tranny trouble!!!!!!!

[Jokester]

Went to a huge cruise in Belton MO tonight.  Had a good time.

Got in to drive home and the shifter felt "funny".  Got on the highway and found that I had no high gear.  Stopped to check it out and found that I also had no neutral or reverse.  Park worked, but it felt like it was still in gear because it wouldn't rev up like it normally does in park.  It wasn't trying to move the car like you were power braking, but it still seemed to be holding the engine back.  Drove all the way home in second gear(20 miles).  First and second seem to be working fine.

It's my 33 chevy w/ 327 and TH350, no electrics.  It was in the car when I bought it, so don't know anything about it.  I did put a filter and new front and rear seals in a couple of years ago.

I'm hoping it's a piece of linkage fell off the valve body or something.  I'll tear into it tomorrow.  Any suggestions?

.bjb

[enjenjo]

When mine did that, it was a broken sprag clutch.

[Jokester]

When mine did that, it was a broken sprag clutch.

Well, I could fix that, but if it has to come out I'd rather go back with an OD.  What years were the 700R4 and 200-4R trannies not electronically controled?  And what kind and year of cars did they come in?  It's easier for me (and usually cheaper) to buy a car to get the transmission.  Which ones wouldn't require driveshaft length change?

This isn't a race car, just a cruiser.  Basically a stock 327.

.bjb

[tomslik]

When mine did that, it was a broken sprag clutch.

Well, I could fix that, but if it has to come out I'd rather go back with an OD.  What years were the 700R4 and 200-4R trannies not electronically controled?  And what kind and year of cars did they come in?  It's easier for me (and usually cheaper) to buy a car to get the transmission.  Which ones wouldn't require driveshaft length change?

This isn't a race car, just a cruiser.  Basically a stock 327.

.bjb

up to 93(and some of them were electric)
i can't think of a year whene the 200R4's were 'puter controled
the 200's and 700's still needed power to run the lockup converter though.

i've got a supposed to be good bi-sexual 200R4 that i'm not gonna use....
came from a caprice with a 305 in it...

driveshaft?
it'll be a maybe on the 200r4 and you WILL be messing with the driveshaft on the 700
both will need a crossmember relocation...

[1FATGMC]

Like Tom said the 200 probably won't need a different drive shaft.  I went from a 250 (I think that is what it was, not a 350) to a 200 in our '78 Buick and didn't need to change the drive shaft.  I (along with WZJUNK and Larry) took the old cross-member and cut it up and put it back together again so it would work with the 200.

With your 327 the lower first in the 700R4 might feel good  ,  but you will need to shorten the driveshaft for sure, but that isn't real expensive.  Also how heavy is the 33.  If it is light and a coupe the 200 is probably fine, the if it is heavier you might like the low first in the 700R4.

Also you don't say what your rear gear is.  If it is lower than a 3.00-3.20 you might find you have to change that.  A 3.50 gear seems pretty ideal with these overdrives and you have better pickup in the other 3 gears.  Our Buick must have 2.70's or higher as it won't shift into 4th until about 60 and you have to be running over 70 to get better gas mileage than just running in 3rd.  It is geared way too high.

There is more info on my site.  Go to the link below and then to the tech section.

c ya, Sum

[Crosley.In.AZ]

lets look at this;

no 3rd gear or reverse?  this indicates the direct clutch is not working since it is applied during 3rd gear and reverse.

The engine acts like the tranny is still in gear while in 'park' or 'neutral' ?? This indicates the forward clutch pack is stuck , welded steels and frictions together so there is still a transfer of power when the clutch pack should be released.

You could drop the tranny pan to check the linkage inside to make sure it is properly bolted tightly and working correctly.


If you have a 6 inch tail housing t-350 tranny in the car.... a 200-4r will bolt in place of the t-350  with some cross member mods and a TV cable hooked up and adjusted CORRECTLY.  

