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From: Sara Brown on 9 Jul 2010 21:44
Hello. First off I am sorry if I keep asking questions about this
same van as I am sure you are all busy people. But my brother is very
poor and he can not afford a new or different vehicle so I try to keep
him running with my limited mechanical skills and junkyard obtained
parts. So...I have a 94 Caravan 3.0 engine automatic with a 3-speed
transmission. The old transmission went up and we got a replacement
from a wrecked van at the junkyard. It seems to work ok and goes
forward and backwards and gets up to a steady 50 mph. However I think
it could work smoother and go full highway speed if I could fix one
nagging problem which seems to be of an adjustment type I hope. On the
top of this transmission is a 2 piece lever which has one part
connected to the shift cable and the other to a solid metal rod which
connects to the throttle. They should operate independently but these
seem stuck together in some way and will only turn together (When the
gears are shifted) which is affecting performance. I don't want to
just force them apart and break something. Any advice on what could be
a cure or is this unit replaceable with the transmission in place?
Thanks in advance.
From: MasterBlaster on 10 Jul 2010 00:50

"Sara Brown" wrote:

> So...I have a 94 Caravan 3.0 engine automatic with a 3-speed
> transmission.

> On the top of this transmission is a 2 piece lever which has one part
> connected to the shift cable and the other to a solid metal rod which
> connects to the throttle. They should operate independently but these
> seem stuck together in some way and will only turn together (When the
> gears are shifted) which is affecting performance. I don't want to
> just force them apart and break something. Any advice on what could be
> a cure or is this unit replaceable with the transmission in place?

Looks like this? (no levers, just the shafts)
http://repairguide.autozone.com/znetrgs/repair_guide_content/en_us/images/0900c152/80/21/61/d1/large/0900c152802161d1.gif

Manual THROTTLE lever shaft runs inside hollow Manual SHIFT lever shaft.

They probably rusted together while sitting in the junkyard. Soak them in penetrating
oil of some kind (WD40, Liquid Wrench, PB Blaster, whatever you've got). Then soak
them some more. Then try turning the throttle lever, tapping lightly with a small hammer
to break the rust bond, soaking some more, using a screwdriver as a lever, soaking
some more...... eventually they should loosen up and turn independently (we hope).

Since the throttle lever tells the trans how hard you're stepping on the gas (and decides
when to "kick down" to a lower gear), and the throttle shaft is being turned by the shifter
shaft, it may think you're always on the gas, and locking you in 2nd (or even 1st) instead
of allowing 3rd.



From: Steve Walker on 10 Jul 2010 09:08
Sara Brown wrote:
> Hello. First off I am sorry if I keep asking questions about this
> same van as I am sure you are all busy people. But my brother is very
> poor and he can not afford a new or different vehicle so I try to keep
> him running with my limited mechanical skills and junkyard obtained
> parts. So...I have a 94 Caravan 3.0 engine automatic with a 3-speed
> transmission. The old transmission went up and we got a replacement
> from a wrecked van at the junkyard. It seems to work ok and goes
> forward and backwards and gets up to a steady 50 mph. However I think
> it could work smoother and go full highway speed if I could fix one
> nagging problem which seems to be of an adjustment type I hope. On the
> top of this transmission is a 2 piece lever which has one part
> connected to the shift cable and the other to a solid metal rod which
> connects to the throttle. They should operate independently but these
> seem stuck together in some way and will only turn together (When the
> gears are shifted) which is affecting performance. I don't want to
> just force them apart and break something. Any advice on what could be
> a cure or is this unit replaceable with the transmission in place?
> Thanks in advance.


It's a real PITA. My wife's van, before we were married, had the same
problem, but opposite, no kickdown, and poor acceleration. Soak it a few
days with PB-Blaster, twice daily applications, soak it good. Tap on the
top of the shaft with a small hammer a few times a day. After 2 or 3
days, use whatever will work to try and twist the two levers separately,
and keep working them until you get free movement of both levers. It
took me about an hour of prying, wiggling, etc. to get them to move
freely. Keep using PB-Blaster as you work, and after getting them freed
up, spray them once weekly.

--
Steve Walker
Fusion640(a)verizonwallet.com (remove wallet to reply)
From: WW on 10 Jul 2010 10:48

"Sara Brown" <SaraTGinMD(a)aol.com> wrote in message
news:f9849542-7ef5-4885-8970-1678d02b2d24(a)x21g2000yqa.googlegroups.com...
> Hello. First off I am sorry if I keep asking questions about this
> same van as I am sure you are all busy people. But my brother is very
> poor and he can not afford a new or different vehicle so I try to keep
> him running with my limited mechanical skills and junkyard obtained
> parts. So...I have a 94 Caravan 3.0 engine automatic with a 3-speed
> transmission. The old transmission went up and we got a replacement
> from a wrecked van at the junkyard. It seems to work ok and goes
> forward and backwards and gets up to a steady 50 mph. However I think
> it could work smoother and go full highway speed if I could fix one
> nagging problem which seems to be of an adjustment type I hope. On the
> top of this transmission is a 2 piece lever which has one part
> connected to the shift cable and the other to a solid metal rod which
> connects to the throttle. They should operate independently but these
> seem stuck together in some way and will only turn together (When the
> gears are shifted) which is affecting performance. I don't want to
> just force them apart and break something. Any advice on what could be
> a cure or is this unit replaceable with the transmission in place?
> Thanks in advance.

Pertaining to the other suggestions. Use Rust Buster. Comes in a squeeze
bottle with an extended tube. I had a ball bearing rusted on a shaft. A 10
ton press would not budge it. Used Rust Buster and in about 5 minutes I
pressed it apart with my fingers. I used a lot of this when I was in
appliance repair business. At that time got it at appliance parts firm.
Since I sometimes found it at WalMart. WW


From: Sara Brown on 10 Jul 2010 16:58
Thank you for all the suggestions. I will keep blasting it and messing
with it off and on over the next few days. They seem REALLY stuck
together so I`m sure it will be a pain. I just wanted to make sure
there wasn't anything mechanical that could be holding them together
internally before I started trying to twist them seperately.
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