Ok.

My father passed away and left me with this truck.

It's got the 360ci V8 engine in it.


The problem is that it's been sitting there never driven since 1997. On occasion, it had been turned over but nothing else.

Now then, I been working on it lately and got the engine to turn over and such.

I checked the tranny and it was bone dry. I have added 5 qts. of fluid so far and all the darn thing does is sit there.

Now it does however conk over and die if I put it in Reverse, but seeing how I rebuild the carb. it must be a adjustment or something.

Problem is, Neutral, Drive, 1, and 2 gear, the truck doesn't do anything. It's like, the truck doesn't see them at all. I don't even feel anything when I try to go there. However, when in neutral, that is neutral for I can push it.

Is there any hope? Do I just add more fluid and let is run for a while? Or is it shot?

There is no smell or anything that tells me there are any issues, as I said, when I checked the dip stick, there was nothing on it.



Also if it helps any, 4 years ago I added 6 quarts of tranny fluid long ago to it.


There are no leaks under this truck during all those years just sitting there. Does this mean that my tranny is FUBARed?

 

Is your shift linkage hooked up?

 

When we moved in 1997, the truck drove.

Nothing has changed to anything during those years other then once in a while I go out and turned the engine on and that was it.

However, about maybe 4 years ago, I did change the oil, do all the normal tune up stuff. At that time I noticed that the tranny fluid was empty so I added 6 quarts to it back then. It shifted fine, I never drove it though, but it did jerk forward and backwords when I changed gears. If I didn't have the brake on, I wouldn't have moved.

and now I just totally rebuilt the carb seeing how the original one was stolen. So now it has a carb on it that works but needs adjustments and such and perhaps the distripubuter cap may need adjusting as well. But it idles very nice.

 

Well I'm guessing you have a C6 (auto)? Either way tranny fluid doesn't evaporate ( just sitting there) so you obviously have a leak. Seals tend to dry up due to non usage so I would think that would be why it has leaked out. If you added and it isn't working then the pump is probably bad or the torque converter hasn't had time to fill. You are probably going to have to change those seals anyway so might not be a bad time to rebuild the tranny.

 

after reading up a lot and from getting emails from a few others in my area, I may have lucked out.

Sure it will take a little work, but what needs to be done is a full tranny flush and filter change.

This truck doesn't have a pump so that's one less thing to worry about. Also as earlier mentioned, replacing the seals would be a good idea also seeing how this is Arizona and the truck just sitting there for so long. Those seals have got to be bad by now.

But ya, one of the emails said that if the seals are bad, sure enough, the fluids will just leak out however, just to make sure the tranny is ok, then add 5 more quarts to it and let it run for a little bit and it should shift into other gears fine, it's just doing anything right now because I have not put enough fluid into a dry tranny right now.

 

You might need to add more fluid. The standard procedure is add, say, three quarts, run the truck, shift it through the gears, and keep adding fluid. You say you added 5qt. My C4, which is just a smaller C6, took about 9L so just about 9.5qt. Auto trannies don't work without a good amount of fluid.

 

DUMB me, ok, Tranny is fine, shifts, and goes fine...... Ummm........ Stopping power is at zero. I think the power brake booster has finaly called it a night plus the red light on the dash right below the radio turns on when I put the brakes on and there is a huge air sounding noise inside the cab when I apply the brakes.

But hey, I know how to fix that, but I just wanted to prove that the truck was able to start and drive in gears.

Thanks everyone

 

Your vacuum hoses have got to be bad after it sitting that long. Easy fix.

 

Replace all the soft lines. Brake, Vacuum, coolant. Just cheap insurance.

 

x2. Also, replace the rubber fuel lines since your truck has not seen too much in the way of the ethanol that is in modern gas now

 

First thing I did when I put all the carb and lines and such back together. Anything to do with fuel is all been replaced and new.

Now then, I a bit worried about hat I did earlier today though.

I left the engine on and heard it shut off. When I went back and restarted it thinking that it just conked over, I saw that it freaking overheated like crazy and basic looked like lots of heat vapor smoke that didn't smell like anything bad was coming from where I added too much tranny fluid area.

But at least I know the thing goes into other gears now, Just can't stop it with the basic brake.

 

I'd give it a new fuel pump too.

 

I am just proving to buyers that the thing starts and will move on it's own power. The rest is up to them. I am trying to sell it for $1,800

 

Selling your dad's truck? Boy that's tough.

 

Easier said then done. Ya, been in my eyes for most of my life. I remember the day he purchased the truck at the used car lot in Phoenix.