No low governor problem?

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cudamark

cudamark

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I have a 727 that won't go into low automatically when you come to a stop. It will if you move the shifter into low but not if you leave it in drive. I was "advised" that it was the governor causing this problem. I pulled the governor and can't find anything wrong with it except the pin running through it seem like it has some uneven wear. Is that pin supposed to be one even machined surface from one end to the other? As for the shifting problem, maybe it's a shift valve? Anyone else had that problem before and if so, what did you find as the problem?
Thanks, Mark
 
Thanks, Bob, I have some extras also, but all of them have the same funky looking pin. Everything looks good on my governors except the pins look worn or eroded. I was just wondering if that was a normal look or if it was supposed to be a nice smooth machined pin that was the same thickness from end to end. I never really noticed it before as I've never had a governor problem or that type of symptom in the past. I want to clean the parts and put it back together so I can move on to the valve body but I don't want to re-install worn out parts.
 
It's a 727 behind a 318 in a stock, 82K original, '81 Dodge Pickup.
 
Ok, here's is more info in this 727 problem. I ran pressure tests on it and all were normal except for the following.....I'm getting pressure to the front servo in Drive Low (breakaway) and I'm getting 15lbs of governor pressure at a stand still. Anything come to mind that would cause both readings? When in breakaway, the front servo pressure will go away if I move the throttle valve to detent but returns if released. I can hear a valve move when I do that. I've had the valve body out and apart and saw nothing wrong. All the valves were free, bores and springs looked good....checkballs in the right spots...etc. I pulled the governor and same thing.....all looks normal. This is the first one I've ever had with this problem and I can't seem to find a cause. Reverse, 2nd, 2-3 shift, 3-2 kickdown, and high gear all work fine. It's just breakaway that is bad. If you put the vehicle in drive, it starts out in 2nd. If you move the lever to 1st, and shift it manually, it shifts fine......1,2,3.... but when you pull up to a stop in drive, it only goes down into 2nd. If you then accelerate from a stop, it seems to slip slightly and then clunk into 2nd gear. Any of you tranny experts run across these symptoms?
Thanks, Mark
 
cudamark said:
Ok, here's is more info in this 727 problem. I ran pressure tests on it and all were normal except for the following.....I'm getting pressure to the front servo in Drive Low (breakaway) and I'm getting 15lbs of governor pressure at a stand still. Anything come to mind that would cause both readings? When in breakaway, the front servo pressure will go away if I move the throttle valve to detent but returns if released. I can hear a valve move when I do that. I've had the valve body out and apart and saw nothing wrong. All the valves were free, bores and springs looked good....checkballs in the right spots...etc. I pulled the governor and same thing.....all looks normal. This is the first one I've ever had with this problem and I can't seem to find a cause. Reverse, 2nd, 2-3 shift, 3-2 kickdown, and high gear all work fine. It's just breakaway that is bad. If you put the vehicle in drive, it starts out in 2nd. If you move the lever to 1st, and shift it manually, it shifts fine......1,2,3.... but when you pull up to a stop in drive, it only goes down into 2nd. If you then accelerate from a stop, it seems to slip slightly and then clunk into 2nd gear. Any of you tranny experts run across these symptoms?
Thanks, Mark
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Well, I found the problem. I took the governor back off the thing and decided to look farther upstream in the fluid circuit. It tried to pull off the parking gear/governor hub and couldn't get it to move. Since it's just supposed to slide off, I added a little pry to it. Then I added a LOT of pry to it but it still wouldn't come off. So I then just unbolted the rear support and took it off with the gear still attached. No amout of lubing and prying would separate them so I took an air chisel to the aluminum support and broke it apart. The sealing rings on the parking gear had dug a deep groove into the support not allowing it to be removed normally. That also caused the oil pressure problems keeping it from going into first. If you have the symptoms I had, you may want to look beyond the actual governor for the problem. If I had, I would have saved many hours of work. Here's a photo of the support after I broke it apart. New parts are in and it's shifting fine now!
 

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Grab you hats. This is going to sound crazy. Way back there was a problem with grounding on the B vans. Insufficient ground caused the current to go the next convenient route. It went through the brake cables back through the drivetrain to the alternator. I did see one worst case victim. The trans was so worn as your governor is thet it had to be replace with a new unit. Totally trashed. Add another ground from the frame to the engine. The bigger the better. As a side note the seal rings turn in the ring grooves in the gov assy and are stationary in the bore. Next time you have one apart check the old rings on front drum and the the support. The ring will wear where it contacts the ring groove.
 
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