1990 V8 transmission problems / converting a V8 to a five-speed

[Bob Dobbs <thescruffmonster@yahoo.com>]

Hello all!

I have a 1990 V8 with transmission problems.  I didn't start having
problems until it got hot one day (120 degrees C)  The transmission
actually is mechanically sound, as it shifts fine upon startup.  In
fact, if I kept it at highway speeds (> 45 mph) it would probably work
fine indefinitely.  It is when it gets above about 85 C that it will
eventually shift (hard!) into 3rd, and stay there indefinitely, until
the car sits and cools down.

I have noticed that if I remove the transmission fuse, the transmission
will also stay in 3rd, no matter the temperature of the car, which
leads me to believe that my problem is electrical or computer oriented
in nature.  If I replace the fuse, the transmission works fine, of
course until the heat rises and the problem occurs as described above.

Audi wants over $5000.00 for a new tranny, and I have found one used
for $3200.00 (20,000 miles), but I first wonder if there might be
something simple that I can check to fix my problem.

Additionally, I would be very interested to know if anyone out there
has actually researched or performed a conversion of an automatic V8 to
five-speed.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Scott D. Maness
TheScruffMonster@yahoo.com

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