Just installed a freshly-built 200-4R (keeping the builder anonymous). After meticulously setting up the TV cable to within 0.005” of spec, checking pressure through all the gears with a gauge (all pressures are well within spec), I take it out for the maiden voyage and find that the car will not shift below 3rd gear at a stop unless I force it by manually shifting all the way down to 2nd or 1st. Even if I do that, if I shift it back to D or OD at a stop, it goes back to 3rd gear. Needless to say, starting from stop in 3rd gear is not going to work.

It has lockup, and that is functioning normally.

I’ve scoured the internet looking for people with similar issues, and I’m coming up with nothing. I’m hoping there might be someone here with more knowledge than I have on the guts of a 200-4R.

Any suggestions? Am I going to damage it if I take it for short runs around the block to troubleshoot?

 

Before doing anything, get with the builder.

It sounds like you have a sticky shift valve. If it drives normally once you force the downshift, I’d drive it and see if you can get it to clear up.

 

Well, I think I accidentally found a solution, so I thought I’d share here in case anyone else has this happen.

After talking with the builder, verifying that I had proper line pressures and that I set up the TV cable correctly, I went off the script and tried something on my own - with the engine idling, I disconnected the TV cable and pulled on it a few times to cycle the actual valve from zero to full - I did this maybe 5 times, and then hooked the cable back up. I hopped in, put it in OD, and it started out in first gear like it’s supposed to.

Like I said; I could barely find anything out there about others having this same problem, so maybe it was truly a one-off issue. If it ever happens to anyone else, maybe this will be useful info some day.

 

A happy ending that didn’t involve exchange of funds for services!

…

 

Thanks for sharing your solution.

 

I take it back; I have not found a permanent solution to this. I’ve done everything the builder suggested, and I’ve adjusted the TV cable all over the place (always ensuring there’s pressure rise at initial throttle), and this transmission WILL NOT downshift from 3rd unless I manually shift it. It shifts down from 2nd to 1st if I don’t get to 3rd, but once I get to 3rd, all I have is 3rd and 4th.

I’m open to absolutely any ideas. I’m about to spend a bunch of my time pulling this transmission back out, and a fortune shipping it back.

 

You might try dropping the oil pan, loosening the valve body bolts, and retorquing them.

It definitely sounds like a sticky valve.

 

Ended up yanking it back out to send back for warranty work. I’m very interested to hear what the issue is; the guy said that in 20 years of building these, he’s never heard of one having this particular issue.