Technical TH 400 not going in gear

Turbo Glide!

 

markyac, I haven't tried that. I'm working on my car now and it'll be about a week till I get back to the chevy.
BJR, its a 400. I went by the number on the trans when I got the parts I needed for it. It checked out as a 400, the owner said it was a th350.

 

I have pulled the pans on 400s and found the filter laying in the pan. yes they have a bolt and yes even pros forget to install it.

The only way to accurately check your fluid level is hot and after the transmission has been through the gears ( more then once) if the converter has been dumped out or even just out of the car. if it is not pumping because of any number of reason already mentioned you will not circulate fluid through the transmission and not be able to check the fluid.

Some 400s have a lockup converter, mostly those were Buicks and Oldsmobiles from my experience. They will have more then two tines on the plug. A normal everyday t400 should have only 1 tine on the plug, when energized it knocks you into p***ing gear. It is not a big deal to shift it by hand but it is easier on the transmission if you use the auto p***ing gear feature. if you have a manual valve body you don't have automatic p***ing gear so that would be byp***ed completely and you will always manually shift it into p***ing gear ( and all of the rest of the gears for that matter).

You ****** will go into gear without vacuum to the vacuum modulator it just won't shift right. When you are running a line to the modulator you should run a hard line and be sure not to use ported vacuum, you want full vacuum to it. A soft line can and eventually will **** flat on you.

 

The Governor is under a 4 bolt cap on the p*** side of the ******. it has springs on it that you can change the change the shift characteristics of the transmission. A shift modifier kit for it should run you about 30 dollars.

Some 400s shift so smooth that you never know that they shifted, remember that are luxury car transmissions. Mine on the other hand lets you know for damned sure that it has shifted but it is out of an old B gas coupe. If you are not sure that it is shifting get it out on the highway and watch your revs, if you are going 45 and it is turning 7K it is not shifting.

Also a lot of 400 turbos have an adjustable vacuum modulator. There is a little screw in the middle of the hole where your vac line hooks up. Turn it in about 2 turns and drive it and see if it shifts harder, if so then you have figured out which way to turn it and adjust accordingly.

If you are using a soft line to the vacuum modulator make sure that it is not ****ing flat. If the vac line ****s flat it will not shift.

 

They were never lock up, but some Buicks had a dual stall convertor, that is what the other terminal is for, the other is for the kickdown. Are you sure the linkage is hooked up in side the trans?

 

My guess is you're still low on fluid. When you said you put 6 quarts in, is that the total, including the initial fill and what you've added so far?

 

This is a good reference site and this shows the Turbo 350 & 400 pans. The TH350's modulator is towards the back of the transmission on the right of the tail shaft housing.
http://www.nastyz28.com/chevy-transmission-identification.php