Archived 03 CTD HO,auto doesn't want to shift out of 1st.

[WMowat]

My 03 doesn't want to shift out of 1st gear, will rev to redline and stay there, trys to shift hunts back and forth and after a while of this it will finally shift, it will not always hold 2nd gear though. 3rd and od seem to work fine.

 

[ThomasLawrence]

it will not always hold 2nd gear though. 3rd and od seem to work fine.

Check the adjustment on the front band. The adjuster is on the driver's side of the case, just behind the bellhousing. It has a Torx fitting (T40, maybe?). Loosen the jam nut, and tighten the adjuster to 72in. lbs. (finger-tight if you don't have a torque wrench). If it was adjusted properly, it should go almost 2 full turns. If it goes more than two turns, your band was loose. Once it's tight, back it off 1-7/8 turns (hard to gauge, but go two full turns loose, then tweak it tight 45°). Hold the adjuster in place, and tighten the jam nut back up.



Test-drive the truck again, and see if it's any better. Even if it is, it doesn't mean it's fixed for good - you should still drop the pan and check for debris, because the front band doesn't usually come loose all on it's own.



-Tom