My Jaguar is in the transmission shop due to burnt out forward clutches. The transmission would slip at times after a rebuilt unit was put in. When the transmission was opened up there are no faulty parts to explain the slippage. The shop repaired the damaged parts and when they went to install the transmission they told me that they finally discovered the cause of the problem was that the detents on the shifter were fighting against the detents on the transmission and that the shifter was not allowing the transmission to fully engage into drive (D). The shifter was always down in the "2" position and not in D but it would shift through all of the gears but would slip if you try to accelerate quickly. So the shop is trying. to fic=x the problem but I was wondering if other s have had problems getting the shifter detents to click in sync with the transmission detents on these turbo 350 swapped v8 conversions? The shop has somehow removed the detents from the shifter to just use the detents found on the transmission itself but the shifter still seems to find the D position in the "2" spot on the shifter gauge. They are thinking that the shifter cable may by worn and has too much play in it. Any thoughts or advise?

 

Let me put this all another way...does anyone know what is needed to connect the shifter linkage when lumping a Chevy350 motor and Turbo 350 transmission into a 1984 XJS? Do you normally use the original shifter cable or do you change that out? If so, what all will I need?

 

The 80's XJS used a GM transmission so the linkage / shifter should be the same with the proper detents. I've converted many car and this was never a problem. I used to just weld up a simple bracket to mount the shifter linkage to the transmission using 2 pan bolts. If your car was converted with a kit this all should be accounted for. I only used a kit once, didn't like it and just started making my own stuff for all subsequent conversion but my issue wasn't with the shifter aspect of the kits. Something doesn't add up. I cant see how the transmission can be going through the gears and then burn up becasue the linkage was incorrect. If it was NOT in D at the trans, it would NOT go though all the gears. Doesn't really matter where the shifter is indicated as a result of being out of adjustment. Slipping when accelerating quickly means the transmission has an internal problem or the vacuum modulator (TH350) is broken out of adjustment or hooked to port vacuum.

 

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I'm not sure if I understand or described all that is happening correctly. This was all over the phone from the transmission shop. Anyway, are you saying that you would use a bracket or lever type connection between the transmission and the shifter or was the cable still used but just needed an adapter to connect properly to the transmission? I inherited the car from my father as an unfinished project so I really don't know what was used from a kit (John's Cars kit) and what wasn't. I'm with you...something doesn't add up right so I'm just trying to figure it out myself.