any c6 gurus out there?

My 50 merc has a 78 Lincoln 460 with a c6 trans, when it is cold it doesn't want to go into drive but it will go into reverse just fine. If I throttle it a few times it will go in when the engine revs drop is when it goes in and it seems to be getting worse. When it decides to hookup it seems normal but I am wondering if there is a specific problem or a quick cure. Thanks

 

Do you have the kickdown hooked up?

 

Fluid is a little low.

 

Yes but it doesn't seem to kickdown, Ihave wondered if it may have been bent when the car was built by whoever.

 

Check your fluid level and then check you kickdown rod or cable and see that its adjusted corectly

 

Kinda sounds like "morning sickness". Possibly a split lip seal causing a loss of hydraulic pressure. Once it's warmed up, the seal expands, bringing back pressure allowing it to shift.

 

How to diagianose Morning Sickness. (Yes it's a issue)> Park it on a flat slab over night. Before you start it in the morning check the fluid level. If it's way over full do nothing yet. Go start it and drop it in N, and let it warm up. Once the choke comes off put it in D with your foot on the brake, once it ingauges put it back in P, and go check the fluid level. Now if it's close to correct, You have Morning Sickness. It has nothing to do with any seals. It's a check ball in the gear case letting the Torque converter drain down over night. It means pulling the Trans to repair.
The Wizzard

 

thanks pistnbroke, I have been trying to figure out the crazy levels ,I think you nailed it.I also just checked my kickdown and somebody bolted the rod to the trans lever tight so it can't move which also stops my carb from opening all the way. Hmmmm

 

Sounds like a little fine tuning is in store. A c-6 kick down should be a single solid tube that pivots top and bottom on a pin with a C clip. Not a bolt.
The Wizzard

 

If it doesn't want to go in 2 Drive when it's cold but ones it's warm it goes you got a bad seal and when its hot the seal expands and holds press. Time to overhaul it. Or call me crazy but you can get a tee spoon of brake fluid and put it in the Trans and run it so the brake fluid will get on the seal and expand it. Just a lil trick

 

Yes, it is a round hollow tube and I suppose whoever assemble this car did not realize what they should have realized, I loosened of the bolt and now it moves freely, passing gear works and I have about 20 percent more travel, now this merc rocks, my wife won't appreciate this as much as I will but oh well.
This of course doesn't fix my big problem but somebody told me Lucas automatic trans fluid could help as a temporary fix so I went and bought some and put it in, should do the same thing hopefully as the above mentioned repair with the brake fluid. I'm about 400 miles and a ferry ride from home, I think there is a tranny rebuild in my future. Well thanks guys for all the input,, now to cross the coastal mountains and see if I can make itm

 

Back in the day..........I bought a 71 Ford brand new. After 6-7 years but under 100,000 miles it was doing the same thing as yours. I was told by a trans shop it was a sticking valve and the body was about the last thing that would be removed in a tear down. No easy fix except a complete rebuild. The car stayed in the family till around 135,000 miles and never had the trans worked on - we just backed it out of the garage and let it warm up a bit before it would go forward. After the first drive of the day it would be fine all day long and had no other issues, just took a bit longer to warm up and move forward in winter.

A can of Trans-X or similar product may help, but probably not. IF you can tolerate the problem, just drive it and don't worry.

 

Try Trans-X. At the very least it will clean up the transmission for the tear down.