Damn Automatics!!

[Dyno247365]

I've had nothing but trouble with automatics from as far back as I can remember. My first car, the CRX lost it's 3rd gear. My Camaro has just sealed its fate. I had problems with the 700R4 2 weeks after it was on the road. I bought another 700R4 from a junkyard and spent 3 weeks replacing it. Now, it does the same thing the other 700R4 did, but I have never ever burnt up a clutch on a standard. This is why I'm never buying an automatic again.

What would you do with a car that keeps breaking down as much as mine does? Do you think it's my engine and not the transmissions? Do you think the junked tranny was bad (they said recently rebuilt) ? Dare I convert this 305 with a T5? a T56??? If I shouldn't waste any more money on it, what should I do with it? I've lost so much it's not funny anymore...even with my sense of humor.

[Rally Sport]

Uhh since you're so in with the car and seriously there is no way of getting any of it back if you sell it, I say keep it and eventually do a rebuild.. keep it as a project not 'fixing up to sell'

[Dyno247365]

Originally Posted by Rally Sport

Uhh since you're so in with the car and seriously there is no way of getting any of it back if you sell it, I say keep it and eventually do a rebuild.. keep it as a project not 'fixing up to sell'

I wouldn't get any money for it now anyway i guess...but I really hate this car. I mean I hate this car. It all started with replacing the back springs and the stance not changing, now it's change transmissions and nothing changes.

[666_speed]

I'd just cut my losses and move on, personally. I don't know what the problem is, but I've owned cars like that before. Before you lose any more in that car, cut your losses, get what you can from it, and move on. Just my thoughts though.

[Rally Sport]

Im just saying what i'd do.. I mean you do want an Lt1 so just get that.. it'd be better than getting an entirely new car unless its a really incredible deal.

[Nate355RS]

I think keep it. Maybe put it to the side and buy what you want to and drive that in the mean time. If you want to fix it up later down the road you can, but if you sell it for peanuts all that money would be down the drain.

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver_28

I wouldn't get any money for it now anyway i guess...but I really hate this car. I mean I hate this car. It all started with replacing the back springs and the stance not changing, now it's change transmissions and nothing changes.

What is the issue you're having with it?

I read the other thread you started on this subject and one thing to keep in mind is that a 4L60/700R4 has a dry capacity of 10 quarts sans cooling system - meaning, if you put a new torque converter on it, that had no fluid in it, you'd need to feed the system at least 10 quarts of ATF. To answer an earlier question about how to get the fluid in the TC, you pour about a quart or so into it before you put it on the transmission, then after you put it all together, feed it the other 8-9 quarts. Upon startup, the front pump will fill the TC up to capacity. A lot of this fluid will come back out of the converter when the engine is shut off, which is why you can't check the fluid with the engine off. Another thing is the TV cable adjustment - this is critical!!! The cable, where it attaches to the carb/TBI bracket, has an adjustment on it. This is performed by pressing on the "D" shaped tab, then pulling the cable back toward the firewall as far as it'll go. Then, at the throttle (NOT the pedal!), slowly open it up until it's wide open. You should hear it click into adjustment. If it's too 'loose', the transmission will short-shift due to low line pressure, meaning it will shift through the gears fast, and before the car is at 20MPH. If you have this condition STOP AND READJUST THE TV CABLE IMMEDIATELY! This short-shift condition will result in a BAKED TRANSMISSION. If the TV cable is too tight, it will have really high shift points, but the clutches shouldn't be in danger (although the reaction sun shell might).

[Dyno247365]

Originally Posted by silicon212

What is the issue you're having with it?

I read the other thread you started on this subject and one thing to keep in mind is that a 4L60/700R4 has a dry capacity of 10 quarts sans cooling system - meaning, if you put a new torque converter on it, that had no fluid in it, you'd need to feed the system at least 10 quarts of ATF. To answer an earlier question about how to get the fluid in the TC, you pour about a quart or so into it before you put it on the transmission, then after you put it all together, feed it the other 8-9 quarts. Upon startup, the front pump will fill the TC up to capacity. A lot of this fluid will come back out of the converter when the engine is shut off, which is why you can't check the fluid with the engine off. Another thing is the TV cable adjustment - this is critical!!! The cable, where it attaches to the carb/TBI bracket, has an adjustment on it. This is performed by pressing on the "D" shaped tab, then pulling the cable back toward the firewall as far as it'll go. Then, at the throttle (NOT the pedal!), slowly open it up until it's wide open. You should hear it click into adjustment. If it's too 'loose', the transmission will short-shift due to low line pressure, meaning it will shift through the gears fast, and before the car is at 20MPH. If you have this condition STOP AND READJUST THE TV CABLE IMMEDIATELY! This short-shift condition will result in a BAKED TRANSMISSION. If the TV cable is too tight, it will have really high shift points, but the clutches shouldn't be in danger (although the reaction sun shell might).

