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Member
Posts: 10
| I hope someone can be of assistance here. I’ve had a 58 Belvedere convertible for over 30 years now. I’ve been experiencing this issue with shifting for a couple of years now. I had the tranny re-built about 25 years ago, and the engine was overhauled in 2009. I’m not sure it the engine was pulled with the tranny, or if it was left in place during the overhaul.
This usually happens after I drive the car, and stop for a period of time (anywhere from roughly 20-30 minutes). When I start it back up and push drive (or reverse, etc), it takes anywhere from a 30 seconds to a minute before the tranny kicks into gear. It’s like it needs to build up pressure or something before it will shift. Once in a while, I will notice fluid forced out the dipstick tube, but not every time. And the fluid level is in the normal operating range. I do have to “top it off” after a few of these episode’s.
I currently have the car at my mechanic’s, and he changed the fluid/filter, adjusted the bans, ran tests, blew out the lines going to the tranny cooler, etc. We were just wondering if anyone has seen/experienced this? Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Lee |
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Expert
Posts: 2312
 
Location: Arizona | And it doesn't have this problem when you start it up cold? What you describe sounds like the Fluid is draining out of the TC when the car sits and then it takes time for the pump to refill it when you restart the car. And because it's drained down there is too much in the pan and the spinning parts are hitting the excess fluid making some come up out of the dipstick tube. But it seems like you'd have the same problem when you start it cold UNLESS when you start it cold you always sit there and let it idle for a minute or two before trying to move the car... so you don't notice that problem when the car is cold. If that's the case, next time you start it cold as soon as it's running push D, not reverse, and see if it goes in gear. I say use D because you'll probably be on fast idle and at least with D the line pressure will only be about 70 psi and you will only be applying a clutch pack. With R the line pressure is around 250 psi and you would be applying a band and you don't want to snap the band engaging it at a high idle speed. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 8443
  
Location: Perth Australia | Sounds like converter drain back to me as well
Even though I rebuilt my own trans, I cant for sure say how to fix it, but I think if the front pump (on the trans) is rebuilt and the seals in that area are replaced, that should fix it
Quite a common complaint
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Posts: 13045
Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | The problem you describe come from internal leakage and the transmission needs to be rebuilt very soon (or the damage might get worse) It's most probably the steel seal rings that made grooves in the bores and/or leaking rubber seals. Let the engine run on idle only with 1'st button pressed in until the front pump managed to build up the pressure - that way you might save some of the transmission parts. If you're really lucky, some Omgega 917 seal saver might help you, but, I doubt it... |
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Expert
Posts: 3776
Location: NorCal |
Converter drainback isn't really a problem in the iron units because a healthy pump refills the converter almost instantly....the keyword is "healthy"; if the pump is weak or there is internal leakage it will show up as delayed action. A clogged screen will also limit the fluid flow and delay actions. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7393
Location: northern germany | my old gc t flite never had that problem. the one i replaced it with in 2002 has the delay too. doesn't seem to be a problem. i have traveled many thousands of miles in the past 13 years. it didn't get worse. you can shorten the waiting time by revving the engine with the transmission in neutral. |
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Member
Posts: 10
| Thanks for the replies. As I mentioned, the car is at the mechanic’s so I can’t say for sure, but it probably only has around 20,000 miles since the rebuild about 25 years ago. I remember when it was rebuilt, the front pump was bad. I found an NOS one, and it was installed.
When he pulled the pan, he found no (none, nada, zip) debris in the pan, no parts, metal, bits of seals, nothing. In the sun light, a little gold/brass filings can be detected in the fluid, but nothing abnormal.
And yes, I have experienced these issues (90 seconds before engaging, fluid puking out of the dipstick tube) when it’s cold as well. |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Posts: 13045
Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | What you describe are sympthoms of internal leakages - no band/clutch/cast residue in the pan give hope for that a seal saver might help.... |
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