So a search has revealed several similar threads, but figured one more new thread on my specifics might get me a more focused answer. Quick warning - I know very little about automatic transmissions, apart from working at an oil change place when I was a teenager and changing my share of gasket/filter kits. Never on a BW 65/66 that I can recall however.

Anyways, on to the problem. Backstory is that a couple weeks ago I installed the tappet stake down kit on the exhaust side of my 84 XJ6, which was badly needed since two of tappets were already pretty beat up. While I was at it, I removed the air pump and air rail and capped off the inlets on the head and any other vacuum lines associated with the system (I think there were a couple over on the intake side). Anyway, after doing this work the tick-ticking of the tappets was resolved and the engine sounded much better.

Naturally cars being what they are, during my next drive the horn, which has never worked in my 5 months of ownership, suddenly went off continuously, completely out of nowhere. I pulled over and for a quick fix pulled the fuse (#11, the one that says Horn Relay, Auto Trans (K/down sol), aux rad fan, etc...) Then when I got home I just disconnected the horns and put the fuse back in. Problem solved, right?

Well, sort of. The horn is back to being its normal non-functioning self, but now the car doesn't want to upshift, at least not until it's warmed up. It's particularly noticeable from 2nd to 3rd, I have to completely take my foot off the accelerator for it to finally bump into 3rd. After about 5-10 minutes it seems to work itself out and shifts normally.

So my question(s) is/are:

• Did my fiddling around with/capping those vacuum hoses do something that affects the transmission? Seems unlikely, but the problem happened after the smog system removal.
• Did removing and replacing that fuse #11 to shut off the horn do something with what I assume is the "kick down solenoid"?
• Or is there no cause/effect here beyond the transmission just deciding to make its problems known right after the air pump delete at the same time the horn also came to life?

It seems most threads discuss adjusting the "bands". I've never done such a thing before, is this doable for someone who has semi-pro mechanic helpers? Or is something else going on? As always, many thanks in advance...

 

removing the air pump and related parts, or doing the stakedowns should have no effect on the transmission.
I am not sure about Fuse #11, I've never had the stuck horns issue in my '84.

there are a number of parts involved with the horns:

1) above and behind the battery, there is an inline plastic fuseholder which holds a fuse for the horns,

2) on the lower front passenger side inner fender, near the radiator, there is a Horns relay,

3) behind the steering wheel center foam pad, there is a cream color contact plastic "nut" which sometimes breaks if overtightened. When you press the center emblem of the foam pad, a brass tab makes contact with the cream color nut and the horns sound. Inspect by removing the two screws behind the foam pad, pull the foam pad and gently loosen the plastic nut.
If not cracked, then the issue might be two brass ground contacts rivetted along the outer steering column on the way down to the firewall that ground the inner steering column. Make sure they are making contact with the inner steering column.

The good news ? the horns are good.

 

As far as I can tell, fuse 11 powers the horn relay, the cooling fan and windshield washers. The kickdown on a model 66 is by a cable, I think the fusebox legend might also be for a V12, which uses an electric kickdown switch.

 

Quick follow-up on this since the issue hasn't managed to resolve itself (funny how rarely that happens):

The shifting issues have gotten worse, albeit still drivable. It's very similar (or identical) to what I see others call "morning sickness", where it doesn't want to get out of first gear until you've gone about 2-3 miles and things start warming up. However, even after it gets over that it still shifts late at higher revs than normal -- or sometimes it doesn't downshift back to first when you get to a stop light, but shifting into 1 or 2 with the shifter takes care of that.

I've said it before but I'll say it again - I have low to average mechanical skills. My brother in law has professional mechanical training and is very adept, albeit he has no experience with Jaguars. But he can get me out of a jam. Thus far I have: 1) replaced the fuel pump and filter; 2) done the tappet stakedown on the exhaust side; 3) changed transmission pan gasket and filter along with ATF; 4) spark plugs, air filter, etc; 5) various basic fuse and wiring issues. My brother in law also hotwired the a/c compressor so we have the a/c working through a separate switch which kicks the compressor on and off.

