Fordomatic Front Band

[Ricks56]

I pulled the transmission pan to check the front band adjustment on my 56 Fairlane. Intermediate gear slips, low and reverse are fine. It LOOKS like the front band friction material is worn out. The adjuster screw that is operated by the front servo was turned in about half way. I put the required quarter inch gauge in between the servo piston and the adjuster screw and could not tighten the screw down to 10 inch pounds (ran out of threads). So I left it turned in as far as I could go and still tighten it up with the locknut, knowing I was going to have to get a complete overhaul.

However, after putting everything back together (and replacing the fluid), intermediate gear slips even WORSE now. In fact, it is totally unusable.

This does not make sense to me. I turned the adjusting screw clockwise after loosening the locknut. With the band as worn as it appears to be (I can't see any friction material looking at the band edgewise) I wouldn't have expected any change by turning the screw all the way down. Again, I could not tighten the screw, it ran out of threads.

I am really confused as to why it is slipping worse. I have studied how to adjust the band several times from several sources including an original Fordomatic shop manual. AM I MISSING SOMETHING???

Thanks!
Rick

 

[bbrocksr]

I pulled the transmission pan to check the front band adjustment on my 56 Fairlane. Intermediate gear slips, low and reverse are fine. It LOOKS like the front band friction material is worn out. The adjuster screw that is operated by the front servo was turned in about half way. I put the required quarter inch gauge in between the servo piston and the adjuster screw and could not tighten the screw down to 10 inch pounds (ran out of threads). So I left it turned in as far as I could go and still tighten it up with the locknut, knowing I was going to have to get a complete overhaul.

However, after putting everything back together (and replacing the fluid), intermediate gear slips even WORSE now. In fact, it is totally unusable.

This does not make sense to me. I turned the adjusting screw clockwise after loosening the locknut. With the band as worn as it appears to be (I can't see any friction material looking at the band edgewise) I wouldn't have expected any change by turning the screw all the way down. Again, I could not tighten the screw, it ran out of threads.

I am really confused as to why it is slipping worse. I have studied how to adjust the band several times from several sources including an original Fordomatic shop manual. AM I MISSING SOMETHING???

Thanks!
Rick

You did the adjustment correctly and it shouldn't have made it any worse unless the strut dropped out or the lever is traveling so far the angle is wrong. You could pull the pan and apply the lever by hand to check the operation but you know its got to come out to fixed anyway.
Bill

 

[Ricks56]

I think you are right about the angle, Bill. The lever is traveling so far that the angle is wrong. I might open it back up again and put the adjusting screw back where it was. At least intermediate was usable if I took it easy.

Moving the lever by hand indicates that the friction material on the band is gone. I would like to limp it along until next spring if I can. Only a couple of months left in the season here in NY anyway. Manually shifting from low to drive will skip intermediate if the speed is right.