Who knows Ford auto trannies? AX4N content.

I'm trying to make the Megashift work on the Little Lambo, and it is really giving me a hard time. Here's the observations:

'97 Lincoln Continental w/ quarter million on the clock. Mods: none, except to stick it in the backseat of an Escort. Megasquirt, megashift.

Put car in gear, revs through 1st, good torque good acceleration, then when it should shift it is like it effectively goes straight to neutral. Software indicates that it is shifting to second, and I have verified that the shift solenoids are being pulled to ground in the following pattern taken from the service manual:

1st: S1=OFF S2=ON S3=OFF
2nd: S1=OFF S2=OFF S3=OFF
3rd: S1=ON S2=OFF S3=ON
4th: S1=ON S2=ON S3=ON

I have tried turning 'up' the pressure in the megashift software which should PWM ground the pressure control solenoid more (correct?) and in increase in pressure should car go, right? Or are Fords backwards from the GM defaults in that grounding the solenoids actually DECREASES the line pressure, making car no so much go?

This tranny worked before the GRM challenge, then started acting up due to what we diagnosed to be sensor issues at the challenge, and the Megashifty GPIO/tranny computer borked itself on day 2 of the challenge requiring a total re-programming from scratch.

Or is there a likely mechanical failure involved here? This tranny is old and abused.

Can anyone explain to me, or point me to an article explaining how these things (AX4N's) specifically work, and what these solenoid inputs are really doing, or just tell me what's wrong with this berking thing and how to fix it?!?

frustrated

Sorry for the rambling nature of this post.

Hard to say, but ax4n transmissions are well known to just die before 120k miles on a 200hp v6........let alone a v8. My experience proved they'd hold 200hp with just shift pressures turned up, but if they get hot, they die in a hurry. Does yours have the 3.77 or 3.98 final drive in it? No difference in strength, just wondering.....

i haven't got any idea, but now i'm going to go searching your build thread, 'cause this sounds awesome....

In reply to yamaha:

I think it's a 3.56. Whatever came on the Lincoln's stock, I've not changed it.

Does reverse work?

The intermediate apply servo could be toast, or the band itself might be bad. There is also a pin that applies the band. If it came out you may have accordion'd the band against the case. If that happened, just get a junkyard tranny.

Bands are not adjustable in AX4Ns so its time to get dirty.

In reply to curtis73:

Actually, I don't know, I would have to take apart the shift mechanism to get it into reverse (I had been handling reverse with the front engine only, putting the rear in neutral)