Okay, guys. Stop. Rewind. Re-Play.

This is SO similar to problems I'm (AGAIN)having with my 91 Trooper. It is a cold start related problem. Up to operating temp., and the shifts are back to normal. Let me recap, based on the problems outlined above.

It'll stubbornly resist shifts up, and the high RPM gets scary. You have to push it hard to 3200RPM in first to MAKE it shift to second. If conditions require you to slow down soon after that, and it downshifts, you are back to zero. You have to push it hard again to make it shift.

After 20-30 minutes of this (we are close to 0 degrees this time of year, and its going to get worse), the gauges show the engine is warm beyond a certain point, the problem goes away. Once it's gone its gone. Until the next cold start, that is. So, for instance, every morning (or each night late, for the quick sprint down the road to the store) the problem is there. 20-30 minutes, give or take, depending on your mood, and whether you want to thrash the engine to warm it up a little faster.

Interestingly, I remembered something else. Just before I mention it, remember normal shifts would usually occur around 1400-1500RPM. First to second. This is in NORMAL mode. In POWER mode, what would be the shift point?? I don't have the exact RPM difference in shift points between NORMAL and POWER modes, but experimenting, using POWER mode during all this crap with the engine cold, pushes the shift point that exact difference above 3200RPM, not the original 1500RPM or so. I was experimenting with it. The POWER button will send the shift out even further. This has to have meaning. It is regular.

I was thinking a governor valve. Stuck. Up to operating temp., the surrounding aluminum body warms up, expands, and releases the stuck valve. I had convinced myself of this. But, thinking about this odd behaviour with the POWER mode button. When hot (normal operating temp) shift from first to second is about 1400-1500RPM. When cold (and playing up) the shift point is out to about 3200RPM. I haven't bothered to measure it exactly, but it is the same point everytime. In POWER mode, the shift point goes from 3200RPM, up to whatever...but it is the exact distance above the normal mode shift point at 3200RPM. Why? Assuming 3200RPM is a malfunction-related shift point, why is the POWER mode holding on (for later shifts) from 3200RPM. This tells me the POWER mode knows the shift point has moved out to 3200RPM.

Or I'm crazy.

Either way, I need serious help.

--Bighorn--