Thanks. I will hopefully see if I can check the TC for fluid presence Mon. Can I check the TC for fluid presence with the trans still in place?

I'm curious and I'm not diving in just yet, because it's easier said than done to have the transmission drained, van up on 4 jack stands, transmission lines and connections off, TC unbolted, driveshaft removed, doghouse removed, trans strapped to trans jack, bell housing unbolted and finally trans wriggled loose then manhandled to whatever place I can find to put it.

 

If it's the original torque converter it will have a drain plug. It's easy to get to the drain plug with the trans in place.

You could also check the trans for pressure. If the trans has pressure the torque converter will have fluid. There is a pressure port on the driver's side of the trans, towards the front of the trans, just above the pan. There is a black hex head plug in the port from the factory. The port has a 1/8" NPT thread. Get a 0-350 PSI gauge.

 

Thanks. I did check the pressure. It's around 200psi (pegs my 140 gauge and goes to around where 200 would be). It drops split second to around 40-60 ish when gears are changed then jumps back to 200psi.

 

Then the torque converter has fluid. Something mechanical broke inside the transmission.

 

Thanks. I had read in the FSM that one cause of high pressure is the regulator valve having a problem. I also read that the torque converter can be starved of fluid if this happens and there was a TSB or maybe modification recommended to bypass this problem and allow fluid to the converter. Sonnax makes parts for this.