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Old 10-22-2004, 11:59 AM   #1
fastraxsg
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Holden trimatic shifting problem

I've got a local made cobra replica (well sorta looks like a cobra from 50 feet) It has a Holden blue 202 backed up to a 1980 stock Trimatic with a stock 1972 Torana driveshaft and rear end. The motor has a Redline manifold and a Holley 320 cfm carbie. Trimatic vacuum is taken from the bottom vacuum line on the carb. The exhuast manifold is a split unit, 3 into one into dual exhuast. The transmission oil is up to the correct level. My problem is this....I can cruise at moderate speeds, 50 km or so and the trannie will shift like a dream, smooth and consistent, up and down. However, if I stick my foot in it, she will get up and go but will not upshift into third, just stuck in second. If I come to a complete stop, even switch it all off, it will shift up to second but third will never happen. I suspect the problem may be that there is a lot of crud in the trans and when I wind it up, the junk gets sucked up into a grill or strainer and will stick there until it cools down and settles. If I drive the car later in the day, it will shift fine until I put the pedal to the metal again. As I live in Jakarta, Indonesia, its kinda hard to get a good answer here other than every back yard grubber wants to tear it apart for me. I have a new gasket kit with a flat plate (with small brass grill in it) that I got from American Auto Parts to replace a leaky gasket in the trans pan. If I drop the pan, clean out what I can see, replace this little plate and maybe adjust the settings according to my repair manual, will this solve my problem or am I looking at some thing major? any help or advice would be well appreciated. I had also thought that maybe the vacuum connection with rubber connector and metal pipe to the modulator was over heading as its close to the exhuast manifold. Gets pretty hot under the hood as there isn't a lot of space. regards, Ken
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Old 10-28-2004, 03:17 AM   #2
Thunda Downunda
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G'day Ken

I'm no mechanic but this tidbit *may* be of interest and help you. I hope so. Trimatics debuted in the 1971 HG series, and if memory serves, those HG-only Traumatics used an electric kickdown actuator (under the accelerator pedal I think? - cant remember) for full-throttle kickdown. From HQ-on, the Trimatics had the conventional kickdown arrangement

Unless in proper adjustment, the early trans wont upshift at WOT (years ago I had a HG 253 auto with the same problem). Any chance you've got an early Trimatic, with miscalibrated, or un-earthed, kickdown?

Sounds like a fun car you've got there! Good luck
Tim
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Old 10-28-2004, 12:15 PM   #3
fastraxsg
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Re: Holden trimatic shifting problem

Hi Tim, thanks for the suggestion. I'm not much of an ace mechanic either. I had the manual 4 speed swapped out for this trimatic and was told it was a 1980 model. At the time I got it put in, there wasn't any wiring for it other than a single wire coming from a point above the shifting lever, right side of trannie, which I thought was probably a neutral indicator light or the point for neutral start. If the car cools down it will go back to shifting. After some thinking some I dropped the pan and cleaned out the grunge, put in a new strainer and gasket and buttoned it up. However I haven't been able to drive it as I have some other projects to finish before I get it off the blocks, plus now it leaks all over more than when I dropped the pan. Both the pan surface and the trans surface are really scratched and marred. Looks like it has been a problem for others. One note I had read, suggested it might be dirt clogging up one of the numerous orffices in the trans and changing the oil might help. Will see what happens when I get it back on the road. If that point is a full throttle kickdown, is there some place I can look for a wiring diagram or is it easy to hook up? thanks again for writing, the car is fun when I can keep it running. Being in Indonesia makes getting information a bit tough. Ken
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Old 10-28-2004, 09:14 PM   #4
Thunda Downunda
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Mate I regret that I dont have the expertise to offer you quality advice, despite your well-detailed description

I can ony offer tips & trivia:

Like that, due to design, I've heard that a trans oil change on Trimatics only flushes out about 30% of the oil, as most oil stays in the converter. I do recall Holden did a recall on Trimatics at about 1980 or so, to retrofit an improved screen to (partly) alleviate this - I recently saw a VH Commodore with factory sticker on its radiator support panel which advised that it had been retrofitted (by dealer) with the modification

But this is little use to you, unfortunately. Perhaps my best advice is to look elsewhere for the info you seek

Maybe have a go here?
http://www.automatictransmission.com.au/orto.asp

You could also wade through these - maybe you could find someone who can help with quaility advice & assistance?
http://www.automotive-links.com/mak/hol/hol.htm

Maybe you can search (google.com.au or webwombat?) for an online Holden workshop manual - either via forum or even from a public library?

