As I was searching I found this thread.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...tml#post205533

Cliff notes: He also had no forward gears in a new rebuilt trans, put it up on jack stands and let it sit in gear and it eventually bleed out air and started to work after 15 to 20 minutes.

The car I bought(75 h/o) has been sitting for a few years with a trans leaking for awhile judging by the large stain and grease, I did fill it and remove a line to verify fluid/pump were working(works well, fluid went everywhere), no matter what I did it would not move forward, not even idle down, reverse seems to work. I bought a rebuild kit and its up on stands and I started to remove things for the swap.

Does anyone think I should try this??? The fluid did smell a little burned but I put in fresh fluid, figured the forward clutch pack was burned up. This car was owned by a older man and has been serviced once with gaskets per the reciept and has only 44k total on the car. Guess it might be worth $20 in fluid to try it???

As for the removal, I have it pretty high in the air but not enough for a trans jack plus trans to come out from under the car, its unnerving to be up that high already! When I'm under it I have extra stands as backups on each corner lol, never would've thought twice 20 years ago.

 

It sounds toasted to me. There are some specialized tools needed to rebuild a trans, but if you think you're up for it I'd get a book and go for it.

 

Did you get the fluid to the FULL line (NOT the ADD line!) on the dipstick?

If not, then keep adding more.

If you want to get the trans. out, the car has to be up this high:



(or at least mine did... 20 years ago .
No trans. jack - I just bench pressed that sucker out - Oh to be young again!)

- Eric

 

Lol yea I did a turbo 400 2 years ago with no jack or anything, wasn't a fun time, shoulder is messed up right now so have to have assistance. My extra jack stands are under another car, so I have to buy four more, perhaps unnecessary but I just don't feel right anymore being under a car that high.

 

Yeah, as you can see, I used cinderblocks, which was a VERY BAD IDEA .

- Eric

 

When I was a kid, I'd set the cars lower control arms on big ol logs for jack stands and replace ball joints and upper A arm bushings. True back yard mechanic'n!!!

 

Louie. if you can get the car frame about 22 inches up you can pull it out using a floor jack. I had 4 large stands under the frame and 4 small stands under the suspension(just in case). I placed a 12 inch 2x10 on a floor jack and centered under the trans pan. You will need someone to lower the jack while you balance the trans on it as it is coming down. I used the same method to put the new one in. It actually worked quite well, just took my time. Joe

 

I am having my TH350 rebuilt right now for a similar issue, wouldnt move in any gear, forward or reverse. Tranny guy said all the seals are dried out and he is rebuilding it this week along with the posi rear end. Car is a 72 442 conv. and tranny is original, as is the engine, interior and everything else.

 

Well I wasn't and still don't feel like swapping or rebuilding this tranny.

I said what the hell and hooked everything back up and figured I'd only be out $20 in fluid.

5 quarts nothing, but around 7 I had reverse and 2 and Drive. SO the jackstand method worked, or the car was just so heavy on the ground its still hosed, I don't know. I'll take it off jack stands and try it tomorrow. I put lucus in last fall so maybe a dry seal swelled up back up over the winter? It even idles down now in the foward gears.

The thing I do not like is its totally missing a gear, its not going in that gear and slipping, it appears the shifter is misadjusted. I probably only have 2, and drive. Any tips on adjusting this cable? I assume you pull the shifter all the way down in 1st then the lever on the tranny and tighten.

EDIT: I did crawl under and when its suppose to be in 1st on the shifter its not, tried to adjust the rod coming down but didn't help. I'll do some searching later or someone can chime in. Thanks!