Tranny won't down shift.....

[HANDM]

I'm suddenly having trouble with the tranny not downshifting to first when I am stopped, I know that it is either a faulty governor or a sticking 1-2, 2-3 valve body or whatever.....

Question is, this being a newly rebuilt (ten years ago, never ran) is there some additive that may free up the governor or shift valves or whatnot?

Thanks

[John_Kunkel]

I trust additives to restore hardened/shrunk seals but not to unstick parts.

Hook a gauge to the governor pressure test port in the tailhousing, if the pressure is over 2 psi at a standstill in Drive the governor is the problem. If not, remove the valve body and physically check the shift valves in their bores.

[HANDM]

Over in electrical, it was sugested that the worn speedo pinion shavings could be the culprit in the downshift situation.

After taking it out for a longer test drive, it really didn't want to go into first at all and would start in third untill shifted manually into first and even that wasn't working.

Once stopped, selector in first, it will start in second and then at 1500 or so rpm, it will suddenly downshift to first and then as I manually upshift to second and third, it operates normally.

Looks like I need to drop the pan and valve body and see whats up....

[HANDM]

After reading up on the valve body, getting it out seems easy enough but I see it may be a little tricky to dis and reassemble it and was wondering if there is any way to really get it flushed out without tearing it down....
Thanks

[John_Kunkel]

If you're gonna pull the VB without first checking the governor pressure I would suggest being sure it's in the failure mode before shutting down. Then, with the VB removed, remove the cover plate over the shift valve governor plugs and see if a shift valve is stuck in the open position.

[HANDM]

Didn't check the pressure and am unsure how to check the valves to see if they are in fact stuck.

I dropped the pan and found a shi*load of silica sand in the pan, aparrently the dude who rebuilt my tranny all those years ago, blasted the case (after he "rebuilt" it obviously) and didn't cover the holes.

The sand was at least a quarter inch thick and the filter was completely clogged with it

I have the valve body out and am in the process of cleaning it out, I have a manual that shows where everything goes so I should be ok there

I plan on hosing the case out with fresh tranny fluid in a squirt bottle but I doubt I will be able to get it all.

At this point I'm going the clean and re-assemble and if it works, great, if not, I'm gonna drive it till it breaks!

[HANDM]

I tore the valve body dowm and all of the valves were either stuck or hard to move, cleaned, lubed, re-assembled filled er up and it still is sticky and doesnt want to go to first. To get it into first, I need to put it in neutral and then go all the way to first on the shifter.....

It'll sometimes will go in by itself, but not too regularly,  overall though, it is a tad better.

[John_Kunkel]

If all of the valves were stuck the governor probably is too.

[HANDM]

If all of the valves were stuck the governor probably is too.

Went to drive the Charger to the Mopar show today and now it is stuck in first gear 

Looks like the governor is coming out for a cleaning..........

[HANDM]

Wound up yanking the whole tranny so I can REALLY give it a good cleaning, pulled the tailshaft and found what I expected to find, a stuck governor.......

[HANDM]

Got the tranny back together and in and while filling it up I looked under and saw the leak.........and of course it has to be the plate under the mount that accesses the tail shaft spring clip......  

Pull the exhaust off the header again, drop the crossmember again, pull the plate off and find the gasket is pinched ever so slightly but enough to leak....

Made new gasket and was in the process or putting the plate on and notice, lying on the ground........A FACKING SPRING CLIP!!! and I have no Idea where it came from!

Looked over the manual and it could possibly be either the one for the parking lock or the governor......

Looks like the tailshaft is coming off......again  

Wish me luck in this increasingly challenging task.......

Pics attached

After closer examination, I am sure that the clip is from the governor.......

[HANDM]

Pulled the tailshaft and found all of the snap rings are in place on the gov and parking lock, looked all through the manual to try and spot another like it and there is none......

Must have been an extra floating around , I really don't know at this point

All I can do is smile and say "I never did mind the little things"