Jack71

It amazes me how how often my vette breaks, and it always happens in my garage thank goodness. So this is probably a linkage problem or something to do with that button on top of the shifter.

So where do I begin with this problem?

dman535

You can disconect the trans control cable from the trans and manually actuate the unit. This will verify that it either in the transmissio nor in the shifter. I commonly do this on a hoist when I realize I need to rotate the tires and the car is still in park. Just remember top put it back before you go driving !

joshs78sleeper

Well I just ran into the same exact problem today. Im hoping that it is the linkage problem and not the tranny. I just got my tranny in, I havent even worked all of the bugs out. I was backing it into the garage to do an oil change, and all of the sudden, I couldnt get it into park. To me it basically feels like 1st is where 2nd should be, so park is actually reverse. Which leads me to believe that the linkage is somehow messed up - like out of adjustment. I dont know what couldve caused it, but Im about to go try and fix it. Ill let you know if I get it. I Just hope its not the tranny, especially since youre having the same problem.

arrio76

I am not sure about the 71 vettes, but my 76 has an interlock cable that connects from the trans linkage to the column. Once in a while the cable will kink at the tranny end and and not allow it the move all the way to park.
I don't think 77 and later have the interlock cable.

joshs78sleeper

Ok...well it looks like it may be a problem with the tranny. Not good. I unhooked the cable and manually shifted the "shiftworks" linkage setup on the trans. It appears to me that it has everything except for park. I can go from 1st up to reverse and then it stops. Unless I am missing something here. Is there a special way to get it into park on the trans itself?

Ill tell you what. I am going to be extrememly upset if this is BTO's fault. Up untill I ordered my tranny I had read nothing but praise about BTO. However it seems more and more recently I have heard some bad comments about BTO. The only reason I went with bowtie is because I didnt want the hassles and the seemed to have their stuff together. I really dont want to have to pull this tranny again, and I really really dont want to have to fight with them about warranty or anything.

Anybody else have any other ideas as to what it might be?

arrio76

Josh, Likely the best first thing to do I give BTO a call. Give them a chance to troubleshoot thier unit.
Other than that, if there is nothing else attatched to the transmission selector shaft and it wont go all the way to park then it has to be something inside.
It could be possible that the park rod spring and bullet is frozen and not allowing the rod and linkage to move all the way to park untill the park dog detents have lined up. This is not common but it supose it could happen. This can be checked with the rear wheels in the air (or rolling the car) and rotating them as you apply presure to the shifter linkage toward the park position. The next thing would be to drop the pan and examine the linkage assy for anything unusual. good luck.

Jack71

Well, after I had a beer, the shifter started to work again.

Actually, that kind of bothers me as it might be heat related or something. The linkage is pretty close to the exhaust if I remember correctly. I guess I'll just wait and see if its a new intermittent problem.

As for BTO, I would *never* buy another trans from them. Their post-sales support is horrible.

joshs78sleeper

Ya Im definitely going to be giving them a call tomorrow. This just really sucks though. Its a sunday....one of the first free ones Ive had in a while. Im sitting at home working on the car. And all I want to do right now is drive the sucker. Im just getting to the point of working some of the bugs out with the new engine and tranny...I just got the damn TV cable fixed yesterday and now this. Its just worrying me thats all. I really dont want to have to pull this whole tranny out again. But If I have to then oh well. Ill tell you one thing. If I do have to pull this tranny Im definetely gonig with the 3000 stall converter that I shouldve gone with but steve from BTO talked me out of. :mad

joshs78sleeper

You know, one of the only reasons I went with BTO is because steve called me literally 5 minutes after I sent an email to them. I was extremely impressed with the promptness, and with his knowledge right off the bat with my car. He didnt have to look anything up...there was no "i think you have to do this" He was cut and dry and knew what he was saying.

If This problem is fixed and the tranny starts working good again I wont have a problem. So far they have been pretty good to me. Now lets just hope their product holds up. I had to do some work to the car, and in a few Im going to try starting it in neutral and putting it into drive, and seeing what happens. Then if that works ok and it goes into drive, ill try park again, and if still no go, ill turn it off and try the moving the selector while the wheels are slowly spinning.

