push button /904

[Realm412]

I had some work done recently in a shop due to it being my DD and not having welding equipment for the exhaust flanges. In total, it was a conversion from the stock 1bbl intake and exhaust to a super six with headers. Only major issue that came up was some Y pipe welding and a lokar cable conversion for the kickdown linkage.

The car ran fine before I did the conversion it just had a cracked exhaust manifold. The transmission was newly rebuilt and only has 2500 miles on it. After getting the car back, and readjusted I took it home and to school a couple of days (150 miles or so in total) it was still running sub par and when I went to check on it, the transmission fluid was grey, and the transmission began to slip.

Kickdown/passing gear wasn't engaging properly and adjusting the cable caused first gear to really really wind out, the neutral safety switch was also failing to engage properly. I asked on here and learned I needed a return spring on the cable attached to the bell housing. I took it back to the shop where the work was done and he drained the transmission changed the fluid, adjusted the bands, changed the filter, and put on my return spring. He says that he test drove it a couple of days and had it running ok, but the push button controller (typewriter unit) was worn and was allowing the gears to slip. I had never noticed any grinding, and lever movement, or any shifting issues before, other than when I put it park if I didn't slam it, or use the e-brake it wouldn't lock and would make a ratcheting noise.

I picked up the car, test drove it, checked everything I could think of and it seemed fine. I drove it maybe 20 miles or so and just had a bad feeling, it was running okay I just wanted to double check. when I came off the freeway the Transmission locked up when it downshifted to a stop. then I couldn't get it back into gear. I finally did but if it tried to shift out of 1st into 2nd it sounded like gravel in my Transmission. I can manually engage the gears but it either won't go into second, loses all power in second, or gives me a gravel noise. As is I have 1st gear and reverse.

Could this all have been caused by a sloppy push button controller? what do you think the exent of the damage is? I just need to know because my tranny is out of warranty (over a year) and if it is in fact the push button controller I'm absolutely screwed. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks

-Greg

 

[Optik]

based on your comment about having to slam it in park, i would say that it sounds like the parking pawl either broke or came loose and is now rattling around in your trans, causing major damage. is there metal in the trans fluid? sorry to say but it sounds like your looking at either a major rebuild or new trans. i would go back to the shop and try to deal with them in a nice and professional manner and see what kind of deal they will cut you on a repair, because if it was running fine before they messed with it then they are probably at least in part responsible. just remember you will get better results by being firm yet positive and not a jerk.

if you were closer to Ohio i would say, come get my old pushbutton /6 trans but that is a long long drive from california. hopefully someone on here has an old pushbutton trans that they have swapped out that they can cut you a deal on.

good luck!

-Tim

 

[Realm412]

The shop doesn't want to deal with me, I've been polite and firm, however they have already lost money on my car. I would rather not have them recoup the cost on more work. I am currently looking for another vehicle taking the valiant out of daily driver status, and then I'll do the work myself (which I should have done years ago).

Ironically most of the work that I've done or have had done, has been based on a push button cruiser. Now it seems I'll be better off just going with a floor shifter and dash delete where the push button controls are.