[DeTomaso] 3rd gear?

[Charles Engles]

Dear Rob,

               If the Pantera was shifting well before its slumber and is now missing third gear, then it is a little hard to understand, but these things can happen.


                              Tips taken from decades of Pantera shifter linkage/ZF mis-adventures at the Pantera Research Institute.

1:  if you haven't flushed and bled the slave cylinder in a couple of years, then first do that.

2:  Inspect the shift linkage trunnion support,  If the big nut has loosened and the support is loose, then that may be the culprit

3:  Inspect your shift linkage little U-joints.  If one is loose that could be your culprit.  If they are the stock ones, then it is less likely they'll loosen, but not impossible.  If they are the bling-bling little U-joints, then it is more likely.

4:  Be sure to check the hidden U-joint under the ash tray in the center console.  Just remove the ash tray and move your shift linkage.  That damned culprit gave me ulcers and grey hair  for months until Les Gray suggested it to me.   If it is the problem,  then IIRC you can tighten the U joint nut/bolt through the ash tray opening without removing the center console.

5:  It might be that everything is fine and that you need to just need adjust your shift linkage with the standard protocol.   However, I would suspect the problem to be in items one through four as being more likely.


                     Warmest regards,  Chuck Engles




-----Original Message-----
From: DeTomaso [mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com] On Behalf Of Rob Dumoulin
Sent: Friday, April 13, 2018 10:05 PM
To: P - Mail List
Subject: [DeTomaso] 3rd gear?

I took the Pantera for a drive today after it had been sitting idle for a few months. Crime, I know, but life happens. Third gear is gone. Iean not even there anymore. There is a very slight grind resistance half way through the shift gate into 3rd, but nothing major. 4th gear occasionally puts tranny in 2nd instead which did not happen before, but all other gears seem to be aligned as usual.

Thoughts?