 600. Had a very minor gasket leak, but worked perfectly. I would let it go for $500. I would crate - you pay shipping.

Bruce

MaSnaka · #10 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006, 09:18 PM

It sounds fixable according to the last few replies. I hate the thought of some guy in a vet none the less talking trash about how he smoked a Cobra. Good luck and I'm sure you wont ever make that mistake again. Ouch!!

Humbucker · #11 (**permalink**) 05-22-2006, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trularin

Time to have the trans overhauled.

I am amazed you were able to get the tranmission into reverse. You would have been spinning the mainshaft of the trans forward.

Upon doing a bit of research, I don't think I was actually in reverse. It doesn't seem possible. I must have been on that edge where it grinds, only I was in the vicinity of 5000 RPM, so something broke. That's all I can figure. A friend in another forum (Craig Aylsworth) suggested as a possibility I either broke the 5/R shift fork or a piece of the linkage.

I've been looking at upgrading to the TKO 600 for some time now, but my wife just talked me into buying a new Stickly living room suite, so I'm broke as heck right now.

Hey, she let me have a cobra... What could I do?

I think I'll pull the tranny this weekend and check out the damage. The Tremec service manuals are free to the public as a download, so that's a good start.

Thanks all! I'll keep everyone posted.

Humbucker · #12 (**permalink**) 05-22-2006, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rblong

I have a 3550 with 10,000 miles on it I took out of mine when I upgraded my engine and trans to a 600. Had a very minor gasket leak, but worked perfectly. I would let it go for $500. I would crate - you pay shipping.

I just may take you up on that. I'm going to see what's up with mine, and go from there. Your deal seems like a good one though.

Thanks!

trularin · #13 (**permalink**) 05-22-2006, 07:15 AM

May I suggest a T56 and not have to worry from there.

Michael4yah · #14 (**permalink**) 05-22-2006, 09:26 AM

Trularin, Do you have a T56 in a 90" WB Cobra? Did you have any trouble with the shorter than usual driveshaft? Ive been told that if the shaft is too short it wont let the ujoints flex and they burn up. I bought one for my Hi Tech that will be going in soon. Michael