My 3-speed torque flight transmission doesn't seem to want to behave. I cannot get into 2nd or 3rd gear.
If I don't let the engine idle for at least five minutes when warm, or 10 min when cold, the tranny will never kick into 2nd gear.
I will have to pull over, place the car in neutral, give it 5 minutes, then I can get underway and things run smothly. It doesn't work every time, and sometimes, rarely, the tranny will act normal right from startup, no wait.

The tranny fluid is at normal level, and it was rebuilt only a few years ago.

Anybody have even a clue?

Basically I am having to baby this tranny everywhere I go. Fluids are correct, and it shifts fine if I take it easy and slow. It like I have to let the pressure build up inside it or something.

Nobody ever had this problem?

I think it must be the fluid level. Even though the stick says I am at the correct level, I think I have oo much fluid. This symptom is described in the factory manual as too much or too little tranny fluid.

I wonder why the level on the dip stick could be wrong?

Having fun talking to yourself On the fluid level, did you do the pain in the but procedure to test it? I don't remember it fully but there is an optimal way to check the tranny fluid, if you're like me and don't have the time for getting the optimal check at a minimum the tranny must have been ran for a while, if you check it when it's cold you won't get an accurate reading. If you have a manual it should tell you the pain in the but procedure.... if you really want to do it.

_________________
My car may be slow to sixty, but at least it's been reliably slow to sixty for more than thirty years.

For an automatic you should put the car on a level surface, in neutral, with engine running, and check fluid only after it has had a chance to warm up.

Jack the ass end of the car off the ground, buy a 0-300PSI gauge and short length of hose with 1/8" NPT pipe thread on the end, and take pressure readings from the pressure taps. Block your wheels and run the car in drive with the wheels off the ground and watch the gauge to see what happens when the car shifts. Dont lie under the car when doing this though. Getting those numbers will help diagnose the problem.

_________________
I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Hey

to me it sound like you have to change oil and filter. Remove tranny fluid to the last drop, then drain the converter, reintstall the converter plug, put a new filter and gasket and fill it up again. You have to throw 5.6 liters of fluid, then start the engine (in neutral), check the level on the dipstick and add some fluid until the level is between "add 1 pint" and "full", then drive the car for a while, and check again the level (and add fluid if needed)

the procedure for checking your tranny fluid level is: after driving the car to normal temp, par it on a flat surface, then hit the brakes and shift 1, then 2, then D, then N, then R, then P, then back again to N and check the level with the engine running. The reason for shifting the tranny on all the gears is for filling the hyd circuits before measuring level.

"flat surface, then hit the brakes and shift 1, then 2, then D, then N, then R, then P, then back again to N and check the level with the engine running. The reason for shifting the tranny on all the gears is for filling the hyd circuits before measuring level."

Thanks! that was the best info yet!

hey, thanks

lemme know how did your problem solved up