No TCC Lock-up

[Drewster]

i have always had TCC lock up problems since i have had the car (2yrs). the previous owner said that it was a rebuilt trans with kenny bell up grades. i did notice that TC was a D-6.
so the TCC would never lock unless i gave part throttle or WOT and then it wouldnt always stay locked. once i intalled the TCC lockup (grounding) switch the lock up improved. i still needed to do the WOT thing to get it to lock but at least it would stay locked.
i always wondered if the it would hurt the TCC to always lockup in 3rd from a WOT just to get a lock up in 4th
just recently the TCC doesnt stay locked after the WOT. it still seems to be locking when i give it the WOT but as soon as i let off i am no longer locked up for cruising.( even with the ground switch on)
i checked the voltages off of the brake switch and at the trans. i am seeing 11v (motor off) all the way to the trans on the puple wire and i have good ground on the tan/blk. i have conductivity thru the solenoid (the solenoid is only 1yr old)
what is funny is that the puple wire at the trans shows short to ground as well as the 11v.

1. should i get grounding thru the purple wire at the trans?
2. Did i kill the lock up clutch from to many 3rd gear WOT lockups?
3. does Kenny Bell recomend any mods to the Valve Body (like removing the spring on the TCC valve) to give a delayed lock up?
4. would a dirty trans filter (low line pressure) cause a non lock?

i need some advice. i havent driven the car for 2 wks
thanks in advance
all advice and comments are welcome
drew

 

[Drewster]

educated guesses are a help at this point

 

[WE4]

I'll bet there is a wire pinched somewhere. I have seen them just rub through contacting tv cable or dipstick and over time wears hole then inconsistant lock up blown fuses..and the such. I would trace wiring all the way back to ecm. bitch I know but then next step can be completed

Bruce
WE4
www.ptsnctb.com

 

[Drewster]

i'll check it out tomorrow....thanks for the suggestion..
drew

 

[Drewster]

what i thought was a short to ground turned out to be my cheap volt meter reading the resistance thru the wastegate solenoid. with my Fluke meter i could read 82k ohms thru the waste gate solenoid and 12 M ohms without the WG solenoid connected. unfortunately this didnt cure the problem, but at least i know where the short to ground was comming from.

any other ideas?
or suggestions for when i open the trans to change the filter?

 

[Drewster]

ttt

 

[Drewster]

what is that black spot on the envelope mean? (the previous page) it will be there one day and gone the next. i understand if it show papers sticking out of the envelope there were replys or something.
but what is the black dot? it may be gone after i send this note
i hope its not mail leperacy

 

[Drewster]

definitly an internal problem. i hot wired the TCC from the battery to a switch and then to ground.

still no lock up in 2-4th gear


drew

 

[WE4]

Hooking it up that way wont work. You need to put + power to tcc and ground the soleniod.

Bruce
WE4
www.ptsnctb.com

 

[Drewster]

i used the +12v off of the altanator to pin A
then ground pin C (with a switch to interupt the ground)

i believe that should have locked it all the time except in 1st

(i said battery because i couldnt spell altanator)

pin numbered
AB
CD
on the trans weather pack i used A & C as above if that is correct

drew

 

[MeanBuicks]

Pin D is the ground lead for the solenoid.

C goes to a valve body pressure switch.

PS. - alternator

 

[Drewster]

my weather pack is wired

purple and blk is on pin A (top left) (+12)
and the tan and blk is on pin C (bottom left)(GND)
i am not sure if the bottom left is pin C but that is the location i used. i think the tan/ blk is the same one that goes to the back of the Data link connector under the radio and also goes to the ECM to make ground.

i'll double check just to be sure. i would prefer a wiring problem

drew

 

[Drewster]

greg you were right about which pin to ground. it is pin D the one on the bottom left of the weather pack.
(the one i thought was pin C)

anyhow....i opened up the trans today and found out that the solenoid leaks when the 12v is applied. this is a GM solenoid 1.5-2yrs old. i still have the original 15yr old solenoid and it holds pressure 100% compared to the 75-80% newer one. ( i was blowing thru it to test...blech!!)

only because i want to find out as soon as possible, i am going to reinstall the 15yr old one. (i replaced it with a new one while troubleshooting). the last time i ordered the solenoid it took a week to get from GM.

i'll make a post after all is done for the archives

drew

thanks for all your help!!

 

[Drewster]

the old soleniod didnt work either. so i broke down and took it to a trans shop.

turns out that the 15yr solenoid would leak under a higher pressure and that is why it didnt work.

replace with a new one and it is locking up ok now. (i was so close)

still not locking like a manual shift car would feel (how it was previously) but good enough to drive on the freeway.

i think the TC clutch is wearing out. (maybe to many WOT lock ups)

also i am going to improve the manual switch wiring (improve the splice into the Brn/Blk wire at the ALDL and run the ground to the block and frame)

drew

 

[TurboDave]

Originally posted by Drewster


still not locking like a manual shift car would feel (how it was previously) but good enough to drive on the freeway.

i think the TC clutch is wearing out. (maybe to many WOT lock ups)


drew

D'ya think!?

 

[Drewster]

the guy at the trans shop said that the valve for the TCC was ok and not sticking.

could there be a pump or pressure problem internally causing the TCC not to lock?
i would imagine if there was some type of pressure problem i would be slipping in all gears.
i'll do the wiring improvements today

i just want to feel positive when i bust a nut to get a muilti disk vig. if it doesnt lock up after a new converter is on, i'll freak.

drew

 

[WE4]

Purchase a 9X11..................Half the nut....



Bruce
WE4
www.ptsnctb.com

 

[Drewster]

i almost fell off of my chair laughing so hard!
but your right.

i did all the wiring upgrades today with no improvement. so now i know for sure there is not any type of electical problem with the lock up and i suspect the converter.

i need to replace the chronically leaking ATR headers with the stockers so i can properly choose a converter / stall speed.

drew

 

[Drewster]

Thanks Bruce!

Bruce, thanks for making me look in the right dirrection to find my lock up problem. after installing the bitchin 9x11 converter from you, (unfortunately still no lock up, but at least that was a good excuse and helped troubleshoot the lock up problem), your recommendation of looking at the pumps lock up valve, solved the problem. (the valve just above the tcc solenoid)
even though i had this valve looked at by a professional(so they said), they didnt notice that it would stick at first before it would free up.
a couple of squirts of gum-out and then wd-40 got the stickyness out. now the tcc engages at the flip of the switch.
the other recommendation of removing the check ball at the tip of the input shaft makes it lock up like an additional gear on a manual trans.
i cant wait to try the 9x11 at the track. i wont be supprised if i pick up 1 sec as my slow spool problems are almost completely gone (my new stock non leaking headers also helped)
now if i can get the brakes to hold the boost at the line i'll be really rippin!

thanks once again!

andrew