Transmission doesn't want to go into gear until warm...

[haruman]

This is a new one. Now that I've got the truck back up and running, she doesn't want to go into gear until warmed up.

It's a rebuilt transmission, it did sit for a couple of years while I had to hunt down that flexplate.

So, it's a baby 904 automatic, fluid levels are perfect (checked on a level surface, engine at operating temperature, transmission in neutral). Brand new fluid, brand new filter, brand new torque converter.

The truck does sit on an incline on my driveway, the ass end is lower than the front...

Once she warms up and I can get going, the transmission shifts just as smooth as can be.

Any ideas?

[DroppedMitsu]

Weird, especially being rebuilt. I only had that issue when I didn't have enough oil in the transmission.

[haruman]

So, this may be a fluke, but I will try again to see if it does it again.

If I put it in L, and rev the engine, I can get it to engage and start moving. This is before it fully warms up.

:shrug:

[pennyman1]

Your torque convertor is bleeding down, not sure what to do to fix it. Anyone have an idea - I'm thinking check valve sticking open in front pump?

[BradMph]

Do the automatics run on oil psi like the Ford AOD does? If so, maybe a gauge to monitor it. Im not familiar with our automatics, but I am getting a ton of experience with my TBird trany, lol.

Do you feel the trany downshifting hard? On the AOD, manual says to check in Park and trany warmed up. Pull the dip stick and see if it mentions N or P, which probably is not a huge difference.

[haruman]

ugh this is annoying...

Tranny doesn't downshift hard. In fact it's super smooth. My user manual says to check in Neutral at operating temp, which I have. Fluid at full, when warmed up, have run through the gears...

[pennyman1]

is the kickdown lever moving smoothly and is the cable adjusted correctly? There should be just a little slack with throttle plate closed.

[haruman]

is the kickdown lever moving smoothly and is the cable adjusted correctly? There should be just a little slack with throttle plate closed.

I will check that... it is possible that got mal-adjusted when we put the transmission back in. But would that cause this problem?

[pennyman1]

the kickdown lever controls where the fluid goes in the transmission dependent on throttle position. I had a 1991 dogkota that had an A500 OD auto tranny that the kickdown was sticking and caused the tranny to fry due to the lack of fluid flow to the right parts of the tranny. I ended up putting a carb return spring on the kickdown to fix it - mopar couldn't fix it after 6 rebuilds under warranty.

[haruman]

So kickdown linkage appears to be fine.

Drove it for about an hour the other day to go pick up some firewood. Get back home, let it sit for about an hour. Start back up and the torque converter had already bled down again, no Drive.

:shakehead: :shrug:

[haruman]

Got tired of messing with it, took it to the shop. Front pump was bad. Got a new one in, and now everything works great again!