I've got an 88 Camaro with a very clean and zippy 2.8 V6 tpi and TH 700 R-4. I put an emergency single exhaust muffler (2 1/2" in and out) on becuase inspection was due and the dual I ordered had not arrived yet. My problem is this: I started having problems pulling hills and I had lost some acceleration. The rpms would get higher before shifting. At first I thought that this was due to excessive backpressure. Then when I was 5 miles from home on a 200 mile trip overdrive went completely out. I thought that the tranny may have been a bit to hot and the problem would leave after a cold night's rest. A week later I started to lose 3rd and 2nd. The rpms would climb but it would not shift until I let off the gas a little. I dropped the pan, changed the filter and there was no sign of excess metal shavings so whew no serious wear yet. After an hour or so of sitting it will still shift to 2nd with ease once then its only drive. Sounds like a pump to me. So here are my questions:

1) Is it the pump? If not then what?
2) What is to be done?
3) Could the new muffler have dominoed this problem in some way?

 

Since you don't need to touch the tranny/engine to do the muffler, nothing should have changed there, right? So if the car was feeling underpowered perhaps due to the exhaust change you would have used more throttle to try and achieve the same thing, right? this would delay the shifts and also put more load on the tranny. Now one of three areas go pretty much in the same frequency and that is the 3-4's, the Band (2/4) and the Forwards. I would expect that the oil would have shown signs of heat at very least. Was Lock Up working properly? If not, it will tend to harden the seals due to increased heat. Are you just saying that it won't shift or that when it does it slips? It could just be the common Throttle Valve sticking problem also. More questions than answers. Sorry.

 

Tranfixleo,

It does not slip, it simply WILL NOT shift. I have only reverse and drive now. It shifts up to second as I first start to drive. Then I loose second and have only drive--reguardless of rpm. The trans fluid was a slightly darker maroon color than usual--just a few shades under brown. I am often asked if there is any shake on the pedal, but there is not. Their seems to be no signs of mechanical wear by sight, sound, or smell.

 

If it truely will not shift, even at what would be WOT then you may have a stripped Governor gear. This is under the round cover on the back, side of the tranny. This can easily be replaced. If it does shift at what would be WOT then you likely have a sticky TV Valve.

 

Can I disconnect the tranny cooler lines in some way to detrmine if there is a fualty pump? If so, which one, top or bottom of radiador; and where, at the radiador or transmission?

 

Also, what is the procedure to do this?

 

disconnecting the trans lines, it wouldnt matter witch one you disconnected cause remeber it runs THROUGH the cooler anyway, i would say that it is NOT such a good idea to do this! Listen to leo, he knows his stuff:lala: good lala

 

Thanks I already did this. The Pump WORKS and it works well. Still there is no sign of internal damage. I tried to check the governor but I couldn't get the cap off of it to check.

Does ANYONE have an idea as to what the problem might be!?

As of now we have eliminated the pump as the problem.
Thanks

 

Its fixed and back on the road!

After checking the TV linkage, pump, pressure, governor, lines, and everything else I could with and around the tranny, it turns out that the problem was the catalytic converter. It was the stock converter and it went bad. The excessive backpressure threw things all out of tune and kept me from shifting. Whew! Glad thats over and that it was not the transmission after all.