Thanks Larry for the motivation. Cold and rainy here in NC, so can't take it out to test, but managed to jack up the right side, check it out, lower and clean up in an hour. Looks good to me. Gear looks intact and when I move the weighted ends, the valve or plunger inside moves up and down so I don't think that's sticking. I may still buy a gasket as the top portion ripped a little. And drop the pan and just change the filter. I looked back at my notes and I have about 30 miles on it since I put the new radiator in. Maybe a drain and refill may help if some crude got in there. But won't do that till next weekend. If that doesn't work, I don't want to know what's next. I just wanna get this thing running and make it to my first Nats.
Finally got the pan off and here’s what’s inside. The black has me concerned. is that residual from the trans cooler from installing a used radiator that previous owner had a manual trans? About 30 miles on it since hooking up Or is that the residual from bands deteriorating? Or is that normal?
A manual trans doesn't use a cooler. Eh....looks normal to me. Just clean it up and put it back together
Yeah, the guy I bought the radiator from had a manual trans and ran it for a two seasons. Then I bought it. I installed the radiator and then my auto trans started acting up. So thinking I picked up something from the trans cooler. Thanks. Last ditch effort to see if a drain and refill solved my issues.
Well, preliminary drive over the weekend, the transmission now seems to shift. Plan to take it out for a longer cruise this weekend to a cars and coffee. Fluid level is still questionable. Sitting in garage for a week, seems fluid drains down and fills up about an inch over the full mark. Running only 6 miles around the block and warmed up, nothing dip stick. Don't want to over fill yet. Put 11 pints back in after the above service. So what was wrong you ask. Well while changing the filter and fluid I noticed this rocker piece not quite sitting in the groove. Looked it up later, think it was the detent roller assembly. (Pan's back on). I noticed it not sitting in the groove, it was say between what was park and reverse I guess. Well (say very long and sarcastically) after adjusting the linkage for Park and Drive, it seems to shift now. I'm guessing it was out of alignment and the trans was thinking it was between Drive and 2 because the linkage was off. Back story - This is a 70 GS with a 72 Pontiac TH400 in it. So, the cable and linkage setup from the trans back to the console shift is all Pontiac. Pontiac connects to the trans with a ring style and codder pin while Buick has the trunnion style. So there may be a little bit difference in the cable length (don't know what it is). But I do know I can't select LOW from my console. My shifter bottoms out on the console and has no more travel to pull back to get to LOW. no biggie, but at lease Park and Drive on the shifter line up and hit the roller detent in the TH400. Live and Learn and got a whole bunch of knowledge I didn't have before on how a TH400 operates and shifts. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP! The help in checking every possibility off the list before yanking it out for a rebuild. I watched a couple you tube videos and was like yeah I think I can do this until they started taking all the drums and oil pump apart and multiple shafts. I was like nope. LOL I'd have to find another TH400 and try it on the side.
By any chance are you running an SP1 intake? My lockdown looks just like yours. The cable is just to dang short. Aftermarket here I come. That’s far from ideal. Cliff
