Little Tranny Problem Turned Into A Huge Tranny Problem! HELP!!!

[Macgyver]

Ok so it was having problems reversing in a cold start. It would take a few seconds for 1st gear to catch after reversing as well. Whenever in 3rd gear (th350) it would slip to second gear for no reason and would go back to third after manually shifting it and might slip again a few more times. After it warmed up though it was alright.

So I dropped the pan and replaced the gasket and filter. Now I started it up and it wont budge! When I have it in reverse to get out of the garage it makes a popping sound from underneath like when your riding a ten speed and you switch gears, how it pops a few times when the chain slips teeth on the gear. Like that. Im so very bummed out. I figured I shouldnt touch it since the new tranny was coming in a few weeks but oh well. NOW WHAT?! please help.

When I was under there there seemed to be some little things in the tranny that couldve gotten moved maybe that are now not letting it run. I saw the check engine light flicker at one point when it was making the popping sound. What is the metal linkage on the drivers side that is bolted on to the pan?

 

[tomtom72]

Hi Mac, I'm no AT md but the slipping in & out of gear usually means band adjustment. However, you could have a chain of events failure going on. The T/Q spins up to make a liquid into a semi-solid connection so the front pump can preassureize the valve body so the program and the check balls do their thing. The bike chain noise could be the planetary gear assembly, or it could be the front pump. If you don't get anything when going thru the gears from P to L, I would say the bands are out to lunch or the front pump gave up,or both. Sorry it ain't much, but that's the limit of my knowledge. tomtom72

 

[Macgyver]

:cry So basically its going to have to be ahndled by a professional? This morning I started her up and tried reversing out of the garage and it went slowly only when the RPMS were at 3000.

So probalby not a chance that I maybe moved something in there? Thank you for your input.

 

[tomtom72]

Hi Mac, tt72 again. 3 G's and not much! That's not good. When you run thru the P_R_N_D_L do you feel any engagement at all? If not it could be the bands, or the front pump. You did not smell anything like burnt clutch when you did your back out try? You might smell the clutch pack slipping, but either way it ain't something stupid like the modulator or low fluid I don't think. I think it's AAMCO time! sorry man, that s**ks. tt72.

 

[Macgyver]

No I didnt smell anything out of the ordinary. Yeah I was shiftin gthrough all the gears and P to 1 theres no lurching from engagement.

Man life was so nice for a while again w/ my daily hour long trips back and forth from school w/ not tops. Oh well

 

[wishuwerehere82]

McGuyver,

Stupid question. Did you refill the transmission to the full mark when idling with Dextron/Mercon2 ATF?
I don't think you could have done any damage inside by just changing the filter. It probably was coming on anyway.

 

[Macgyver]

Very good question though becuase it dawned on me when I got home from work too late to do anything that, TomTom said that theres a pump in there that needs to build up pressure. SO if it runs on pressurized fluid then I did mess up.

How many quarts of trans fluid does it take to fill up our vettes? I only used 2 quarts becuase that was all I had in the garage and I wa going to go and get more when it ran. I figured that it was like the oil, your car will still run w/ none to very little in it. Now Im guessing not

Do I need to add at least 3 more quarts or 4?

 

[wishuwerehere82]

Very good question though becuase it dawned on me when I got home from work too late to do anything that, TomTom said that theres a pump in there that needs to build up pressure. SO if it runs on pressurized fluid then I did mess up.

How many quarts of trans fluid does it take to fill up our vettes? I only used 2 quarts becuase that was all I had in the garage and I wa going to go and get more when it ran. I figured that it was like the oil, your car will still run w/ none to very little in it. Now Im guessing not

Do I need to add at least 3 more quarts or 4?

Add enough to replace the amount you drained when you pulled the pan, (3-4 Qts.) then check the dipstick to determine the level and add untill it is almost to the full mark.
Run it for a few minutes,and check again when warm and in drive.(Get someone to help you) Add fluid as necessary to the full mark.
Actually, the system holds around 11 quarts, but most of that is trapped in the torque converter. So all you need to replace is what was drained out of the pan.

