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Clunking/shaking from rear when new transmission shifts

linjam

E500E Guru
Member
I have just installed a newly rebuilt transmission from Sun Valley Transmissions. Because the transmission is new, the pressure in gear shifts (especially lower gears or going from drive to reverse or vice versa) is much higher than before. I am noticing a slightly delayed response from the car to the shifts and a clunking/shaking which seems to come from the rear.

My driveshaft/axle shafts/differential/etc have 180K miles on them. Is it possible they have developed some play which would account for this sloppy feeling from/response to shifts?

Jamie
 
Did you replace the flex discs when replacing the transmission? Both of them? What kind of shape is the center bearing and carrier in?

Also, has the modulator been set properly? I understand that Sun Valley runs their rebuilds on a test stand under load and dials in the modulator, but it might still need a little fine tuning. You should not be snapping necks on shifts. Downshifting should be almost imperceptible.

Dan
 
Did you replace the flex discs when replacing the transmission? Both of them? What kind of shape is the center bearing and carrier in?

Also, has the modulator been set properly? I understand that Sun Valley runs their rebuilds on a test stand under load and dials in the modulator, but it might still need a little fine tuning. You should not be snapping necks on shifts. Downshifting should be almost imperceptible.

Dan
Thanks Dan. I’ll try and get answers to those questions.

What are the odds the drivetrain/prop shaft/axle is worn/sloppy after 180K?
 
Thanks Dan. I’ll try and get answers to those questions.

What are the odds the drivetrain/prop shaft/axle is worn/sloppy after 180K?

The likelihood that the flex discs are worn is pretty high, but I would really try to focus on the proper vacuum modulator settings. What you describe relative to shift quality is almost completely tied to proper vacuum modulator and system adjustments and vacuum supply. Being that your transmission was just replaced there's a very high probability that these settings are not correct, something is not connected properly (or not at all) or something is malfunctioning.

Just out of curiosity, are you sure the vacuum connections to the transmission are good and there are no leaks? A lack of vacuum will cause the transmission to rely solely on hydraulics, meaning the shifts will typically be delayed and very hard/harsh.

Dan
 
Can you describe the problem in more detail? Is it primarily a delay or clunk when moving from Park or Neutral to engaging Reverse or Drive? Or are you talking about shifting while in motion? Or both?

If talking about upshifts in motion, need more details about speeds, rpm's, throttle position, etc. Ditto for downshifts.

You also may want to wait until the first fluid change (spec'd at a short interval after the rebuild)...

:burnout:
 
Here's mine. I haven't done them yet. But I had a bad driveline vibration that made me want to look!
 

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+1 on the rubber and the modulator pressure, to @LWB250 point. To @gsxr point, if the shifts are harsh when moving, that would say modulator pressure, which maybe your guy hasn’t dialed in yet.

If you’re talking just at initial shift, then I’d point to the rubber, although I suspect your guys would have done all that as part of the job. They (and you) just seem to be that way.

After that, Marc @sunvalleymercedes is probably your best place to start. Being on the west coast, you can call him now. To answer your original question, I wouldn’t suspect any of the metal to be a problem, but I would suspect ALL of the rubber.

Come to think of it, Guys, might the diff fluid be a bit low and in need of changing?

Cheers,

maw
 
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New disks/center carrier joint/transmission mount
Thanks, nocfn
The likelihood that the flex discs are worn is pretty high, but I would really try to focus on the proper vacuum modulator settings. What you describe relative to shift quality is almost completely tied to proper vacuum modulator and system adjustments and vacuum supply. Being that your transmission was just replaced there's a very high probability that these settings are not correct, something is not connected properly (or not at all) or something is malfunctioning.

Just out of curiosity, are you sure the vacuum connections to the transmission are good and there are no leaks? A lack of vacuum will cause the transmission to rely solely on hydraulics, meaning the shifts will typically be delayed and very hard/harsh.

