32RH transmission problem

[SoonerNationTJ]

I’ve got a 98 with a 4.0L. When I first start the Jeep it will go into gear. I can drive it like normal for as long as I need to (it will occasionally slip out of gear for a split second). But if I ever put it in park, it takes an act of God to get it to go back in gear. I’ve checked the fluid level in N with the engine running and it is good. Just wondering if anybody else has had this issue and could maybe tell me where to start. Thanks in advance.

 

[Hopper]

The only time I have had that issue is when the fluid was low.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I’ve got a 98 with a 4.0L. When I first start the Jeep it will go into gear. I can drive it like normal for as long as I need to (it will occasionally slip out of gear for a split second). But if I ever put it in park, it takes an act of God to get it to go back in gear. I’ve checked the fluid level in N with the engine running and it is good. Just wondering if anybody else has had this issue and could maybe tell me where to start. Thanks in advance.

Are you certain the plastic shift rod inside the shift arm under the shift handle is not busted and causing it to be hard to get out of Park?

The top white rod is what the factory installed. The chopstick below it is what some replace it with when the factory rod breaks. Personally I use a cut and trimmed length of plastic coat hanger for that job.

Also make sure it's not two separate problems with two separate fixes. Is your ATF all the way (!) up to the full line and not even a smidgen below? Where an automatic transmission is concerned it's better to be slightly overfilled than slightly underfilled. Make sure too that you're only adding ATF+4, no other type of ATF is correct.

 

[SoonerNationTJ]

The only time I have had that issue is when the fluid was

Are you certain the plastic shift rod inside the shift arm under the shift handle is not busted and causing it to be hard to get out of Park?

The top white rod is what the factory installed. The chopstick below it is what some replace it with when the factory rod breaks. Personally I use a cut and trimmed length of plastic coat hanger for that job.

View attachment 345496

Also make sure it's not two separate problems with two separate fixes. Is your ATF all the way (!) up to the full line and not even a smidgen below? Where an automatic transmission is concerned it's better to be slightly overfilled than slightly underfilled. Make sure too that you're only adding ATF+4, no other type of ATF is correct.

I’ll check the shift rod. When I shift out of park it sounds like it has gone into gear, it just doesn’t engage. It is full of ATF +4.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I’ll check the shift rod. When I shift out of park it sounds like it has gone into gear, it just doesn’t engage. It is full of ATF +4.

I wonder if the shift linkage cable has stretched a tad and is no longer pulling the lever on the 32RH far enough. What happens if you pull the shifter a tad further towards but not all the way into '2'?

 

[hear]

Do you have any issues getting into other gears? Does it feel like the problem is at the shifter, or does it move no problem but the trans simply won’t engage?

A helper under the jeep can see what the selector is doing while you’re moving the handle.

 

[SoonerNationTJ]

Do you have any issues getting into other gears? Does it feel like the problem is at the shifter, or does it move no problem but the trans simply won’t engage?

A helper under the jeep can see what the selector is doing while you’re moving the handle.

It will go into gear after the initial start up, but after driving it and putting it in park, it won’t go in to any gear.

 

[hear]

It will go into gear after the initial start up, but after driving it and putting it in park, it won’t go in to any gear.

Will it come out of park? Meaning will the jeep roll?

What about if you let it idle in your garage for a while (in Neutral, not park). Do you get the same behavior or is it only after driving?

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I don't know much about the 32RH, but welcome from another Okie. You in Norman or somewhat close?

 

[SoonerNationTJ]

I don't know much about the 32RH, but welcome from another Okie. You in Norman or somewhat close?

Edmond

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Edmond

Nice, I think that makes 3 of us with @Okcpuckfan . I graduated from high school here. Just moved back for the first time since 2003.

 

[hear]

Nice, I think that makes 3 of us with @Okcpuckfan . I graduated from high school here. Just moved back for the first time since 2003.

I'm in Dallas, but like 4 of our crew lives in Norman/Moore. We should meet up at Crossbar some time.

 

[SoonerNationTJ]

Will it come out of park? Meaning will the jeep roll?

What about if you let it idle in your garage for a while (in Neutral, not park). Do you get the same behavior or is it only after driving?

It will go back in gear if I get the rpm’s up. Or idle for a bit. But it will roll if I put it in neutral.

 

[astjp2]

Sounds like a valve body issue with heat

 

[hear]

Sounds like a valve body issue with heat

I tend to agree here. Not going into gear is most likely a fluid pressure problem. Usually from low fluid, but possibly a valve or pump problem (or something within the TC that drives the pump?). Overhauling the valve body is actually really easy, but I might not do that w/o a proper diagnosis first.

Maybe not a bad time to drain the fluid and see if maybe something else hasn't been going on.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I tend to agree here. Not going into gear is most likely a fluid pressure problem. Usually from low fluid, but possibly a valve or pump problem (or something within the TC that drives the pump?). Overhauling the valve body is actually really easy, but I might not do that w/o a proper diagnosis first.

Maybe not a bad time to drain the fluid and see if maybe something else hasn't been going on.

Oh look who's the transmission expert now

Manual driver here but really dig your 32rh rebuild thread.

 

[hear]

Oh look who's the transmission expert now

Manual driver here but really dig your 32rh rebuild thread.

LOL right!?! You spend enough time on something you actually pick up a few things. On the other hand, while you're working on a transmission every problem you see is a transmission problem. I had to plow through a bunch of wiring a while back, every problem I saw posted was an electrical one. It's really hard being right every time but so far so good!