 

[Macgyver]

yeah i dont know exactly how much drained out since I dropped it in the wrong order and it was all over the garage floor. I called a friend of mine and he told me "Youre a total idiot, add fluid!" So Ill add fluid tonight and see if that works. Thanks

 

[wishuwerehere82]

Dude!
Don't feel bad, there's a learning curve for everything.
I don't really know of any other way to drain the pan without dumping it on your head, soaking your hair and wearing it for a few days afterward. Good thing there's shampoo.:L
I always equated the sound of a tranny without fluid as sounding like a sleetstorm under the car. Been there, done that. My new 72 Pinto lost all of the bolts off the tranny pan and dropped in the middle of the garage floor one night. I wasn't sure what that sound was until it didn't move.:confused

 

[brusso]

yeah i dont know exactly how much drained out since I dropped it in the wrong order and it was all over the garage floor. I called a friend of mine and he told me "Youre a total idiot, add fluid!" So Ill add fluid tonight and see if that works. Thanks

I want to say that whenever I've done a tranny service that I'd buy a six pack of fluid. After filter change and pan is back in place, I'd add 3 quarts and start her up. Holding the car, with the brakes, run it through the gears P R N D 2 1 several times and check level while car is running in park. Add another quart and then usually got some signs of life when shifting into gear as before. At this time you should see some sort of fluid level on the dip stick. Keep on adding small amounts of fluid until you reach the full mark at hot idle. Be carefull not to add fluid too quickly or you can have another mess. Even if you were able to retrieve all fluid drained and measure how much was removed, you wouldn't add that amount all at once when refilling. Good luck.

 

[tomtom72]

Hi Mac, I am sorry for not asking you the question of how much fluid you put back in! That was not too bright on my part! It never ocurred to me to ask! 350 Tubromatic tranies take between 4 & 5 qts. to refill after a pan drop. You put in 3 qts. first and start motor let idle 5 min. run through the gears once down and then back up and then check fluid on stick and fill to "full- Hot" mark. I do not think that any damage could have been done( those 350 & 400's are really strong). Sorry about not asking the obvious man! tt72

 

[Macgyver]

Wow Im an idiot! I filled er up w/ 3.5 more quarts and she's ready to roll now! Im guessing that the fluid was low in the first place because now theres no problems or warmup period. It goes right in to gear and catches like it used to so I guess changing that filter helped after all. I was always checking the fluid level and it never seemed to get real low though.

Man I just saved myself from a bad week of driving my hated jeep since I wouldve probably just left her in the garage w/o trying anything else. WHen I dropped the pan everything in there looked REAL complicated. I wasnt about to drop it again, pour 2 quarts of fluid on myself and then fiddle w/ that stuff in there!

You guys saved me again, I really appreciate it. I told myself that I wanted to buy this car to fix it up and learn everything about a car so I really got what I wanted. I love her more everytime she quits on me. Just like my last chik

 

[brusso]

I filled er up w/ 3.5 more quarts and she's ready to roll now! Im guessing that the fluid was low in the first place because now theres no problems or warmup period. It goes right in to gear and catches like it used to so I guess changing that filter helped after all. I was always checking the fluid level and it never seemed to get real low though.

So a total of about 5.5 quarts. I guess that the six pack was a close guestimate. Glad to see that it was an easy fix.

 

[tomtom72]

Hi Mac, tt72 again, glade to see everything worked out! A word if I may. Do go get a real GM shop manual for your vette, it will be the best $ you spend on the car! I started with what seems to be the same amount of knowledge you seem to have, just enough to get into trouble. Trust me, I rebuilt the entire drive train in my 72 lt-1 with the shop manual and some expert help from an ASE wrench(my best friend), but you gotta get the GM Manual, not a chiltons or one of the others. They are reprints and condensed versions of the real ones from GM, and they are not as good! Also, now that it works you need to look to find any leaks, Front & rear seals, speedo cable, vent, dip stick tube, linkage, and the Vac. Modulator. The old fluid had to go somewhere! This is where my 72 shop manuals from GM excelled... they had the best trouble shooting guides! Have fun with the vette!

 

[Bender]

Arg I was having the same problem but my friend said he droped the pan and fixed everything.

 

[wishuwerehere82]

I love it when a plan comes together!!!!!