Well, I didn't get to drive my car today, after a regime of things I had to do, I finally got a chance work on the car this afternoon. I got the front wheels back on, tach hooked up, and the brakes bled. Then I tried back the car out of the garage and give it a bath. I moved the shifter to reverse and nothing! I tried all the gears and it was like it was in nuetral. My wife came home about then and said it was time for me to take her out to get something to eat.
After we got back I jacked it back up and examined the shift lever linkage, ah good luck! It was loose so the lever was only moving on the shaft and not actually shifting. I repositioned the lever on the shaft, tightened the retaining nut down and lowered the car back down, started it up and tried to put in reverse, nothing! I moved through the gears again and nothing.
I really didn't do anything to the transmission when I had it out, except replace seals and gaskets external to the transmission (speedometer, shift shaft, governor, front and rear seals) and install a new torque convertor.
The torque convertor is bolted to the flexplate and is turning when the car is running, so it isn't as simple as that kind of intellectual stunt, and it has plenty of ATF.
Is it possible that the new torque convertor is bad? Or is more likely that something internal was not put back together correctly?

 

When you installed the new torque converter, did you put some fluid in it first.
If not, when you filled the tranny with fluid, did you run the car long enough to fill the converter and then refill the tranny to full. If not you could be seriously short on fluid. These sound too simple, but I've seen it done.

 

1. Is the drive shaft connected?
2. Torque converter full of fluid?
3. Torque converter bad or not seated properly?

Otherwise, I dunno. It sounds like the pump might be shot--rebuild time. That would just be coincidental to the R&R, though.

 

Sounds like the torque convertor is not properly indexed into the pump. It can all actually bolt togeather incorrect like this. A pressure check would certainly verify it. If yur lucky then nothing is damaged. You may be able to remove the convertor bolts and rotate the convertor around while pushing it in and out of the pump. Measure the gap when you first remove the bolts. if it was not indexed, then you will see the larger gap when it finally does.

 

Smokehouse69, are you running an early (27 tooth input) 700R4?

 

The tranny is a TH400, and I did pour a quart of ATF in the convertor before I installed it. I believe that it is indexed correctly, when I installed it I felt a good solid thump when it jumped into the notch on the input shaft. After I got the engine in the torque convertor was back about 1/2 inch from the flexplate, but easily slid forward and bolted up to the flexplate.
I just got through removing the shift linkage again and I am following the instructions in the Chassis Service Guide on setting up the linkage. The only thing I can think of is that maybe it was too far off and although the shifter would go through the detents, it was actually moving the linkage enough to move through the gear positions.
The other possibiltity is that it is still low on fluid, I have added 7 quarts (14 pints) of fluid and the transmission was a close to dry as it could be before install and the dry capacity is supposed to be 11 quarts (22 pints.) So, maybe it is very low (although after 30 minutes of idling in PARK it shows about 1/4" below the full-hot mark.)
Oh, yes the driveshaft is connected :rolleyes:
Thanks guys for the suggestions, I'll keep checking things out. I'd sure hate to drop the pan since this is the first time since I've had the car that it hasn't leaked any transmisson fluid.

 

Smoke, if you removed the shift lever at all to do the seal in it, then you removed the pan....otherwise you can't do that seal...that O ring....
so to check that .1" diameter steel rod going from shift lever to valve body shift controll valve has not slipped out of position.....easy to do....

it more or less is very similar in form and function as the choke rod from the stove to the carb on that heat type choke setup....

GENE

 

Measure the gap when you first remove the bolts. if it was not indexed, then you will see the larger gap when it finally does.


Aye.

This does certainly sound plausible. I've never seen one put together like this myself, but if that's the case it would certainly cause the problem! :smash:

 

No, it isn't. It would be impossible to bolt up the tranny without the converter properly lined up with the pump. If by some miracle he had been able to force the tranny into place and bolt it up, there would be some very loud and meaningful noise produced on start-up. The pump would be destroyed in short order and fill the tranny + converter with shrapnel.

 

Smokehouse69, I think you are on the right track. I have seen a lot of trannies suddenly cease functioning after removal and have it turn out to be nothing more than a linkage problem.

The tranny would have to be very, very low on fluid to not move the car at all, so I would not bet on that.

