Slipping issues with recently rebuilt AOD?

[LeviMM]

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas!

I recently had my transmission rebuilt in my '87 GM with a new torque converter, and I'm frustrated with the feel of it. I noticed a couple of things with it.

- My first drive in it and cold start; the transmission seemed to struggle to move forward when shifting into D. It really struggled when dropped into D w/o OD. It had a lugging feel to it. After moving through P R N and D a couple of times or restarting the car, the transmission catches the gear and moves along fine.
- The transmission was terrible in climbing hills. It drops out of gear and seems to can't find the low gear and barely manages to make it uphill.
- The first gear shift is really high somewhere along 35-45 and sometimes it just goes straight to OD at 45--55. Almost as if it starts out in 2nd gear. Even when it's in OD, the trans hesitates a little to keep it in OD.

The tranny shop guy that I've been dealing with told me to come back in about 300 miles or so to adjust the cable and that the first 300 miles is for breaking in the transmission, seals, and fluid. Do you agree with his suggestions or was the rebuilt done incorrectly? At this point, I really don't feel comfortable driving it. Thanks for any help

[LeviMM]

Also should I go ahead and try to set my TV cable now or discuss it with the shop first so that I don't invalidate the rebuild warranty? Thanks

[sly]

Definitely talk to the shop. It shouldn't be having that much trouble. 2-5 seconds of time to bring pressure up after startup max. Sounds like there's not enough fluid in it or some massive internal leaks or the pump the shop used is already bad. Something is definitely wrong.

[friskyfrankie]

Low fluid is certainly a possibility but the better bet is a bad rebuild. That "come back after 300 miles is a "smoke screen"/bs. After a proper rebuild, it should run properly immediately. Might be time for a second opinion and if required, take action against the first shop later. By the way, unless the TV cable was mis adjusted previously, they should not have to be playing with it after the rebuild.

[gadget73]

it shouldn't need to "break in" in order to shift normally. There is some amount of things settling in but what you describe is not that. The transmissions I've had rebuilt worked normally on first drive, and after a while there were only very minor changes in how things feel. Mostly the changes were in shift feel, the timing usually got a little bit more consistent as the parts wore in to one another slightly.


the AOD is notorious for bad rebuilds. I've ridden in a few done by "experts" that were absolutely awful. I don't know what it is that makes them so fussy but they are either right or very much not-right. The valve body is by far the most complicated one ever put in a transmission though, so that may be part of it. If anything is done wrong, sticky, dirty, or just not torqued in just so it will hang up and things don't work right.

[LeviMM]

Thanks for the quick response guys! This is my first rebuilt transmission so I didn't know what to expect. To give some more perspective on what led to the rebuild, I kept the plastic grommet on the TV cable too long. It snapped and the transmission went shortly afterwards. According to him on the rebuild, the direct clutches were burnt and the rest of parts were old and about to go. I'm kicking myself that I paid cash on the rebuild to save a few bucks instead of card which could have helped if I need to file a dispute. I'm hoping he will be a man of his word on the warranty and fixing it. The shop is closed today and Monday for the holidays. I will get with him first thing on Tuesday to see what can be done. Should I ask for another rebuild, money back or something else?

[LeviMM]

I have since replaced the plastic grommet with the Lincoln one.

[Tiggie]

Take to the rebuilder immediately. None of that is normal and it's either already damaged again, or will be shortly.

[friskyfrankie]

I would at least give him the chance to make it right. This way he can't say you didn't honor the terms of the warrantee. After that, I would take action and find another tranny shop that actually knows what they are doing.

[gadget73]

nuked direct clutch isn't so uncommon. Usually when that goes it won't shift into 3 or 4.

[LeviMM]

I talked to him yesterday and he asked me to bring it in so we can drive it together. He said he didn't experience any issues with it in the 20 or so minutes when he drove it before I got it back initially. As I was testing it out in the drive way with a simple reverse twenty or so feet and drive twenty or so feet. It really struggled engaging in motion, especially drive. Once you put it in drive, it would continue rolling back in R/N for a few seconds and then with a little gas it would finally catch and start moving forward (I live on a hill). I did this a few more times and it finally quit engaging in any gear other than park/N. The fluid level at startup was over the cross hatch area up to "Do not add". After doing the reverse/drive exercise, it was close to the same level and the car had gotten close to operating temp (170 or so). The fluid looked clean with no air bubbles. Do you think the transmission is burnt up already? I talked to him again and told him about it, and he's supposed to stop by my house to see what's going on. Thanks for the help everyone.

Hopefully unrelated, I've noticed an exhaust leak near the exhaust manifold on the passenger side. It shouldn't affect anything transmission-wise, correct?

[LeviMM]

Here's another tidbit of information that may be unrelated about this mystery. Before I got the transmission rebuilt, the Grand Marquis had developed a leak of antifreeze somewhere once the thermostat opened up. I could never pinpoint where the leak was coming from. But it appeared to be coming from beneath the driver side of the motor and burning off on the exhaust piping. I thought it could possibly be the freeze plug. The transmission guy checked it for me when rebuilding the transmission and he didn't find any issue with any of the 4 freeze plugs. And since the rebuild, it hasn't leaked antifreeze out mysteriously. I don't know how it resolved itself, and I don't know if it's related to the transmission rebuild problems. When I checked the tranny fluid yesterday, it was a normal shade of clean red.

[LeviMM]

Update: He stopped by and checked it out. It had a loud whine at startup. It went in reverse and drive once and then only reverse was available. He thinks the torque converter has gone out. He's getting a rollback to pick it up and bring it to his shop.

[sly]

Could also be the pump seals. Sounds a little like morning sickness as well.

[gadget73]

There is a gasket that goes on the filter, without the gasket it can suck air, especially if its pointing uphill slightly. It also tends to be most stupid in low gear for whatever reason.