Transmission slow to engage, slips, noisy Torque Coverter

Tiny
RAY DUNNIGUN
  • MEMBER
  • 1997 DODGE RAM
  • 3.9L
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 150,000 MILES
Had to pull back my transmission about ten inches to plug a leaky freeze plug, put it back together, it made a bit of noise on starting off, but ran and shifted fine for about three weeks.
I heard something clank on van, could have been road rock or bolt, do not know. Next day problems started when shifting into third, then soon second then first and reverse. Torque converter is making noise, it will engage after thirty second delay but slips out under any load or acceleration. I am going to remove the dust cover and check my bolts on flywheel, and I will change fluid if recommended, the fluid is still red and looks fine, but not sure of grade, but I bought cheap fluid. Have not checked filter, but did not replace when work was done. Any suggestions for a broke DYI repairman?
Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 AT 12:31 PM

15 Replies

Tiny
KOOLCADDY6
  • MECHANIC
  • 60 POSTS
When you put the transmission back in was it hard to move the flex plate to install the torque converter bolts? If it was the torque converter may have not been in all the way which could cause damage to the pump. Remove the trans pan and look for metal. If none install Mopar ATF 4. Check your throttle cable located on the trans shift lever make sure the spring is still connected. Let me know how it goes.
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Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 AT 1:12 PM
Tiny
RAY DUNNIGUN
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
I had my son, rotate the flywheel with the flat side of a tire iron, through the opening of the crankshaft sensor, it was never difficult, but varied in degrees of tension. The spring is intact. I am getting ready to change the fluid and filter, so I will report back about shavings and performance.
Thanks for your reply
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Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 AT 1:39 PM
Tiny
RAY DUNNIGUN
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
I pulled the pan off and there was normal amount of sludge, and I did notice, some very small metal shavings, not many but just enough that they are noticed under close inspection. All very small.
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Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 AT 2:11 PM
Tiny
KOOLCADDY6
  • MECHANIC
  • 60 POSTS
Some debris is normal. Up by the throttle body there is a cable that goes to the transmission disconnect it and see if it moves with a little bit of tension. There should be an adjustment button that you push and you can just the cable adjusted to where the little clip that goes on is pretty much centered on that clip in a neutral position.
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Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 AT 2:26 PM
Tiny
RAY DUNNIGUN
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
The fluid and filter change seems to have done the trick truck is running good now thank you so very much for your help
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Wednesday, November 9th, 2016 AT 12:48 PM
Tiny
KOOLCADDY6
  • MECHANIC
  • 60 POSTS
Cool glad it wasn't major
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Wednesday, November 9th, 2016 AT 1:57 PM
Tiny
RAY DUNNIGUN
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Well, it was working great, then started slipping again, sitting on side of road now, letting it cool down. Hopefully I can limp home
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Wednesday, November 9th, 2016 AT 7:27 PM
Tiny
RAY DUNNIGUN
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Dipstick showed above Max line, draining it down, and will report back
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Thursday, November 10th, 2016 AT 7:29 AM
Tiny
RAY DUNNIGUN
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
No luck, no gears at all
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Thursday, November 10th, 2016 AT 8:09 AM
Tiny
KOOLCADDY6
  • MECHANIC
  • 60 POSTS
Do you ever hear any whine noise from the trans area and then you shift it from park to reverse or drive does the rpms go up or down
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Thursday, November 10th, 2016 AT 8:16 PM
Tiny
RAY DUNNIGUN
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
When I let the engine totally cool, it will engage and then slip out, Once the transmission is warm, there seems to be no engaging at all, Im getting noise from the bell housing during slipping and sometimes when the in drive or reverse. I adjusted the fluid level to day, but it didn't help. I was above max line for a day on the new fluid, but it read just right when I filled it. I also have a 4 inch piece of fuel line hose on of the steel cooling tubes, if that would matter. I checked the bands while I had the pan off, and one seemed to lift a bit more than than the other, I left them alone on adjusting because the performance seems to be fluid issue. The oil that came out today, was only a day old and seemed a little dark to me, I stuck my finger in it and it was still red and slick, but it seemed to had lost a bit of tranlusence. I adusted the fluid level enging running in Nuet, with the drain plug by dipstick port. It only dripped and seemed to have sometimes a bit of pressure pushing it out a bit more rapidly. I get noise when in gear but no noticeable engine rpm fluctuations.
Would it be overheating? The I had only driven about 5 miles before it failed. And the only journey prior was 8 miles to work. So the fluid change repaired it for 15 miles or so.
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Thursday, November 10th, 2016 AT 9:23 PM
Tiny
RAY DUNNIGUN
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Not so much noise when it's engaging, as I said above, the noise starts just before it fails and during attempts while it has failed, it ran very quiet during the first 15 miles, I thought we had nailed it. Then I get the noise just before it falls out of gear.
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Thursday, November 10th, 2016 AT 9:26 PM
Tiny
KOOLCADDY6
  • MECHANIC
  • 60 POSTS
Don't want to be the bearer of bad news but with my experience it sounds like you have a torque converter or front pump failure. I have had this issue more them once at my shop. Poss when the trans was removed the t/c might have came out of the pump and when it was installed it my have damaged the pump gear or the bushing spun on the t/c hub shaft.
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Thursday, November 10th, 2016 AT 9:45 PM
Tiny
RAY DUNNIGUN
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Oh well, thanks for your help
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Friday, November 11th, 2016 AT 7:33 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,643 POSTS
Please use 2CarPros anytime, we are here to help and tell a friend. Nice work KOOLCADDY6.

Best, Ken
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Sunday, November 13th, 2016 AT 10:20 AM

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