Dan
Thanks, Dan. These are all questions for my tech. I'll have to ask him and get back to you. He is very highly considered in this area for his transmission rebuilds and overall experience. He sang Sun Valley's praises when the trans arrived, saying he almost never sees modulator pressure dialed in so correctly. Sure enough, Sun Valley had a bench on which they dial them in. So, I'm doubting it's modulator pressure. My tech said he could lengthen the bowden cable a bit to see if that helps but did say the with the age of my drive train there could be some play and said it wouldn't take much to create the kind of thing I was describing.

I thought I would get ideas here if that is common after so many miles and, if so, what parts need servicing/replacing.
Can you describe the problem in more detail? Is it primarily a delay or clunk when moving from Park or Neutral to engaging Reverse or Drive? Or are you talking about shifting while in motion? Or both?

If talking about upshifts in motion, need more details about speeds, rpm's, throttle position, etc. Ditto for downshifts.

You also may want to wait until the first fluid change (spec'd at a short interval after the rebuild)...

:burnout:
Thanks, Dave. It happens when stopped and shifting from D to R and from R to D. It also happens when driving at slower speeds and upshifting/downshifting in the lower gears. The rest of what you asked about upshifts and downshifts in motion I'm not sure about but will try and sort out and get back to you regarding.

Basically, and these words mean different things to different people, the symptom I am feeling/hearing is a clunking noise during the shifts described above (primarily sounding like it is coming from the rear) and a vibration to the car when the clunking occurs. The clunking and vibration also seem to follow the actual shift by a split second, as does the feeling of power actually getting to the rear wheels and moving the car. So, i was guessing the trans was shifting correctly but that the parts between the trans and the rear wheels are somehow accounting for the delay due to some play in rubber or something. I would be great to know if issues arise back there after 180K miles.
Here's mine. I haven't done them yet. But I had a bad driveline vibration that made me want to look!
Thanks EngineerSam
Thanks, Maw. See above.

I'm going for a test drive tomorrow with my tech and will report back with any further thoughts on his part.

Thanks again, guys.

Jamie
 
FWIW, my E500 tranny was rebuilt by a local shop that has been doing mb/bmmr since 82. They even placed a rebuilt FGS VB for me. Modulation was a bit off and the tranny was better when warm. After the. break in period, I put in the SL filter and redline D4, there was t any issue from there.
 
FWIW, my E500 tranny was rebuilt by a local shop that has been doing mb/bmmr since 82. They even placed a rebuilt FGS VB for me. Modulation was a bit off and the tranny was better when warm. After the. break in period, I put in the SL filter and redline D4, there was t any issue from there.

May I ask - what's an "SL Filter"?
 
@linjam, hang in there and try not to give in to anxiety. I've been there - my transmission was rebuild 3 times over last 5 years/ 20k mi.

From my personal experience, the source of clunk that I think you are describing is transmission itself. Before my 3rd/last rebuild, that was done under warranty about a year after 2nd rebuild, transmission shop tried adjusting pressure 3 times - from very firm, to less firm, to even less firm, to eliminate my clunk/jerk to no avail. After they opened transmission they found "some issue with a clutch pack". That's just 9-12 months and less than 10k mi after it was replaced with new parts.

Right away after 2nd rebuild I had a vibration issue that was resolved with a new driveshaft center bearing. It might have gotten damaged somehow during transmission R&R. New flex discs were put in at the same time, although they weren't bad, just a few micro cracks. So, I think, I can differentiate transmission clunk from driveshaft bearing problem. After 3rd rebuild - I got my car back about 1.5-2 months ago - clunking was gone, so I know it was transmission itself. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed. Should have bought a remanufactured transmission directly from MB the very first time, but, oh well. This is my specific experience and I hope it's not relevant to your case.

You say the shop that installed the transmission for you is experienced, so they must have connected everything correctly, and inspected vacuum lines that connect to it and everything checked out, right? Sun Valley must have done their due diligence as well, as far as pressure modulator, etc. If your flex disks were apparently bad, the shop would have noticed?!

Let's hope adjusting pressure will resolve the clunk or that installing shop made some mistake, by not connecting something correctly.
 
