Transmission issues

[Manbeard]

So I bought this truck with the understanding it needed a new tranny, when I got to talking to the guy he said he was driving along up a hill and all the sudden nothing no go, it had never slipped previously and didn’t then just stopped, he changed fluid a month ago, any chance it’s something easy like linkage. Or is there something else I should look at first

 

[Blckshdw]

FWIW, mine behaved the same way about 2 years ago. Was cruising down the highway, and it felt like it dropped into neutral. They found metal chunks in the pan when they dropped it, and said all my clutch packs were shot.

If it was the cable, or the plastic bushings at either end broke, the shifter would feel like there was very little resistance when you moved it, and the gear indicator on the dash wouldn't change.

 

[gmcman]

There's a chance it was low on fluid or starved of fluid.

Could be a clogged filter if it was never changed, along with a trans that never saw service. Then if a bunch of crud was released with the new fluid and clogged the filter, could create your scenario. Only downside is the possibility of the clutches getting smoked from pressure loss.

Check the fluid level cold with the engine OFF. Then check the fluid with the engine running, did the fluid level stay the same or drop?

If the fluid level stayed the same, I would suspect the pump.

Either way, I would drop the pan, change the filter, don't worry about the new seal at this point, if the filter takes a good hard tug to remove, just replace the filter for now.

Refill with some cheap wally world SuperTech ATF. If by chance it works, I would drive it for a few hundred miles then replace the filter again and fill with Valvoline MaxLife.

Does the fluid look pinkish or dark and burnt?

 

[TollKeeper]

Agree completely with @gmcman , This is a good hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst scenario.

I would add one thing to the mix thou.. If the above quick and dirty tranny filter change doesn't work, take the tranny cooler out of the mix by taking the input and output at the radiator for the tranny lines, and putting them together. The tranny coolers can get filled with various debris, and clog. This is only temporary, and dont drive the truck like this, its only for testing. You can also do the cooler bypass at the tranny, but it can be more difficult, and harder to get sealed up afterwards, but if you have a kink in one of the tranny cooler lines, this will make the tranny work, indicating the pressure inbalance is upstream.