I'd love to get the transmission issue sorted. From reading forums it seems that likely culprits are:

1. Transmission kickdown cable needs adjusting;
2. Transmission bands need adjusting (one underneath, one accessible from above through the drivers floorboard);
3. I need to open it up and check out governor, valve body (I'm going to assume this is beyond me, but if someone says otherwise we'll give it a go if need be).

This transmission problem started literally days after I'd done the tappet stakedown and it really sucks to have the engine finally running smoothly only to deal with trans issues - but c'est la vie. Anyone done any of the above or have other suggestions on this?

 

can't help you with the transmission symptoms except that the transmission is not "Jaguar" but Borg Warner model BW65 or BW66, made in USA, so there is hope to get it fixed. There is also a rebuild or exchange guy in Atlanta. costs $1,200.00 I think.

 

That kick down or downshift cable is at the rear of the engine. I wonder if when you had the valve cover off to do the tappet stake down you managed to disturb the cable or its bracket.
The symptoms you describe are very similar to problems in MK1 and Mk2 DG250 automatics. On those cars everything is driven by rods.
As motor mounts decayed the kickdown rod would get out of adjustment tending to hold the car in second gear and also causing problems in other gears.
The solution was new mounts and readjustment of the kickdown rod.

 

Band adjustment tips:

https://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/...ansxadjust.htm

Here's some info on the kickdown/detent cable adjustment

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...86-xj6-262887/

There is no electric or vacuum component to the gears shifting.

Have you checked the fluid level?

Cheers
DD

 

Made in England, actually. It'll say so on the transmission tag. Borg Warner operates (operated?) a manufacturing facility there.

But, regardless of country, the BW65/66 is nothing strange to older transmission guys as it is a cousin to the BW (and some older Ford) transmissions from the 60s American cars so, yes, it shouldn't be difficult to have repaired.

Cheers
DD

 

Much thanks. I had a similar suspicion, although if I'm correct isn't it on the intake side (I only had the exhaust side off for tappet stake down)? In any event, it's certainly possible that's what happened, especially since the symptoms started literally the next day. Since that time I changed the transmission pan gasket and filter, which would have also changed some/most of the fluid. Things looked mostly okay inside, but I'm not a transmission expert -- but nothing was obviously wrong.

Doug - thanks also for the link. The picture there talks about kickdown cable adjustment and kickdown cam bracket adjustment. Are both necessary? I assume the kickdown cable adjustment is done under the hood and the cam bracket requires removing the pan? The whole page isn't on there, but it looks like I need to hook up a pressure gauge to adjust the cable properly?

But overall, it sounds like this is probably the place to start, and then I can fiddle with bands, and then (when that all most likely fails) take it to someone who actually knows what they're doing. I'd prefer to do it myself just because the more I can learn on how to work on these things the better.

Thanks again, all - and any tips on how to do this, or leads to prior threads/videos/etc, is greatly appreciated!

 

Alls well update on this one:

To start I fiddled with the kickdown cable a bit. It helped get it shifting into 3rd easier, but still had issues while warming up. I also realized that what was actually happening was that the car was staying in 1st gear and shifting straight into 3rd - first at higher revs while still warming up, then at lower revs after a mile or so. Kick down was also going straight from 3rd to 1st. So 2nd gear had disappeared.

I moved on to the next step outlined above and did the band adjustment through the driver's side footwell. Loosened up the locking nut and the adjusting nut wasn't even remotely tightened. Had to turn it quite a few times to get it to 5 lb-ft (then backed off 2.5 flats). Sure enough, 2nd gear returned. Not a bad day's work.

Not sure how it got to that point - 2nd gear worked fine from the time I bought it and the lock nut was tight; so unless the adjusting nut somehow loosened itself despite the lock nut being tightened up, I'm not sure what happened.

Next item up is the wiper motor. The wiring going to the motor had been cut/chewed through. I took out and rewired the motor and we fixed the wiring going to the motor - hooked it back up and it worked! Well, for about 5 seconds, anyway. The brushes were pretty spotty and my re-wiring wasn't any better. I may take it back apart and try to salvage things, but if I can't get it working what's my best plug and play replacement options? I don't really care about speed, delay, etc - I just want the wipers to work.

I see some say the Lucas DR3 motor will work, but does it have the same connections? I'd rather just plug and play if possible.