New 200, Nothing Happens...

[LC2nLS6]

I had the tranny (87 2004R) rebuilt by a very reputable Buick shop. I just dropped my new motor in this weekend, along with the trans. Everything is hooked up right, but the transmission doesn't respond to any gear selections. No audible sound can be heard while I move the gear lever. Yes, there is ATF in it. I filled it to 10.75 qts, as per the Haynes manual. I then pulled the pan and verified that the shop put a filter on it, and it is there. Doesn't seem like the pump is making any pressure at all. Does it need to primed or something?????

Am I missing something? I've tried slowly moving the shifter through all gears. Perhaps there is something amiss in the valve body. I can't get the car towed to the shop until late next week, because of my work schedule.

Is there anything I can do? (gotta pull valve body, I guess)

Any info appreciated...

 

[MeanBuicks]

Sorry, but I've got to ask...

did you remember to bolt the converter to the flexplate?

If that's not it, here are a few more possibilities:

1. Converter was rebuilt with a 700-R4, 30-count, turbine spline. It would make pump pressure but the car will not pull in any range because the input shaft isn't engaged.
2. Manual valve S-clip not hooked up. This is what connects the manual selection shaft in the case to the manual valve in the valve body. Can be verified visually by dropping pan.
3. Excessive converter pullback. When pulling the converter forward towards the flexplate to bolt it up, you should have no more than 3/16" travel. More than that and the hub can disengage the pump rotor.
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   BTW, one quick method to verify if the pump is indeed pumping is to compare the dipstick reading with the engine running to the reading when the engine is off. If the level is not changing at all, it's not pumping.

 

[LC2nLS6]

thanks,

I bolted the trans to the engine and dropped them in together, and yes, the TC is bolted to the flywheel

The converter is a D5 from a wrecked Turbo Buick.

The fluid level doesn't change even if the engine is running or not.

The connection of the gear selector, S clip as you call it, did appear to be correctly connected when I dropped the pan earlier, when I was looking for visual clues. I'll go look at it again, maybe I have been sipping on too much Valvoline ATF today...

 

[MeanBuicks]

Was the transmission tested after it was built? It may have wound up with a regulator valve that's stuck wide open. One other possibility is that the pump rotor has broken which sometimes happens; more so if an offshore component was used during the rebuild.

 

[LC2nLS6]

I bought all the stuff from ArtCarr (the one in Abilene, Tx). The pump (rebuild) was supposedly tested. The completed tranny wasn't tested by the local Buick shop, to my knowledge. I'll dig into it tomorrow when the daylight breaks. Thanks again.