87 GN Transmission Filter Change now car will not go into drive

[Jabramm]

Changed the tranny fluid and filter, during the filter change I installed the seal and filter as an assembly, I pushed it as far into the oil tube as possible, installed pan, gasket, re-torqued bolts, new tranny fluid, synthetic dexron III (what I had on hand). Poured 3 quarts in and started the car, when I went to put the car in drive nothing at all, no gears will engage. Put in another quart, still nothing. Got on internet and read where there may be air bypassing the seal if its not fully seated. Dropped the pan, while pulling the seal out damaged it. Got the old seal from the used filter and used a deep socket that was the same diameter to tap the seal all the way into place into the oil tube. Installed filter, gasket, pan bolts torqued to 10 ft lbs. Re-used same dexron III fluid (had a clean bucket). Still no drive. The fluid level is full when the car is off, when I start the car it it is halfway between add and full so it looks like the pump is working. Any ideas? Thanks much for your help.

 

[fastblackracing]

you are probly driving the seal too far in and the filter neck is not getting inside of the seal. Try installing the seal on the filter neck and then put the filter and seal into the pump tube.....Like this

 

[brammja]

I tried that on the first attempt, i installed the filter and seal as a unit and got nothing, that's why I tried installing separately.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[brammja]

Different account on phone, sorry for confusion

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[gunzandgearz]

Do you have reverse?

 

[gunzandgearz]

You probably just don't have enough fluid in it, needs to be fired up and hot and then check fluid level.

 

[brammja]

No reverse, shifter feels like air, nothing there, no gears. I will let it run for awhile and see what happens to the fluid level.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[TT/Ameasap]

Your clutches lost fluid then. Start the car up and check fluid. then start going through the gears..They will come back.

 

[buicktom61]

Put your old filter back in your transmission. If it works your new filter is bad.

 

[gunzandgearz]

What do you mean it feels like air, might need to check manual valve linkage, although don't know why that would have been messed with.I personally think its still low on fluid, so check it hot on level ground and check back.

 

[INEEDAGN]

"Shifter feels like air"

By chance is this a floor shift car with the shift linkage removed from the pan rail and not properly installed?

 

[Jabramm]

Let the car run 20 minutes level ground, took fluid measurements, almost full. Brought the wife out to get in the car and go through the gears on the stock console shifter while I crawled underneath the car to watch the linkage mount to the transmission. No movement. It looks like the cable mechanism came unhinged from the console shifter somehow???

 

[Jabramm]

Started up car, used the column shifter to put car into gear, that worked! All gears are good to go. Wish I would have done that before I dropped the pan a 2nd time. Looks like the shifter cable is either disconnected or broken, and I've read on this site where that cable is a big problem finding a new one that fits correctly. Ugh, from one problem to the next. At least the car is drivable now.

 

[Jabramm]

Much obliged for all your replies.

 

[gunzandgearz]

No prob your best bet would be to buy an original from someone on here parting a car, good luck.

 

[Steve V]

Kirban Performance sells a good shift cable.