Sometimes I just wanna cry...

[Patrick]

So I spent $3600 trying to fix a problem with the engine, only to have it not really get fixed. Great! Then I got a break, found a guy who rebuilds carbs and that was the problem, a $200 fix. YAY! So my brother and I decided to get the exhaust fixed up and a $250 repair turned into a grand when I had the rear brakes done, a seal replaced, and decided to replace my faulty booster. I got it back yesterday and had a great drive with the wife and kids up to the lake and back. Another short trip this morning to my daughter's ball hockey game and I was grinning driving the New Yorker despite the cash I put out. So my brother wanted to borrow it this afternoon (he did pay for the exhaust...) and he didn't even make it out of the driveway. It won't go into reverse now. WTF!!!

Anyway, I read I need to pull the bottom off the tranny and check the reverse valve. Maybe it's an easy fix. Any advice? Anyone want to donate to a great guy who just wants to drive his car???

 

[furyus 67]

)hug(........

 

[commando1]

So I spent $3600 trying to fix a problem with the engine, only to have it not really get fixed. Great! Then I got a break, found a guy who rebuilds carbs and that was the problem, a $200 fix. YAY! So my brother and I decided to get the exhaust fixed up and a $250 re5pair turned into a grand when I had the rear brakes done, a seal replaced, and decided to replace my faulty booster. I got it back yesterday and had a great drive with the wife and kids up to the lake and back. Another short trip this morning to my daughter's ball hockey game and I was grinning driving the New Yorker despite the cash I put out. So my brother wanted to borrow it this afternoon (he did pay for the exhaust...) and he didn't even make it out of the driveway. It won't go into reverse now. WTF!!!

Anyway, I read I need to pull the bottom off the tranny and check the reverse valve. Maybe it's an easy fix. Any advice? Anyone want to donate to a great guy who just wants to drive his car???

Get in line...

 

[Ironwolf]

 

[Wollfen]

It could be just a sticky valve in the valve body, comes from glazing building up on the surface of it, does it go into reverse once the transmission fluid is warmed up? If it works normally, then, yes it's a sticky valve. It could be something simple like some crap in the body, might need a clean. Just a matter of going through a process of elimination, check the simple things first, clean fluid, clean filter etc. The reverse band tension, it may have broke?

 

[70bigblockdodge]

It the strut if all forward gears work it is about a 1×1 square 1/8" thick, will most likely laying in the pan. I can probably walk you through putting it back.

 

[Landyacht]

The front clutch and the rear band controls reverse. Does it have push button shift?

 

[Patrick]

Does it have push button shift?

No, just the auto on the tree. Thanks for the photo, though.

 

[Landyacht]

If you plan on pulling the valve body your self make sure you use jack stands and NOT RAMPS. and make sure the wheels are chalked. Once the valve body comes out the car is no longer in park and can roll away with you under it.

 

[Landyacht]

If the car will move forward in drive. but not in low 1 then the reverse band isn't working. If it will move in drive and low 1 then the front clutch isn't working.

 

[Landyacht]

When in drive the overrunning clutch engages first gear and the low reverse band remains inoperative. When downshifted into low 1 the overrunning clutch remains inoperative and the low reverse band is engaged.

 

[Patrick]

I have D, 2 and 1. All work. It's just reverse that's not working.

 

[Wollfen]

I have D, 2 and 1. All work. It's just reverse that's not working.

Okay you can ignore the band problem then, its time to look at the valve body. Oh, one other thing to check, make sure the selector lever on the gearbox that is bolted to the input shaft is tight, if it isn't, then it might not be selecting the gears properly.

 

[Landyacht]

Sounds more like a valve body issue. Could be a bad seal in the front clutch or worn out clutches. An air pressure test should determine whether the seals are bad or not. I doubt worn clutches. When I tore down my 727 the clutches where all warped and the friction plates where in pretty sorry shape, but amazingly they still worked! You could check your linkage adjustment but even with it being out of adjustment you should still get reverse if you try to wiggle the shifter back and forth and try placing it halfway between park and reverse or halfway between reverse and neutral.

 

[Landyacht]

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Pull the pan put the strut back in you will have reverse. This is caused by not adjusting the low reverse band, quite trying to make it the vavlebody problem unless the fluid is trashed and/or material getting stuck in there.1st gear is still working with the overrunning clutch but you have no low band apply /engine braking do not try to test this you may damage the overrunning clutch/rear sprague

 

[Landyacht]

Pull the pan put the strut back in you will have reverse. This is caused by not adjusting the low reverse band, quite trying to make it the vavlebody problem unless the fluid is trashed and/or material getting stuck in there.1st gear is still working with the overrunning clutch but you have no low band apply /engine braking do not try to test this you may damage the overrunning clutch/rear sprague

He claims that low 1 works. If the band strut fell out or the band wasn't properly adjusted he would have no manual low but it would still go forward in breakaway low. The revers band is never used when the shift selector is in drive. Either way he has to drop the pan to find out.

 

[Landyacht]

Just did some rechecking and the overrunning clutch does in fact engage in low 1 if the reverse band is not applied. Turns out I was wrong after all. I still think its a valve body issue. If the band was out of adjustment he should have noticed it slipping before hand.

 

[Patrick]

I looked at the cost of fluid and realized that if I dropped the pan myself and didn't fix it i would have to put fluid back in and drive to the shop, or call a tow. Either way, my brother and I decided to send it to the shop. I'll let you all know what the results are when I get it back. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

It will still act normal just will not apply the band that provides engine braking just like a manual valvebody. Yes he needs to drop the pan, if he chooses to take it somewhere this banter will keep him from having the whole trans rebuilt that less than reputable shops will have him doing.