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Trans is toast...


alec_b

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Wow... Just what I need. Went to pick up a friend of mine from work tonight and half way there I noticed that I had no lock up. funny since it was fine all day. So I let it cool down a few minutes and went on my way. All seemed fine until I got to a grade on the highway and got the worst tcc shudder I've ever felt. I babied it 5 more miles and got off on my exit. Made it to the second light (a loooooong light) and as soon as I tried to take off I got nothing but shudder and slip. limped to the closest gas station by which time I had lost all gears including reverse. After I let it sit about 15 minutes it started to work again. fluid is totally burnt but it was just fine a week ago and I changed it about 10 k ago. I just don't get how it goes to hell that fast?

 

I'm kind of at a loss of what to do here. I'm going to tow her to work tomorrow and do a fluid change and see what happens. I'm not holding out hope though. so does anyone have a good used trans near me? Or does anyone want to buy it? Ugh... End rant.

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Vacuum modulator is original as far as I can tell. not leaking. I just used the bulk atf that we stock at work. We use it in almost every car that takes dex or merc.

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I would not waste money on a fluid change, if it lost all gears and was grinding and shuddering, it is gone.

Weird how it lost even reverse though. I would speculate that the pump itself is shot but being buried in the transmission, not something you can just make a couple tweaks.

Sometimes transmissions fail slowly like losing a gear or two or slippage but a complete failure like that -

Time for a new one (or rebuilt)

 

I used to work in a transmission shop years ago and for ones that bad, they would just get instantly pulled and torn down for inspection (with the customer's permission) A 4T60 is probably not something a home mechanic wants to try to dick with, honestly.

 

Hey if you do this job, make sure there isn't an external clog or leak like in the cooling lines or the part of the radiator that cools the trans fluid. Something had to cause a sudden failure like that.

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Had a similar problem with my GP then my Z. When the converter isn't locked it will eventually super heat the fluid and if too hot it will slip and most times the computer would keep it out of 4th gear. My GP totally lost lockup while my Z shuttered like crazy when trying to lockup, was extremely bad when over 70 like running over rumble strips. Ended up being the brake switch on both. Try using some tape on the pedal to depress the plunger further as it may be worn. If it doesn't work it was worth trying. BTW you can not use your brake lights as a reference of the switch working or not.

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Thanks for all the help guys. I dropped the pan today at work and the fluid was toasted (which I knew). There were also metal shavings in the fluid. I went ahead and swapped the filter out anyways after letting it drain for a good hour, and then flushed the whole thing out with the old cooler-line-in-a-bucket trick. Took about 20 quarts to get it running through decently clean.

 

I took it for a drive afterwards and it felt decent, although the shift timing itself seemed a little funky. It doesn't slip in any gears or in lockup even under load or on a grade. However, right at the end of my test drive the pump started making a gear on gear stripping sound that goes away when I put it in park or neutral. I'm guessing this is just a progression of the slight whine that it's always had. It still runs and moves under it's own power but I'm sure it won't be long. It's tucked away safe and sound at work as of right now.

 

So I'm at a standstill. I need a car, like now. I have part of this week figured out but beyond that I'm lost. I really don't have the time to put the tranny in this thing, although I'm more than capable. Finding a used one around here is impossible, there are NONE within about 300 miles on a quick car-part search. $1600 to pay someone else to do it is not going to happen, I'd rather put that down on a new car.

 

So on that note, anyone looking for a clean rust-free w-body?

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