Trans

crack one of the cooler lines loose and have someone start it for a few seconds..... If you get no fluid then the pump is broken..... Hold a rag over it so it does not make a mess....

Keith

 

Thanks man, Ill try that the next time I have a chance to get out under it. But whats the odds of it breaking the pump? I drove about 10 yards when it stopped like it did, and the tranny was rebuilt a year ago with only 4000 miles on it
Thanks


Brad

 

trans

Not sure about the odd's but it's a place to start..

I was running my 66 up the highway on the way home from a car show. Just tooling along at 3500rpm enjoying the 3' flowmasters and instantly the tack jumped and i felt the car slow.....

Towed it home, pulled the line and no fluid being pumped, yanked the trans.... broken pump gear..... So it does happen. Never happened before and hasn't happened since....

Keith

 

There are several things that could stop the trans from moving. My concern is why it is out of fluid. Removing the dipstick should not cause you to loose all of the fluid, if it has the correct dipstick and tube. The dipstick has a rubber seal at the top to prevent water and such from entering while driving, not to prevent the fluid from coming out.

As far as the broken pump theory, there would have to be a reason for that. Something wrong, other than running it low on fluid. Something wrong could be anything from improper handling(like dropping) before installation, to improper alignment of something, to a defective part.

Some things to check.
Check the fluid level, after finding out where the fluid went. Check with engine warm, on level ground, in Park.
Check the convertor to flywheel bolts. They do actually fall out if they were not the proper bolts or tightened.
Check the manual linkage inside the pan to make sure that the valve is moving when the shifter is moved.

Good luck

 

If the tranny was ran low enough on fluid for long enough, it`s likely it cooked it. yank the dipstick and see what it smells like, if it smells burned the tranny`s burned. Lastly, to prevent this from happening again, there`s a tab on the dipstick tube that bolts to the bell housing to keep this from occuring, by all means bolt it up so this don`t happen again.

 

It wasn't the dipstick that was removed, it was the dipstick tube. I accidently pulled it out some and didn't realize it when I was adjust the rockers on the engine. I drove it some after that and everything seemed fine. Then I parked it for about 2 hours and it was out of fluid.
I don't think the problem is the manuel linkage, I could shift through the gears with it sitting still and it felt like it was shifting normally but if I put into drive or reverse it wouldn't do a thing except act like it was in nuetral. I check the linkage but I doubt thats the problem. I will besure to check the converter bolts though. Thanks guys I appreciate your help


Brad

 

Check balls

Alright, I finally got the chance to go out and check what yall said. The pump is working, plenty of fluid, no burned smell from the dipstick, and checked the converter bolts.
I did just recently put in a B&M shift kit, but I did drive it some after wards and everything was fine with it. But something odd about it, that I just remembered. When I opened up the Transmmission to put in the kit. I noticed that there wasn't a single check ball anywhere. I didn't pay much attention to it since the transmission worked great before, and just put it back togather with out any. Could this be the problem? It did work just fine when I drove it until this happened.


Brad

 

I would still pull the pan and check to make sure the linkage is moving the valve. It may feel like it is operating properly, and not be. If the "s" clip has come out of the valve, you won't feel it in the shifter. It can still go in and out of park, but not move the shift valve.

 

Thanks man, Ill check that out the next time I get to. I won't have a chance to mess with it for another couple of days.
It makes sense what your saying but how would running it out of fluid cause the s clip to come off?

 

Alright, I finally got the chance to go out and check what yall said. The pump is working, plenty of fluid, no burned smell from the dipstick, and checked the converter bolts.
I did just recently put in a B&M shift kit, but I did drive it some after wards and everything was fine with it. But something odd about it, that I just remembered. When I opened up the Transmmission to put in the kit. I noticed that there wasn't a single check ball anywhere. I didn't pay much attention to it since the transmission worked great before, and just put it back togather with out any. Could this be the problem? It did work just fine when I drove it until this happened.


Brad

Which B&M shift kit did you install? If I recall correctly there are supposed to be check balls in those.

 

Things don't have to be related. The fluid being would not cause the clip to come out. Moving the shifter from one gear to another can, if everything involved is right for it to happen.

In order to loose enough trans fluid to go from operating properly, to not moving, you should have a very large puddle under the vehicle. As most people that work on cars know, it takes very little fluid to make a large mess. The amount of fluid that you can loose from the dipstick tube being leaking will cause slipping, but you should still feel some engagement. That is unless the vehicle is parked pointing downhill.

