MP3 trans + SOHC = lame

[eljefino]

So I got bored and brought home a 95 SL1 with a bad diff pin. Didn't hold fluid but ran and drove, dry, for heaven knows how long. Got pulled off the road for failing state inspection for leaking ATF on the exhaust, but even then the guy kept driving it another 6 months. And the gears have a light whine from lack of lubrication.

Anyway at $300 I overpaid by about $100 but like I said I was bored. And it came with a new pair of those fancy ICON beam wiper blades that are totally going on my wagon.

I had a spare MP3 trans from a 99 SL2 just kicking around in my basement so I chucked that in the car. As an added experiment I (under)filled it with two quarts of type F ATF I had from a clearance sale.

I don't think the synchros are happy with the type F so I'll be dumping that. Grinds going into 4th. The slave cylinder pushrod fell out (dang "helicopter" doohickey got caught) so I stuffed that back in; hope it didn't screw anything up. I pulled this trans from a car with rod knock and I never got it above 3rd driving it around my yard so it could have been this way.

Anyway, cut to the chase. It turns 2300ish at 50 MPH instead of 65. I commute at 50 and am mildly curious if this will improve my MPG at that specific speed, as 2300 is the torque peak for the SOHC motor. Will report back.

Will switch to a full fill of dexron, of course, to see if it cures the 4th gear grind.

Now for the question everyone's wondering: Yes the "upshift" light comes on in 5th gear. This is so comical! I have to get to 52 mph at light pedal to see it. I wish I had cruise control to see if it works or not.

I can also accellerate from 27 MPH in 5th gear.

I lost one of the stupid clips that hold the shifter cable onto the trans lever so I got a 5/16" "E-clip" from ACE hardware for 39 cents. FYI, if your former dealer is now an empty lot with a taco truck and you need parts.

[manualman]

6 months with NO trans fluid!?!

OK, now I'm feeling a bit dumb for spending the bucks on replacing my fluid with M1 ATF......

Maybe GM was right and it really DOESN'T ever need changing.

[eljefino]

42 MPG at 65 mph, ambient temps near freezing, E10 gas, four people on board.

But at 2800 RPM, its revs at 65, the poor SOHC sounds sad and there's a throbbing exhaust resonance that's pretty irritating. Maybe a baffle loose in the muffler.

I often shift 1-2-4-5 or 1-2-3-5 with the new ratios. Going from 3rd to 4th is a "what's the point" exercise.

[MikeNW]

That was one of the funniest threads I've read in a while.

"And it came with a new pair of those fancy ICON beam wiper blades that are totally going on my wagon." Well, there ya go!

You probably won't get better MPG doing 2300 at 50 mph. It is pulling in too much air + gas. It needs to produce only so much HP to cruise steady at 50 mph. Maybe 15 or 20? I'm guessing.

I'm bored so I'll head over to Pull A Part again. It's worth $1 admission