I've got a 98 4.6L 160,000 on the ticker. It started slipping coming from dead stop, got worse after fluid/filter change. Figured the clutch pack is shot, but tranny shop says it "neutralizing" also and needs a full rebuild. Was planning on a rebuild but never have heard the term "neutralizing"

Anybody?

 

They probably made it up figuring it was worth a couple hundred bucks extra.

You need a rebuild and a new tranny shop.

Steve

 

sounds like c.i.a talk as in to" neutralize" someone. fancy talk for you need a overhaul.

 

There are three clutch packs in the transmission. I installed a Tran Kit that made it shift good and lasted a few years but, I burnt up the clutch packs.

It got where the rpm's were between 2500 - 3000 before the truck would start to move.

It was rebuilt and all is okay now.

 

Neutralize is a common transmission term. It means the transmission completely falls out of gear into a "neutral" condition. 2nd gear can slip and leave you in 1st. 3rd gear can slip and leave you with something that feels like 2nd.
4th gear however exhausts the forward clutch so when the od band doesn't hold you have neutral.
Alan

 

Never heard that term before, I'm in the same boat now with my trans, its slips in all gears, the only way I noticed was I couldnt get very far before having to fill up the gas tank over and over. In another thread I read that ford Valve body bolts like to work loose which can cuase shifting issues, I may have to get under the truck again to inspect that before I purchase a new tranny. I've had bad luck with rebuilt crap, Ford and Chevy both.

My only problem is I cant just take out my tranny and replace packs and have it back in during the same year.

 

I'm a transmission mechanic and have been since my dad taught me transmissions at 14 years old. I'm 37 now, that's 23 years of experience. The term "Neutralizing" is actually a word. I started typing it out and low and behold it showed up in my suggested words. What the transmission is doing is as follows, the "clutch pack" is inside a "drum" inside that drum is a "piston" at the bottom of the drum with 2 or 3 (usually 2, inside and out) "lip seals" that seal the piston in that drum so when fluid is directed to that drum the piston applies and moves and applies a bunch of pressure on the clutch pack which in return makes the vehicle move. Now when the transmission for some reason is not applying that drum weather its caused by a bad/leaking lip seal or a hung up or stuck valve inside the valve body which is causing it to seem as if the vehicle is in neutral, hence the reason its referred to as "Neutralizing" in the business. With that said ""They probably made it up figuring it was worth a couple hundred bucks extra." Couldn't be more farther from the truth. He does NOT need a rebuild, it could be fixed (Patched) but that's pointless. All that work pulling the transmission out, tearing it apart to figure out what the cause is it would be a COMPLETE WASTE of time to not rebuild it at that point with a remanufactured Torque converter. So he doesn't need "a new tranny shop" either, maybe you should know what you are talking about before you comment and find the transmission shop guilty of not knowing what they are talking about or what they are doing. When in fact it's quite obvious you are in fact the guilty party of not knowing what you are talking about or what you are doing when it comes to transmission rebuilds. I just built this same transmission last week at work and I'm currently fighting a "Neutralizing" (which BTW is a very common problem with that particular transmission, and think I actually know what I'm doing and talking about) issue the first time you put it in drive after starting it. Put it in OD give it gas, it "Neutralizes" finally the clutch pack is applied and it bangs into gear, then it works fine until you shut it off and start it back up and put it in drive.

 

Do you realize this thread is 12 years old?

If you are a transmission mechanic, your time on this forum would be a lot better spent helping out with current issues rather than slam what some member said 12 years ago.