Thank you in advance for all of your help!!! I’m not one for asking for things online, but this one I just can’t figure out. I’ve got a 1979 Ford Eldorado (a rare one — almost like a diamond camper). It is a two stage mini-camper (no cab overhead part, just a fiberglass extension — it’s weird), 8 cylinder 351w with a c6 trans.


The camper!

Shifter Leak

Front of bell housing leak

Pan leak

Trans fluid color

Inside of bell housing when taken off


When I picked it up from the guys property, it had an atf leak at the shifter rod, the dipstick tube, and some leakage on the front of the inspection plate from the engine-trans mounting area. I added dye and attached photos above. I then drove it at highway speeds much underpowered for around 10 minutes home until the trans lost grip on a hill. It started catching again so i drove up the hill, and then slipped full again, with no response. Got it towed.



So, I dropped the trans, drained it (photos attached of the muddy brown color of the fluid), replaced the fluid pump gasket, o-ring, replaced the torque converter (and seated it properly), the oil pan gasket, the shifter rod o-ring and bushing. There were no metal chunks in the pan. And here I am in my parking lot with 12 quarts of new atf, no leaks, no weird sounds, a running engine, and still I cannot get trans to catch. If i rev it hard, it’ll go in 1. But not in 2 or drive. Shifting standstill and it all engages. There is an atf reading on the dipstick. Sometimes it catches with a hard rev, but just enough to nudge it. it doesn’t move drift in D at idle! Reverse always works! What do I do?? Please and thank you!!

 

Welcome to FTE

I am no expert but from the way that old fluid looked and you saying what it did trying to get it home and then you pulling the transmission out you should of had it rebuilt.
That fluid color shows it burned up the clutches and no amount of new fluid will fix that, you have to replace the clutches and plates.
Also when in there replace the seals on the pistons that apply the clutches. If one of them was leaking then the clutches was not getting full pressure to hold them and they burn up.
Sorry to say I think you will be pulling it out for the rebuild it should have gotten the first pulling.
Sorry just how it is.

There is a drive train area lower on the main menu and you can post this same post there as there are people on there that know a lot more than I do.
Good luck.
Dave ----

 

Thanks for your response, Dave -- Yeah. I should have. I guess I'll try that next, and see what happens. What fun!

Oscar ----

 

I agree. With those symptoms and it being that age, it needs a rebuild. Make sure you tell the shop about the leaky shifter shaft. They usually can sleeve it there.

 

Awesome -- thank you!! I'm looking into rebuild kits now... so many options!!