Technical Transmission issues

Yeah, probably time to go inside it. Grit and burnt smell not good...

 

I have been told that when in reverse the clutches get 75 to 100 PSI more then in third so it can still go in reverse with marginal clutches so time for another rebuild,I have better luck with used parts then rebuilt so might put a used trans in over the winter if I can find a good one or find another builder. Might go with a 3 speed manual too as I know of a 65 galaxie with one in a local junkyard and there is a 55 with a 3 speed in the same yard that can donate a steering column and linkage.

 

there are two clutches and two bands in a C4. Forward clutch used in all forward gears and what Ford calls a direct clutch which is really a high/reverse clutch and the low/reverse band and intermediate (2nd gear) band. If it backs up, the high/reverse clutch and the low/reverse band are working. However, the valve body and how it exhausts fluid may be allowing the fluid to exhaust instead of applying pressure in high gear. Usually the forward clutch is the first to fail since it is engaged in all forward gears, it is stressed more and builds up more heat which is death on clutch piston seals.

 

Even though the fluid is still red its starting to smell burned and is a little gritty but I do have another valve body I can put in to see if thats the problem

 

If you said it would start out in second gear sometimes, that sounds like a governor problem to me.

 

Dropped the pan and nothing laying in it so I removed the valve body and when it quits draining fluid will install the valve body from the extra trans and see what it does.

 

Valve body is in and ready for a test drive up to the car wash to get all the road grime off,if its still not right I will deal with it later and will start the hunt for another trans.

 

It now has third gear but also has the wonky shifting of the old trans so it looks like the old trans needed valve body work too,going to get a rebuilt valve body over the winter and do a fluid change. I wonder if a trans shop would have caught that instead of trying to do a rebuild first,even though it cost me 800 dollars to get it home I am probably still money ahead as I probably would have been taken to the cleaners.

 

It sounds like you have an extra valve body in your hands now. Carefully take it apart and see if you can find the issue. Could be something as simple as a broken spring, or a sticky valve. Also a great opportunity to put a drain plug in the trans pan.

 

I just want to thank everyone for their advise as I thought this trans was toast.

 

It quit raining and warmed up so off for another drive and once it warms up third is gone so its rebuild time again,I was told that in reverse there is more pressure on the clutches and will go into gear with marginal clutches so that looks like the problem. It must have been cold enough outside friday night to delay it getting warm enough to start acting up and I am going to have the spare trans gone through or find another.

 

Studied the shop manual and low and reverse have one band and second has another and it looks like third is controlled by the forward clutches so I know where the problem is,going to see what tools are needed and might tear into the spare trans or find a used trans for now. Never liked the rebuilt 351 I had bought since at idle it feels like its down a cylinder but its firing on all 8 and the builder stuck in the wrong cam so I am looking for a parts car with a 351 and C-4 and if I can find one that runs good and the trans shifts good I am replacing both,I had better luck with used parts then rebuilt.

 

You are wearing your user name, man.

 

Jeff, The direct clutch makes high gear. The forward clutch makes all the gears work, except reverse.

 

It was late when I was reading the shop manual and got them mixed up so it will need to come apart to fix,I was hoping it would have been simple and hope to find out why they went bad with not that many miles on the trans. I was wondering if I had a too small cooler and it got hot flying down the highway around 80 all the way to Florida.

 

Not much in the way of special tools, you can work around the drum press, what’s needed. Are snap ring pliers and patience!