This is for my '83 Regal T-type... stock (supposedly rebuilt) original transmission, stock converter. Sitting behind a cammed '72 455 Buick V8.
I just got the engine running a few weeks ago, and I've noticed that the car no longer moves at all in any forward gear (D,3,2,1). I've inspected the external shift linkage on the transmission while a friend moved the shift lever and it does move each time the lever is moved.
The first time I got it running it moved once or twice in Drive but always very sluggishly and not until the motor was revved over 2000 rpm--felt a lot like a slipping clutch does in a manual. I wasn't sure if it was just the converter or not.
The car DOES move fine in Reverse, and you can hear the engine load down a little bit when it engages (sometimes it takes a second). Park and Neutral also seem to function properly.
I kept checking the fluid level, and it was a little low but not bad, so I kept adding fluid until it stabilized. According to the dipstick now, it's one pint overfull.
What I don't get is the fluid level reads exactly the same whether the motor is running or not. Every auto I've ever had reads HIGHER with the motor off (because the trans cooler drains back into the pan, I suppose). Not this one. I'm running a fairly large external cooler mounted in front of the A/C condenser in series with the cooler in the radiator (which is from a '92 Camaro Z28 w/350 chevy engine).
I was originally thinking pump failure, but that doesn't explain the fact that reverse functions. I'd think I'd have no gears at all if the pump was dead. The only other thing I could possibly come up with is the forward clutch is toast, and I don't know how to diagnose that.
Anyone got any suggestions on what to check? I ran out of time and couldn't drop the pan but the fluid looked fine on the dipstick. The car is three states away and I won't get a chance to look at it for two weeks, so I'm hoping someone on here has some suggestions. I didn't think the transmission would last very long behind the big block, but I thought it might survive long enough to move the car around the driveway
I just got the engine running a few weeks ago, and I've noticed that the car no longer moves at all in any forward gear (D,3,2,1). I've inspected the external shift linkage on the transmission while a friend moved the shift lever and it does move each time the lever is moved.
The first time I got it running it moved once or twice in Drive but always very sluggishly and not until the motor was revved over 2000 rpm--felt a lot like a slipping clutch does in a manual. I wasn't sure if it was just the converter or not.
The car DOES move fine in Reverse, and you can hear the engine load down a little bit when it engages (sometimes it takes a second). Park and Neutral also seem to function properly.
I kept checking the fluid level, and it was a little low but not bad, so I kept adding fluid until it stabilized. According to the dipstick now, it's one pint overfull.
What I don't get is the fluid level reads exactly the same whether the motor is running or not. Every auto I've ever had reads HIGHER with the motor off (because the trans cooler drains back into the pan, I suppose). Not this one. I'm running a fairly large external cooler mounted in front of the A/C condenser in series with the cooler in the radiator (which is from a '92 Camaro Z28 w/350 chevy engine).
I was originally thinking pump failure, but that doesn't explain the fact that reverse functions. I'd think I'd have no gears at all if the pump was dead. The only other thing I could possibly come up with is the forward clutch is toast, and I don't know how to diagnose that.
Anyone got any suggestions on what to check? I ran out of time and couldn't drop the pan but the fluid looked fine on the dipstick. The car is three states away and I won't get a chance to look at it for two weeks, so I'm hoping someone on here has some suggestions. I didn't think the transmission would last very long behind the big block, but I thought it might survive long enough to move the car around the driveway
