Need help...Trans working right?? and Lock Converter Questions

[SVORay]

Ok I bought my T-type about a month ago. I was told the transmession was slipping and I would have to rebuild it soon. So I was down for that and bought the car anyways. So I get her home and sure enough going from 2nd gear to 3rd gear is a chore. If you let out of the throttle a little the car whould up shift to 3rd gear. Well one night I took the car out to show some friends. When it came time for me to leave I got on it a little just to show them some V6 power :wink: The gear box started acting really bad...jerking between 2nd and 3rd gear...maybe even 4th gear. So I desided I wasn't going to drive her again until I got some money saved up for a rebuild. About two weeks later I ran across this guy on a local net who's got a TTA. We started talking and wanted to check out each other car. So I agreed to take my Buick over but told him about It's gear box issues. The stranges thing happened...the whole way over there and back, my car drove really nice. I've since driven the car around town and even made a small 60 mile round trip to the next town with out any issues. The car simply drives nice and I've even got into and stayed into the boost. Does anyone have any idea on whats going on I'm still set on rebuilding the gear box but I'm puzzled as to whats going on with it?

My second issue is the stall converter.

Ok everytime I drive my car even though It's finnaly shifting right, I have issues getting it to roll. I'm not simply talking about racing it, when I pull up to a stop light or pull out of a praking lot. The car is VERY slow to get moving. Last night I tried power braking it and see if I could get it to move any quicker. So I spooled it up a little and let off...to my surprize, the car still was sluggish taking off. My converter is a PTS xtreme 3000 stall with about 1000 miles on it. I'm pretty sure It's lock up and that It's always locked up. Now would this thing being locked up 24/7 be the reason the car is sluggish when first starting to roll? Once the car starts rolling, like a second afterwards, It's no problem. You can make boost and haul ass. Also, the car is full on transmession fluid. I checked it while it was running and warmed up. The fluid was full. Again, anyone got any thoughts or opinions?


Thanks for all the help and opinion guys
Ray

 

[DCGN]

Make sure the car is taking off in 1st gear. I had a problem one time where the trans would not down shift to 1st when coming to a stop. It would only down shift to 2nd. It was really sluggish during normal take off. However, if you floored it, it would smoke the tires for a block. Ball was sticking in the governor.

 

[SVORay]

Ummm...I'll have to try that tomorrow if it stops raining. Those DR's really don't like the rain for some odd reason


Thanks for the tip
Ray

 

[SVORay]

Well I looked into it and it doesn't seem to find 1st gear no matter what I do I started off putting the shifter in 1st gear and the car wouldn't move at all. It felt just like being in Park! Then I tried to count gears driving down the road and I could only feel it shift a few times So I'm guessing first gear is some how gone or something is stuck. I'm thinking of doing a filter change and see if there is any metal in the pan...plus maybe it will knock and thing loose that maybe stuck.

 

[AR GN]

Do you know if the trans has a transbrake installed? If so, when you manually put it in 1st, it locks 1st and reverse - so it has the appearance of being in park (mainly to build boost on the line). When you shift it to 2nd, it should take off normally.

 

[SVORay]

The thought has gone through my mind after researching some rebuilt transmessions. I found out about the Stagerite just a few days ago on how it works. The only issue is, the car want go into first gear even if I take off from a dead stop in OD or Drive. I mean if your setting at a red light waiting on the green with the car in OD, as soon as the light turns green and you gas it, the car takes off in second gear.


I'm also waiting on a new street chip for the car. Until then I really can't build boost without it detonating. Once I get the new chip/tune I'll see what happens.


Thanks
Ray

 

[brian]

The thought has gone through my mind after researching some rebuilt transmessions. I found out about the Stagerite just a few days ago on how it works. The only issue is, the car want go into first gear even if I take off from a dead stop in OD or Drive. I mean if your setting at a red light waiting on the green with the car in OD, as soon as the light turns green and you gas it, the car takes off in second gear.

Ray,
Are you sure the car take off in second?
Just because you may have a brake, the car should always have first.

If not, what kind of shift kit is in the trans? May have a spring that is to stiff.

