Tranny slipping?

[grouseman]

With 3.23 gears, I'm running around 2,300 at about 50 mph, on 15" tires.  This is also with the factory lockup 904 converter, which I can feel engaging.  It is going into third.  I figure this is about 500 rpm too high (I should only hit 2,200 at 60 mph, give or take).  The car has been in storage for the last 5 years, and tranny fluid is topped up, doesn't stink (yet, anyway). 

Any thoughts?   

And if it's fatal, how hard is it to redo a transmission at home?  Any special tools?  I've replaced heads, cams, rearends, so I'm not scared, just wary. 

[John_Kunkel]

You didn't specify which size 15" tires; depending on the size, your numbers might be perfectly normal. To be running 2200 rpm at 60 mph you would have to have a 30" diameter tire. That's pretty big.

You have to take into account two other things, the speedometer is calibrated by the drive pinion in the transmission, if the wrong one is installed there will be an error. Also, the odometer is the best gauge of accuracy since it's mechanically driven and can be calibrated, the speedometer is magnetically driven and can have errors even though the odometer is right on.

If the circumference of the tire is known, the accuracy of the odometer can be computed.

[grouseman]

Tires are 204/70 IIRC.  Speedo gear was corrected from the factory 2.45 to the 3.23.  I don't recall it revving this high when I last had it on the road 5 years ago.  I may have to take it in to a tranny shop to have them give it a checkup. 

After a little 'net searching, it looks like the only tricky part is compressing the drum clutch pack spring, using a special tool.  Has anybody made a DIY tool? 

[RD]

yep... you get a 12" piece of 2x4, drill a hole in it (centered).  Take a steering wheel puller, mount it in the hole (the threaded part).  Place the 2x4 in a vise and tighten down so it wont move.  Place the drum pack (centered) on the piece of 2x4.  screw on the other part of the puller assembly.  Now place 3 equal height sockets, from a socket wrench, equally spaced on the *fingers* of the puller (or you can have them welded to this initially). I personally like them not welded so you can move them slightly so that you can remove the retainer if there are clearance issues between the sockets spacing and the retainer.  Rotate the drum and the screwed on puller/socket assembly in a clockwise fashion until it has compressed the springs enough to remove the retainer.  remove the retainer and back off the by rotating the puller/socket assembly counterclockwise.  Do not go fast or just pop it off, the spring pressure is great and can cause injury.

I am sure I can describe this better, but hey, I tried.  I have used this method for many transmissions and never had any problems.  I can take pics if you like.

[grouseman]

Cool idea!  I have a steering wheel puller!  I also have a balancer puller, so hopefully between the two of them I can rig something up.  Thanks! 

[grouseman]

Well the fluid level is fine, the trans pressure linkage is working, but I'm getting funny behaviour from the transmission anyway.  I'll be in D and it seems to be revving too high.  So I drop it into 2 and there's no difference.  So back into D.  After a while I'll try it again (go from D to 2 to listen for a gear change) and then it does change.  It seems that once it warms up, it shifts into 3 more consistently. 

But even when warm, and I drop it into 2 from D (like coasting to a light), it doesn't shift into 2 at all.  Same trying to go from 2 to 1; won't engage 1st. 

I may have to take it into a shop to diagnose this thing.