Friday, November 8, 2013

Trouble shooting Funk Transmissions

This quick guide goes over the first things to check if you are having issues with a Funk Transmission. This will show you how to fix a Funk Transmission or at least diagnose better what the problem might be.

Funk Transmissions Troubleshooting
First of all check the oil level and add oil if necessary.  Drain a small amount of oil and see if there is metal present. If metal is found the unit needs to be dismantled for inspection. If no metal is found, most problems can be detected by taking a main or clutch pressure reading. Each unit has an accessible main pressure or clutch pressure port that will show the operating pressure of the unit. A 300 PSI gauge will do the trick. The pressure should be checked at idle as well as full RPM to see if there is a wide variance between the two. The pressures should remain about the same. If the pressure is low in all ranges and directions it is usually a pump problem or pressure regulator issue. If there is a wide variance between the ranges or directions it is usually an internal sealing problem.  
Heating issues are most likely caused by the torque converter or by clutches which are burned and dragging during operation. A quick sample of the oil will tell if the clutches are at fault as it will smell burned or scorched. If it is a converter related problem it is a bit more difficult to diagnose. Sometimes the heating is due to using the transmission in too high of a gear for the job it is doing. Drop down a gear range or two and if it cools down problem solved. Another converter issue can be the sprag, or one way clutch, inside it. If the sprag fails it will cause heating and the transmission will be sluggish and not have much torque or pulling power.

These are just some basic things to check. If you need further assistance please contact a Funk Transmissions company.
(this quick checklist was provided to me by http://www.ciamachinery.com who specialize Funk Transmissions repair.)