TCI 700r4 blown in less than 30 minutes?

[UnionWrkr]

Ok, I just finished installing a new TCI 700r4 (w/ lockup and a 2500 stall)in my Silverado. While I\'ve never swapped a transmission before, I am quite mechnically capable and did this one completely by the book. Anyhow, after adjusting the tv cable the way described in every book and website I could find, I took it for a test drive. I drove for about 20 minutes and made 2 very small adjustments to the tv cable to correct an early shift problem finally getting what I thought was a pretty decent feeling shift. When this was done, I checked my trans temp gauge to make sure everything was running cool (150* on a mechanical AutoMeter temp gauge) and made a medium throttle (up to 3500 rpms) launch through all 4 gears. I didn\'t think it felt as solid as it should but I figured I would give it one more shot to see if I was just expecting too much. So, I hit the gas, it shifts somewhat harder into second comes up to 4000 and just lets go. No noises, nothing, it just disengages and leaves me on the side of the road 2 miles from home. After I coast to the side of the road, I put it back in gear to check if it\'s just a nightmare, give it some gas and it just barely moves forward. Likewise, it does the exact same thing in reverse and all of the forward gears when manually shifted. Is there anyone out there that has the slightest inkling of an idea what would cause this to happen in less than 30 minutes? It was of course full of fluid. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif

[my454s10]

why did you change the tranny ...if i was burned up (the old tranny) did you blow out the tranny lines...if not the oil shaveing\'s will tear a new tranny up fast...however....i had this exact same problem in my 92 z-28,,brand new tranny maybe 200 mile....got down on it went to second and nothing...motor went 7000 rpm...the pump went out and burned up the clutch\'s...i don\'t build my tranny\'s so i really don\'t know....sorry to hear about that..

[fasrnur]

Sorry to hear about your troubles sir.

If I had to guess I would lean towards the convertor being bad. If it does the same thing in every gear I would say it might be the convertor or maybe the front pump.



Good luck,

Jeff....

[UnionWrkr]

454, this tranny replaced a 5 speed manual so all the lines are brand new, hell everything in it including the converter is brand new. I do appreciate the sympathy though http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif



fasrnur, that\'s really what I\'m hoping it is. Since I was under the impression that reverse is completely separate from the forward gears, I would think it has to be the converter, but my knowledge of AT internal workings is pretty limited.



Thanks for the replies though guys.

[fasrnur]

In most trannies the low and reverse gears are in the same clutch drum. So if it acts the same in all gears I would lean towards the convertor. Did you power brake the tranny on those launches or just mash the gas? Not sure if it happens much anymore but they use to call it balloning the convertor. This is where the fins in the convertor are flatened and won\'t cause any stall to occur.



Jeff.....

[UnionWrkr]

Yea, I just mashed the gas, no power brake. I\'m hoping I\'m going to wake up tomorrow and this will all have been a bad dream http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_frown.gif

[speeder]

I would check and see if you have the same problem when she is cold. I have a truckmaster TH350 from TCI and I like it. The guys at TCI are great and I think that tranny came with a 90 day warranty. Anyway I would check the break-in instructions and then just get her home. Pull the pan. You need to change the fluid and filter after the initial break-in since the pan has a bunch and I mean a fistful of sand-like crap that TCI says are the stuff of the cluthces. I had a problem with mine early on, since my exhaust was done in January and due to the cold weather I did not notice that the exhaust was right under the pan and, almost touching the PS side of the tranny. Anyway in May the tranny did the same thing as yours, except she got stuck between 2-3. This was just driving down the road, no noise, all of a sudden the RPMs climb, but I am coasting. I pulled over put her in P, then back into D and she sifts real hard and late, around 4000rpm. Anyway the exhaust caused it, since the case was getting so hot that the tranny cooler could not help at all. But my fluid was also cool when this happened, until I sat in the truck for 10 minutes with nothing running and the fluid was actually warming up as I sat still! Anyway that is my 2 cents

[pokey]

did you put some trans fluid in the conv before you put in in and make sure no air was in the lines since they were new? http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif

[UnionWrkr]

speeder, I have not tried it since I got it ome, but I did pull a cooler line and cranked the truck up just now to verify that it wasn\'t the pump. As for the exhaust, it is fairly close (10-12 inches) but the temp gauge was reading only 150* coming out of the tranny which I would think is damn near old or having been running or over 20 minutes.



pokey, I added 1 qt. to the converter before I installed it and let the truck idle for about 20 minutes while I was adding fluid (I added the recommended 5 qts. before cranking it).

[327Isuzu]

You should still be about 3 quarts low. A 700R4 takes about 9.5 quarts if it\'s dry (new) with a 12 inch converter (also empty). The 5 quarts for the transmission is somewhat misleading. If you do a search, you will find a thread where this was discussed a few months ago. An automatic transmission takes way more fluid than it would first appear. Anyway, you probably haven\'t done any real damage yet.

[UnionWrkr]

No no, You misunderstood. That is just how much I started with. Altogether I added a little over 12 quarts.

[speeder]

I know that my TCI tranny was dyno tested before I received it. It had a dyno sheet and the guy\'s name along with my name on the sheet. My TH350 took 3 quarts after the initial 1 in TC and 4 in tranny. At first I had some shifting problems, due lack of adjustment, but I have found the tranny to sometimes act weird, but always come through. I would pull the pan and go from there. DEfeintely examen the fluid coming out and make sure that all of the hookups are good. Make sure you do not have too much fluid and all of your gears are engaging properly. Go through and check EVERY gear forwards and backwards. I had that problem once when my shifter cable melted.

I would not consider it lost, yet.

I also run a 150-175 pill of nitrous and she takes it no probs. I shift manually at the track and it runs great and shifts crisp and on time. In high heat and in traffic it does not like to go into 3rd, but let it cool down and it is like brand new. You should make sure that your lines have plenty of pressure and that you are not leaking fluid on the cooler lines. My dyno sheet had line pressure specs on it. If that is not it, just call TCI.

[mike2002]

not meaning to impolite... it takes almost 12 qt with the converter to fill that trans

[speeder]

any info from the tranny? did it get better worse? what was it?

[UnionWrkr]

Haven\'t had time yet. Gonna pull it this week and will let you know. Thanks again for the help fellas.

[UnionWrkr]

Ok, I talked to Jeg\'s and TCI today. Basically what the guy at TCI said was that it did sound like the TC had broken at the hub however he also said he would be very surprised if any metal made it into the tranny. However he did say that I should go ahead and pull the pan, and if I find any particles in the pan or filter to send it back and he will take care of it. So, with Jeg\'s taking the converter back no questions asked (they won\'t take the tranny back because technically the is nothing wrong with it) I feel a lot better about things now. The only downside is that it looks like I have to eat the shipping on the converter.

[my454s10]

thats good new\'s ...i would much rather eat the shipping than the whole tc...hope you get it going.. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

[UnionWrkr]

On 2003-08-25 20:11, my454s10 wrote:

...i would much rather eat the shipping than the whole tc



Oh yea, don\'t get me wrong, I\'m definitely not bitchin\' (well, except about the fact that it was bad to begin with).