@linjam, hang in there and try not to give in to anxiety. I've been there - my transmission was rebuild 3 times over last 5 years/ 20k mi.

From my personal experience, the source of clunk that I think you are describing is transmission itself. Before my 3rd/last rebuild, that was done under warranty about a year after 2nd rebuild, transmission shop tried adjusting pressure 3 times - from very firm, to less firm, to even less firm, to eliminate my clunk/jerk to no avail. After they opened transmission they found "some issue with a clutch pack". That's just 9-12 months and less than 10k mi after it was replaced with new parts.

Right away after 2nd rebuild I had a vibration issue that was resolved with a new driveshaft center bearing. It might have gotten damaged somehow during transmission R&R. New flex discs were put in at the same time, although they weren't bad, just a few micro cracks. So, I think, I can differentiate transmission clunk from driveshaft bearing problem. After 3rd rebuild - I got my car back about 1.5-2 months ago - clunking was gone, so I know it was transmission itself. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed. Should have bought a remanufactured transmission directly from MB the very first time, but, oh well. This is my specific experience and I hope it's not relevant to your case.

You say the shop that installed the transmission for you is experienced, so they must have connected everything correctly, and inspected vacuum lines that connect to it and everything checked out, right? Sun Valley must have done their due diligence as well, as far as pressure modulator, etc. If your flex disks were apparently bad, the shop would have noticed?!

Let's hope adjusting pressure will resolve the clunk or that installing shop made some mistake, by not connecting something correctly.
Thanks, Kiev. Much appreciated. Hopefully, I'll get more info tomorrow
 
May I ask - what's an "SL Filter"?
Most all 124's with 722.3/.4 transmission use the same filter, with a single fluid inlet at the rear.

The R129 transmissions, and all W124.036, specified a different filter that has 2 inlets... front + rear. It also has a sliding bar valve which closes the opposite end under acceleration & deceleration. The functional difference is that under hard braking, there is less possibility of the fluid inlet being uncovered and sucking air (not sure how this would happen in the first place, but whatever).

The R129 / E500E filter costs far more as OE/dealer, but is only about double via aftermarket for std vs "SL".

tranny_filters1.jpg tranny_filters2.jpg tranny_filters3.jpg tranny_filters4.jpg
 
Well, live and learn. Dave, thanks for explaining and pictures. It's only $18 from Gerry's link
 
FWIW, my E500 tranny was rebuilt by a local shop that has been doing mb/bmmr since 82... After the. break in period, I put in the SL filter and redline D4, there was t any issue from there.

Most all 124's with 722.3/.4 transmission use the same filter, with a single fluid inlet at the rear.
The R129 transmissions, and all W124.036, specified a different filter that has 2 inlets... front + rear.

Thanks. OK dumb question if I'm missing something obvious. @nocfn, if you had your E500 transmission rebuilt and then subsequently replaced the filter with the SL filter (which @gsxr states was used on the r129 and the w124.036) then are you suggesting that the shop who rebuilt your transmission incorrectly used a pedestrian-w124 filter during the rebuild process?

Thanks..
 
If a shop installed a 'standard' filter in an 036 trans, that is technically incorrect. But real-world difference is negligible, unless you drive like Mrs Dan, lol. The 2 filters are physically interchangable, the fancy type can be installed in any 722.3 as an 'upgrade' if the car is autox'd, raced, or otherwise spends a lot of time engaging ABS.

:gsxracer:
 
I cannot tell you if they used the pedestrian or not, it could have been. My owner thread may remark about it if I even noticed it. I do know that when I did replace the fluid with D4, I was sure to buy the multi-flow 129 filter when I did the job myself.

Another matter - thanks for the Link GVZ, I stocked up on filters for both cars air/oil/trans/fuel and some wiper blade inserts as well. Great prices. Merry Christmas (stocking stuffers I actually want)
 
I have been using a "pedestrian" 722.3 filter in my E500 for the past 4 years or so, since the last time I replaced my transmission fluid. This was because I was going to do a quick flush, at the time, and then go to RedLine fluid and a "129" trans filter.

