Transmission issue! Need advice!

[dart165]

Hey guys, need to lean on your experience here.

For those of you who don't know this cars story, the short of it, is that it was essentially stolen almost 20 years ago, and i randomly found it on craigslist, and consequently got it back last month. I put the whole story up in the early c-bodies section : Recovery 63: The story about my 300 coupe.

Onto my issue though.

I got the car running, and went through the brakes, then took it for a test run. When i put the trans in gear, it was super slow to engage. Once it was rolling it cycled up through gears but eventually after a 10 mile stint at highway speed, i lost all throttle response. I coasted to a stop, and the car wouldn't engage in any gear, or reverse for that matter. i had it towed home, and put another quart of atf in, since it was showing a court low. The car still hardly wants to engage though, so i can barely move it.

So is it a textbook blown trans, or am i missing something?

My budget is super shoestring with this car, since i already had so many other irons in the fire when this thing dropped back into my life, but trans rebuilding is outside on my wrench turning wheelhouse, so i just want to make sure that there isn't something i should be checking before I pull the trans and send it off with a wad of cash for a rebuild?

Here's the car when the trans gave up the ghost.. good opportunity for a photo shoot anyway..

 

[Mike66Chryslers]

Since I don't know your level of expertise with these, I'll ask a basic question: Do you know how to check the ATF level in a Torqueflite? The pump does not run in Park and the fluid would drain back to the pan, so you would get an artificially high reading. You need to check the level with the engine running and trans in Neutral. Could be that it's still low on fluid.

 

[Yeahrightgreer]

What was the fluid like when you drained it? Was it serviced or driven during the 20 year stint of being missing? Was the fluid gooey, slushy, highly discolored etc. If so it might need a full flush. If metal shavings it might be done for.

Now that you have the car home - have you been able to get it to move period? Leave it with the car running in Neutral for some time to get the fluid circulating and ensure it is not overheating. Put it in gear and see if it has ANY response in ANY gear. As always - look out for loud audible clunks, bangs, clicks, etc when cycling through the gears.

 

[Davea Lux]

If it is slow to engage, often that is a sign of a clogged transmission filter/screen or a blown valve body gasket. Pull the transmission pan and replace the filter. While you have it apart, do a band adjustment FSM details how to do it, not difficult. If the transmission pan is full of black gunk or metal shavings, the transmission is likely in need of a rebuild. If not, do the band adjustment, replace the filter, check the valve body bolts to sure they are tight and drain the convertor and put it back together and fill with fluid. You might just get lucky.

Dave

 

[Mike66Chryslers]

drain the convertor and put it back together and fill with fluid.

Just to add to this, if your torque converter is original, it should have a drain plug. Rotate it by cranking the engine by hand until the plug is visible then remove the plug to drain the converter. If someone has installed an aftermarket converter at some point, it may not have a drain plug in which case you can't drain it easily.

I had a transmission fail in my Dodge pickup similar to your symptoms but it happened suddenly when I was going up a hill. In my case the torque convertor suffered internal failure. If you don't find anything wrong after trying everything above in this thread, that is another possibility.

 

[dart165]

all good advice! thanks guys!

to answer a few questions:
"Do you know how to check the ATF level in a Torqueflite"
- I didn't know that. I'll definitely check after letting it run in neutral without the park lever down.

"What was the fluid like when you drained it"
-I didn't drain it, it was low but didn't look particularly heavy/dark, so i topped it off. (starting to think i should have though...

"Now that you have the car home - have you been able to get it to move period?"
- it engages just a little bit after like 20 seconds of actually being in gear.

I'll pull the pan asap and looks for a clogged transmission filter or a blown valve body gasket. Stay tuned, and thanks again all for the quick responses!

 

[Gerald Morris]

Check your cooling lines too. You might have had a sudden leak of the sort that comes when a transmission cooler line lets all the fluid run out as you go down the road. If you saw fluid when checking in Park, you had a false read. Put it in Neutral and let it idle at least 30 sec before checking. I nursed a VERY BADLY worn TF 727 for 2 yrs before hiring a shop to rebuild it.

(The mechanic told me he didn't understand WHAT could have kept the car moving. It was that badly worn out. NOW she drives beautifully. I'll take it in next month, when a year is up to let the guys look at their work. They were curious and willing to check it after the anniversary. Both old gray-haired pros who have been building transmissions for 50 years.)

