I think my tranny is getting worse

1033 Views 18 Replies 8 Participants Last post by firebird_1252, Aug 18, 2003

d0n_3d

Discussion Starter · Aug 13, 2003

Remember my problem before...I was having a 2-3 flareup during NORMAL cruise but WOT shifts were awesome and right at redline (5200)...

but now the flareup has shown up in WOT...when it goes from 2-3 i am lighting up 3 red light bars on the stock tach and i saw the engine light flicker for a second and then it shifted into 3rd...(i think that flicker is a shift light, an extender chip feature)

but before it never went that high at the 2-3 shift...it would shift right at 5200...now it's like 5600

so after that little run...i start driving around and i notice that i can't feel anymore shifts during cruise!!! from a dead stop it would take a lot of rpms to move the car...you could hear the motor reving kinda high in first gear...i thoguht for sure the tranny was toast...the rpms would stay right at around 2000 at all speeds up to 45 mph and from a dead stop i couldn't feel ANY shifts...i could feel the tcc lockup and that was it...it was like this for most of the afternoon and then i go for another spin and now my gears are back and i can feel the shifts again...

i kinda have a feeling my tranny is toast...i was going to race the car friday but i guess i would be stupid to now...should i just park the car and get ready for a rebuild or what...this tranny is bone stock with around 92k miles...

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

ULYCYC

· #2 · Aug 13, 2003

Like I said before "time for a rebuild" I would not go to the track with it flaring..

d0n_3d

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 13, 2003

cars defintely do not have a timetable on when stuff likes to break...always gotta happen at the worst of times

rant

sigh time to start looking for a rebuilder somewhere close...any idea on how much a complete rebuild will cost for say a mid to high 10's capable street car? mostly street driven with occasional trips to the track...

ULYCYC

· #4 · Aug 13, 2003

About $2500.00 with billet parts. Standard rebuilds between $1000 and $1500 for 11sec and slower. Since you are looking for 10's Go with billet parts. If you are putting in a brake then add more

J Dow

· #5 · Aug 14, 2003

Buy the video and do it yourself.Or just replace the direct and foward clutches,those are not to hard.

d0n_3d

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 14, 2003

Yeah now I definitely know for sure the tranny is toast...I just pulled the pan off and drained the fluid...PURE black...it's all clutch material...even at the very bottom of the pan you could scrape up all the clutch material...the fluid looks as black as oil...normally i put in b+m trick shift which is BLUE...not black...comments are welcome...anybody have a clue as to what is going on inside my tranny? can i still drive it for a couple more days if i have to? i am limited to just 2 vehicles at the moment...

Steve Wood

· #7 · Aug 14, 2003

Your tranny has burned up. I would not keep driving it as it may become more expensive, or simply leave you stranded.

NOSjohnWE4

· #8 · Aug 14, 2003

yup just plain old worn OUT. that's what happens to the cluthes as they get some miles/age on them.

JohnLarkin

· #9 · Aug 14, 2003

Don't use Trick Shift anymore. Not good for lubrication. Cheap Mercon/Dexron is the best and the cheapest.

Steve Wood

· #10 · Aug 14, 2003

my sentiments, exactly

d0n_3d

Discussion Starter · #11 · Aug 16, 2003

i drove the car one last time today...i lost 3rd gear and reverse completely...plus the tranny is slipping from o/d to 2nd gear at highway speeds around 60 mph...so i parked the car in the garage today and plan on taking the trans out soon...now i am just trying to figure out which route i should go as far as getting a new one in there...i either want to have it rebuilt mildly for up to low 11's or i have had someone contact me wanting to sell their high 10 second ready trans with only 400 miles on it...if i got it rebuilt by someone i would have a warranty...hmmmmm which way should i go

d0n_3d

Discussion Starter · #12 · Aug 16, 2003

JohnLarkin:
Don't use Trick Shift anymore. Not good for lubrication. Cheap Mercon/Dexron is the best and the cheapest.

you know what's funny...i know my tranny has high mileage on it...but all this started to happen after i started using the trick shift fluid...i wonder if that helped wear out the clutches faster...so just use dexron III next time?

Steve V

· #13 · Aug 16, 2003

You guys don't like synthetic blend ATF for the TRs? The shop I work for uses it(mostly) and we had good success with it. I use it in my GN and SS and it seems to work well,no leaks.

JohnLarkin

· #14 · Aug 16, 2003

I'm value conscious (that's P.C. for cheap).

I use Coastal brands in trans and rear; all organic, no synthetics. Regular Valvoline 10W30 in the engine though.

To sorta confirm your suspicions Don, yes, Trick Shift is even gimmicky for racing only. I have 2 old style cardboard oil cans of it from the 70s still unopened.

Steve Wood

· #15 · Aug 17, 2003

I suspect the trick shift is just a cheap Type F.

You have an additional external cooler on the tranny?

d0n_3d

Discussion Starter · #16 · Aug 18, 2003

yes i do have a front mount tranny cooler...it's a really old unit (from the early 90's) and it's huge...it's about 3/4 the size of the radiator...been on my car since i bought it back in 97 with 25k miles on the clock...

i have decided to pull my own tranny out and take it to jimmy's transmissions in illinois and have the intermediate rebuild done to it...should be around 1400-1500 bucks with the converter...that should be fine for my combo...i am not doing any more mods for a LONG time...

Steve Wood

· #17 · Aug 18, 2003

Jimmy used to have an excellent rep. I have not heard anything to the contrary in recent years.

Sounds a little high if you are doing the r&r.

d0n_3d

Discussion Starter · #18 · Aug 18, 2003

well it's either him or bowler trans? anybody ever get their tranny done from them?

firebird_1252

· #19 · Aug 18, 2003

i strongly recomend shiping the tranny to eric at dynotech in nj.

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

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