I never did make the switch to the RedLine synthetic fluid, and have just kept the Mann pedestrian filter in the transmission.

It is now time to change the fluid (it's 25K miles) and I will replace it with the proper filter, and RedLine fluid. This will be done as part of my current W124 Top-End job, because I already have the crossover pipe off the car, so I can more easily drain the torque converter.

No ill effect whatsoever using the "pedestrian" filter. But at $18 each, it's a no-brainer to buy a few spare 129 filters.
 
Dang it! I just placed an order with RM European yesterday.... but thanks for the filter info/number!

Dealer list on that thing is $93.00!! :shocking:

Dan
 
Come to think of it, Guys, might the diff fluid be a bit low and in need of changing?
Is your car's idle speed normal (~500-600 RPM)?
Can you describe the problem in more detail? Is it primarily a delay or clunk when moving from Park or Neutral to engaging Reverse or Drive? Or are you talking about shifting while in motion? Or both?
Did you replace the flex discs when replacing the transmission? Both of them? What kind of shape is the center bearing and carrier in?
1) It seems The axle shafts have a good amount of play. They have 180,000 miles on them. New ones are quite pricey. Does anyone recommend obtaining used ones or used ones with only low mileage, or is that a bad idea?

2) The transmission from Sun Valley is flaring a bit and a couple of other things described above. I purchased a used first gear start valve body from aldemon, and Marc at Sun Valley is rehabbing it. My tech wants to swap it out with the first gear start valve body Sun Valley sent with the transmission, to see if that improves things) I don’t know why it would, as the one that came with the transmission should have been similarly rebuilt as well, one would think).

My tech also will adjust bowden cable and modulator pressure at that time as necessary.

Jamie
 
If you’re talking a light throttle, 2-3 flare when cold only, more modulator pressure tends to cure that. I am not well versed enough to square that with bench testing, but (1) Marc is likely to tell you the same thing; and (2) he can explain the difference between in car vs bench. My guess is, the bench testing isn’t the lightest throttle we careful owners use while the car is warming up; but that’s only a guess. BT, DT.

GL

maw
 
Is your car's idle speed normal (~500-600 RPM)?
Can you describe the problem in more detail? Is it primarily a delay or clunk when moving from Park or Neutral to engaging Reverse or Drive? Or are you talking about shifting while in motion? Or both?

If talking about upshifts in motion, need more details about speeds, rpm's, throttle position, etc. Ditto for downshifts.

You also may want to wait until the first fluid change (spec'd at a short interval after the rebuild)...
@linjam, mate, any update regarding your new transmission?
Well, here is the news at this point. I bought an FGS valve body from aldemon and sent it to Marc at Sun Valley for refurbishing. My tech today installed it in place of the the FGS valve body which Marc had sent with the transmission in April. That seemed to do the trick, according to my tech. He said the flaring is gone, and the clunking between gears, especially when downshifting, is also gone.

He noticed a couple of things about the Sun Valley valve body which came with the transmission:

1. It had the wrong oil filter. It had the filter for regular 124s but not the E500E. The E500E has an oil filter with two opening ports instead of one, due to the force of acceleration and oil's getting bunched up in the rear of the valve body. The one from aldemon refurbished by Marc, had the correct oil filter.

2. The aldemon valve body had a cracked plastic diverter (see photo below), so my tech took the one from the original Sun Valley valve body and used it.

3. As for the flaring and banging, the assumption is some dirt somehow got into the system or was hidden and survived cleaning and came loose and prevented the valve body from operating correctly.

I have yet to drive the car, but will confirm improvements when I do.

Jamie
 

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The "pedestrian" 722.3 oil filter is not particularly harmful to the operation of the car/transmission, but it is an oversight (given that a different filter is specified for the E500E and certain 129 models) that should have been caught. I would give Marc at Sun Valley that feedback.

