BW35 problems

[Dion]

My Borg Warner autobox does have some problems. The fluid is up to level and is fairly clean (red). I hope there is someone with a bit more of autobox-knowledge than me (learner on auto gearboxes).
1. There is a screetching noise when accelerating. This happens about half of the time, can be made to disappear when selecting \"2\" so the car only uses gear 1 & 2. Then manually select \"D\". The noise is a metallic noise, like the starter ring hits something. It also happens when accelerating going up a hill (not that we have these a lot here in Holland!).
2. There is too much hesitation in engaging Drive or Reverse from neutral.
3. In a long lefthand fast corner on a motorway, the car loses drive. Back to normal again when on a straight.
Are these problems related? Any tips on what to do?
Many thanks,
Dion Fluttert
1975 2500 TC auto with LPG injection
 
 
   
 
 
 

[Thorsten]

Dion,
as most of the Register\'s members seem to need some more time to recover from the National weekend, I\'ll try to help a bit:
Have you checked the ATF level according to the manual (with engine running, after a  driving the car  to get the fluid on temperature)? Which results always more in guessing than reading the level on the dip stick.
I have had a similar problem (losing drive in sharp bends) and the solution was to fill in another 1/2 litre of ATF (although I thought the ATF level was right, too). I\'ve learned that over-filling is not a problem, anyway. The worst case would be that some ATF could be spill out.
Can\'t help with 1 and 2, though.
Regards
Thorsten
1971 2000 MkII Estate BW35<edited><editID>Thorsten</editID><editDate>38530.4866666667</editDate></edited>

[David Withers]

Dion,
Q1.&nbsp; Under certain loads, the flexplate can flex (!) and allow the starter ring to catch the&nbsp;pinion of the starter motor.&nbsp; This is almost certainly the cause of the screeching and can be&nbsp;cured by inserting a thin plate to bring the&nbsp;starter a bit further away from the flex plate. 2 mm or so should do it. This was an official Triumph modification and&nbsp;dealers&nbsp;kept plates in stock for the job.&nbsp; Perhaps someone on this forum has&nbsp;a spare&nbsp;to save you making one.
Q2.&nbsp; Several things can cause slow engagement of Drive or Reverse but the most common problem <U>by far</U> is low fluid level, hence the need to very carefully check the level with engine running and&nbsp;fluid at normal running temperature.&nbsp; It is very easy to be fooled by the fluid that splashes up onto the dipstick&nbsp;- it\'s an awful system. If you are sure it isn\'t low fluid level, we\'ll have to think again.
What did you mean at the start by \"the oil is fairly clean (red)\"?&nbsp;It should look <U>absolutely</U> clean and translucent red. Any sign of browning indicates trouble within the box from overheating or seal wear.
Q3.&nbsp; I think Thorsten has answered&nbsp;this question&nbsp;very well. I\'ve never considered overfilling in the past but can think of no harm it would cause if done in strict moderation.&nbsp; It might&nbsp;lead to&nbsp;leakage from the tail end of the box but the BW35 boxes tended to leak from here anyway.&nbsp; On the other hand, there should be absolutely no need to overfill.
I&nbsp;suspect Q2 & Q3 are closely related; it\'s too much of a co-incidence for them to be separate problems and the answer which covers both situations is low fluid level.
Regards and best wishes,
David.

[Dion]

A short update:
1. I have just now re-read the answer of David. The strange thing is that I did not read it correctly the first time thinking he advised to bring back the flywheel a little. Maybe I got confused by learning of&nbsp; the repair plate of Chris Witor which should be bolted to the original flywheel and which brings the starter ring a bit&nbsp;further away from the starter motor. Anyway,&nbsp;I will first try Davids tip. The exchanging of this will wait then!
2. Both correct! Not enough fluid -&nbsp;the&nbsp;dipstick IS hard to read. Luckily, the fluid is clean and red. Both problems are gone now, thanks!
Dion
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