very discouraged

[SnS C10]

well as some of you know, ive been doing a ton of work to my 64 c10 longbed straight six manual trans non power brake truck. Shortbed conversion, 77 c10 suspension disc brake upgrade, power steering upgrade conversion. 1999 vortec 350 and th350 auto trans. So yea lots of work to do all of this as you guys know. Ive had the engine in for awhile now and finally got it started up and running nicely 2 days ago. Got my nice new b&m quick silver shifter installed, power steering and power brakes working great. Go to shift into reverse....nothing. Drive....nothing. Ok, engine is fully warmed up, check trans fluid, its low. I fill to the top line, and run through the gear again. Nothing, acts like its in neutral in every gear. Next, i pulled both transmission cooler lines and ran the engine, through every gear, and it did not pump a single drop of trans fluid

looks like i need to pull the transmission out and have it checked. Very discouraging to get to the cusp of the truck moving on its own power and it not happen. This thing seems to fight me on whatever i do to it. nothing has gone smooth, it likes to fight me. I was given the trans by a good friend who said it was working fine. I filled the converter with fluid and seated it properly. Time to start pulling a trans out... Oh well, just thought id give an update

[63burban]

Bolts in the torque converter to flywheel?

[jayoldschool]

Two things:
- may still be low on fluid
- the filter may have fallen off the mount

[TJ's Chevy]

Almost as bad as the fight my GMC put me through for 4 weeks....and still fighting. Hope ya get it figured out soon.

[racecougar]

If the TC isn't fully seated, it won't drive the pump.

[SnS C10]

the converter is bolted to the flywheel. the trans has around 10 quarts of fluid in it. I checked yesterday after running the engine for 20 min straight. obviously something is going on with the pump, since no fluid is coming from the lines. What do you guys think a solid plan of action is? As of now it is to remove trans and send it to my transmission guy. Maybe the converter did not seat like i thought it did. could i separate the trans/engine a few inches and seat the converter? what do you guys recommend?

[jayoldschool]

How many clunks did you get as you spun and seated the converter? You could try taking the bolts out to reseat it. After you try that, drop the pan and check the filter. Easier than pulling the trans (and you'll need to drain it anyways if you're going to drop it).

[SnS C10]

come to think about it, i believe i installed it wrong as i dont remember hearing the clunks. what an idiot now i probably damaged my trans and my converter.

[jayoldschool]

You're not an idiot, we all make mistakes. You probably didn't damage anything. Best case? Bolts out, spin converter/push, wait for the clunks. Second best? Drop the trans a bit to clunk it.

This should help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFFIPyv2C_4

[WOLFMANmike]

Originally Posted by jayoldschool

You're not an idiot, we all make mistakes. You probably didn't damage anything. Best case? Bolts out, spin converter/push, wait for the clunks. Second best? Drop the trans a bit to clunk it.

This should help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFFIPyv2C_4

yes you did not brake anything .. back the trans from the engine a bit so you can man handle the converter turn and push in the converter you will hear 1 clunk keep doing it after the 1 clunk you will hear a second clunk the second clunk means you seated all the way .. bolt her back together and you should have all gears now ... also if my memory serves my right a fully loaded TH 350 trans take 13 QTs to be full Dex 3

[SnS C10]

Ok guys I unbolted the converter from the flexplate. It spins freely , identical to the video that was posted above. No binding at all. I assume something in the trans broke and that's I don't have any gears? If the pump was broken, would the conetter still spin? Keep in mind this engine has about 35 min run time on it, never heard funny noises or anything abnormal

[WOLFMANmike]

Originally Posted by SnS C10

Ok guys I unbolted the converter from the flexplate. It spins freely , identical to the video that was posted above. No binding at all. I assume something in the trans broke and that's I don't have any gears? If the pump was broken, would the conetter still spin? Keep in mind this engine has about 35 min run time on it, never heard funny noises or anything abnormal

Grab converter pull it to unseat it .... next turn the converter while pushing in on it listen for a clunk ... then keep pushing in and turning and get the 2nd clunk it's done . If you are not getting 2 chunks it's not seated

[Marv D]

Originally Posted by SnS C10

Ok guys I unbolted the converter from the flexplate. It spins freely , identical to the video that was posted above. No binding at all. I assume something in the trans broke and that's I don't have any gears? If the pump was broken, would the converter still spin? Keep in mind this engine has about 35 min run time on it, never heard funny noises or anything abnormal

I agree, if the converter was not seated on the pump drive tangs, or the stator was not on the input shaft, it would be binding TIGHT against the crank and not turn,, and it would have had to have been pulled up to the block with the trans bolts destroying the front pump. Because the bellhousing is seated against the engine, and the converter is free... that didn't happen. There is nothing that 'pulls out' of the trans after it's seated on the pump drive so sliding it back and pulling it forward to where it is now isn't going to accomplish anything.

