Need input from 2004R gurus...Chris, Bison, Jakeshoe, etc.

[65skyturbo]

First let me say thanks guys for the previous help. OK, my 2004R will not lock up the convertor. It is not as simple as the wiring or solenoid. Basically, long story short, the pump, convertor, solenoid and wiring have all been verifed to work. Problem is (Chris mentioned it but not go into any detail on a previous thread) I don't seem to have a complete hydraulic converter clutch circuit. I have an assembly manual and have identified the fluid path in the tranny case. Can this be tested in the car by pulling the VB and blowing compressed air into the VB passage and out through the TCC solenoid opening. What I'm trying to figure out is if somehow the pump gasket is incorrect or misplaced, or if the passage is plugged? Also, was there ever sep. plates or VB gaskets that did not have the holes for the lockup circuit? I have never heard of any but who knows. All I know is I have all of my lockup components working individually but they do not want to work together. Thanks again, and I look forward to all the expert advice.

BTW, tranny is a AC Delco reman., Hughes TC, CK pump and gov. & Transgo HD shift kit

 

[Otto J]

Possibly no or a cut oring on the input shaft?

 

[bison]

Could be the converter itself too.

 

[chris718]

BASED on the testing you have already done in the other post the oil from the 1/2 shift valve is not making it to the solenoid end of the bore.are you using an early seperator plate?if you are itll never work.pull plate and check,and then trace oil from shift valve to pump bore.

 

[65skyturbo]

Don't know yet on the seperator plate. What was the difference in the early plates? The trans has a HC2 valve body which I think is 86 305 Caprice but I'm not exactly sure. I do have another plate to compare it to which was out of an 86 307 Cutlass, KC valve body. I know that one locked up the convertor. Wish I still had that trans...

 

[65skyturbo]

Dropped the valve body to look at the plate and sure enough it is slightly different. The hole at 20 (2nd clutch according to the ATSG manual) is about 3/8" forward of the one on my KC VB plate. Looking at the ATSG manual it looks like this hole should line up with the convertor clutch fluid path in the VB. So I'm guessing this is my problem, but unfortunately I won't get it back on the road for a few more days to test it. It looks like Chris nailed it with his guess. So why would this hole be different on some separator plates? I thought all 2004r's had lockup.

 

[bison]

Dropped the valve body to look at the plate and sure enough it is slightly different. The hole at 20 (2nd clutch according to the ATSG manual) is about 3/8" forward of the one on my KC VB plate. Looking at the ATSG manual it looks like this hole should line up with the convertor clutch fluid path in the VB. So I'm guessing this is my problem, but unfortunately I won't get it back on the road for a few more days to test it. It looks like Chris nailed it with his guess. So why would this hole be different on some separator plates? I thought all 2004r's had lockup.

It must be a real early plate. Early ones had a different hydraulic path for the TCC

 

[65skyturbo]

Well, I had high hopes that all this would be done. I assume the convertor might lock up if I felt comfortable driving the car. Now the trans slips bad into 2nd. It is also delayed and seems to shift better when I let off the pedal. The only thing I changed is the sep. plate. This trans used to shift very firm and on time with the old plate. Is it possible now my accumulator housing doesn't match? I was under the impression that the old plate was an early design becuase the holes at the 2nd clutch (atsg hole 20) were different. Now I look at that plate and according to the atsg manual it is a revised late design judging by the shape and the ID location. The manual says that the plate design was changed in March 1987. The KC VB plate I installed is from a 1986. Would this mismatch cause a late slip shift? Knowing that the accumulator housing holds the 1-2 piston, I imagine it might. Assuming that this is causing my problem, should I get an older accum. housing or can the old design plate be modified to work with the new housing? What is the advantage to the new design housing? As always, thanks for the help.

 

[65skyturbo]

Well to update this, I found that my valve body was an early 1982 unit with the hydraulic lock up valves. That is why I had slipping when I tried to use the other sep. plate. So the HC2 valve body code is not a 2nd revision 1986 HC trans VB like I originally thought, but is a 1982 POS. Anyways I went to the pick n pull and got a CR7 VB out of an 86 Pontiac. From what I read the CR should be a decent starting point. Now only if I had fourth gear.... I'll start a new post to try to see why I no longer have fourth.