Valve block done tonight! Was friction material in there but not enough to block anything and no evidence of wear on any valves or bores, not that much to it once it’s apart looks way more complicated than it is, all valves stay in top plate so just check balls and couple of screens in spacer plate to take note of then cleaned everything with brake cleaner and dried with compressor and set that aside then stripped either side of solenoid blocks at a time and laid out as removed, cleaned everything and fitted new orings to solenoids and give everything a good dowse in clean oil on reassembly, If u have ever stripped a two stroke wid power valves or any kind of pump or motor u can do this no prob and the EAS valve block on P38 was way more of a fk on!! Seal kit I bought seems pretty good quality and came with new check balls and also a mini paper manual with whole gearbox and valve block exploded diagram for everything that came with it so u can’t go wrong really unless you loose something!!
03 L322 TD6 gearbox issues
- Thread starter Belser
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Is the valve block on this the one they reckon should be upgraded to the Sonnex one because it isn't fot for purpose?
Supposedly made of cheese but seems well built to me and I’ve worked on a lot of machinery/plant over last 25 years! If you fire a handful of iron filings in anything with fine tolerances it’s gonna kill it, looks like I’ve caught mine in time though cos just little bit of grey friction sludge no shiny metal filings, seeing what was in there though I am going to strip clean and inspect the pump! No visual sign of any crowning or wear on bores or valves and can feel snug seal on reassembly with no scratching or dragging but would need a proper pressure test bed or professional measuring kit to be 100%
Slightly different box but when I spoke to professional valve block repairers the only Sonnax mod said they would do is AFL and replace TCC solenoid for £400+ mine ohms right though and reading this AFL responsible for lower shifts, my box was only slipping 4-5! I’m just a have a go hero so not even pretending I know what I’m gan on about just repeating what I’ve read and been told on various phone calls n recording what I’ve done here as didn’t really find much DIY info just lots of posts involving £big£ numbers, Old check balls seem fine so really all I’ve changed is 10 orings, 3 gaskets and gave everything a good clean! (Sorry 18 forgot 8 on accumulators)
https://www.sonnax.com/parts/2538-afl-valve-kit
https://www.sonnax.com/parts/2538-afl-valve-kit
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Long story short got all my clutch packs rebuilt and pump stripped n rebuilt with new nylon and oring seals in back of rotor and replaced all Teflon shaft seals resized with a jubilee everything looked perfect and in tolerance from the manual but finally got gearbox back in truck with new torque converter and won’t drive unless slowly bring revs up to 2k then feel the thunk u norm get from TC when select drive and it will move off once going changes gears ok but it’s not right feels like not getting enough oil pressure til revs up Bit of a nightmare 
mates diagnostic wouldn’t reset adaptions so there’s still a little hope if can get that done (tried key throttle thing) but not holding my breath n looks like it’s gonna have to come back out n strip down again to see if can find the issue If at first u don’t succeed have a little cry and try again........
mates diagnostic wouldn’t reset adaptions so there’s still a little hope if can get that done (tried key throttle thing) but not holding my breath n looks like it’s gonna have to come back out n strip down again to see if can find the issue If at first u don’t succeed have a little cry and try again........
brianp38dse
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Top marks for giving it a go,
it can be fix its just finding out which bit to fix
it can be fix its just finding out which bit to fix
Yea not giving up just pis$$ed off got to take box back off truck, that’s the hardest part! My boy is fetching an oil pressure gauge back from work tomorrow for test port on box but fairly sure it’s pump related anyhoo n prob my own fault cos was over confident by then n had a couple of beers while I done it seem to remember the spring for line pressure boost and pressure regulating vale assy needing more pressure to go back than when it came out so think I’ve fluffed alignment of smaller inner spring on that!!
seem to remember the spring for line pressure boost and pressure regulating vale assy needing more pressure to go back than when it came out so think I’ve fluffed alignment of smaller inner spring on that!!Ahhh fook!! Box off and stripped again n new direct frictions minced to bare metal wid more mess than when I first started after only just about getting her to drive few miles! looks like I’ve fixed nowt just gave it some new stuff to munch, done everything by the ATSG manual and was all spot on so can only think I’m paying the price for not doing pistons as separated direct and reverse drums to change Oring on inner shaft that’s know to fail but was no oil in my new torque converter so could easily be something els! Not only back to drawing board need new pens!!! Still only on half the cost of professional job but taking chunks out of my soul....... and the beat goes on!
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So no oil was circulating? Cooler clear? And valve block?
Well it was going somewhere cos after initial fill took about another 4 or so litres with engine running prob 11L total, Valve block fully rebuilt with new gaskets check balls n o rings and was spotless inside so must have fluffed sumet up cos ran ok before started just slipped 4-5 shift n threw TFS prog! Just gonna have to strip everything right back down n start again cos full of friction material again now! Had truck on live data while was back together and all solenoids were activating! There’s two gaskets very similar but not quite so wondering if I’ve got them wrong way or a check ball in wrong spot or if it is the piston goosed cos only that one clutch pack gone again, could do with finding someone that actually works on them for a living for some advice!
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- Buckinghamshire, UK. ('95 DT)
More than enough, I suspect.
Datatek
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I don't think Bemble touches the GM box.
