1992 caprice Tranny problems

[Exar-Kun]

This is the second tranny in this car and it lasted about a month then the same thing that happened to the last one seems to have affected this one as well. the tranny seems to not have drive or everdrive but 1st and 2nd work when shifting manually. Drive and OD start in first no problem but when accelerating they both shift into nothing, starting off in 2nd and then holding at speed then shifting to Drive or OD it will stay in second till letting off the gas then slip out off 2nd to nothing when trying to accelerate again. The first tranny in this car I thought went out cause I got it from a mechanic and didn't think to check the fluids, the next day the tranny was gone because of no fluid. The second one I got from my causen used, he told me there was a little slip between 2nd and 3rd but that it was fine and it worked for about a month then went screwy just like the last one, but this time it want out when I was doing dounuts in some gravel. Any answers besides replacing would be much appreciated =^_^=.

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by Exar-Kun

This is the second tranny in this car and it lasted about a month then the same thing that happened to the last one seems to have affected this one as well. the tranny seems to not have drive or everdrive but 1st and 2nd work when shifting manually. Drive and OD start in first no problem but when accelerating they both shift into nothing, starting off in 2nd and then holding at speed then shifting to Drive or OD it will stay in second till letting off the gas then slip out off 2nd to nothing when trying to accelerate again. The first tranny in this car I thought went out cause I got it from a mechanic and didn't think to check the fluids, the next day the tranny was gone because of no fluid. The second one I got from my causen used, he told me there was a little slip between 2nd and 3rd but that it was fine and it worked for about a month then went screwy just like the last one, but this time it want out when I was doing dounuts in some gravel. Any answers besides replacing would be much appreciated =^_^=.

First, one post of this was enough. Now, with that out of the way,

Does it have reverse? Does it seem to have 1st and 3rd but not 2nd or OD? If it doesn't have reverse, 2nd or 4th, then likely you broke the reaction sun shell. Don't worry - the stock unit is a weak link and I just went through that with my own '88. IF it does have reverse, then a question - did you properly perform the TV cable adjustment when that transmission went in? Is the TV cable even hooked up? If not, then your transmission is probably in need of a rebuild. They don't last long with the TV cable improperly adjusted or not hooked up. Symptoms of this would have been "short-shifting", where it goes through all the gears within seconds and before the car is at 15-20 MPH. It does this because governed line pressure is low - not applying sufficient pressure to the clutch pistons/servos to prevent slippage.

[Exar-Kun]

When I got the tranny it shifted fine except from 2nd to 3rd, now it has reverse 1st and 2nd only. OD doesn't shift out of 1st, but if running in 2nd then shifting to OD it will stay in 2nd until car slows enough to shift back into first and won't shift back to 2nd unless manually shifted. I think it's the clutches.

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by Exar-Kun

When I got the tranny it shifted fine except from 2nd to 3rd, now it has reverse 1st and 2nd only. OD doesn't shift out of 1st, but if running in 2nd then shifting to OD it will stay in 2nd until car slows enough to shift back into first and won't shift back to 2nd unless manually shifted. I think it's the clutches.

It's probably the 3-4 clutch. These tend to be the first clutch in the 700R4 to fail, so it's worth a look.

[dirteemic]

I am having a similar issue with my transmission. Mine will not accelerate when in reverse, at all. When I take off in overdrive, the car revs up really high until about 30mph and then finally shifts and seems to drive normal at about 45-65mph,after that the car revs really high up to about 70mph (then i slow down). No problems with gear 1 and 2. I have no clue whats going on! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[Blue Bowtie]

You might be looking at a failed reaction sun shell/sun gear hub spline. That's pretty common in the TH700-R4 (4L60) and 4L60E units. A brief overview of the repair (on a 4L60E version) is HERE.

No reverse, a prolonged first gear start, skipped second, shift directly to third, and no OD are the usual symptoms.

If you think it's shifting into second, try either starting out in second and/or manually shifting through the ranges, beginning in first and working through the steps one at a time.

Incidentally, it would probably be best if you started another thread on your specific topic. It is good that you searched the archives for similar problems, but now that you have identified your issues, a new thread will get your problem all the attention it deserves.