Trying to limit my 904 ignorance and stupidity

[e50095]

Here's the short course:
1. Bought an 87 slant 6 D100 with a bad trans - no 1st gear, fluid close to black....it moved just enough to get off the trailer and into the driveway.
2. Bought a 904 from another truck off craigslist from a seller I had bought from before with good success. It was clean, looked good, and was dirt cheap.
3. Put it in with a new filter and $35 worth of ATF+4. Initial no crank, adjusted the shifter linkage per the allpar manual, and made sure the neutral safety switch worked with back up lights etc. Started in park and neutral afterward with no issue. Ran it for a few minutes, made sure the fluid level was good, and thought I was on my way.
4. It will not go into gear. If I start it and let it run for about 3 minutes, I'll hear at some point a short, quick random groan come from inside the trans, but nothing else.
5. Based on the comments I've read, I'm thinking of buying a rebuild kit and learning as I go on the trans I took out. In the interim, I need this thing to run. I do have another slant 6 904 that came out of my 68 Barracuda 30+ years ago, and it ran good when it was removed. It's been in my garage in dry storage ever since. Can I use that trans for the short term. It looks nearly the same, although I suppose it doesn't have a lockup converter, which is no big deal to me. I did notice the neutral safety switch is not the same, and the shifter lever doesn't have a rubber grommet in it like the truck, just a clip that keeps the rod on the lever. Can I assume I can swap them over?
6. Any advice would be appreciated fellas.....

Kendall

 

[67Dart273]

NSS switch.........the earlier cars had a single post NSS the later cars had the outer two pins used for reverse lights. So you can hook that one pin up to the center connection on your 3 wire harness and it will work without reverse lights

You should be able to swap the shift levers between the two. If you think it works I no of no reason why not

I don't remember???? if there was a change in the rear splines. Check your drive shaft slip yoke for fit

 

[AJ/FormS]

I would pressure test it first. Cuz I'm lazy that way; too lazy to to keep throwing trannies at it. I like to find out what's wrong, while it is still in the vehicle. cuz if I don't, sure as heck, nothing will change for me after the rebuild.
But if you have no reverse either, then chances are pretty good that the pump is not pumping,or the cooler is plugged solid. You did blow it (edit: And the lines),out right? And you did engage the front pump before bolting the tranny to the engine,right?

 

[RustyRatRod]

Why would you run ATF+4 when the correct fluid is Dexron III? I don't think that's the problem but still, the correct fluid cannot hurt.

Also, two books I highly recommend.

Tom Munroe's book on the Torqueflite and the ATSG Service Group book on the Torqueflite.

That way, you have two totally unbiased and correct sources of information.

 

[e50095]

I did blow out the cooler lines to get as much burnt fluid as I could out of it, and I drained as much as I could out of the converter and put almost a whole quart in it before I put it on the input shaft. I wonder if maybe the transmission is a lock up and the converter is not, or vice versa. I never thought to look at the input shaft of what I took out versus what I put in. Given the number of splines is different on lock up vs non lock-up, if I had screwed that up I shouldn't have been able to get the converter to seat on the input shaft...it slid on with no issue.

 

[e50095]

Why would you run ATF+4 when the correct fluid is Dexron III? I don't think that's the problem but still, the correct fluid cannot hurt.

Also, two books I highly recommend.

Tom Munroe's book on the Torqueflite and the ATSG Service Group book on the Torqueflite.

That way, you have two totally unbiased and correct sources of information.

Sorry man, I thought the +4 was better for any application. It doesn't seem to be as thick as what I remember dexron being.

 

[jas0162]

The +4 will work fine and hold up to heat much better, I use it all my mopars. You did nothing wrong there.

 

[67Dart273]

From what I have read I would not recommend ATF4 necessarily. I believe it's more expensive.

 

[RustyRatRod]

The +4 will work fine and hold up to heat much better, I use it all my mopars. You did nothing wrong there.

While I don't disagree, it is totally unnecessary. Show me where ATF+4 is the correct fluid for a Torqueflite. You cannot, because it's the wrong fluid. As Del said, it's an unnecessary expense.

 

[TrailBeast]

While I don't disagree, it is totally unnecessary. Show me where ATF+4 is the correct fluid for a Torqueflite. You cannot, because it's the wrong fluid. As Del said, it's an unnecessary expense.

Like putting 93 octane fuel in a stock 318.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Like wearing a condom after the w

 

[jas0162]

Lol. You guys run whatever makes you happy. The +4 is synthetic and is just better, I don't mind paying a little more.

 

[barbee6043]

I have a mopar buddy that runs old ATF ( all flavors) in this 12 valve Cummins rather than YES diesel!! OK so he pours it thru a paint strainer first ! no chit!

sorry is this relavant? (ok so I can't spell)