What color was the fluid? Was it bright red or brown? My old trans acted the same and took about 8-10 minutes before it would engage.
Robrobl, The forward gears all have one thing in common, the forward clutches. If the forward clutches are not engaging then you will have reverse but no forward gears. If this is a new rebuild then I would suggest yu look at the sealing rings on the stator support (pump) and pressure test the clutches and bands with the valvebody off. If you need help with this email me at: paulstephens @ q . com I can give you illistrations of how to pressure test the clutches and bands and walk you through what needs to be done to get the C4 on the road.
thanks The fluid goes in the normal color but every time i check it its a dark brown. ill see if thatll work and if that doesnt ill get back to you all and check the seals and soforth. its an all original, so the seeal are probably worn out. If nothing else, ill just have to get a new tranny, need time to work on it but havent got much time with work and all. The jobs going pretty bad so ill be doing somethign very very soon.
If it is burning that fast then you probably need a rebuild. If you replace the C4 check out Broader Performance - you may find its cheaper than getting a rebuilt C4 from other places and their street C4 will probably outlast you and your car.
My c-4 will not shift into3rd gear .All other gears work fine.You can place it into D and go down the road but it will not go into high.R works fine,man. shifting 1 2 3 does not help. I have not been able to drive car at all as it won't go above @40.where do I start looking first?
Tranny will not shift into 3rd gear FoMo, I would suggest that you check the line coming off of the carburetor going to the tranny. Mine came off one time and it would not kick over to any other gear. It would just rev up really high. Check for holes and a tight seal starting from the carb (left side when lifting the hood) going to the right side of the tranny. Give it a shot.
FoMoDave, Make sure the vacuum modulator is connected and fluid is NOT leaking into the hose that connects to it. Make sure your down-shift rod/cable is working freely. The only other place to look is in the valve body or governor.
When do C4's normally shift? I have a really long first gear, the thing sounds like its near redlining(car starts vibrating and rattling loudly) before it shifts...I think my second gear is gone.
Try manually shifting 1-2. If it goes into neutral when it is supposed to be in 2nd then you know where the problem is. If it shifts OK manually then check your vacuum modulator hose to see if there is oil in it - if there is then replace it with a "Green Stripe" modulator. When shifting in auto mode with LIGHT throttle it should shift 1-2 and 2-3 before you get across an intersection.
Well I'm buying a 250 I6 to build up as a fun project, to eventually replace the 200 I6 I have now. I went and saw it run in a 68 Falcon from which it will be pulled. I'm getting the tranny too. Reverse gear works, and 2nd and 3rd too. No 1st gear. Any Ideas? The guy is pulling the engine tranny this afternoon. My 200 C4 transmission works great, but is the 250 tranny a V8 tranny (more clutch packs)as is the bellhousing? 250/302 bellhousing is the same and different from the 200 bellhousing. The engine is D2DE-6015-AA so I know it is a 1972 combo (not a 68)... Paul????? thnks, Mack
Thanks for the great info!... Wow Paul... these are great articles... I have just brought my 72 Comet project 'to life'... (it's running on it's own for the first time - and yup - 650 cfm carbs are WA-A-AY too much for a 302.... 2000 r.p.m. idle so far... tomorrow I'll tweak and try to get it down to 1500... Anyhow.... my tranny is completely D.O.A. (C4 I guess) and through searching I've found several of your responses on diagnosing and dealing with problems... thanks for all this info so I can tackle my dead tranny this weekend... and BTW I think your ugly yellow trannies are beOOOtiful.... I like the idea of spotting oil leaks easy... Thanks again! Whisky
See if 1st gear works with manual low selected - the one way clutch is what holds low gear in drive so if it works in manual low that leaves the one-way clutch as the potential problem - will require a rebuild.
Thanks Paul... I do believe that if I use the C4 instead of the AOD I have as an option, that it will have to be rebuilt as a matter of good course. It was pulled last week so I can't test it as you suggested...Obvious test....I didn't think of it at the time. Duh.. You seem like the guy.. How much to ship a tranny from 90245 to you.... I really like the idea of the AOD behind my built 250 but is the extra weight, HP loss (parasitic drag?)gonna kill me and is a '84 AOD worth foolin' with? Upgrading the oil, bands etc.... wish you were down here in LA..lol
The 84 AOD is practically worthless with a 302. In 85 they did away with the 3-4 accumulator which was a big step in the right direction but for a strong AOD on the street you shouldn't consider using anything built before 91. Then add the "A" or "A+" OD servo, the 14 roller one way clutch and the wide OD band from the later versions (late AODE or 4R70W). To that add the "Power Pack" clutch sets and some mods to the valve body. You end up with an AOD that is almost as strong as the C4 with minor mods to the cooling, lube and stator and an extra clutch in each pack. To make the AOD it will cost about $700 in parts - the C4 will cost about $250 in parts for the same power level and a bit more. I don't ship transmissions - I only build locally. Try Jay at Broader Performance - he is reasonably priced and I would buy his transmissions if I didn't build my own. He sells top quality and ships from Texas to anywhere. Just tell him Paul from Seattle sent you.
