hey guys, i just recently got an 88 gta. i noticed when i first got it that the transmission freewheeled in every gear except 4th. its a 700r4 btw. i drove the car about an hour away from my house a few days ago, and it started acting up really bad. It stopped shifting out of first, and smoke was coming from the main seal. I checked the fluid and it had gotten low, so i put some more in there. I would have stopped driving it until i got the chance to replace the seal, but I was an hour away from home and had to get back. Driving home, the seal got worse and worse, and billows of smoke were coming from the under the hood. By the time I got home, the trans was slipping horribly. The next day, I had to move it from where it was parked or get it towed, and the transmission seemed fine! I had to take a trip to the store that night, so I figured maybe the transmission got hot and didn't wanna work anymore? And it was fine after it cooled down? Anyways, I got about 1000 ft down the street before it started acting up, and when I shifted it into reverse to turn around, it didn't go anywhere!? I turned it off and put it in park and tried to push, but my front tires were in a low spot so i was stuck. I tried again a few mins later and the damn thing drove home? I have no idea what's goin on with this transmission but it's wierd.. I just got in it right now and it seems fine, but i only drove it about 20ft to park it so my mom could have her spot.. I checked the fluid yesterday, and it's black and smells like burned up clutch.. maybe the filters clogged which started this chain of problems? If i were to replace the filter and fluid, as well as the main seal, would the transmission still be reliably functional?

Oh yeah, the gear from the VSS is also taken out cuz its all chewed up and i'm still waiting to buy a new one, would that have any affect on the way the transmission functions?

and it still wont shift outta first..

 

u fried it. only thing u can do now is have it rebuilt... u def burnt the clutches... u prob got metal shavings in the valve body which is why its not shifting outa first... and reverse. i had the same prob wit mine when my converter took a dump... shavings throughout my trans and destroyed everything, needed a new trans and valve body. trans guy cleaned the case... but when i got the car back i lost 4th... seems that still sum shavings where in the valve body messing things up so he replaced the valve body...

i wouldnt drive it ur gona do more harm than good. park it and leave it, get it towed at a reputable trans place, tell them wat happend and tell them u need it fully rebuilt, clutches, steels the works! and tell them to clean out the valve body or just replace it.

 

so a flush, filter change, and main seal replacement wouldn't do it? damn.. oh well i'm selling the car anyways.. moving to new york in a month from california so yeah lol.. know anyone that would want it? lol

 

Yeah you more then likely fryed the tranny. I've seen people change the filter and throw some fresh fluid in it to get another week or two out of a transmission until they could afford a rebuild. I would look at it like this. If it works well enough that the car is in test drivable condition for a potential buyer your going to get a lot more for the vehicle, just be honest and tell them that the transmission needs some work. Or worst case your out 25 bucks for the filter and 5 quarts of ATF

 

i put it on craigslist last week and ive had so much interest in it! 6 Different people so far, and one is real close to buying it unless another wants to give me a better offer. right now it's gonna be sold for 1000, but who knows, i may be able to get more!