Tranny slipping

[basement]

Here's a goofy one for you guys. 70 Dart with slant 6 auto. It's been sitting most the summer but went to move it across town. Put it into Drive and immediately felt the tranny slipping, though it did seem to shift ok into 2nd, didn't go fast enough to go into 3rd. The slipping became so bad that at one point it would not even move forward but sat still. So, put it into reverse and it backed up ok them put it into Drive again and it drove find. It was dark when I finally parked it so could not check the level of tranny fluid. What does it sound like, fluid level or something more internal?

 

[RedFish]

Could have simply been foam in the torque converer. They leak down when parked a while. They dont run the front pump in park either. So... next time you start it switch into neutral for a couple minutes then take off and see if the slip is still there.

 

[340mopar]

Sounds like the fluid is low.


Chuck

 

[SGBARRACUDA]

Here's a goofy one for you guys. 70 Dart with slant 6 auto. It's been sitting most the summer but went to move it across town. Put it into Drive and immediately felt the tranny slipping, though it did seem to shift ok into 2nd, didn't go fast enough to go into 3rd. The slipping became so bad that at one point it would not even move forward but sat still. So, put it into reverse and it backed up ok them put it into Drive again and it drove find. It was dark when I finally parked it so could not check the level of tranny fluid. What does it sound like, fluid level or something more internal?

This is a pretty common torqueflite occurance. With age the seals get hard. clutch packs don't engage with full preasure, sytem preasure is low. And it is exagerated when they sit for a period of time. With and older torqueflite I usually start up the car/truck put the vehicle in drive and let the preasure build and you will actually feel the car "hook" up and start to go. A quart of Lucas transmission treatment works wonders in this case.

 

[racedodge]

This is a pretty common torqueflite occurance. With age the seals get hard. clutch packs don't engage with full preasure, sytem preasure is low. And it is exagerated when they sit for a period of time. With and older torqueflite I usually start up the car/truck put the vehicle in drive and let the preasure build and you will actually feel the car "hook" up and start to go. A quart of Lucas transmission treatment works wonders in this case.

the issue is that after a long period of time setting, the transmission fluid will flow back towards the pan (thank gravity). when you start up your vehicle in park (the trans pump does not operate). Hence, no fluid is being flowed through your transmission in a quantity large enough to allow for clutch piston engagement when you put it into drive, it will slip because the fluid is not there to push the piston to engage the clutches.

to remedy this, if your vehicle has sat for a long time or a short period of time, just start it up in neutral and let it set for 15-20 sec dependent upon the temperatures. The trans pump is engaged and pumps fluid in neutral. Hence, it will allow for the build up of fluid behind the clutch piston in order to properly and snugly engage your clutches.

hope this helps.