If you haven't already you should have posted this in the other thread, but I have a question then..okay a few, will overfilling the tranny affect shifting? Because I may have overfilled it. Stupid TC. Also, I have adjusted the TV cable so that the pencil shaped thing is sticking out more and I did pull the throttle to WOT. That's correct right?

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver_28

If you haven't already you should have posted this in the other thread, but I have a question then..okay a few, will overfilling the tranny affect shifting? Because I may have overfilled it. Stupid TC. Also, I have adjusted the TV cable so that the pencil shaped thing is sticking out more and I did pull the throttle to WOT. That's correct right?

The more the slider you can see, the looser the adjustment will be and the greater the harm potential to the transmission. Read through this site to see how the TV system affects the transmission. Overfilling won't always have an affect unless you've overfilled it so much that oil sits on the planetary gearset with the engine running - the symptoms of this are foamy oil, oil out the vent tube, oil out the dipstick tube, cavitating noise from the front pump (a buzzing whine dependant on RPM) etc. The foamy oil will definitely cause a line pressure drop leading to a failure. Generally, a quart or so shouldn't be a problem.

[Dyno247365]

Originally Posted by silicon212

The more the slider you can see, the looser the adjustment will be and the greater the harm potential to the transmission. Read through this site to see how the TV system affects the transmission. Overfilling won't always have an affect unless you've overfilled it so much that oil sits on the planetary gearset with the engine running - the symptoms of this are foamy oil, oil out the vent tube, oil out the dipstick tube, cavitating noise from the front pump (a buzzing whine dependant on RPM) etc. The foamy oil will definitely cause a line pressure drop leading to a failure. Generally, a quart or so shouldn't be a problem.

How about just pushing the slider in till it's taught? Because right now the cable is loose. Oh yeah, I definitely hear that buzzing. I listen to what people say, I do what they say and somehow I screw up.

[cuda_dude]

I always learn by fucking stuff up so... dont feel alone...

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver_28

How about just pushing the slider in till it's taught? Because right now the cable is loose. Oh yeah, I definitely hear that buzzing. I listen to what people say, I do what they say and somehow I screw up.

Don't feel too bad about it. Aside from the outlay of money, it is a learning experience and these are pretty damn good transmissions when they're set up right- as I am learning myself. See, the TV spring on mine has issues leading to some weird TV adjustments too - I have to run it artificially tight or it will short-shift when set up via the GM method (as I've outlayed above). The next-to-last 700R4 I did (which was also the first one I did) had issues when I installed it in the car - when it shifted into OD, it would lug down bad (as if in two gears at once). Turns out that when I was assembling the unit, I accidentally installed the sprag clutch backward. That's how I learned! Of course, it came at the cost of labor and parts (I provided the labor myself, but wasting hours in the process). The bright side is that I've done it so much now, I can do a complete trans R&R, on my back, in my apartment complex parking lot, in about 90 minutes.

[ikeyballz]

and if all else fails, find yourself a cheap 5 speed V8 camaro(with small problems), change everything you put in this car into that one..and burn the hell out of the evil one you got.

[wrightz28]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver_28

If you haven't already you should have posted this in the other thread,

I seem to recall telling you the same thing 3 days ago

[Earlsfat]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver_28

What would you do with a car that keeps breaking down as much as mine does? Do you think it's my engine and not the transmissions? Do you think the junked tranny was bad (they said recently rebuilt) ? Dare I convert this 305 with a T5? a T56??? If I shouldn't waste any more money on it, what should I do with it? I've lost so much it's not funny anymore...even with my sense of humor.

Quick, here's what you do. Take an HONEST assessment of your car. Is it REALLY that bad, or are you just exaggerating because you're frustrated? If it's really not that bad, and you really do like the car, then keep it, take your time and fix stuff as time and money allow. If it is going to take more money than you're willing to spend, which you should determine in your HONEST ASSESSMENT, then dump it for what you can get for it (or keep it as a donor) and chalk your loss up as a painful lesson learned.

You think you're pissed.... I bought mine for $14,500 2 years ago and haven't put 1000 miles on it since, let alone driven it at all the last 4 months. Everytime I started it something broke. When I rebuilt the trans I had to do it twice. When I started re-wiring it and found out how bad the guy who had it before me actually fucked it up I actually started smoking again... and literally almost cried. My "re-wiring" project that started out around $160 is probably going to run me $1500 - $2500 by the time it's all over with. And as soon as that is finished I have to pull the engine for a rebuild..... It really sucks, BUT... this is closest maro to what I wanted (really, really wanted since I was a kid), it took me 8 years to find it, and I had lost/missed 5 in the prior year. I wasn't giving this one up. If I'm going to own it, I'm going to know it better than my own nutsuck... that way I'll always know when something is wrong or is about to go wrong . I've learned more by screwing up and having to do things over than I ever will any other way, and my automotive knowledge has exponentially increased since I've started doing all this.


Just next time you endeavor a task like this listen to everyone around you when they say you're making a mistake... they could very well be speaking from experience.