Converter clutch lock up will need a 12 volt source to the trans , proper mods inside the trans will provide converter  lock up in OD only

[Jokester]

Thanks for all the great info.  The pan will come off this afternoon.

The car is a 2 door sedan, maybe 2800 lbs.  I think the rear is fairly tall, like a 2.76.  I'll check that out too.  I'd hate to have to change that, it's a 65 Nova rear, and fits really well.

More later.

.bjb

[1FATGMC]

Thanks for all the great info.  The pan will come off this afternoon.

The car is a 2 door sedan, maybe 2800 lbs.  I think the rear is fairly tall, like a 2.76.  I'll check that out too.  I'd hate to have to change that, it's a 65 Nova rear, and fits really well.

More later.

.bjb

If it's a 2.76 I don't think you will like the OD.  Like I said on the Buick I only use it running 75 to 85.  In OD the 2.76 would be like running a 193 and that is with the .7 in the 700 and the 200 is a .67 I think.

With the 3.50 rear gears in mine and the 28 inch tall tires 75 is about 2300 rpm.  With 2.76 gears (probably they are 2.73's) the rpm would be 1800 and 1400 at 60.  You might be down out of the torque band there, especially with a 327.

You could change the ring/pinon in the rear and keep it.  Still have to get it set-up so not real cheap.  The other thing is I believe some of those rears use one housing for certain ratios and a different housing for others.  Maybe someone else will know or check something like Summit's catalog.

c ya, Sum

[tomslik]

Thanks for all the great info.  The pan will come off this afternoon.

The car is a 2 door sedan, maybe 2800 lbs.  I think the rear is fairly tall, like a 2.76.  I'll check that out too.  I'd hate to have to change that, it's a 65 Nova rear, and fits really well.

More later.

.bjb

If it's a 2.76 I don't think you will like the OD.  Like I said on the Buick I only use it running 75 to 85.  In OD the 2.76 would be like running a 193 and that is with the .7 in the 700 and the 200 is a .67 I think.

With the 3.50 rear gears in mine and the 28 inch tall tires 75 is about 2300 rpm.  With 2.76 gears (probably they are 2.73's) the rpm would be 1800 and 1400 at 60.  You might be down out of the torque band there, especially with a 327.

You could change the ring/pinon in the rear and keep it.  Still have to get it set-up so not real cheap.  The other thing is I believe some of those rears use one housing for certain ratios and a different housing for others.  Maybe someone else will know or check something like Summit's catalog.

c ya, Sum

carrier different, housing same and now that i hear the 2.79 ratio, i sure wouldn't put in a od trans.....


got a short shaft 350 that's supposed to be good too.

[Jokester]

Sometimes life is amazing!  Pulled the pan of this afternoon.  Laying in the bottom was the little "S" shaped linkage that connects the shift lever to the manual valve of the valve body.  I'm not back together yet, but I'm sure that's the problem.  The manual lever is on a shaft that goes through the side of the case.  Shifter hooks to the outside.  Inside there's another lever held on by a 7/16" nut.  The nut had worked loose allowing the "S" link to  fall out.  When that happened, the manual valve slid to the rear and stayed there.  

I feel very fortunate that this happened within driving distance of my house.  I was able to fix it for the cost of a filter and fluid.  I've driven this car to K'zoo, Knoxville and several time to Springfield, plus all the nearby cruises.

I also feel very fortunate to have the base of knowledge that is the RRT to use as a resource.  Though no one predicted the correct malfunction (probably never happened before or will again), the wealth of information that came forth is very beneficial.  I'm especially glad to know that I wouldn't like the OD with these high gears.  I might have made a costly mistake.

Anyway, thanks for all the help and info.  I'm saving it for later use.  Perhaps someone else lurking will benefit from it as well.

Thanks again, all.

.bjb

[Crosley.In.AZ]

simple fix it sounds like to me..... good to read.

have fun!