FYI -- I have been running a "pedestrian" 124 filter in my E500 for the past 5 years (it's getting replaced with a proper E500 filter in very short order) with no ill effects. So, no one would have been the wiser unless it hadn't been opened up.

Glad you got the problem solved.
 
Yeah, valve body rebuilds are fiddly, and IIRC not exactly available (parts wise) on these. So be happy for your tech and @svmt -- together they seem to have gotten it sorted. You almost need to start with 2 or 3 valve bodies on the bench hoping to get one that works perfectly, which almost no one is willing to do -- notable exceptions that I know of being @svmt, @jhodg5ck, maybe @gsxr, @Klink, your tech and my tech. I think you're gonna like the way the car behaves once it's dialed in with vacuum pressure and Bowden cable. That first gear makes a palpable difference in daily life.

Cheers,

maw
 
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1. It had the wrong oil filter. It had the filter for regular 124s but not the E500E. The E500E has an oil filter with two opening ports instead of one, due to the force of acceleration and oil's getting bunched up in the rear of the valve body. The one from aldemon refurbished by Marc, had the correct oil filter.
As Gerry mentioned, this isn't a big deal. The "extra" port on the fancy filter prevents the trans from sucking air under hard deceleration and high RPM. Unless you are pulling extended >1G braking at Nurburgring or decending 10% grades, the standard filter does not hurt anything. The 036 was the only 124 to receive the fancy filter, btw.


2. The aldemon valve body had a cracked plastic diverter (see photo below), so my tech took the one from the original Sun Valley valve body and used it.
Trivia - that plastic diverter tube actually snaps into the intermediate plate. It isn't part of the valve body. Your tech replaced both the valve body and also the intermediate plate, since aldedmon supplied both together. If your car is a 1992, this is the preferred method, so all is good here.


3. As for the flaring and banging, the assumption is some dirt somehow got into the system or was hidden and survived cleaning and came loose and prevented the valve body from operating correctly.
That would be my guess as well. Only way to find out is to tear down the "old" VB and inspect every nook & cranny, hours of tedium, with no guarantee of improvement when it's back together.


I have yet to drive the car, but will confirm improvements when I do.
Yes, please let us know!!

:burnout:
 
The "pedestrian" 722.3 oil filter is not particularly harmful to the operation of the car/transmission, but it is an oversight (given that a different filter is specified for the E500E and certain 129 models) that should have been caught. I would give Marc at Sun Valley that feedback.

FYI -- I have been running a "pedestrian" 124 filter in my E500 for the past 5 years (it's getting replaced with a proper E500 filter in very short order) with no ill effects. So, no one would have been the wiser unless it hadn't been opened up.

Glad you got the problem solved.
Very interesting, Gerry. Thanks. Yes, my tech called it the 129 filter vs the 126 filter. I am planning on calling Marc Monday and filling him in.
Yeah, valve body rebuilds are fiddly, and IIRC not exactly available (parts wise) on these. So be happy for your tech and @svmt -- together they seem to have gotten it sorted. You almost need to start with 2 or 3 valve bodies on the bench hoping to get one that works perfectly, which almost no one is willing to do -- notable exceptions that I know of being @svmt, @jhodg5ck, maybe @gsxr, @Klink, your tech and my tech. I think you're gonna like the way the car behaves once it's dialed in with vacuum pressure and Bowden cable. That first gear makes a palpable difference in daily life.
That would be my guess as well. Only way to find out is to tear down the "old" VB and inspect every nook & cranny, hours of tedium, with no guarantee of improvement when it's back together.
Thanks, Maw and Dave. Yes, I am amazed at this whole valve body thing. I had no idea they were so finicky. Crazy.
As Gerry mentioned, this isn't a big deal. The "extra" port on the fancy filter prevents the trans from sucking air under hard deceleration and high RPM. Unless you are pulling extended >1G braking at Nurburgring or decending 10% grades, the standard filter does not hurt anything. The 036 was the only 124 to receive the fancy filter, btw.
Yes. My tech mentioned it was unique. Interesting to learn about it.
Trivia - that plastic diverter tube actually snaps into the intermediate plate. It isn't part of the valve body. Your tech replaced both the valve body and also the intermediate plate, since aldedmon supplied both together. If your car is a 1992, this is the preferred method, so all is good here.
Yes, car is a 92. That matters? Yes, he replaced everything except the diverter. As the aldemon one was cracked, he used the one from the Sun Valley first intermediate plate.

