auto trans 225 engine

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RonF

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Hey.. Need your help .. I took the motor and trans out of my 74 Duster. Did Gaskets and Rings on Motor. New filter in trans. It shifted fine before I took it out. Got it at back together, runs ok. Drove it down the street and back, Trans worked fine. Parked it back in my garage and noticed that the trans fluid was low so added some. Now when I start it, it wont shift into any gear. I notice that I filled the tranny up too much with trans fluid so I figure that is why and try to drain some. I disconnect the front tranny line off the radiator to drain some and nothing comes out. I start the car and still nothing comes out of the line. So I take it the fluid is not circulating? what did I do or what should I check? thanks in advance. Ron :)
 
Was in in Park or Neutral when you checked for circulation? Did the filter you installed match the one that came out? Some have two holes some have one. Fluid must be checked while in neutral unless you have the valve body upgrade kit installed.
 
I think its in neutral. No matter how you shift it, it does not engage. I think its stuck in neutral because the car rolls.
 
also ... put exact filter that was taken out ...
 
If the external shift linkages are all working correctly, and the tranny is not very low, then I fear the pan needs to come off to inspect the filter install. See above posts,for tips.
 
I think its in neutral. No matter how you shift it, it does not engage. I think its stuck in neutral because the car rolls.

If it rolls when the shifter is in park that indicates that the shift linkage has most likely come undone. That's be the first thing I'd check
 
linkage is fine ... i'm gonna drop the pan ... tell you what I find. Ron :)
 
dropped the pan .. the filter is the one hole kind. Held on by three bolts. The hole in the filter just meets with the hole in bottom of tranny. Is that ok? or is there supposed to be a connector of some kind? linkage seems to be working fine. any other ideas?? Thanks in advance .. Ron :)
 
" I disconnect the front tranny line off the radiator to drain some and nothing comes out. I start the car and still nothing comes out of the line. So I take it the fluid is not circulating? what did I do or what should I check? thanks in advance. Ron"


When you put the TC back into the tranny, did you engage the pump drive-lugs ok?
I kinda think the pump is broken.
And theres only one way to know.
Sorry
 
AJ/FormS : "did you engage the pump drive lugs" what do you mean by this? When I first drove the car after install down the road and back the tranny shifted ok. Do you think the pump broke during the ride? The "one way to know" I assume is pulling the tranny? If so should I pull the motor and tranny again all in one or would you recommend pulling just the tranny? Thanks in advance.. Ron :)
 
The convertor has to be engaged. Means you don't just push it on until it stops. Not unless you got lucky and hit the tangs right off the bat. Tangs being slots. Usually you slide the convertor on until it stops, then rotate the convertor until it slides on another 2 inches? That's how the tranny pump engages. If you had to crank especially hard on the bolts to get the tranny up to the engine you may not have had it lined up. Have you ever done anything like this before? R & R tranny? That's what is meant by engaging the lugs.
 
Thanks... I think you are right .. that's exactly what happened.. Ron
 
If this is the case and I did not engage the pump drive lugs... ( because it did crank hard to get the tranny to the engine) why did it drive through the gears when I first took it down the street after install? Could the tranny work at all with it not lined up properly? Thanks. Ron :)
 
Friction drive.
I imagine;The preload from the TC being squeezed between the crank and the face of the pump gears, may have been sufficient for the initial trip.Then it may have broken the pump.The tip-off is the lack of oil circulation through the cooler. This can only be, if A) no fluid, B)Restriction to the pump suction side, C) Pump not working, D) restriction in the line to the cooler.
And now we have the admission in posts 12 and 13, as to the tranny install.
This points to lack of experience and the probable pump failure.
I see no alternative to the taking down of the tranny. Its a couple of hours work to see the proof. If the TC survived, then its not an expensive repair.
The tranny comes down from the bottom pretty easily, but do not let it dangle, unsupported, from a loose bolt as it may break off an ear(mounting lug).After the dizzy cap is off,and the cooling fan is off,( a 4-blade fan doesnt have to come off if it is turned with no blade vertical and if there is plenty of room between it and the rad & shroud), and the engine is supported,and the tranny rear mount is off,and the rear of the tranny is dropped for access to the bellhouse bolts; I like to raise the car up in the back a little higher so that an imaginary line through the crank and tranny output shaft is parallel to the floor. This makes tranny removal on a tranny jack just a matter of rolling it to the rear and lowering it down, and more importantly,it makes the install much easier.You should take the tranny down with the TC in it. Make sure it doesnt fall out.Mark the TC and the flex plate for easy realignment.

Welcome to the wonderful world of acquiring knowledge.
 
Thanks guys .. sorry for my inexperience.. I'm just a guy in his garage who likes to work on old cars.. gaining experience as I go. Now I know!! Time to pull the tranny again! Thank you all! Ron :)
 
Ron, when you installed the trans and went to bolt up the torque converter to the flex plate did the converter spin easily and have to be pulled forward a little to meet up with the flex plate? If so you had the pump lugs properly engaged and the problem is elsewhere such as a broken pressure relief spring or stuck relief valve in the valve body
 
Thanks guys .. sorry for my inexperience.. I'm just a guy in his garage who likes to work on old cars.. gaining experience as I go. Now I know!! Time to pull the tranny again! Thank you all! Ron :)
Best way to learn , you'll never make that mistake again.
Good luck .
 
Best thing is you are in the right spot for knowledge! There are a lot of people here with the experience and knowledge to help you. More good than bad will come out of this.
 
Ok .. Got the tranny out. Now how do I tell if the TC is still good? Where is the pump located and how do I tell if that is not damaged? Thanks Ron :)
 

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There's no real good way to tell if a converter is good without cutting it open so that'll need to be done by a converter shop. The front pump is what the converter slips in to. You see the cutout's on the part of the converter that slips into the pump? Those cutouts are there to engage with 2 lugs down in the pump that spin the pump. Look in there and see of those lugs are still attached. If not that means their broke off and without them it won't pump any fluid so the pump will need to be removed and either rebuilt or replaced. To make it easier to see if the pump lugs are in good shape pop the front seal out.

BTW: You never answered my question I asked you in post # 16 on 7-19. I don't mind helping but if you don't answer simple questions I'm just wasting my time and you may have wasted your time by pulling the trans when it could be a broken relief spring in the valve body that could have been easily fixed without removing the transmission
 
fish68: I don't understand what you mean about "broken relief spring in the valve body" please elaborate. Thanks.
 
fish68: I don't understand what you mean about "broken relief spring in the valve body" please elaborate. Thanks.

The pump has a relief spring to keep the hydraulic pressure where the factory intended it to be and the valve body houses that pressure relief spring. If the spring breaks, or for any reason the valve jams open it'll act the same as a bad pump which equals no motion in any gear
 
Thanks to all of you! I sent the tranny to a shop to have the pump replaced and the rest of the tranny checked out. I will advise of the outcome! Thanks again ... Ron :)
 
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