Just bought a 86, need engine and tranny rebuilt.

it has a tranny out of another car, later model comaro, I was told.
The "new" tranny doesnt shift right at all, not even consistant in how it reacts. I was checking for a vacume line off the tranny and found one single wire hanging behind the distribitor. It is hard to tell, but it looks as if it had a plug on it and it got hot and melted around the edges.

It is a single black wire inside a plastic wire cover/caseing with a round plug on the end that resembles a vacume line almost, in fact I thought it was until I pushed the casing down and saw the black wire, there is about 4 inches worth of reach on the wire but I can't find where it goes and I assume it is something for the tranny, any ideas??

also I have the original tranny and was going to rebuild it. I have overdrive in the car but thought only one rebuild kit would be an option, but there is 2 and I'm not sure which one I need, I know one says with overdrive and the other doesn't say anything about overdrive at all. I'm so short on time and money I really need to know the right one or I would ask such a stupid question......is the 86 (manf. nov 85) tranny worth rebuilding or should I fix the otherone? It has a vin # stamped on it but I haven't pulled it all out yet to search to see what it came out of....

Sorry all the stupid questions...

 

Well if you've got a 4 speed automatic, it's the TH-700R4 transmission. 83-84 and 85-86 are the years "not to have", GM improved the design a lot in 1987. Biggest problem for '86 was a poorly designed fluid pump that would let air get into the trans. Luckily you can buy fluid pump kits that "upgrade" the 1986 fluid pump to the 1987 design.

The big controllling factor for your trans is the TV cable. (There are no vacuum lines to the 700r4.) If it's outta whack, the trans will act like crap. If it's been out of adjustment for years, the trans could be ruined. Visit the "tech central" page at https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/ , under "tech articles" and then "transmission", look for the 6th article called "adjusting your TV cable, 350C and 700r4".

But before you do the procedure, using that picture in the article, get a bottle of white out and make a mark on the rectangular cable slide ("D" in the picture) where it touches against the mounting tab ("C" in the picture). Let the whiteout dry! (I made a mess once.)

What this does, it lets you see the original position. Because, if the TV cable was out of adjustment for so many years, the trans burns up. If you put the TV cable back into adjustment, the poor dying trans can't handle the correct adjustment anymore- and you'll get shifts from hell. You'll notice after a minute if the trans is in bad shape. So since you marked it, you can pull off to the side of the road, put the cable back where it was, and start saving $$ for a rebuild.

But, it sounds like you need a rebuild anyway- it might be safest not to touch the TV cable at all by now.

By the way, TV stands for Throttle Valve- it controls the fluid pressure inside the trans. It's not a kickdown cable; it's much more important.

 

THANKS.

I was out working on it and came in to run the part number for the tranny they have in it now.

the th-400r4 that was in it has been left under a tarp for a couple of years and when I picked it up to put it in the truck it looked like I hit a water main......sad, but it sounds like it wasn't that big of a loss after all.

now to find out what tranny number 33 01 55 0614 is....

I'd give any thing to have the 350 I bored out 40 over with 11.5:1 pistons and level 3 comp cam back.....think I can find it, it's only been 17 years since I built it......second thought they can keep it...

thanks again.

 

ok just figured out that this is the casting number....I guess...
any help on finding out what this is?
transmission stamped 33 01 55 0614

hmmmm