Please Read!!!!!
Well, I have an update with TSB. I had Ford install TSB about 1K miles ago and I was very unhappy. I felt the trans shifted differently but still had grind/clunk. When I got the car back, I put it on a lift and checked to see if tranny was really cracked open. I could tell that it was out (bolt scratches, new RTV around seams) and I look for the tag on side of tranny that comes with TSB stating new fluid type and new level. All signs showed TSB installed and as I said, tranny gears just felt different.
I am in the process of putting a letter together to Ford Motor Co. and I needed a couple tranny speicalists to give me their expert opinion. Two different manual tranny shops said my tranny "has internal issues relating to synchros and shaft play." I had the second guy put car on lift so I could check fluid level.....now you would think after attaching tag on side of tranny that reads 3 liters or 6.3 pints that the rebuild guy would actually listen to this....well....NO, I pulled plug and tranny fluid began to leak out the fill hole meaning that the tranny was filled to the top which means....yup 8.0 pints of fluid....Now seeing how lowering the fluid level seems to be a big deal and I specifically asked 10 times about this....(my theory on life prevales once again...people are stupid...live by it and you'll never be disappointed) Anyway, thinking in my head that this cannot make that much of a difference, we dropped fluid and put in brand new (as tag reads, dextron ATF) I went for the synthetic...well...because I felt like it I guess. I know people say use synthetic, don't use synthetic...who knows? Anyway, it was 30 degrees all day and believe it or not, car ran much much better. I noticed a difference right away but I didn't accept it until I put 150 miles on it today. Tomorrow AM will be the big test...cold overnight and wake up to 20's. I'll update tomorrow.
Conclusion- fluid level DOES make a big difference- not a cure all but certainly better.
Any thoughts on synthetic vs. regular ATF fluid for the 3650????? Maybe regular will work even better???