727 Acting weird

[inri]

I took the car out today after installing black ceramic exhaust tips and the transmission started to act weird. It was about 85 degrees outside and I was driving around town (streets not highway). I noticed the temperature get up to 200 degrees and then it felt like the transmission was having trouble staying in gear for a second or two. Like it was stuck for a moment, and the RPM tach flickered a bit. The temperature got as high as 203 degrees. I drove home and turned the car off within 5 minutes of seeing it that high.

The temperature has always been below 190 degrees due to some highway driving.

Do you think something might be wrong with the transmission now? I think that the excessive heat was starting to make it hard to shift or stay in gear.

Before I took the car out the transmission fluid was just a tiny bit below full. Maybe .25 of a quart.

 

[ACME A12]

Do you think something might be wrong with the transmission now?

Yes, It needs a clutch...:basketcase:

 

[Roadcuda]

Yes, It needs a clutch...:basketcase:

Clutch for an auto.....OH WAIT... oh I get it now!!!! Gee Ray, give the new guy a break. He may not know all the inside jokes yet!!!! :groucho:

 

[69hemibeep]

I took the car out today after installing black ceramic exhaust tips and the transmission started to act weird. It was about 85 degrees outside and I was driving around town (streets not highway). I noticed the temperature get up to 200 degrees and then it felt like the transmission was having trouble staying in gear for a second or two. Like it was stuck for a moment, and the RPM tach flickered a bit. The temperature got as high as 203 degrees. I drove home and turned the car off within 5 minutes of seeing it that high.

The temperature has always been below 190 degrees due to some highway driving.

Do you think something might be wrong with the transmission now? I think that the excessive heat was starting to make it hard to shift or stay in gear.

Before I took the car out the transmission fluid was just a tiny bit below full. Maybe .25 of a quart.

Did it look brownish and smell like burnt shoe leather?

 

[inri]

Did it look brownish and smell like burnt shoe leather?

Nope. Still Red as Blood "not literally". And smells like tranny fluid.

 

[inri]

Yes, It needs a clutch...:basketcase:

LOL Good one. For a minute there I thought your joke was twofold: 1) Get a clutch (Manual) 2) *Sneaky smart* The auto transmission clutch band went bad

I get it i get it, i'm learning

 

[Basketcase]

yeah, man up and dump the Girlymatic......:acme:
I don't think 203 is that high to have hurt anything.

 

[moparchris]

4 speed swap kit should take care of the problem.

 

[inri]

A 4 speed for my car will cost alot. The car originally came equipped with a 4-speed but that was junked cause it couldn't handle the power and torque of the stroked 440. So I had to "Upgrade" LOL. I've heard that 4 Speeds are for high-school boys wanting to impress their girlfriend?! hehe :applouse:

Back on track. So I realized that I have to start the car and let it warm up and then place the transmission into neutral in order to get an accurate reading. I did this and I was low on tranny fluid. Did I mention that the original steel pan has had a little bit of a leak too? Nothing to bad, or so I thought. I put in 3 quarts of ATF and its back to full.

To give me piece of mind I ordered the TCI Aluminum transmission pan with an extra 1.5 quarts from summit.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tci-128010
Not going to drive the car again until I swap out the pans and put in some TCI trick shift transmission fluid.

I think I dodged the "4 speed bullet" :rimshot:

 

[69hemibeep]

A 4 speed for my car will cost alot. The car originally came equipped with a 4-speed but that was junked cause it couldn't handle the power and torque of the stroked 440. So I had to "Upgrade" LOL. I've heard that 4 Speeds are for high-school boys wanting to impress their girlfriend?! hehe :applouse:

Back on track. So I realized that I have to start the car and let it warm up and then place the transmission into neutral in order to get an accurate reading. I did this and I was low on tranny fluid. Did I mention that the original steel pan has had a little bit of a leak too? Nothing to bad, or so I thought. I put in 3 quarts of ATF and its back to full.

