Turbo 350 trans issues

so today i picked up a 61 biscayne it previouslt had a 350/350 combo installed the guy tells me that the trans is slipping so i tel him 1000 off the price he says deal...well i start tinkering when i get home i check the fluid level..it is good the trans goes into reverese great....i look alittle more and the kickdown cable is not hooked up....and the port where the va***e line runs to the trans had an open port so i plugged it and it helped but heres the issue...when you go into drive and give it gas it doesnt want to move if you leave it with low rpm it will move and shift gears fine and when it gets up to speed theres no noticable issues...any suggestions???

 

wow

 

are you saying that when you put it in gear it will idle and move the car and graduallly pick up speed but at any time if you give it alot of gas nothing happens? if so it sounds like your torque converter is slipping too much and is bad

 

yeah exactly in drive you lightly touch the gas ..it will gradually go but if i goose it...jack **** happens...i was thinking converter but wasnt sure

 

more likely the forward clutch is slipping...

How does the fluid look? what interesting stuff is laying in the pan?

 

fluid is clean as hell reverse is tight and all the other gears are good aswell

 

any ideas

 

Input shaft seals are worn and bleeding off pressure...If it goes in reverse fine then the T/C is good.

 

You're absolutely sure reverse is "good"? Try backing it up a distance, and under load, be sure it's warmed up. When the direct clutches go, you also lose reverse, and it may not be obvious at first. Governor would be next to check, take it out (the round convex cover held on by a spring, just in front of the speedometer drive on the left rear of the trans). Then, pull the pan, and see what's in the bottom; a little dust is OK, a lot of gunk means the lined plates are toast. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

The funny thing about all of this discussion about a TH350, is that every one I've taken apart needed something in it replaced, even the "good" ones.

Bite the bullet....

 

True, but the great thing about them is that kits are inexpensive and if you can't do the work yourself there is usually someone around town who is a pretty decent ****** guy who will "bench" one for a hundred bucks or so.

But first, fluid level is critical on those ******s so make sure that it is right along with doing the other checks.

 

Try manual low, if it still won't go, you have issues with the forward clutch. If it moves good then you have problems with the low/reverse one-way clutch.

 

Torque converters don't "slip" unless they've got about 30 seconds to live

 

well i decided to test drive it to work today...if i manually put it in first its still kinda slow but the longer it drives the better it gets...its really just annoying me to have the power in the engine and it not doing anything....

 

So today i start up the car to move it and no love the drive gears do nothing at all so i guess i am pulling a trans this weekends and putting in the rebuilt one i have sitting in the garage

 

Forward clutch annular piston seal GONE! Lo develops more pressure than DR, so it might be a tad better, but it is on it's way out. C4 Fords do the same thing when the seal hardens up.

 

i certainly thought this was gonna be an easier task than it has turned into...got everything disconected from the ****** and went to slid it back and i dont have enough space between the firewall and motor to clear the torque converter and at that point i was covered in horrible smelling fluid and pissed off so i called it quits for the day and drank some pbrs....hopefully today ill get the converter off with no issues

 

You are trying to remove the trans without removing the torque conv ... why? I would think that the install would be (along with the firewall issues you are having) hell trying to "seat" the conv in the trans while the conv is bolted to the flexplate.

I have never heard of anyone removing the trans whiile leaving the conv on the flexplate (maybe if the engine and trans are sitting on the floor, but never while the engine and trans were still in the car). Unbolt the conver from the flexplate, slide the conver back into the trans the little bit that it goes, then remove the two together as a unit.

 

My vote is the foward drum is toast! Thats why it will back up. To reverse the direct and low/reverse drums are used , but every foward gear uses the foward drum...get it rebuilt. and DON'T reuse that converter , it's full of burnt up clutch lining.

 

Live and learn!

 

Powerflite and early cast iron Torqueflites can have the converters stay in place because they have a drive sleeve. The other automatics, no way!

Agreed on replacing converter!

 

well like you said live and learn....i have a brand new torque converter thats goin in aswell.....ill be finishing it up either tonight or tomm morning when the humidity aint gonna kill me...how many quarts of fluid does a turbo 350 usually hold???

 

almost a case if the converter is empty. Pour a quart or two into the converter before you put it in the trans, make damn sure the converter is fully seated in the trans before you install the transmission

 

truth.
great way to break the mounting ears of of your trans case, bust the pump and bend a flex plate of you dont.

 

Does this mean you have no vacuum to the modulator valve?? If so, it will do strange things.

 

it was hooked up but the port below it wasnt capped so i figured it wasnt getting the needed pressure so i capped it and it got alittle better but it ended up going anyway

 

Drill a couple of holes in the housing and tie the converter in once you get it on the transmission so it doesn't slide off until you get the transmission bolted to the motor.

 

welll i got the old one out tonight and prepped the new one and got it under the car...oyeah i failed to mention im doing this on the ground so of course now im having to sit the trans on 2x4s to get the damn jack under it....sooo once i figured that out i decided to stop cause it was dark and my s**** wood is out by the chicken coop....

 

That thing isn't that heavy to be able to pivot the tail end up and slide the jack under, then pivot the front up and onto the jack!

Hell, I took an old Turboglide (with a much heavier converter) out by myself with a piece of particle board and a bottle jack. Just had to get it balanced correctly.

And those chickens (in the chicken coop) might not it u taking their wood!