 

[dart165]

tearing into it tonight.

anyone know a good/quick shipping source for 727 trans filters and/or valve body gaskets?

 

[dart165]

Check your cooling lines too. You might have had a sudden leak of the sort that comes when a transmission cooler line lets all the fluid run out as you go down the road.

Will do, thanks!

 

[Mike66Chryslers]

tearing into it tonight.

anyone know a good/quick shipping source for 727 trans filters and/or valve body gaskets?

The 727 uses the same filter and pan gasket as 47RH, 47RE and 48RE 4-speed automatic transmissions, which were used in Dodge pickups up to at least 2007. You should be able to pick one of these at your local car parts store.

EDIT: I forgot, your 727 is old enough that it has both front and rear pumps. It requires a special filter with 2 openings, one for each pump inlet. Forget what I wrote above. Sorry.

EDIT 2: BTW, I believe the "valve body gasket" you're referring to is the steel separator plate between the top and bottom halves of the valvebody. You don't replace that. When you have the pan and filter removed, check that the screws that hold the valvebody together are tight and the bolts that attach the valvebody to the transmission are torqued to spec.

 

[BigblueC]

tearing into it tonight.

anyone know a good/quick shipping source for 727 trans filters and/or valve body gaskets?

My local Oreilly's had 'em on the shelf. (correct 2 hole Wix filter for my '65)

 

[dart165]

well.. that don't look too good...

yikes:

Lots of matter... not just goop but grit and hard chunks, which makes me think this badboy is a goner...but i ordered up a filter/gasket and atf, and will give it a last shot... why not for $25.

 

[Yeahrightgreer]

Yikes. Although it doesn’t look like there’s much metal flakes in there - who knows how much of that can be caught up between the gears or in the Torque Converter.

Either a very - very thorough flush or cracking open that trans to clean it will be essential

 

[Davea Lux]

well.. that don't look too good...
View attachment 221051

View attachment 221052

yikes:
View attachment 221053
Lots of matter... not just goop but grit and hard chunks, which makes me think this badboy is a goner...but i ordered up a filter/gasket and atf, and will give it a last shot... why not for $25.

Might want to pressure check the transmission cooler, sometimes thick gunk like that is from antifreeze leaking into the cooler from the radiator.

Dave

 

[1970cat]

when you do the service, try adding a bottle of lucas transmission fix to it. it's snake oil that actually works. i wouldn't plan on any long trips with it right away though.

 

[BigblueC]

If I was you I'd plan on doing a couple of fluid/filter changes with a few lightly driven miles in between. Like 1970cat mentioned, adding a bottle of some additional cleaner might help. He recommends Lucas, I'd say Sea Foam Trans Creep, either way.

 

[Mike66Chryslers]

Yuck! Looks like someone filled your transmission with bananas instead of ATF!

 

[Ripinator]

well.. that don't look too good...
View attachment 221051

View attachment 221052

yikes:
View attachment 221053
Lots of matter... not just goop but grit and hard chunks, which makes me think this badboy is a goner...but i ordered up a filter/gasket and atf, and will give it a last shot... why not for $25.

Appears there was NEVER any regular maintenance performed on that transmission. You do realize that when you clean it all up and remove the goop, change the fluid, filter, etc., the transmission will not work at all. The goop is why it works now. Once its all flushed outa there, it won't work. . . Its time to bite the bullet. . .

 

[BigblueC]

Appears there was NEVER any regular maintenance performed on that transmission. You do realize that when you clean it all up and remove the goop, change the fluid, filter, etc., the transmission will not work at all. The goop is why it works now. Once its all flushed outa there, it won't work. . . Its time to bite the bullet. . .

I doubt that the "goop" is the reason that the trans worked for a hot minute. It's almost certainly the reason why it quit working as it clogged the system and shut down fluid flow. As long as no seals were blown out or the clutch pack burned up, I'd bet that it'll be fine once it's cleaned out.

 

[Ripinator]

I doubt that the "goop" is the reason that the trans worked for a hot minute. It's almost certainly the reason why it quit working as it clogged the system and shut down fluid flow. As long as no seals were blown out or the clutch pack burned up, I'd bet that it'll be fine once it's cleaned out.

I'm betting that when all the goop is cleaned away from the clutch packs, there is gonna be nothing left for the clutches and steels to grab hold of. Of course, I would be very happy to be proven wrong here. . .