91 Sunbird LE TCC Solenoid Problem?

First off... huge kudos to moderators(s)... this by far is the best site I have been to. And those who give advise... boy.. you guys are good.

I have a 1991 Sunbird LE 3.1 MPFI engine.

So... I had the typical TCC problems. You know... rough idling after the engine warms up... stalling when trying to put it in gear... engine starts up fine every time, but dies when I put in to Drive... resolves itself after about 5 minutes with engine turned off.

I had the IAC replaced and the EGR valve cleaned. The throttle manifold (i think its called that... when the air actually enters the engine) was also cleaned out. A new fuel filter was intalled and fuel injector cleaner was added to the gas tank (it was complimentary... I have good relationship with this garage).

So the car ran fine for almost a week.. when it happened again. THATS when I came searching online and found this site. Here is some advice I received:

When restarting the car, put it in 1st gear, not in drive. Apparently this will force overdive off and stick it in 1st gear, thus prevent it from stalling. (QUESTION 1: does sticking it in 1st gear work every time?? i.e. does it actually physically force the tranny out of overdrive)

Disconnect the fuse to the TCC (ends up being Fuse #8 (i believe).
QUESTION 2: any long term implications running without this fuse?

Disconnect the TCC solenoid "plug" (for the lack of a better word) from the tranny. I found it.. it a little hard to get at, but can be gotten if reached from below). I have pics of where it is, which I can post if anyone wants to see it.
QUESTION 3: its a 4 wire plug... apparently there are 2 wire plugs... the advice i read was regarding the 2 wire plug. Is there anything I should know before I unplug the 4 wired plug to the solenoid?

QUESTION 4: really now.. how long can i go without the TCC working. Apparently its just for the overdrive... thats just the highest gear... right??? So.. revs higher and poorer fuel economy at highway speeds, but should be OK for city driving... or am I mistaken on this point.

Another question 5: wouldnt putting the car into 2nd gear (not in DRIVE) solve this problem. I mean... wouldnt forcing the car to keep to a lower gear than the overdrive... wouldnt that solve the problem due to the overdrive getting stuck on since it would never come on in the 1st place (or am I oversimplifying things)??

Once again... damn... what a great site!!

Thanks for your help!!!

Ok, I will try to answer your questions. 1. Most cars will not start in first gear due to the neutral safety switch that must engage to allow the starter to work. If yours does this then the switch is probably bad. 2. I am not sure about the fuse but if nothing else is effected then run without it. 3. The plug for the TCC should be on top of the transmission and should be fairly easy to get to. It is either blue, yellow or white depending on the type of transmission. If you have a picture of the plug please post it so that we can make sure you are not unplugging the wrong one. 4. You can run the car forever without the TCC being active. It will cost you a little fuel mileage but nothing else. It actually doesn't go in to overdrive, the Torque converter locks up making it more efficient than a non-locking one and giving you a better connection between the engine and transmission just like a standard tranny. 5. No.

The torque convertor clutch solenoid forces the clutch inside the convertor to lock into place. It is only supposed to do this in high gear. With a malfunctioning solenoid it refuses to release causing the engine to stall or not want to move. The solenoid is not hard to change nor is it expensive. If you want directions on how to change post again and someone will help you.

Welcome to AF!!

Looks like I failed to declare that i am not as dumb as i seem to be when I write things down.

I meant earlier: First I start the engine.. THEN put it in 1st gear... not start the car already in gear. I obviously messed up THAT paragraph LOL.

Ok.. and now i have a better understanding what the torque converter does. It locks the tranny into position... to make it more efficient than a "non-locking" one.

As for changing the solenoid... its over my hear... trust me.... LOL

Sure I can do it.. but i do lack the equipment. I dont have stands to jack the car up, nor can i (1) drop the tranny slightly nor (2) use a jack to prop up the engine via the oil pan (all methods suggested) in order to get better access to the plate covering the solenoid.

Sounds like I will be unplugging that sucker and wrapping it in plastic (just to protect the plugs etc... but b4 i do.. i will be sure to send u a pic... JUST IN CASE i accidentally engage the emergency GPS beacon alerting the mothership of my whereabouts LOL

Thanks again for your very valued help