Also, never worry about filling the converter with fluid beforehand - a completely empty unit will be charged almost instantly on start-up.

 

I agree. I installed trannys at aamco and atlas in the 80's and never could get one to bolt up unless it was properly installed. Slide onto shaft and rotate, should click and move in once rotate again click and move in twice. 7 quarts is not enough fluid if the tranny was dry and converter new. Takes ten for th350 and a little more for 400. When we installed one, we had them on a lift. To fill them we left the back wheels off the ground a little and had someone in the car with it in drive. This way the tranny could move the wheels very easily while someone pumped fluid into the fill tube. This would fill the converter very easily. We had automatic pumps with gauges for filling and it would show how much we had pumped. Try jacking the back end off the ground and have someone in the car put it in drive and slowly run the engine. If you are still four quarts low the tranny won't move the car under load but should move the wheels off load. This will fill your convertor so you can add the required fluid. Good luck.

 

What a DUMB-butt I AM After adjusting the linkage, I checked the tranny fluid, nothing showed on the stick. I fired up the car and poured in a quart of ATF. Got in the car to cycle through the gears, dropped it into reverse and immediately I felt the engine lug slightly and the idle drop. Got out checked fluid again, nothing on the dipstick, poured in another quart of ATF and repeated moving it through the gears. Checked the fluid and nothing on the stick again. So far I've added 2 quarts and nothing shows on the stick, I'm really starting to feel stupid about this point.
Let's see tranny was completely dry (as far as it could be without a complete disassembly) new torque convertor which only had 1 qt. of ATF added to it and the total capacity of the tranny is 11 quarts. I had added another 6 quarts at intial fill, so for all practical purposes the tranny only had 7 quarts of fluid in it. After adding another 3 quarts to the pan, the car moved and shifted perfectly. The new modulator and governor springs have really improved the way the tranny shifts.
I LOVE the new 2200rpm stall and the ZZ4, even with my 3.08 rearend, I was rolling about 5 mph in low and punched it just a bit, the tires barked nicely, and I never got over 3000rpm! Just a little tap on the pedal, I'm gonna really enjoy this new motor.
Now on to getting my hood aligned and my headlights to go up and down, then off to the inspection station. I renewed my registration last week, but just noticed that my state inspection expired 2 months ago.
I also need to massage my exhaust system some, it is rattling inside the crossmember and is making an annoying buzz about 2500 rpm.
Thanks guys for all the suggestions, sometimes just replies are enough to get you thinking about what kind of dumbassed mistakes you can make.
Thanks Again.

 

the typicalauto tranny takes 3 gallons of fluid, and that's what I buy for a fill up....assuming new converter....2 gallons without, just on a pan drain...pour in one gallon and keep adding untill full.....with new converter make that 2 gallons.....

I notice Dodge trannies do best with a slight overfill....

GENE

 

Nothing to feel bad about. Its common when the tranny is totally empty and new converter. The converter just wont fill as well while idleing in neutral as it will under a slight load. Glad you got it going. :cheers:

 

Congrats! But why don't you go the antique licence plate route? 5 years, no inspections, 53 bucks. Just don't drive it to work!

PS: I wish you were closer to San Antonio. That way, JB and I could hrlp you out on a regular bases. Or, at least we could drink all your beer and make sympathetic noises as required... :D

 

Oh, don't worry I plan on making a cruise up there in the next few weeks, they way the car is running now, I'll be ready to spank both of you. :D
Well, maybe your car, but maybe not JB's. After all there is no substitute for cubic inches, even 34 year old cubic inches.
My next project is to replace the heater core, I have it on hand with new hoses and vacuum cutoff valve, but I want to spend a few weeks driving the car before I pull the dash out.
I'll let both of you guys know when I'm coming up, so we can have an informal winter cruise in. The only problem is that you guys know how unpredictable South Texas winters are, one day it is 30 degrees and freezing rain and two days later it's 85. So, it's hard to plan anything to far in advance.

 

Great! I can't wait to see and experience that ZZ4. One of those is on my wish list...after I stop the tranny leaks, rebuild the front end, rebuild the rear end, and a few other things. So in about 3 or 4 years I should be there... :cheers: