Any GM tranny experts out there??

[SEIndSAM]

I know close to jack about vehicles.



But it's good to know we can still use the word tranny







carry on

Not only can we still use the word Tranny, at least one of our Moderators with throw a Tranny on his workbench from time to time....

 

[churchmouse]

Not only can we still use the word Tranny, at least one of our Moderators with throw a Tranny on his workbench from time to time....

 

[FWP9MM]

With that many miles on it, my advice would be to try to find a low mileage trans on Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market.

 

[1911ly]

Not only can we still use the word Tranny, at least one of our Moderators with throw a Tranny on his workbench from time to time....

Is the battery good?no corrosion on the cables?Yes a weak battery can cause your tranny not to shift properly. There's so much electronic components in a car that the battery must be good.

Connections are good. Alternator is putting out.

With that many miles on it, my advice would be to try to find a low mileage trans on Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market.

I will if I need to. I'd rather tinker with this one for a while.

 

[Bigtanker]

Might I say props to you dad for getting your boy a minivan for a first vehicle!

 

[1911ly]

Might I say props to you dad for getting your boy a minivan for a first vehicle!

IKR!! lol. My first car was a $35 fixer upper 66 Rambler. This sure beats that for sure!

He's only 14 1/2 so we got time to get it road worthy too. I'll admit it's a hell of a first car for a kid. It has every option offered too. Power freaken everything. Entertainment system, front & rear air. Other then the dents it will be a nicer car then what I drive. I did not pay much for it. I have twice what I paid for it in parts. The budget is 2k total for it completed. But that's not carved in stone. And subject to change. We are under that so far.

Here are a few pics of him working on it. Doesn't he look proud!

He's doing the front brakes:


We got the rearend out. The axle was the reason I got it so cheap. The previous owner got a flat and did not have a spare. Drove it home on a flat. the wheel locked up. It ground the axle down so far that it removed the lower shock mount. he was quoted $2500 to fix the damage. So he decided to scrap it. It had other issues to boot.


We had just finished getting the rearend under it. Complete


Doing the upper motor mounts. We replace all of the mounts.



I've been letting him do as much as he can. I've double checked all the hardware for tightness and anything missing. He's using jack stands while under it. Safety glasses to when necessary. It's a get experience for him. He is enjoying it. He now wants to take auto shop next year.

I went ahead and ordered O rings this morning. A whole whopping 18 dollars worth. It's worth the gamble. If it doesn't fix it I know what we will be doing next spring. I'll have them the middle of the week. I hope the weather is good and I can get them in ASAP. I'll post what happens!

No matter what happens we are having fun. That's what counts.

 

[1911ly]

Here is the promised update:

The o-rings came in yesterday. And (as my luck would have it) they were the wrong ones. I'll take them back next chance I get. Since I had it apart and I did not want to leave it that way for another 4-5 days, I went up to a transmission shop just across the state line. I showed them the originals and he found me a few. I had to force him to take something for them! I also explained to him my issue. He was extremely helpful.

He told me that he had seen the MAF cause this issue. He informed me that it was one of the first sensors the computer looked at in the shifting sequence.

I am going to digress a bit and go back to the beginning (when I first bought it). The check engine light was on. It had a miss in the engine. But it did not shift erratically. After I replaced the broken plug wire my issue appeared. I was perplexed but never connected the dots. the hard shift was there for the previous owner. He had taken it to several shops with out luck or a straight answer. And I too had taken it to a third shop. We were both told the tranny probably needed pulled, replaced or rebuilt.

Fast forward to yesterday, I went ahead replaced the o-rings because I had it apart.

Here is the pan off. I know, I take to many pics. But hey it's my boys first car:


Here is the accumulator all apart. It was a easy job to do.


Well, sad to say it did not resolve the issue. But the fluid was crappy the first time around. I figured replacing the fluid did not hurt from the stand point of getting as much if it replaced as possible. The converter still had crappy fluid in it the last time. so that was mixed with the new.


This afternoon I pulled the plug on the MAF and drove it. It did not slip but it kind of shifted hard in to 3 and 4. And of course (as expected) it tossed a error code as expected. So I cleaned it (MAF). Cleaning them is a crap shoot. It did not help. I ponied up 75 bucks for a new one. I installed it (2 minute job). And I reset the computer. Well (now for the good news) it fixed the shift problem. No more slipping and it shifts smoothly threw all the gears.

What I learned:

Not all issues will show error codes and you need to exhaust all reasonable causes before spending big bucks on big mechanics bills. I could have easily paid for a rebuilt. I am glad I persisted. I was quoted $2500 to $3500 bucks to fix. Or a grand for a used tranny. None of that would have resolved the issue. I'd have been pissed. The shift problem cost me about $150 total for 2 fluid changes, filter and o-rings and the MAF.

Thankfully I am a big DYI kinda guy. And I am not afraid to ask questions and to look for more information. And a big ass thank you goes out to the gentleman and Certified Transmission for pointing me in the right direction. I am going to drive the thing for a bit and take it back to them for a flush. My way of saying thank you. And (if he will take it) I'll buy him lunch to boot!

I hope you guys car projects go as well as this one went for us. Next thing is a new rim, tires and a 4 wheel alignment. Then we might do some body work. It needs front and rear bumpers, drivers side front fender, fix the dents in the drivers door, sliding door and the rear fender lip. None of that will change the way it drives. Just make it look better. We will have to decide if we are going to go that far.

Thanks for following the adventure with my sons first car. I'll probably post more when we do the next repair.

 

[churchmouse]

I love it.

 

[1911ly]

I love it.

Me too!! I'm pretty pumped.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Sorry I missed this thread... I was busy this last week rebuilding my transmission, my 4T65E none-the-less. (Not kidding, that is the truth)

I know you say the MAF fixed the issue, but if, by chance, it arises again there is a known problem with the OEM lip seals for the input/3rd clutch pistons. They are a short lip, and that short lip can wear a groove in the input piston over time. What will happen is the seal won't seal up properly, fluid will slip past and the PCS will try to compensate by raising line pressure. The increased line pressure starts to move the piston, and the lip seal makes good contact now and the increased line pressure slams the car into gear. It can be intermittent but most often it happens after you've been driving and you coast to a stop or slow-down then try to take off again.

Unfortunately if this is your issue you need #1 a new piston (the old one is wrecked), #2 upgraded aftermarket lip seals (the trans-go shift kit includes the 3rd gear seal but not the input seals). While you're in there I would go ahead and put a couple of the other valve upgrades in, they are relatively cheap.

If you want to do try a full rebuild I can get you hooked up with a full AC delco rebuild kit (with frictions & filter) for $32.

FWIW, regarding my transmission: The beauty of this transmission is that it can be rebuilt (minus TCC & differential) in the car just by lowering the driver side of the engine cradle enough to remove the end-cover of the transmission. That is what I did. With 223,000 miles on mine (the last 151,000 have all been put on since I owned the car) I knew it was going to need some parts & upgrades.

Symptoms: Lost 4th gear (mine is pre-2002 so I knew exactly what the cause was) and input piston not sealing (as described above)

What I did to my transmission:
Trans-go shift kit
Superior K098 AFL valve upgrade
Sonnax TCC apply valve upgrade
Sonnax TCC relief valve upgrade
Aforementioned AC Delco rebuild kit (I didn't use the Delco lip seals where upgraded seals were available, and didn't need the frictions)
4th gear clutch hub/shaft with hardened splines
Reconditioned input clutch piston
Used, like-new pump shaft (mine was almost gone)
11 qts Valvoline Dex/Merc Max-life ATF

While I had the engine cradle lowered I did plugs & wires too because the rear plugs are a PITA to get to unless you lower the cradle. All combined I'll have ~$400 in parts & upgrades but if it gets me another 100k+ miles I'll be happy. This car has been a SOLID car and I hate to let go of it...

 

[1911ly]

Sorry I missed this thread... I was busy this last week rebuilding my transmission, my 4T65E none-the-less. (Not kidding, that is the truth)

I know you say the MAF fixed the issue, but if, by chance, it arises again there is a known problem with the OEM lip seals for the input/3rd clutch pistons. They are a short lip, and that short lip can wear a groove in the input piston over time. What will happen is the seal won't seal up properly, fluid will slip past and the PCS will try to compensate by raising line pressure. The increased line pressure starts to move the piston, and the lip seal makes good contact now and the increased line pressure slams the car into gear. It can be intermittent but most often it happens after you've been driving and you coast to a stop or slow-down then try to take off again.

Unfortunately if this is your issue you need #1 a new piston (the old one is wrecked), #2 upgraded aftermarket lip seals (the trans-go shift kit includes the 3rd gear seal but not the input seals). While you're in there I would go ahead and put a couple of the other valve upgrades in, they are relatively cheap.

If you want to do try a full rebuild I can get you hooked up with a full AC delco rebuild kit (with frictions & filter) for $32.

FWIW, regarding my transmission: The beauty of this transmission is that it can be rebuilt (minus TCC & differential) in the car just by lowering the driver side of the engine cradle enough to remove the end-cover of the transmission. That is what I did. With 223,000 miles on mine (the last 151,000 have all been put on since I owned the car) I knew it was going to need some parts & upgrades.

Symptoms: Lost 4th gear (mine is pre-2002 so I knew exactly what the cause was) and input piston not sealing (as described above)

What I did to my transmission:
Trans-go shift kit
Superior K098 AFL valve upgrade
Sonnax TCC apply valve upgrade
Sonnax TCC relief valve upgrade
Aforementioned AC Delco rebuild kit (I didn't use the Delco lip seals where upgraded seals were available, and didn't need the frictions)
4th gear clutch hub/shaft with hardened splines
Reconditioned input clutch piston
Used, like-new pump shaft (mine was almost gone)
11 qts Valvoline Dex/Merc Max-life ATF

While I had the engine cradle lowered I did plugs & wires too because the rear plugs are a PITA to get to unless you lower the cradle. All combined I'll have ~$400 in parts & upgrades but if it gets me another 100k+ miles I'll be happy. This car has been a SOLID car and I hate to let go of it...

This could very well be my next issue. Thanks for the tips. I am interested in the rebuilt kit. I bet at some point I'll have to go back in to it again. I am not adverse it pulling it down just to replace the solenoid and wiring harness (other known issues too). Might as well go all the way.

I haven't had a automatic apart but I found a lot of videos and info on the net. I can get a manual for 40 bucks. It looks very doable to me with my skill levels. And I had also seen that most of it could be done threw the side just like you did it. With out pulling the transmission. I am dong to come back to this thread.

Where can I get the kit? I am really interested. I'm thinking from what I've read that my transmission should have update seals (it's a 07). I'll double check. But there is a host of other updates and performance upgrades available I can do at the same time.

Thanks for the tips and the lead on the kit! I am out of rep but I will get you shortly! And I am sure I'll have a few questions later if/when I tear it down.