I just got the car running, but it will not shift into gear. My selector needle if you will is out of wack but it "feels" from a standstill that I only have 1st?. It has sucked in 3 quarts of tranny fluid so far. I was told when we swapped the motor that the tranny had spilled some of the fluid out. Any ideas on this one. Is the tranny dead, am I loosing my mind again. This is a horrable discription I know but I don't know how to put it to words...
Is the TV rod connected?
I belive so. I mean it shifts but if you say put it in R and let off the brake is will just idle. You put it in say 1? or the very bottom and it will lurtch. I was told no tranny fluid will make it do this. I have 3 quarts into it just to get it to lurtch.
Put the fluid to the correct level before you get all crazy jumping to conclusions.
Ditto.. Mike have you even looked at the dipstick? And no I'm not talking about when you were brushing your teeth this morning. :dunce:
i had the same problem when i swapped in my 5.0. you have to keep adding fluid cause most likely it is very very low. then keep putting it in all teh gears. try drive press teh gas little by little then reverse and so on. This is how I did it for my transmission.
I did look. Before we had it running right it was full. Right now with 3 quarts it seems level. It's too late to run it now so i'll get on it tomorow. I was just wondering if no fluid will keep it from going into gear. And how much fluid will it take? I'll try more tomorrow. Thanks guys
First off it's fairly common for the gear selector to slip and tell you the tranny is in one gear when it's actually in another. The first time I tried to test drive my car off the lot I shifted into "Drive" and then kept revving and revving wondering why I wasn't moving. Make sure it isn't that. I can't really picture the tranny losing much fluid during the swap. When I rebuilt my engine I had the torque converter off and everything and didn't see a drop make it past the shaft seal. If you lost any sizeable amout that kinda makes me wonder about the state of the tranny to begin with. Hope you figure it out.
Are you checking it with the engine running?
The first time no but from then on I have. From what I've heard so far it sounds like it's either not in a gear or not enough fluid. The vic did the same thing when she was REALLY LOW on fluid when we got her.
stick it in gear and hit the gas it might just need engaged if you didnt get the torque converter on right.
my car if you put it in reverse... it just sits there.. you put a little gas pedal into it.. it goes in gear and we're on our way
If you've got a column shifter check to make sure that the indicator isn't broken. Mine broke and didn't line up. Here check this out:
http://www.coolcats.net/tech/troubleshooting/indicator.html
Don't get too worried, bud. If wose comes to worse I have 3 AOD's sitting around. Two of 'em I'm willing to part with.
Find me a good T-5 and I'll GIVE you an AOD.
How long did you let it run in gear? If the trans was empy it may take a few minutes for the fluid to get pumped through. Went through that with my '86 when the front seal went out. Got it fixed and had to pour a quart in and let it run, pour a quart in and let it run....
Check the linkage to the transmission. I've also had to pull the tranny pan off and fix the linkage inside where it had a rod that came loose and stuff. My suggestion is to just unbolt the linkage and manually run it through the gears while up on jack stands. That should tell you what's going on right away. Tranny, or linkage.
From what I can see all the linkages are on. I'll run it in the gears when I get home. How long should you let in run in gear between changing gears? ex. drive, then park to check it, reverse, then park to check..... How long between each?
A couple of seconds each should do it, just enough to pump the fluid into the various circuits and clutches. Click-click-click down to low, then back up to park, then check the dipstick. If the fluid's still low, then add a bit, run the gears, check it again.
I'm assuming you remembered to hook up all the tranny cooler lines, and you don't have a bright red river going down the driveway.
No red river. batt. died as the Alt isn't hooked up. So far the colom shift moves ALOT smoother and I'm down 4 quarts so far. It seems to be helping though.
I take that back. now there is a little red puddle under the tranny pan. Looking to see where is't bleeding from. It will manualy shift to first then hold that all th eway up to park, no matter where the shifter says it is. Also if it helps any you can push the car in park. Can I go under the car and manualy and put it in "gear"?
Your linkage is boogered up dude. You should not be able to push the car in park, unless your parking pawl is obliterated.
I think that the indicater iw way dicked up. Because all the way down, out of gear or not, it still reads od when it "should" be in 1. Reguardless thats first. See if that fixes it.
Well, I did find on thing out. When I followed the guid to fix the indicater, I found that the white part if says is broke. Some jerkoff also stripped the "adjuster screw". That aside, the fact that it's dripping fluid from 1 of 2 places. On the right side of the car, it's either the tranny pan gasket or the line right above that coming out of the tranny. No matter what I would like to know whats up with it. I now i'm probaly making a paper cut seem like a slit wrist here but I'm utterly confused. Gave it gas in every gear and all I get is 1st.
If the tranny started leaking when the engine was swapped I'd suspect the front seal. Maybe take off the bellhousing access cover and see if there's a puddle in there?
It looks like the tranny cooler lines or the pan gasket. I'll deal with those and check all of that tomorow. I was only told where it was leaking. From what I was told be a source is that the tranny will hold 8-10 quarts of fluid. So far I have 4-5 in it and it still doesn't like to go out of 1st ( 1) or park ( p ). Any idea's on that one? Would it just be eayser to swap trannys, as I have a few avaliable?
Ignore the indicator. It doesn't do anything to the actual shifting.
If you move the column lever up and down (running or not), do you feel and hear the tranny going "clunk" as it moves into each gear's position? There should be 6 separate spots; P-R-N-OD-D-1.
If the trans isn't clunking into those spots, even though you're moving the column lever, then get a flashlight, stick your head under the car, and watch the little lever on the side of the trans while someone else sits in the car and shifts.
If the little lever isn't moving, then there's something wrong with the linkage. Get out from under the car, get under the hood, and watch the linkage from there.
The link coming down from the column should move up and down.
The crossbar should rotate back and forth.
The link going back to the trans lever should move forward and back.
Any other movement or parts flopping around is not right.
That mofookie is what i figure to be your problem. Put her up on jackstands and take off the pan. I'm pretty sure that thing popped outta place. Either way, if you get around to doin that make sure you look at that.
dude your really still low on fluid maybe put the rest of the fluid in and it might work 4-5 quarts is a lot to be low
aod is a 3 quart fluid and filter change. Change the gasket and filter, and look at the linkage while you have the pan off. I've had that mofookie come out on me before and it wouldn't shift. However, changing your filter is a last resort. Sometimes for a troubled tranny it can be the kiss of death!
Last I recall it was 9-11 quarts, counting the torque converter. I have a feeling that you don't put 6-8 quarts in the converter alone.
I'll get pics today to show you what I find. As I'm at school, they will be up tonight, when it gets dark or I give up, what ever happens first.
yeah, it's only 3 quarts when you change the filter.
Got the trans to shift. Took her out for a drive and all of a suddon she slammed into 2ed gear and low and behold, I have all the gears. Need to adjust the linkage and thats done with.
had a feeling that it was in the linkage ;)
Yep, and now thats all squared away. Now I just have to fix the gear indicater some jerkoff broke and I'll be good to go. Any ideas on what to do it?
There's a thread around here somewhere with assorted "fixes", usually involving a hose clamp, zip ties, or a few wraps of duct tape. Anything to clamp the broken plastic ring to the steering column tube, while still allowing it to rotate a bit for adjustment.
.
(http://www3.telus.net/neat/pics1/shift_indicator_clip.gif)
Thanks, I'll be on that