As far as heat, my tranny lines, linkage, and the pan are all very close to the header collectors. Steve said it should be alright, but I also just picked up some heat sheild tape to use. Glad your problem is fixed, lets hope mine fixes itself too

The Money Pit

I also had shifting problems with my stage III 700r4.What a coincidence.I'm using a B&M Megashifter,and rechecked my linkage adjustment several times.At this stage the transmission will not hold full power in second or drive.I've had it to a local transmission shop and they called BowTie to confirm there's internal damage.
I hope for your sake your transmission is OK,as for me BowTie's on my Sh#$@$^#t list,and will never see my business again.

The warranty isn't worth the toilet paper it was written on,and there's no way I'm going to front the shipping both ways from Pa.,so they can tell me it's not covered under warranty anyway.I'm looking for a local shop that will build race ready transmissions this time around.Any suggestions in the south central Pa. area? :mad

joshs78sleeper

Ya know...I just dont understand this. I did many a search before I bought this tranny...and for the most part I found only positive things said about BTO. Now that I spent all of my money, all of my time, and have used up all of my patience, it seems everyone is coming out of the woodwork with problems with them.

I still cant get it into park. And when the engine was cold, it was almost slamming into gear. I let the engine and trans warm up and the slamming went away. It shifted into reverse, neutral, and into gear...however I still couldnt get park, and the gears almost feel off. Reverse is where park is supposed to be, neutral is where reverse is supposed to be, and so on. And the weird thing is nothing was done to cause this. It was working and shifting fine yesterday, and all I did was start it up this morning and move it into the garage. Hmm....Well I will be very pissed off if this tranny doesnt work out because all my money is invested into this and I have no more money for shipping, or for a tranny shop to look at, etc. I think once this tranny goes it will be time for the 6 speed. I held off this time around because of time and money, but next time its the six speed for sure.

Steve Straus

Sorry, couldn't resist.


[Modified by Steve Straus, 3:19 AM 7/28/2003]

79VetteMike

This is a real eye opener. I will say this though (I'm not saying it will fix your problem.), whenever I change the trans fluid in my 1992 Camaro, which has a 700R4, I have had the same problem. I just jack it back up in the air and slide the linkage support that bolts to the housing with the tranny pan bolts. Sliding the linkage usually adjusts it back where it should be. Good luck.

joshs78sleeper

Well Im going to give them a call today. Im sure Its something that can be fixed. I cant say that Ive had a bad experience with them, because so far theyve been pretty good. I have to say that I was very impressed with the completeness of their package Especially after building this engine I have come to realize that nobody gives you everything you need nowadays. I mean I bought a waterpump from edelbrock. Nice and fancy, youd think they at least would give you the studs to use with it. Nope of course not. Too fricking cheap.

So the fact that I didnt have to pick up a single part or screw from the store and was able to do everything I needed with what BTO sent me I was impressed. Im just hoping this is something small and easily fixable. If it is then cool...its understandable, its hotrodding. Nothing is completely plug and play. I just hope nothing is wrong with this tranny. Before this happened the tranny seemed to be doing great. Once I got the TV cable set properly, it was shifting nice, everything seemed cool.

Ahh well, Ill give you guys an update later.

joshs78sleeper

Well I just talked to BTO. I think the problem is what you guys said. I need to pull the linkage off of where its connected to the pan, and if that doesnt work then Ill pull the pan and see whats going on. He said to try that and see what happens. I just wanted to talk to them to make sure that there wouldnt be any problems with that.

Now I just want to make this clear. I am not badmouthing BTO *yet* as nothing has gone wrong really yet. I so far am happy with their service and products. I am waiting now to see how the tranny goes. As long as I have no problems with it and this is a quick fix I am still happy with them. I just wish I wouldve heard these bad things about them before I decided to go with them. So far however I have been pretty happy with them. Well just have to wait and see.