With nothing coming from the front pump (through the cooler lines) ,, there is issue with the pump or the pickup. OR it's not full of hydraulic oil yet. As said 12-15 quarts for a fresh trans and empty converter.

If you have that much oil in it,, Drop the pan and verify the pickup and screen is in place.Probably not a bad idea anyways with a 'free' trans from a friend so you know what you really have. What you find in the pan will tell you a LOT about the condition of the trans.

[SnS C10]

Don't think it can go in anymore. Engine is bolted to the trans. Converter is about .187-.250 away from the flexplate if I push it in toward the trans. I tried spinning and pushing, won't go any farther

[WOLFMANmike]

Originally Posted by SnS C10

Don't think it can go in anymore. Engine is bolted to the trans. Converter is about .187-.250 away from the flexplate if I push it in toward the trans. I tried spinning and pushing, won't go any farther

I'm sorry but you are gonna have to understand bolt it from the engine .... and unlike seat the converter and re seat it again

[SnS C10]

Next step to me was to unbolt the trans. My question is, could the converter be in the position it is in, free spinning with the correct gap from the flywheel, and nothing be broken? I would assume that there are 2 ways for the converter to be sitting at the depth mine is at. 1- To be fully seated correctly. 2- something to be broken, allowing the converter to be in the position mine is in. Since my converter looks to be at the required depth, without binding and free spinning as the video shows, I assume something is broken either from when I mated the engine and trans, or internally from the guy i got it from

[racecougar]

When you first installed the trans, was the bellhousing tight to the block before you installed the bellhousing bolts? If you used the bellhousing bolts to draw the bellhousing to the block, you may have wiped the pump.

[WOLFMANmike]

trust me separate the trans from the engine remove the converter and the slide it back onto the shaft turn and push and hear 1 clunk keep turning it and pushing hear 2nd clunk then align the trans on the engine dowels bolt together and fill it with fluid and you will have working gears .... im betting that your friend would not sell you a junk trans .... and ran for 35 mins is not gonna do anything to it its not getting heat because its not moving heat is the # 1 killer of transmissions ... im telling you the converter is not seated yet and if its not you are not turning the pump pump not turning =s no pressure no pressure =s no gears ... if your pump was trashed you would be spitting trans fluid drops while running from the converter ... so just go ahead and remove the trans pull the converter out and re seat it all over again and remember 2 clunks your golden 1 clunk your not done ... then bolted back up the the engine start adding DEX 3 Fluid i dont know how much you added already but a full converter and transmission pan will be 13 qts if you have put in a bunch of fluid already keep adding fluid by the 1/4 with a friend inside the truck checking gears while its running . remember to pour some in while its in park only then put the dip stick in and tell friend to try each gear if the trans is low on fluid it wont get gears either .....

[SnS C10]

wolfmanmike i will give that a shot. How can the converter be all the way atleast in a seated position and not be seated without something being broken?

[SnS C10]

wolfmanmike i will give that a shot. How can the converter be all the way atleast in a seated position and not be seated without something being broken?

[SnS C10]

i would say it has a little under 10 quarts. reason i stopped filling is because on the dip stick, it reads over full. I can hear trans fluid washing around as i spin it in the torque converter. I will drop the pan next. What exactly should i be looking for in there?

[racecougar]

Originally Posted by SnS C10

i would say it has a little under 10 quarts. reason i stopped filling is because on the dip stick, it reads over full. I can hear trans fluid washing around as i spin it in the torque converter. I will drop the pan next. What exactly should i be looking for in there?

That the filter is installed into the valvebody, not laying in the bottom of the pan.

[SnS C10]

so if the filter is laying in the pan, the trans will not have any gears?

[Marv D]

That filter HAS to be IN the oil or you get nothing!!!

It reads over full with the engine running in park or neutral???

If it's not running and pumping anything to 'pump up' the the channels/drums, cavities and converter,, you can't determine if it's full or not.

[SnS C10]

yes it read full no matter what gear its in or if its in neutral