so out of nowhere today I was on my way back home and my truck won't shift into second. I stomped on the gas and its like my truck would kinda shake and wouldn't go above 30 then finally it would shift hard. did this twice but I was close to home so I was able to baby it. I really don't have the money to fix it whatever it is and I'm not very mechanically inclined as this is my first vehicle thats actually mine. I checked the fluid and I saw bubbles but I'm pretty sure thats normal and color looks ok but ill probably be dropping the pan tomorrow depending on when I get my friend to lend me the tools. anything I can do other than changing the filter and governor ?

my truck only has roughly 163k miles and I bought it for 2500 but its run good this whole time since I bought it back in sept. cosmetically its a little rough around the edges but dependable. I do have bad o2 sensors too so maybe thats what it is ? ill post pictures when I get around to dropping the pan tomorrow. one last thing is it does have a slight wiring sound kinda like a whine when I hit the gas. not loud at all. very subtle. like when your power steering starts going out but quieter ? I couldn't figure out what it was so I just had to wait it out really. so here I am. this is my DD so if the trannys at the end of its life I'm screwed. still take it over a ford anyday.

 

Sounds more like a clogged cat, than a trans problem...... Remove the front O2 sensor from the exhaust, go for a drive. Run any better?

 

no its definitely a tranny problem. I know for sure now because I drove it up to the auto zone down the street and it wouldn't shift or go past 35. even to maintain 35 I had to rev the **** out of it near redline. I got atf 4 fluid and a new filter. I was gonna try that before I blow the 200 on the solenoid kit. plus the closest store that has it is far away. I dropped the pan off this morning and I'm about to go out and look at it when it finishes dripping. is there anything else I can look for ? loose bands ? I'm not very mechanically inclined but I'm will to fix it myself. also is there any cheaper alternatives for the solenoid kit ? like eBay ? I'm afraid ill buy something cheap that won't hold up if I get from eBay or solace like that.

If the solenoid kit doesn't work is it fair to say I'm looking at a rebuild ? the pan doesn't have any alarming or concerning amounts of shavings in it. looks like normal wear.

 

Go with just the borg warner heavy duty governor solenoid, and sensor kit. You can get them on Ebay for around 100 bucks or so. Adjust the bands while you are in there. Torque the adjusters to 72 INCH pounds, then back them off two turns. (ignore what the service manual says.)

Wouldn't hurt to install a drain plug in the trans pan either, to make your life potentially easier in the future.

I have another test, but, the trans needs to be back together for it...... (would verify if it was an electronic problem, or mechanical) but, since you have it apart already, just change the solenoid/sensor, and see if that doesn't fix it.

 

thanks for the reply man. I don't have a torque wrench to adjust the bands with the pressure , is there a way to do it with a common ratchet wrench or what ? when I check the bands they looked good. no play. I could pull the lever thing back a little but the band didn't move. I put the pan back on and just finger banged it in a pattern to try and avoid cross threading. ill tighten it back up tommorow when theres light out.

one more thing, honest mistake , silly me but I didn't realize it until the screw was already cross threaded but I use one of the filter screws for the solenoid by accident and now it only catches on one spot when I try screwing the new filter in. its surprisingly snug but not all the way in. is this a big deal or not ? is it worth trying to find this overpriced screw ?

 

You REALLY need the torque wrench. Chat with your local auto parts store, and see if they have one for rent.

Is the screw buggered up, or the threads in the trans?

 

just that one screw. I tested the other filter screw in the same spot so its not the trans thread. I would've shopped around for the solenoid but this is my daily so I just bought the one at AAP. 203 dollars. ouch. I need it running asap.

 

Spend the money for a new screw then as well. You don't want to have it abandon you somewhere.....

 

ok so I tightened the pan back up and dumped some tranny fluid in it. I got the atf +4 at auto zone for Chrysler vehicles so I know I got the right kind. truck won't move when I put in drive. the dipstick reads at the ok level but I hear a gurgling sound. is the tranny shot or does it need more fluid and I'm just not reading it right ? I'm checking it in neutral with the engine idling. I put in 4 quarts already and got one more. do I need more fluid ?

 

Check fluid level in neutral. Park gives an artificially high reading, and does not charge the torque converter.