Hello Everyone,
I have a 1989 Dakota 4x4, 3.9 V6, 66,000 miles.
It was my grandfathers truck purchased new, He drove it about 15 miles 3 days a week from the farm to town for coffee. Then it sat for about 3 years with maybe about 200 miles put on it. It has been running fine for several months.

Issue I am hoping to find some insight into:
Tranny is stuck in first when it is cold, If you drive it about 2 miles at 10mph till it gets hot, then it will start shifting but at a much higher RPM. The overdrive button on the dash does work and shifts in/out of 3rd/4th gear once its hot. If you let it cool down the cycle starts again till its hot. When either cold or hot both forward and reverse gears seem solid and go correctly into gear. No issues with reverse when cold or hot.

I have replaced the throttle position sensor, Tranny filter/oil changed twice, nothing significant found in the pan. After looking over this sight I thought it might be the TV cable. but mines does not have anything that looks like the diagrams I have found. ie no cable.

thanks for your insight..

 

I would normally said low fluid or dirty fluid. But since you changed it I assume it is full and you used the correct type of fluid. ATF 4+

Next maybe the Governor valve sticking. Check the FAQ in this section for a link to a a trouble shooting diagram.

 

+1 on the governor valve sticking.

 

Ok, thanks for the insight.
I have searched the FAQ, and forgive my brain fart, but..

Where is the governor valve located? and what does it look like?.

I have searched for several hours and havent found anthing that looks correct. I have drained the fluid, dropped the pan, removed the filter, now what? I have not removed the valve body yet. I am looking for a link or a diagram to get me started. Does the governor valve just need to be cleaned or flushed out? something like a solenoid need to be replaced?. what is the next reasonably priced step to try? I now have a direction (Governor Valve) to go, but am still unsure what is the next step... thanks..

 

The governor is in the overdrive section attached to the output shaft behind the overdrive direct clutch hub and overdrive planet, sun gear and ring gear assembly. It is bolted to a governor housing on the output shaft. To access it you will need to, drop the drive shaft, remove the yolk and remove the bolts that attach the overdrive section to the main case. You will need to remove the overdrive assembly that’s inside the overdrive housing. This assembly is held in place by a snap ring that is accessed through a small window on the top of the overdrive housing that’s covered by a small plate and two screws (maybe bolts?). Do not try and disassemble the overdrive assemby, you don’t need to to change the governor. If you feel you need to dissemble the overdrive assembly BE CAREFULL!! Inside the overdrive direct clutch hub is a spring that’s held in place with a thrust bearing plate and snap ring that covers the hub. This spring is applying around 500-600 psi to the hub and if the snap ring is removed by using a clutch drum spring compressor or prying it out it can kill you. You need an arbor press to remove it safely. You’ll also need an alignment tool to realign the overdrive assembly if you disassemble it.

Check the governor for any pitting or wear in the sleeve and weights. Replace with good used or new. Very minimal wear can cause a governor to hang. The faq section has a link to an ATSG manual that describes a full teardown and rebuild. When you put the overdrive section back on the case make sure the governor tubes are seated in the holes in the overdrive piston retainer and the parking rod is properly engaged with the lugs on the overdrive ring gear. You may have to mess with the parking rod to get it in place.

Hope this helps and I think Crazy and 95 are right about your problem.

Good luck.