Hi Guys

Some of you might remember me from a few threads about two months ago. I bought a Vista Cruiser that I love and I drove it all the way home to CA from Tuscon, AZ with no problems, but in the last two weeks I've been having transmission problems that really worry me. I think it may still be a problem where I can save the original transmission, but I really need the help of those of you who are more experienced with this specific model of transmission.

Here are the exact symptoms: Fluid level is correct and looks and smells clean. Reverse gear has zero problems, even when cold. The transmission started to wine a little bit when it was cold a few weeks ago. Then it started to take a little while longer to engage into drive when it was cold. If you blipped the throttle a little bit that would help it along in the beginning, but I tried to be patient and just wait for it to engage. It seemed like a typical low-on-fluid situation, but it isn't. I live on a hilly street, so sometimes I put the lever into "1" to get better action and it seemed to help a little. But it's gotten worse every week and now, it will wine for about a minute and it has a hard time completely engaging in the forward gears and before the wine disappears. If I go into reverse there isn't a single problem. Once the transmission is warmed up, I can (so far) go back and forth from reverse or park to low or even straight to drive with no problems. Also, I can drive all day long with no hint of a problem once it's warm... Please help me!

Thanks, Tom

 

It could be as easy as a filter change.

 

Hi Tom. That doesn't sound good for the transmission. You could drop the pan and take a good look at the contents and filter and perhaps change them. You might also try a product in a bottle as well. At this point those are the two cheapest things to try.

Not engaging is a bad sign.

 

Had same problem years ago. Not that it needs new filter, other than the filter, is probably not installed correct, or has a bad seal. It is sucking air probably, make sure you have the correct filter and seal.

 

I just bought the filter kit for $5.99. (I love old American cars!...), but where is the drain plug? Do I have to drop the pan to get the fluid out? What a mess....

 

BTW, the trans says Hydramatic on the pan. I don't know yet whether that makes it a 350 or a 400 trans...

 

what seal HArv? You mean the seal between the hydraulic block and the filter?....

 

I think I found the problem. I lowered the pan and the filter was just hanging on by a thread. No big particles in the pan, but a layer of sludge like the filter had maybe never been replaced. I wish I had followed my inclination to swap the filter when I bought it, but the fluid looked so good and it drove so well... I wonder how much damage that wining did to the trans these past few weeks.... You guys are great. Thanks!

 

I would guess not much damage. Clean out the pan and replace the filter, I'd bet it will be fine.

 

The seal I was talking about is the seal in the end, of the tube on the filter that pushes into the tran. May be a O ring, can't remember if it is that type, or the push in type seal with the rubber coating on the inside. The new filter will come with a new one, no matter what type it is. If it is the tap in type, take a small flat tip screw driver, and tap it in from the outside edge, and it bends easily, and you the pull it out with a pliers. I had a 72, thought it had a Turbo 400, but is was a 375, which is a 400 with a out shaft the size of a 350, so uses the smaller yoke .

 

So, I cleaned out the pan and installed the new filter. As you know, there is only one place where it actually connects to a 3/4" diameter plastic tube that comes down from the front corner of the transmission and goes into a thick rubber sealing ring that's part of the new filter. Snug, nice fit... Unfortunately, I was in a bit of a hurry to get the car running again and I didn't see that there was also a thin o-ring in the package, about the same diameter as the plastic tube, so I'm not sure where that one goes, maybe at the top of that plastic tube. Anyway, now the transmission only works a little better when it's cold. Low gear engages quicker than before, but Drive still takes about 2 minutes driving in first gear before it will engage. That's the part that's odd. First gear is first gear, whether I have the gear selector in low or drive, so that must mean the actual gear and brake band for first gear must be ok and I'm guessing there is some sticky "drive" valve that's taking a while longer to open than the "low" valve. Does that sound sensible? At this point I think I will just drive it like this for a week to give the transmission a good flush with the new fluid and filter and then do it all again and make sure I figure out where that second o-ring seal goes?.... (I read through the body assembly manual I got here and it didn't say anything about working on the car, also no drain plug for the ATF, etc., but I also think mine is probably a 375 Hydramatic, since it has the vacuum modulator. Harv. Your 1972 was also a Vista Cruiser or a Cutlass?....)

 

Two minutes?

 

Yes. What do you mean? That's how long it takes first thing in the morning. After that, there is no more problem all day long even shifting back and forth from park or reverse to drive. That tells me that there could be some sticking problem, maybe due to dirt or maybe a little clogging that holds up the fluid and keeps sufficient pressure from building up for the forward brake band when the selector is in drive. All this is just from my limited basic knowledge of automatic transmissions; nothing specific to this 375....

 

Make sure your vacuum modulator line is hooked to full manifold vacuum and the rubber lines are not cracked and leaking. You may have a bad modulator also.

 

My 72 was a Vista Cruiser

 

It's not the modulator. Modulator keeps you in first if the hose is disconnected.

 

He says it stays in low for about 2 minutes before shifting.

 

Guess I misread. Thought he was idling for two min before it would go.

 

Yeah, I agree that the description was not 100% clear to me either.
Drive is not a gear; there is 1, 2, and 3.

So please clarify: apparently the vehicle moves forward in 1st gear, but it takes 2 minutes of driving in 1st before it upshifts to 2nd and/or 3rd?

 

Yes, that's correct. It upshifts into the higher gears, but it just wont transmit any power. 2 will work after a shorter time, but not 3. SO I keep in 1 until its all warmed up. The first paragraph probably explains it best for the late comers...

 

Has the whining stopped?

 

The seals in the trans are probably hard and leaking internally. It sounds like you are losing line pressure the the intermediate and direct clutches either at the clutch seals or through the valve body. Unfortunately it looks like a overhaul is in order.

 

I'd say the whining has stopped, at least when I don't try to push it in the gears that are slipping.

The odd thing is that I only seem to be losing that line pressure depending on which gear selector position I choose and only when the transmission is cold, so I still have some hope that flushing it out and adding Trans-X might clear it out again. I'm surprised that same first gear doesn't engage when I have the selector in 3, but it does engage when I have it in 1.

I think I should probably look into finding a 400R or 700RF transmission from what I've heard so far. Is that correct? Does anybody have one for sale?

 

If you intend on leaving the engine and gearing stock, I would stick with the th350 or 400 which ever one you have. Rebuilding one of those is a lot cheaper than one of the overdrive trannies you mentioned.

 

The stock transmission was a 375. I'm keeping this for a long time, so anything that will make it better on fuel economy when we hit $8 in two years will be nice. I want to plan ahead, so the transmission swap would eventually be followed up by a different engine or at least a 4 barrel and a rear end ratio to match. That's my goal, if I had to do major transmission work now. Bowtie has better than new transmissions for $1500. By the way, I was shopping around that body patch panel site trying to find something that would be close to the lower rear floor panel of the Vista Cruiser. It's probably a wagon only part, but fairly simple with a bunch of ribs running front to back. Where else could I look? It seems unlikely I'd find a good used part in a parts car?...