Brian

 

[SVORay]

The only thing I am positive on is I don't have first first on take off no matter what position the shifter is located. Everytime I take off from a dead stop the car is very sluggish off the line until around 20 mph and then it launches like mad. I even counted the gears from a stop to 70mph and only counted two shifts. As for shifts kits and transbrakes, I really don't know anything about the gear box. Since I've never installed a valve body or shift kit, I really don't know what to look for either. I thought about having a trans shop do the filter and take a look at the valve body and see if anything is in the pan. Now since my car seems to act like a transbrake ATM, do you or any else know if a Stagerite brake has failed before leaving someone without a First gear? Once I get my street chip in, I'll take her out and see if I can build boost while in manual first gear.

 

[TurboJoe3.8]

Could it be that your convertor is stuck in lockup? Do you know if you have any external switches like in your console ashtray? I have a switch panel where my ashtray goes with switches- one of them is to manually lock up the convertor- sometimes when I'm at the track I forget to turn it off after a run- that's when my car feels like it is starting out in second gear-if that's not it, maybe your lock up switch in your tranny is stuck or defective HTH's, Joe

 

[mikestertwo]

The converter lockup switch will not prevent it from going into first. The transmission is designed so the converter cannot lockup in first. If the switch is left on, the converter will lock as soon as the transmission goes into second. The trans will still have all 4 gears. If it won't go into first, it's either a stuck 1-2 shift valve or a bad govenor.

 

[SVORay]

The converter lockup switch will not prevent it from going into first. The transmission is designed so the converter cannot lockup in first. If the switch is left on, the converter will lock as soon as the transmission goes into second. The trans will still have all 4 gears. If it won't go into first, it's either a stuck 1-2 shift valve or a bad govenor.

Your guess is better than mine, I was thinking low pump pressure. Is there away to check and see if the gov or 1-2 shift is bad? If either one is bad, is it better to simply start all over with a frash rebuild or can you correct it without a rebuild?

Thanks peoples,

PS, I'm not sure on the lock up, the only switch I have, Isn't hooked up to anything. A friend of mine told me the converter is locked up. I'm guessing as Mike put it, when ever the car hits second, the converter cuts on and stays on...thats about all the time I reckon.

 

[mikestertwo]

Your lockup solenoid could be bad. In any case, you have to drop the pan and take a look. The solenoid is cheap and easy to replace. It is common for them to stick closed. This would cause the early/jerking shifts between 2nd/3rd/4th. The no 1rst gear problem, you can drop the govenor and see if one of the balls has peaned itself into one of the holes, not common but can happen, or some other problem with the govenor. You will have to drop the valve body to see if the 1-2 shift valve is stuck. All this can be done with the trans in the car.

 

[SVORay]

Hey thanks.


I'll look into pulling the valve body/Gov and seeing whats going on with it. I got a friend who's rebuilt a few transmessions with good luck that I'll jrag his ass over to look at it :biggrin: If I have to, I'll drop the trans and buy a rebuilt one. I'll keep ya posted on what I find out...thanks again.

 

[SVORay]

Update: I finnaly got a new street chip for the car and took it for a spin. Once I got everything set right I started checking it out. Anyhow, I can build as high as 15lbs of boost in manual first gear while not having to use the brake pedal. So I tried boosting her up around 5-10lbs and slamming the shifter in second gear. The car took off a lot faster than it has with me keeping her in OD :biggrin: I'm running a set of those M/Ts street DR's and I could feel those bad boys slipping So If I took a guess, I've got a manual trans-brake? I mean could could build any boost I want in manual 1st gear without a brake pedal.

My question is, can these trans-brakes cause other transmession problems like me taking off in second gear from a dead stop while the shifter is in OD?


Thanks for all the help and advice
Ray

 

[WE4]

I would like to talk to you.

I have some ideas and somethings to ck. But, I would like to converse with you. Give me a shout when you can at 916-739-0510 I am here now if so needed. I got some ideas....
Bruce
WE4
www.PTSXTREME.com
(You can also reach me at 916-952-9567 on my cell if needed anytime.)

 

[SVORay]

Hey Bruce thanks but I got in pretty late last night. I'll try calling you Monday around buisness hours.