Broken Transmission Question
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 25
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Broken Transmission Question
Hi guys. I have a 79 with a 383 stroker, 100 shot of nitrous and a turbo 350. I decided to take it to the dragstrip the other night to see what it would do. About the time that I changed to 2nd gear something let go in the transmission. The transmission has never given any signs of trouble before. Imagine the call to AAA telling them that I needed to be towed home from the finish line of the dragstrip!
Every gear acts like it's in neutral excpept for park. There is a "whirring" noise coming from around the torque converter in every gear including park. Does this sound like a torque converter went out, or something a little deeper into the transmission? I know nothing about transmissions!
Every gear acts like it's in neutral excpept for park. There is a "whirring" noise coming from around the torque converter in every gear including park. Does this sound like a torque converter went out, or something a little deeper into the transmission? I know nothing about transmissions!
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,993
Likes: 1,136
From: League City Tx
I am not sure what failed in your tranny but either way you are gonna have to pull it....take the tranny and converter to a good local shop and have it rebuilt. Also a good time to upgrade the converter to well matched stall speed...also get the anti ballooning plate for the spray.
I feel ya on tranny problems. I frag'd my T400 last weekend and had to pull it out....and it was just built 5 months ago....I had slipping on 3-2 downshifts and lost reverse...
I feel ya on tranny problems. I frag'd my T400 last weekend and had to pull it out....and it was just built 5 months ago....I had slipping on 3-2 downshifts and lost reverse...
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 47
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From: cary nc
it sounds like you may have stripped the splines between the input shaft and the forward drum (ask me how i know). its a pressed fit spline but after years of abuse mine finally went during a 60 MPH downshift into second and then a hard upshift back into drive. the whirring sound was the splines spinning inside the drum. i was amazed that a new drum and shaft assembly was only 25 dollars. i ended up pulling out the trans and rebuilding it.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 25
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Thanks for the input. Hopefully it will be something low budget like the splines. Anyway I guess my Saturday will be spent pulling out the transmission. I guess it'll be a good time to get some upgrades done! It lasted about a year since it was rebuilt.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Regardless of what you find that's broken, odds are the trans will be full of metal shavings too. Maybe not all of the hydraulic circuits, but the clutches will have metal embedded in them.
A 350 can be built to take some decent HP/TQ numbers- I built one a long time ago for a 67 GTO-- 455/ 4:11 gears and slicks. Runs every weekend and hasn't broken it yet. Running 1/8 mile. Maybe not exceptionally quick, but it's consistent. And it gets hammered hard.
A 350 can be built to take some decent HP/TQ numbers- I built one a long time ago for a 67 GTO-- 455/ 4:11 gears and slicks. Runs every weekend and hasn't broken it yet. Running 1/8 mile. Maybe not exceptionally quick, but it's consistent. And it gets hammered hard.
6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Lakeland FL
I am rebuilding a 68 conv. with a t400 trans. The trans appeared to have slick 50 in the trans fluid. It was white and milky and slick. I have flushed the trans two times and it was working fine. Now all the sudden I have no reverse. Forward works fine. Any ideas???? Thanks
