i have a 93 dodge d250 and as of right now i am having problems with my torque converter. i have heard that my year of truck the t-converter was operated by vacum is that true? also it is an automatic and wheni shift it manually when i shift into drive it wants to slip so i have ot let off and go again what is happening do i need my tranny rebuilt?

 

I was always told it's a really bad idea to manually shift an automatic. I've had to do it a couple of times going up hill, it wouldn't down shift. Usually for a few days after the shifting seems funny. BTW, I've owned 2 93s now, both did the same thing.

Also, from what I'm told, there are belts in the transmission. This came up because I had concerns about sudden, hard up-shifts from 2 to 3 and almost like it wanted to not shift into overdrive. I went down to the quicklube, and had them change out the fluid the easy way, with a suction hose through the filler tube. That seemed to help. A Mechanic told me it sounds like the filter is getting to the point of needing to be changed. That's just another thing on my ever growing list of repairs.

What ever the issue turns out to be in your case, I might give it a thought for mine too.

 

What problems are you having with the torque converter? I have never heard of our trucks having vacuum controlled torque converters. They are either electrically controlled in the case of a lock-up type or they are not externally controlled at all.

Torque converters have 3 functions:
1. They allow slippage so the engine can idle when the truck is stopped.
2. They allow smooth shifting under load by absorbing the shift shock hydraulically.
3. They multiply engine torque to an increasing extent as the trucks speed drops and the throttle opening is increased. This reduces shifting and makes the trans more responsive.

All of our trannies are linkage controlled not vacuum. There are no belts in our trannies. There are bands and clutches. Manually shifting an automatic tranny does not hurt it in the least.

Would you change your engine oil without replacing the filter???? Changing tranny fluid without changing the filter doesn't make any more sense.

If the trans is slipping in drive then you should also have slippage in 2nd under load if it is the bands because 2nd and drive use the same band. That being said, if the kickdown band is only slipping slightly 2nd gear slippage may not have shown up yet. The kickdown band is an external adjustment and a qualified mechanic should be able to do this in about 15 minutes but the low and reverse band is internal and can be done when the filter and fluid is changed.

If your tranny is slipping either the fluid is low or the filter is plugged or the bands need adjusted, or the tranny is due for a rebuild.

 

sorry, you're right he said bands. As for the fluid change I had done, it was to make sure i had the right fluid in it. It was $20 compared to the near $100 it was going to take for the filter change, and I didnt have that. But your explination was great learning, so thank you.

 

Here is some more food for thought on trannys.
1. Did you know that even under light driving conditions the trans fluid and filter and band adjustments should be done every 37,500 miles?
2. When you change trans fluid you only change about half of the fluid because the other half is in the torque converter and locked up inside the valve body.