I need your help guys!!!!

I got a problem with my car when i try to race it. First off let me say i got a stock V8 305 4bbl with a 700r4. Well first off when i try to race i start off in 1st instead of overdrive of course. Anyways when i gun it in 1st and shift to 2nd its fine. Here is the problem!!, when im in 2nd and go to shift it into drive it doesnt shift and the whole car makes a "putting" sound. (I'm around 50-60 mph) It wont go any faster until i let off the gas. This kills me! Once in a great while it will shift but take like 3-4 seconds. What could this be? Is my engine taching out? Is it the 2nd gear that cant take that much speed? Would a shift kit help? I need some answers guys, its hard to race with no top speed. I appreciate i lot!! Thanks.

-Tino

 

more than likely your tranny is a old whored out piece of crap. these cars take alot of beatings and the 700r4s are the weakest link.


adam

 

Manually shifting an auto is baad. leave in in D.

 

Actually, I don't know than manually shifting is that bad. It increases the line pressure and may result in slightly harder shifts, but I don't know that it is any worse than letting the governor do the shifting.

In either case, if the trans won't shift under load, you may have an issue with some band that clamps around the 3-4 planetary shell and the clutch pack that locks the planetary carrier to the sun gear - or, not clamping in your case.

 

Where are your RPM's when this happens? Is it staying at high RPM's, or is it falling off? It's quite possible that you have a problem that won't let your engine spin fast enough to get the car moving fast enough to get to the speed at which it shoud shift into third. It gets the 1-2 shift because the load on the engine isn't quite as high.

Some things to look at are exhaust restriction (catalytic converter), intake restriction (I recently found my ThermAC not opning causing an intake restriction), ignition timing, engine tune, secondaries not opening on the carb.....The list is long, but most of the things are simple. I'm just having a feeling that the trans is ok. It seems like the 2-3 shift would be a little bit higher. Mine comes at like 65-70 MPH with the engine around 5000 RPM's with a 3.27 rear gear and around 26" tall tires.

Manual shifting is not all that bad, just a bit more dangerous! If you move the shifter a bit late, you will over-rev the engine, and if you accidentally move it too much, you're in neutral!

 

Guess I wasted money on my ratchet shifter..

 

well my ex used to shift the Firebird like it was a stick and a day later the tranny died i really believe shifting like that is bad

 

Check on the Tranny forum (and my sig), you'll see this isn't that uncommon of a problem. The 3-4 clutch pack is either worn or was set up too loose (if a rebuilt). A shift kit won't help - mine is exactly the same as it was before the kit.

Only solution is to pull it and go through it.

The sputtering was either your valves floating or ignition cutting out. When stock, mine would sputter at 5200 RPMs.