My 91 camaro rs is having a trans issue that I cant figure out. Perhaps someone here could steer me in the right direction. The trans shifts up and down through all gears just fine. Correct shift points, and overdrive is working as it should. No leaks, fresh fluids. What is happening is this... If I shift into a lower gear, the trans goes into what I can only desribe as neutral. There is noo engine braking whatsoever. Its like its gone into idle. When I give it some gas while in the lower gear it will engage, and the engine rpms will rise. This happens in any gear. There is no slip on acceleration, or when I stomp it from a dead stop. There is a little bit of feathering in between each gear, which I was told could be a sticky power valve.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping a shift kit will solve the issue.

 

If you lost engine braking, it is internal. A shft kit would not help.
Time to pull it out, and rip it down.

 

So it wouldnt be a sticky valve or spring, something clogged up? My 350 build is almost complete, and a new trans will be needed at some point. I was hoping to use this one for awile since all other aspects seem to be working just fine.

 

It could be. You could drop the valve body, disassemble, clean, inspect and reassemble paying careful attention to the seperator plate and gaskets as well.
I am never that lucky though.
I would think it is a problem with something in the input drum, or the sealing rings on the shaft.

 

I will raise it, and try that. I suppose a shift kit couldnt hurt, and since im sure the new 350 is gonna eat this trans, I really dont have much to lose. Too bad it may not be something simple, the trans really does work quite well. Pehaps BTE will know something since they put it together for me.

 

Sounds like the overrun clutch is bad

 

The overrun assembly is gone. It is either the overrun sprag is gone, overrun clutches burnt up, or the overrun hub is broken. This is why no engine braking when the shift lever is in "1", "2" or "D" shift lever positions.

 

i think ur rite i would check the overrun hub thats what i had to do to mine

 

This is not a valve body problem! Forget the shift kit it will not help. The overrun clutch has failed in the transmission. You must pull it and repair. The overrun clutch goes "on" every time you downshift manually into third, second, or first. It prevents the front unit spragg from "overruning" (hence the name). When the spragg overruns the engine is essentially disconnected from the driveline and therefore "neutrals out" I would not wait too long to repair...if the clutch drum has separated or disintegrated as I have personally witnessed, the metal will do monster damage. Get it out as soon as you can and, whatever you do, DO NOT downshift until it is repaired! One final note to all reading this...this transmission is a fairly competent unit when cared for. It is NOT meant for constant manual downshifting...to do so will destroy the overrun clutch as you have seen first hand. Use the overrun function for decent down long, steep hills to save the brakes and NOTHING ELSE...it is a very flimsy clutch. Good luck

J.Kline