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89 buick tranny problem


1988s10

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well i got my $150 1989 buick regal running!!!!!! well i thought i had fix the tranny shifting issue of up shifting at way too high of an RPM and down shifting hard. well it's better but it will not down shift to 1st gear by itself. i have to manualy put it into first gear when i stop or turn corners. but after it shifts into 1st gear(very very slowly) it'll up shift fine(by fine i mean still up shift a higher than wanted RPM and but not as hard).

 

i replaced the modulater(thought it may help the shifting a little). it's a adjustable one also. would adjusting it help this? and i adjusted the TV cable. i know as a mechanic i should know more than this. but at work we'd just say"to the tranny shop for you!".

 

well i hope it's not a death sign for the tranny. i just spent my whole weekend getting running and fixing all the leaks(last owner was cheap and thought it would save money to just keep adding).

 

well if you have some thoughts on this please chime in! thank you.

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adjusting it may help firm up and quicken the shifts on part-throttle driving, but don't go too high. I think 3-4 full revolutions of the adjustment screw is the maximum you should try.

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well i had thought about adjusting it. but i'm more worried about the no down shift to 1st gear really. cause adjusting things won't save a toast tranny. is there any comon problems with the GM TH440 tanny to cause a no down shift to 1st gear? i can shift the tranny into first gear manualy(put the shifter into first) and it'll go into 1st gear after 5 seconds or so. after that i can put it back into OD and all is fine until i have to stop or turn a corner.

 

i'm going to hit a tranny shop tomarrow if i can and find out if it's inside the tranny and i need to replace or if it's something i can fix with the tranny in the car.

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yes the TV cable is adjusted. i did that and replaced the modulator. the tranny shop thinks the govener is not working right. it's a whole $30 so i'll give that a try. if that doesn't work i'll drop the tranny and replace it.

 

and on the shifting it takes forever to up shift and it will downshift from OD to D to pass. but it will not down shift to first unless i do it manually with the shifter. but i was talking to the my buddy and he finally said" well it would shift funny only when it got low on fluid. once i filled it up it was fine". so i don't know how many times it got low and how low it got. but i'm thinking the tranny is toast. well monday or tuesday i'll get the govener in and see if it's fixed or not.

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it's offical the tranny is toast. it doesn't move anymore. just a question what model tranny would be in a 94 cutalss supreme with the 3.4L DOHC? i have a friend with one that has a blown motor but a good tranny. i'm betting it's the 4T60E and not the TH440.

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darn! well it was worth a try. my uncle says he has one. but just to ask. would one off a car with a 3.8L fit onto my 3.1L? he has one from a 87 delta 88( i know it's not a W-body and 2 years older).

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it actually might work. The H-body used a 440-T4 as well back then, and the only controls are the hookups for the TCC solenoid, tv cable, and vacuum modulator. Bellhousings are the same... I would suggest looking at all the mounting points as well as all mounting bosses being the same, just to be sure. The drive ratio will probably be different, but that can be worked around.

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my plan was to pull the tranny from my buick and take it with me to see my uncle(he live 5 hours up north). and make sure it'll fit. and on the final drive ratio thing wouldn't swaping the govener from mine to the other fix that? cause the speed sensor is driven off the govener.

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the speed sensor reads the reluctor wheel on the final drive assembly. You may have to swap it to retain the correct ratio as well as have the same # of pulses per revolution (# of teeth on the wheel) but I am unsure if the internal ratio is the same. Gear ratios are the same however the drive/driven gears internally could be different.

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the buick a 3.1?

 

those should be different. I would look at local j/ys for a donor from another W body, ONLY.

 

yeah the only one by me that has one wants $350 for it with 166,000 miles on it. the one my uncle has; has like 102,000 miles on it and he wants like $150-$200 for it.

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