biggiefl

Just got the car last month or so and finally got it insured and put about 400 miles on her. Great car, everything works including cruise. Buying the stupid parts like hood struts, floor mats, tuneup parts etc because she is a really nice car and I plan to make it my DD come April. Now a couple of questions on this auto trans.

1) What rpm should I be at at say 80mph, I am reading 3k roughly. At 60 she is running about 22-2300. Only want to know because i thought they ran about 1850 @60 but that might be the 4spd.

2) Trans is slipping/sliding from 2nd to 1st at certain speeds but only when hot and in drive. If I manually shift her she will pull like a train to redline and shift right into 2nd. 2nd and 3rd are fine with no slipping at all. Anotherwords the trans seems solid and in good shape(was rebuilt 4 years ago but only has about 3k miles on it, can't take it back for warranty obviously). If trans was beat there would be slipping all the time and especially under hard pedal. Trans works perfect when cold/warm, just not when hot. I checked sight bowl when on a lift and she is good. Should car be running when checking that? Any other tricks to checking fluid level? Usually when any trans is low on fluid it wil drive like it has a 4k rpm stall convertor in it, this is not the case. What it REALLY seems to me is that the downshift linkage is misadjusted bacuase it gets sensitive to pedal force basically but not in 3rd. Is there such a linkage on this car? Any other thoughts or things I should do to try and correct this? Change fluid and filter, adjust something, etc?

anonymousagain

1) sounds right at 3k for 80mph (makes 'em fun on the fwy!!)

2) car needs to be running in P or N when checking HOT fluid level. Sounds like you should start with basic trans fluid/filter change and then diagnose from there. Not a good thing to jump in and start looking for adjustments if fundamentals are unknown.

killingmoon65

RPM's sound exactly like my 78 auto. Trans was like yours as well, even jumping into a false neutral on hard turns, until I put in the correct amount of fluid- after a trans line failure. It went like this: Add, check, add, check, add, check and so on until the level remained still at the specified mark on the side of the resevoir. Pain in the *** but trans has shifted perfectly ever since!

jpitman2

Could be cable adjustment or even vacuum leak. Cable adjustment is sensitive, done on rhs of box, not in engine bay. Vacuum connection from steel line from front into box is a short piece of hose, also on rhs of box IIRC. Over tight cable will give late up changes, early down changes.
jp 83 Euro S AT 50k

biggiefl

I added about a quart(less) yesterday with the add, wait, add, wait, while running on lift until full mark on resevoir. No dice.

I drove it home 80mph at 3k and dropped it down into 2nd(via shifter) and brought her up to about 110(4,200rpm) and she did it fine. Funny thing is speedo just died once she pegged on 85+. I think there is an electrical problem being a new speedo gear was put in 500miles ago. My MPG gauge is now dead too. I know there is no cable and speedo is electric so something is up. Now I get off freeway and she goes 1st 2nd 3rd no problem with manual shifting. Stop at light and go in drive and she is slipping like a bitch. Park it at home. This morning I get up and take her around the block, shifts fine in drive, no slipping. My trans has to be ok, something is wrong though with drive....correct?

Fluid in resevoir looks red, not brown. Resevoir is so clean I can look at it under the car in driveway and tell the level. I will do a fluid change and filter just to make sure. How do I check vac or is there anything electrical on this trans besides speedo sender? What about inside the trans? How about more info on vac lines, linkage, etc..PICS? My trans has always held gears long. 1st gear will never shift until about 2500 even if you let off the gas...is that normal. Is there just a kickdown cable or is it electric/vacuum, etc? I need help here guys because I do NOT want to buy a new trans, nor do I think I have too unless others here concur. I also want to make it to Sebring in a month. Thanks in advance, Nick

jpitman2

There is a throttle valve (TV) cable to tell box how much foot you have in, and a vacuum connection, both on rhs of box. Cable too tight will give late upchanges, early down changes. Loss of vacuum does similar things. Vacuum comes back in a steel line, then a short hose ~ 1/8" ID attaches to a fiiting on box. There is a joiner looking fitting on cable at rear of engine bay, but its not anything you can adjust (no threads) on my car. WSM covers adjustment of cable at box, its sensitive, so go easy. There is a kickdown under pedal that triggers a relay type valve in box (also RHS) to do down change. This should be an audible click with ign on, not running, floor the throttle, RH door open. Speedo sender is a reed relay on the rear cover of the diff case. 2500 for 1st->2nd doesnt seem high to me, but it should do lower if you let off pedal.
hth
jp 83 Euro S AT 50k