 

Lonestar- I used the B&M transpak shift kit for TH-350c, I ordered it from summit, and the only other shiftkit by B&M for my tranny that they had was for a full manuel conversion. It didn't come with any check balls in the shiftkit, and when I opened up the transmission there was none in any of the locations that the instructions talked about.
Adtkart-I will pull that pan and take a look at the clip the next time I get a chance which wont be until monday or tuesday. There was a big puddle of fluid on the ground when it was leaking, but I didn't realize it was transmission fluid because I was adjusting the rockers on the engine and figured it was oil slung from the rockers. Im also useing B&M's trick shift fluid, so its blue instead of the normal red so It blended in more with the oil. It was park facing downhill to. I figured it lost even more when I drove it around the neighbor hood, and just left a trail of fluid around with out me realizing it, because of the tube being out of the transmission.

Thanks guy


Brad

 

Another thing to check is the vacuum modulator. If the diaphragm breaks, the tranny fluid is quickly sucked through the engine. When this happens it is pretty evident though 'cause there is a big cloud of white smoke following the car. Easy to check though, just pull the vacuum hose off the modulator and look at it. It should be bone dry. IF it is wet with tranny fluid the modulator is gone.

I assume you are checking the tranny fluid with the engine warm and idling like you should. You know of course if you check the fluid with the engine off it will show full but when it starts up the fluid is pumped from the pan into the torque converter and the tranny starves.

 

Ok sorry it took me a while to finally get the chance to try and figure it out some more.
I just pulled the pan off to check the S clip. It is all hooked up the way it is supposed to and the shift valve moves back and forth like it is supposed to. Modulator is good also. Any other Ideas what it could be guys?


Brad

 

trans

Did this all happen since the kit was installed????

Did the trans work att all after the kit was installed???

Sorry if you all ready covered this...

Keith

 

Yes, I drove it around the block several times after the kit was installed. The Tranny shifted like it was supposed to. I didn't drive it much as I was having problems with the engine that I have now worked out.
Thanks


Brad

 

trans

I am getting to the end of being any more help to you... Maybe crosley will jump in....

I guess i would drop the pan and make sure all the valve body bolts are tight according to the spec's..... I would also install the correct check balls required by the kit. I do know a very common problem with the b&m kits are getting the transfer plates out of order just double check that....

Maybe the lack of the balls was some body elses home made shift kit and by you adding the b&m deal it might have burnt something up???? Just a thought no real personal problems exactly like this to back it up.....

Keith

 

Thanks for your help keith, I don't think it could be the check balls, I could be wrong. But it did work those times I took it around the block. Each time I took it I drove about 2-3 miles, with several WOT blasts. And every time it shifted like it was supposed to, until I backed it up to drive it after a while and it stopped because of the fluid. Thanks again


Brad

 

Anybody else have any ideas that could be the problem? I pulled the pan and everything looks good and their is nothing I can figure it out. I havent put fluid back in it to try it yet as I don't want to waste more tranny fluid just to have to dump it to take the pan off again.


Brad

 

trans

Well as i see it you have 2 options at this point.

Yank the trans and pull it apart and find the problem....

Or go buy a 0-300psi gauge and hook it to the line pressure port and let us know what it is reading........

Keith

 

Yanking it out and taking it apart was what I was afraid you were gonna say. ain: Ill try the gauge first. Which line is it that you are talking about? Are you talking about one of the cooler lines? Thanks keith I appreciate all of your help.


Brad

 

Gauge

No it's a port on the passinger side of the trans. It a 1/8" pipe tap. It's the one closest to the tail housing....

keith

 

Do I need to have the engine running in order to get the right reading? and does it have to be in gear or just in park or nuetral?
Thanks


Brad

 

pressure

The trans needs to be full of fluid. The engine running.

There are a set of parameters for all the ranges of the transmission. I would guess that in park there will be little or no pressure and there really isn't any reason to go much past that if that is the case. If you have line pressure in park and it drops when you put it into gear than that is another story.

I don't have the pressures memorized. i will need to look them up in the book, plus most valve body kits raise the pressure anyway so i am not sure how accurate the book numbers are, But we will cross that bridge when we get there....

keep in mind i am not as good with transmissions as i am with engines, but i am trying to help... if someone else thinks i am leading him down the wrong path please speak up.......

Keith

 

Alright I will have to go buy a pressure gauge in the next day or so and check that out.
Keith I can't thank you enough for your help though, I really appreciate it. :thumbup:


Brad