I'm posting this here, since I'm on my way out to the garage in a hour or so. As usual these are very simple questions to most of you, and some might get a laugh out of it, but why not ask.. I might have to take off the pan on the TH400 to have a look at the kick down solenoid. Now since I've never taken it off before I thought I'd check if there is anything to think about. The seal for it might break I pressume (if there is one), can this be replaced with black rvc( or similar name) silicone? I suppose the pan will hold the transmisson oil, to replace it, do I put it in where the check stick is located? Anything else I should think about? Many thanks and merry Christmas
If you're dropping the pan anyway, pick up a filter and gasket while it's apart. The trans is filled through the dipstick tube of the trans. Don't use RTV on the pan. Don't overtighten the pan when you put it back up or it will leak.
Also, to ward off the dreaded loosening of the pan bolts and the subsequent puddle in your driveway, install each pan bolt and use the weatherstrip adhesive on the bolts. Holds tight and will easily allow the bolts to come back out.
Kimson, Before you drop the pan, make sure to check the solenoid by applying 12 volts to it from the battery. Just get a length of wire sufficient to reach from the + post of the battery to the drivers side of the tranny. Just attach the wire to the + post, and touch it to the vertical tang on the tranny. If you hear a click, the solenoid is working. If you need to drop the pan, it can get messy. Get the biggest drainpan you can find. I like to use those plastic containers with the lids, that are meant to store clothing and such. They look like big tupperware containers. They are cheap, and big. When you loosen the pan bolts, leave 2 on one end of the pan tight. The fluid will drip out slowly from the edges of the pan.(thats why you need a big drainpan) Then slowly loosen the remaining 2 bolts. The pan will tip down and you can slowly drain the rest of the fluid. Get a filter kit, they come with a new gasket. Clean the inside of the pan with soap and water, and clean the gasket surface. The downshift solenoid comes out with 2 bolts, at the corner of the valvebody. That and the electrical wire connection, and it comes out. Don't use any gasket sealer on the pan gasket. The torque spec on the pan bolts is 10-13 ft. lbs. That's just a little past snug. Don't overtighten them. Good luck, and I hope you don't get a Dexron shampoo. Been there, done that
It's unnecessary, I have used a thin layer of grease on the gasket in the past to keep the gasket reusable as well. The RTV can wreak havoc if it finds its way into the valve body and other parts.
Ok, we're making progress... I conected a voltmeter to the cable going in to the transmission, it sure read 12v. when I floored it. That means the contact at the gas pedal is ok. I have now dropped the pan, had a big plastic container, see your point there . I then had my girlfriend step on the gas and the solenoid sure moved. Now I don't know if there is a work/no work situation with this thing. Or if it can be half working making it not work? So the solenoid is right next to the keyboard right now and I'm trying to clean it. It seems like the only ting you can really do is to blow air into the little net? Any suggestions here? How do I know if it's working as it should?
I hooked it up once more so I could have a really close look at it. It sure seem to be working fine. The plate is pushing the glass ball against the net, once the gas pedal is flored, the plate snaps down, and I pressume this enables some kind of pressure being released through the net pushing the glass ball down. What happens then I don't know. I'm going out there to see if there's anything in the hole that's against the net that shouldn't be there.