To give me piece of mind I ordered the TCI Aluminum transmission pan with an extra 1.5 quarts from summit.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tci-128010
Not going to drive the car again until I swap out the pans and put in some TCI trick shift transmission fluid.

I think I dodged the "4 speed bullet" :rimshot:

We will bring you back from the dark side.

 

[Basketcase]

a 4 speed was good enough for Ronnie Sox....
"and back on track" what are you, a wise guy?:bart:

 

[inri]

Ahh yes, the Great Ronnie Sox. Those were the good ole days. Did you know "SPAM" was invented the year before Ronnie was born?

 

[4spd69RR]

Go get you a 18 spline bone crusher A833, it will handle that 440 with ease.

 

[Big John]

I always like the automatics myself... and I'm secure enough in my manhood to say that.

But.... the one thing that catches my attention.... You were down three quarts of fluid. Have you figured out why?

Not checking the fluid in neutral is an easy mistake if you aren't aware. Checking it hot is another... and I mean the trans has to be hot, not the engine temperature. Checking it cold, you want the fluid to be at the "add" point at maximum. Slightly below is good. Run the car on the road for a half hour and check it again.

Don't overfill or you start to aerate the fluid because it's up into the rotating assembly. Bubbles in the valve body won't shift too well either.

 

[inri]

I always like the automatics myself... and I'm secure enough in my manhood to say that.

But.... the one thing that catches my attention.... You were down three quarts of fluid. Have you figured out why?

Not checking the fluid in neutral is an easy mistake if you aren't aware. Checking it hot is another... and I mean the trans has to be hot, not the engine temperature. Checking it cold, you want the fluid to be at the "add" point at maximum. Slightly below is good. Run the car on the road for a half hour and check it again.

Don't overfill or you start to aerate the fluid because it's up into the rotating assembly. Bubbles in the valve body won't shift too well either.

Thanks Big John for that information.

I believe the loss in tranny fluid is due to an ongoing leak from the steel pan (i think its original). It appears the prior owner plumbed an opening for a drain plug and that is where it leaks along with some other part of the probably bent steel cover. It looks as though the small leaks overtime have leaked 3 quarts of fluid. Probably 1.5 quarts or so on my garage drip pan and 1.5 quarts on the road! Could you imagine if California's Enviro Police knew about this?! :rules:

I'm going to play it safe and wait till my new pan and fluids arrive on Wednesday and then drive it around for half an hour or so to check the fluid level.

 

[inri]

Pulled the old transmission pan today. I found a lot of metal shavings in the pan. Don't like the looks of that. What are your thoughts? Bad, OK, or Good to go?!
In the picture you'll notice the "bung?" opening for the temperature gauge that was "mickey-moused" into the pan.

I have the new pan, filter, extension and fluid which I can install today.

 

[4spd69RR]

Well that doesn't look good, in the first photo I see two "E" rings or "C" clips. What are they from or were they in the pan when you removed it?

 

[inri]

Well that doesn't look good, in the first photo I see two "E" rings or "C" clips. What are they from or were they in the pan when you removed it?

4spd,

I don't know what the clips are from?? I removed the pan earlier today for the first time since purchasing the car and saw them. Could the clips be from inside the transmission? Are there any parts in the tranny that normally would use these clips?

Also, i drained out about 7.5-8 quarts of fluid. I imagine there's 1 quart left in the converter. So, the transmission fluid level was low about 3 quarts. Hence the higher temp the other day.

 

[Big John]

They use those clips in a couple places on the valve body. That and the amount of material in the pan is not good at all. I see a transmission rebuild in the very near future.

BTW, that's the stock drain for that style pan and there's a drain plug on the convertor too. You'll have to turn the engine a little at a time to find it.

 

[inri]

Big John,

the converter isn't stock; it's a 4500 stall. I believe I've read that some converters have drain plugs and some don't. I guess I need to turn the engine slowly to find out. Hopefully it does so I can drain the converter too.

In your opinion what might have caused those clips to come off?