Ok so new at the car thing (even though I'm an oldy!) and even newer at the Maverick deal. I got the car because I figured if I was going to be finally dragged kicking and screaming to learn to drive I wanted something I could learn to fix. I've done ok so far such replacing parts but now I don't have a clue. I've got a 72 Automatic C4 3 speed that is playing up. When I start it from cold and try to drive I look like a 15 year old trying to learn stick. Jarring motions and very high revs. Once she's warmed up though the problem completely goes away. The main reason I think it is tranny related is that she will lose gear also if i'm going below 20. In other words I have her in drive and she seems to slip into neutral and then all my foot on the gas achieves is a revving. If I pump hard you can feel it slip into gear and I will lurch forward. If it is the tranny what would be the best route? I have a local autoparts store where I can get a rebuilt one for $500 with 12,000 warranty. Are they easy enough to swap out? Or should I take this to someone to do a rebuild on mine? This is a daily driver for me so I can't really spend the time trying my own rebuild just yet as I need the car for work. Oh and I have checked the fluid levels and they 'seem' fine.
First thing I would do is drain the fluid and drop the pan to see if the filter is plugged up. Check for ickey stuff in the pan with lots of brass or metal pieces too. This is about an hour job and a bit messy. Change the filter and gasket, refill with good type F fluid and see what happens. Keep us informed.
where are you located? one of the hardest things to do is find a shop that will work with you and that you trust. i just had one rebuilt for $200 and another for $250. that one had to have a few parts but he did it in one day. of course i removed the tranny and took it to him. also have him check the convertor if you do take it out.
yeah...what dave said...also double check that the "kickdown lever" isn't stuck. that sure made my mav indecisive on what gear it should be in.
My C6 does that in my 76 F-100 when the fluid is low. add a quart or 2 and it's fine I think most of my problem is because i have a very deep pan but didnt put an extension on the filter Do what Old Guy said and let us know.... it could be a converter, or a bad filter... which are pretty simple to change.
Ok this is needed right now: :bananaman :bananaman :bananaman :bananaman :bananaman Thank you Old Guy!! And thank you others that replied. I went with the first suggestion and drained and replaced, sorry I did it yesterday but couldn't really test until tonight as I've been out of town. The problem only appeared when the car was cold so over 24 hours since I last started her up and she is now smooth as silk. One thing I did notice is that the pedal now feels really soft, I guess over time the gunk was making it feel 'heavy' but without a flush I didn't notice how bad. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Shelling out for a new transmission right now was definitely not what I needed. I'm still trying to sort out Geico for a payout for a guy that rear-ended me (just rear valance, bumper and paint match needed) and this was just another headache I didn't need.
Glad to hear you got her fixed. Just for good measure since you probably didn't get the converter drained, I would drain it again at your next oil change scheduled. Cost of new fluid is cheaper than a rebuild. Also consider installing a drain plug in the pan, costs about 6.00 and only need to drill a 1/2in hole in the proper place(clearance for the valve body). Makes the job a little easier and less messy next time. I use a large clear plastic storage container with a snap on lid when doing them without a drain plug. Cheap at waldemart or dollar general store, can even see parts and lost tools that fall into them. hehehe. Good job on fixing the problem yourself. kudos to you.