Failing that, my only other suggestion is that I could PM you the phone # of a transmission specialist in Oz, local to me, whom you could beg free assistance from

Btw I once owned a '27 T-Bucket (of sorts) with hot Holden 179, Crown 3sp box & Fiat 2300 diff - fantastic fun & very light, very quick off the mark - so I can easily relate to your Cobra

Cheers mate
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Old 10-28-2004, 10:26 PM   #5
fastraxsg
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Re: Holden trimatic shifting problem

Thanks again for the reply. I found when I dropped the pan that there sure wasn't any 6 liters of ATF there so went back to the basic workshop manual I have and it said it would only drop 2.3 Liters or so. I did also change the modulator valve and plan on changing the vacumm line too soon so maybe when I get it all set, I might be lucky. I also found the OLdHolden sight and they have a line there about trimatics so will try that too this weekend. The gasket kit I bought from AmericanAuto in Aust had a new screen with it so I would imagine that it was an up dated one. There are parts from so many different cars on this thing and I'm the 5th owner so who knows what it even started out with. Other problem I had was when I had the engine and trans swapped out, the guys in the shop stole or switched a heap of parts so it just got worse, since then, I have tried it all on my own, slow going and a lot of mistakes but so far I haven't burned it up...Your bucket sounds like heaps of fun for sure. If all else fails, I will drop you a line and see if I can call your mechanic. I'll let you know when I try it...one of these days I'll post some pictures of it..thanks again, Ken
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Old 03-08-2005, 02:49 AM   #6
EJ Premier
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Lightbulb Re: Holden trimatic shifting problem

Hi there if you need mechanic experts to any of you question this mite be a good site for you these guys are pretty clued up with any questions on anything someone will have ur answer to ur question ..... www.oldholden.com hopefully this will be some help to you now and in the future cheers EJ prem
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Old 03-08-2005, 08:55 AM   #7
fastraxsg
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Re: Holden trimatic shifting problem

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thunda Downunda
Mate I regret that I dont have the expertise to offer you quality advice, despite your well-detailed description

I can ony offer tips & trivia:

Like that, due to design, I've heard that a trans oil change on Trimatics only flushes out about 30% of the oil, as most oil stays in the converter. I do recall Holden did a recall on Trimatics at about 1980 or so, to retrofit an improved screen to (partly) alleviate this - I recently saw a VH Commodore with factory sticker on its radiator support panel which advised that it had been retrofitted (by dealer) with the modification

But this is little use to you, unfortunately. Perhaps my best advice is to look elsewhere for the info you seek

Maybe have a go here?
http://www.automatictransmission.com.au/orto.asp

You could also wade through these - maybe you could find someone who can help with quaility advice & assistance?
http://www.automotive-links.com/mak/hol/hol.htm

Maybe you can search (google.com.au or webwombat?) for an online Holden workshop manual - either via forum or even from a public library?

Failing that, my only other suggestion is that I could PM you the phone # of a transmission specialist in Oz, local to me, whom you could beg free assistance from

Btw I once owned a '27 T-Bucket (of sorts) with hot Holden 179, Crown 3sp box & Fiat 2300 diff - fantastic fun & very light, very quick off the mark - so I can easily relate to your Cobra

Cheers mate
I finally got the problem sorted out and sure do feel stupid, though that isn't unusual....it seems when the guys put in the trimatic, they never installed a kick down switch. Being a rookie, I didn't know what or where one should be. A friend of mine in Aust asked me if the switch was broken and I replied, duh, what switch...thanks for your advice and help...now to get some new paint on it...
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Old 03-10-2005, 04:07 PM   #8
Thunda Downunda
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Kind of you Ken to report that your trimatic is no longer traumatic .. good stuff! I sometimes wondered about you & if you found the problem

Here's my old hotrod, the 179 'HP' was so cammed-up it wouldn't idle under 1500rpm


Good luck with the paint mate & maybe someday post a pic of that unique Cobra of yours?

(EDIT) Ken by coincidence I've just aquired a 1980 VC Commodore 6cyl which came with one of those model-specific Repco/Scientific Publications workshop manuals. Admittedly they're not the most detailed of bibles but I've got a scanner and would be happy to e-mail you any relevant scans of the manual on request. Cheers

Last edited by Thunda Downunda; 03-12-2005 at 06:52 AM.
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