Urgent tranny help needed, please
Thread Starter
|
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,335
Likes: 6
From: Midwest
Urgent tranny help needed, please
I just got the 351w running in my 1978 f100. thought I would take it 4 a little ride around the block. I topped off the tranny, went thru the gears (c/4,c/5? auto). worked good, checked tranny fluid, it was full. there is a slight hill up my garage driveway. the truck would barely pull itself up the hill. I think, ok, maybe the tranny isn't full. checked again, full. drive the truck up and down the alley a couple of times...tranny is slipping more and more. decide to forget about the test drive, and get it back in the garage. by the time I got to the garage (maybe 300 feet), it would barely move under it's own power. checked the fluid again, full. the truck does not move in drive or low2, but it acts like it would go backwards in low1 and I have reverse, but it slips in reverse. what kind of vacuuum is the modulator supposed to be connected to? I have it connected straight from the intake now. does that make a difference? Also, I don't have the kickdown linkge hooked up, does that matter? I didn't even get enough speed up to shift, so I don't understand how that would make a difference. the tranny worked fine 10 months ago when the motor blew up.....thanks, Ben
New User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 0
Likes: 24
Urgent tranny help needed, please
You have a 351 Windsor in your 78?
That's weird.
The transmission always does weird things without a kickdown linkage & when it is low on fluid.
The Vacuum hose normally hooks up to the vacuum tree at the back of the intake.
Have you tried posting in the transmission forum?
[font color=red]Dennis
FTE Assistant Administrator
[/font]
[link:www.ford-trucks.com/guidelines.html|Club FTE]
[link: motorhaven.autoanything.com|How YOU Can Support This Site]
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/canada_flag_animated.gif
[link:www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/Mil1ion.html|My Website,"North Of The 49th"]
That's weird.
The transmission always does weird things without a kickdown linkage & when it is low on fluid.
The Vacuum hose normally hooks up to the vacuum tree at the back of the intake.
Have you tried posting in the transmission forum?
[font color=red]Dennis
FTE Assistant Administrator
[/font]
[link:www.ford-trucks.com/guidelines.html|Club FTE]
[link: motorhaven.autoanything.com|How YOU Can Support This Site]
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/canada_flag_animated.gif
[link:www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/Mil1ion.html|My Website,"North Of The 49th"]
Moderator
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 22,436
Likes: 17
From: Louisville,Ky.
Urgent tranny help needed, please
The modulator is hooked up correctly. You may not have gotten the torque converter completely onto the input shaft. When installing, you should be turning it and it should click in 3 times, this gets the splines inline with the ones in the converter. If you are lucky, you may be able to pull the tranny and try reinstalling the converter like I mentioned above and all will be well. Also, did you change the filter while it was down? It could be clogged, but that is doubtful.
If you are lucky, it hasn't burned up the clutches.
By the way, The kckdown lever only controls wide open throttle shift points and makes the tranny drop back a gear or two (depending on speed) while driving down the road. It won't hurt to have it off, it will just shift early at W.O.T. and will not kick down when trying to rapidly accelerate. The kickdown is only really important if you have and AOD (overdrive) because it works like the modulator valve and controls line pressure. Without it, the tranny will burn up quite quickly.
Good luck to ya, Jimmy
If you are lucky, it hasn't burned up the clutches.
By the way, The kckdown lever only controls wide open throttle shift points and makes the tranny drop back a gear or two (depending on speed) while driving down the road. It won't hurt to have it off, it will just shift early at W.O.T. and will not kick down when trying to rapidly accelerate. The kickdown is only really important if you have and AOD (overdrive) because it works like the modulator valve and controls line pressure. Without it, the tranny will burn up quite quickly.
Good luck to ya, Jimmy
Thread Starter
|
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,335
Likes: 6
From: Midwest
Urgent tranny help needed, please
Mil1ion, I swapped the 351w in place of the original 302.
lxman1, thanks for the advice....hope I didn't fry the tranny, will see about the converter...not looking forward to pulling the tranny after I just got the motor installed
, but that's what i get for not checking the converter 1st, huh?
lxman1, thanks for the advice....hope I didn't fry the tranny, will see about the converter...not looking forward to pulling the tranny after I just got the motor installed
, but that's what i get for not checking the converter 1st, huh? 
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 2,415
Likes: 3
From: Comox Valley, Canada
Urgent tranny help needed, please
Could you just disconnect a cooling line from the rad and see if fluid pumps out? If it does wouldnt that mean the torque converter is on correctly and engaging the tranny pump? Or is that only on Chevys havent had much reason to tear into a Ford auto yet, "Sparky quickly knocks on wood", they appear to be bullet-proof 
Sparky
Sparky
Thread Starter
|
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,335
Likes: 6
From: Midwest
Urgent tranny help needed, please
Sparky, the tranny lines do not run to the rad, but they do run to a tranny cooler, so I wil try that tonight when I get off work tonight....thanks, Ben
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,335
Likes: 6
From: Midwest
Urgent tranny help needed, please
if I didn't get the converter seated properly, what would have been damaged? just the front pump? can i just replace that without rebuilding the whole tranny? how much would a new pump cost?.....thanks, Ben
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 6 Best Deals Available on New Fords & Lincolns Right Now
Brett Foote
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
|
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,335
Likes: 6
From: Midwest
Urgent tranny help needed, please
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 15-Nov-02 AT 05:33 PM (EST)]I went out after work this afternoon, disconnected a line that runs into the tranny cooler and started the truck up. seemed to be pumping a good amount of fluid thru the cooler, so I am thinking the pump is working ok. does this mean my tranny is fryed? I only have reverse. in drive and low1, if I give it a lot of gas, it will barely creep forward, but in low 2, it goes in reverse again?(yeah, I know it sounds wierd, but I did it several times, so I know it's true!!) I even messed with the shifter linkage, just in case it wasn't shifting into the right gear, no luck. there is also a strong smell of burned tranny fluid, but the fluid itself is not burned looking. On a side thought, I dumped an extra quart of tranny fluid in it, just in case the dipstick wasn't reading right, went thru the gears, no luck, and the dipstick reads overfull, so I think the dipstick is reading right. thanks for any advice or suggestions!!!...Ben
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,494
Likes: 0
Urgent tranny help needed, please
Search this forum for tranny troubles. How many miles since the last rebuild? Your post about your tranny reads a lot like others'. My C4 did the same thing before having it rebuilt. The internal seals were shot. If it sat reving long enough it would heat up the seals enough for them expand and the tranny would work....untill only reverse worked. Be prepared for a not so nice holiday treat from your truck. Don't aggrivate the situation and make something worse. Take it it, or call around and get some estimates. I dislike tranny shops very much...too much $$ 