Well I’m slowly learning the hard way but manual got all the worm track feed circuits and port locations for individual clutches so can check with air once I’ve strip clean reassembled everything but think only be able to test check ball operation on a hydraulic test bed! Just guessing but has been enough pressure on direct clutch piston to squeeze it on enough to shred it but not enough to lock it up so Its general low oil pressure or piston not sealing! My boy in 3rd year as a heavy plant fitter n was saying frictions never actually touch cos even in locked state they are separated by a micro film of oil, it’s only when they slip due to lack of pressure they burn that film off and shred! Still got fact TC wasn’t full to think about n surely that’s generic to any type of autobox? Am committed now so gonna bite bullet n order piston kit and fitting cones, got set of giant circlip pliers for £24 on bay cos it came out ok but gan back in without them was a struggle! Looking at another £400 now though for parts and oil so may be new year before can do it
Datatek
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Sonnax for the solenoids.Well I’m slowly learning the hard way but manual got all the worm track feed circuits and port locations for individual clutches so can check with air once I’ve strip clean reassembled everything but think only be able to test check ball operation on a hydraulic test bed! Just guessing but has been enough pressure on direct clutch piston to squeeze it on enough to shred it but not enough to lock it up so Its general low oil pressure or piston not sealing! My boy in 3rd year as a heavy plant fitter n was saying frictions never actually touch cos even in locked state they are separated by a micro film of oil, it’s only when they slip due to lack of pressure they burn that film off and shred! Still got fact TC wasn’t full to think about n surely that’s generic to any type of autobox? Am committed now so gonna bite bullet n order piston kit and fitting cones, got set of giant circlip pliers for £24 on bay cos it came out ok but gan back in without them was a struggle! Looking at another £400 now though for parts and oil so may be new year before can do it
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No but he'd know enough to suggest where the issue is.
May have found at least my first fluff up!! After dissecting and cleaning valve block with surgical precision my mate landed wid beers so had a couple n was wittering to him as I put it back together and put clips for the solenoids on from the inside and checking cant push them down past worm tracks even with flat of a steel ruler and can clearly see imprint in centre of gasket but barely a mark near edges n hydraulic pressure will always take easiest route out and big solenoid is pressure control but also port 21 in pic is direct clutch port so would explain its activation if fluid was passing into there, n sol next to that is TC PWM so would explain no feed to TC! Got to strip everything to clean friction debris out so will double and triple check as put it back back together but moral of the story is there’s a reason yr not allowed to drink at work so don’t do it working at home boys n girls
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- Posts
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- Buckinghamshire, UK. ('95 DT)
May have found at least my first fluff up!! After dissecting and cleaning valve block with surgical precision my mate landed wid beers so had a couple n was wittering to him as I put it back together and put clips for the solenoids on from the inside and checking cant push them down past worm tracks even with flat of a steel ruler and can clearly see imprint in centre of gasket but barely a mark near edges n hydraulic pressure will always take easiest route out and big solenoid is pressure control but also port 21 in pic is direct clutch port so would explain its activation if fluid was passing into there, n sol next to that is TC PWM so would explain no feed to TC! Got to strip everything to clean friction debris out so will double and triple check as put back it all back together but moral of the story is there’s a reason yr not allowed to drink at work so don’t do it working at home boys n girls
Yes, Captain Cock-up tends to turn up whenever beer is present.
Good job I’m not overly proud or easily embarrassed! Major fluff #2!!
There’s a conical screen fits in pump head that filters everything sucked up filter before it goes elsewhere is meant to be retained by a little pin, spotted oring blown off n half hanging out and plastic screen is bent from shear oil pressure that should have been forced into worm tracks but just got a free path out into the inner cathedral of the box!! Pin is captive once half’s assembled so either fell out as I tipped pump top over to fit back to bell housing (not thinking about where it could be) or I was going too fast n just didn’t put it in! (Where is it?) New direct frictions ordered and new filter n 20L Mannol dex 5 £57 on bay, says GM lll-H which is tex spec but empires have risen and fallen during that discussion!!! Still not changing pistons cos I can’t afford it at mo but whole box stripped down to individual frictions, cleaned and reassembling and not found that pin so enough to worry about n def found two fairly big mistakes! If stuff arrives tue hopefully be ready to test wed night!! If n when i fkn sort this horrible bitch will condense this whole saga down into a more helpful format but for now am just rambling $hiT as it unfolds!!
There’s a conical screen fits in pump head that filters everything sucked up filter before it goes elsewhere is meant to be retained by a little pin, spotted oring blown off n half hanging out and plastic screen is bent from shear oil pressure that should have been forced into worm tracks but just got a free path out into the inner cathedral of the box!! Pin is captive once half’s assembled so either fell out as I tipped pump top over to fit back to bell housing (not thinking about where it could be)
or I was going too fast n just didn’t put it in! (Where is it?) New direct frictions ordered and new filter n 20L Mannol dex 5 £57 on bay, says GM lll-H which is tex spec but empires have risen and fallen during that discussion!!! Still not changing pistons cos I can’t afford it at mo but whole box stripped down to individual frictions, cleaned and reassembling and not found that pin so enough to worry about n def found two fairly big mistakes! If stuff arrives tue hopefully be ready to test wed night!! If n when i fkn sort this horrible bitch will condense this whole saga down into a more helpful format but for now am just rambling $hiT as it unfolds!!Attachments
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To be fair it would e required another flush shortly anyway.