By the way, Marc has offered to buy from me the original FGS valve body he had sent with the transmission and offered to pay me what I paid aldemon for his FGS valve body -- $350. I didn't ask him. He just offered. Of course, it did cost me about that in labor to do the swap, but decent of him nonetheless.

I'll report more after driving.

Thanks again, gents.

J
 
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The "pedestrian" 722.3 oil filter is not particularly harmful to the operation of the car/transmission, but it is an oversight (given that a different filter is specified for the E500E and certain 129 models) that should have been caught. I would give Marc at Sun Valley that feedback.
Yeah, valve body rebuilds are fiddly, and IIRC not exactly available (parts wise) on these. So be happy for your tech and @svmt -- together they seem to have gotten it sorted. You almost need to start with 2 or 3 valve bodies on the bench hoping to get one that works perfectly, which almost no one is willing to do -- notable exceptions that I know of being @svmt, @jhodg5ck, maybe @gsxr, @Klink, your tech and my tech. I think you're gonna like the way the car behaves once it's dialed in with vacuum pressure and Bowden cable. That first gear makes a palpable difference in daily life.
As Gerry mentioned, this isn't a big deal. The "extra" port on the fancy filter prevents the trans from sucking air under hard deceleration and high RPM. Unless you are pulling extended >1G braking at Nurburgring or decending 10% grades, the standard filter does not hurt anything. The 036 was the only 124 to receive the fancy filter, btw.
Ok. Spoke with Marc at Sun Valley, and he said they purposely included the regular 124 oil filter instead of the E500E one, because the E500E filter, he says, has absolutely no benefit but can have more issues, as it is more complicated. So,this was not an oversight, but intended.

I drove the car a short distance, and the shifting seems quite a bit more smooth. I am driving a hundred miles tomorrow and will advise if additional driving changes that impression. So, the new valve body seems to have fixed the flaring and banging shifts.

I still have the double clunk from the rear when going between forward and reverse, which Marc and my tech both say is due to some wear/play in the rear (worn axle splines, etc). My tech says should not be an issue once in drive and shifting up and down, because the splines are already engaged in the forward direction and not being asked to go the other direction. Will continue to discuss/monitor.

Marc assumed the cracked plastic diverter piece likely cracked due to handling by UPS.

Marc, as I mentioned in a prior comment is buying back from me the original valve body for the price for which I paid aldemon for the second, now installed, valve body -- $350. He also offered to reimburse me (warranty reimbursement) for the around $350 I paid my tech to swap the valve bodies. Again, he is a stand-up guy.

Jamie
 
The clunk when shifting between forward and reverse could be related to differential bushing and the subframe bushing. You can read my posts on the subframe bushing in my 1992 sportline repair. I experienced the clunk for my 1992 300E sportline until the subframe bushing was replaced.

When a large torque is applied to the differential, it causes a weight shift laterally (left and right). The differential, the suspensions/bushing (in particular the rear) and the anti-roll bar will experience this torque. If there is a play in any of these parts, it could clunk.

jftu105
 
The clunk when shifting between forward and reverse could be related to differential bushing and the subframe bushing. You can read my posts on the subframe bushing in my 1992 sportline repair. I experienced the clunk for my 1992 300E sportline until the subframe bushing was replaced.

When a large torque is applied to the differential, it causes a weight shift laterally (left and right). The differential, the suspensions/bushing (in particular the rear) and the anti-roll bar will experience this torque. If there is a play in any of these parts, it could clunk.

jftu105
Thanks jftu105. I have not checked the differential bushing. The subframe bushings did not appear to be collapsed, so assume they are ok?

Jamie
 
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