The Chevette Forum: Re: Gearbox needs to be tightened...

[ Post a Response | The Chevette Forum ]

If you have lost your password, please send an E-Mail to darryl_lowes@hotmail.com to have your password replaced!

Re: Gearbox needs to be tightened...

Posted by jody on 5/6/2008, 12:11 am, in reply to "Gearbox needs to be tightened..."
96.2.142.249

Well first off I'm no transmission expert by any means. But I have delt with a problematic Chevette automatic. I don't know your experience level either so I'll just share what I know.

First off if it's not shifting into that third gear, than more than likely it needs to be rebuilt. Chevette automatics weren't the best things ever built, they're even worse for the diesel versions.

There is nothing that you can "tighten up". Automatic transmissions work by a hydrolic(fluid) process. As pressure builds it causes a series of clutch plates to engage each gear. Failure to shift means that either something is stuck and the fluid pressure can't get it to move or the clutch disks have worn out or shredded themselves.

Has this car been sitting very long? Mine had set over a long winter and when I got it out it wasn't shifting properly. Here's what I had to do.

First off, get a new filter. Pop off the tranny oil pan and carefully dump the fluid but don't turn the pan over just yet. You'll want to inspect the pan and see if there is any debris like chunks of metal or other foreign objects. Pull the filter off and check there for any debris too. If you find anything then the tranny is toast. Go find another one or pull that one out and have it rebuilt.

If it's pretty clean you may be in luck. That was my case. Clean the pan out, then put the new filter in. Get some Lucas Oil Transmission Fix. http://www.lucasoil.com/products/display_products.sd?iid=29&catid=2&loc=show One bottle will do. Then add the rest of your transmission fluid.

Get your car out on the road and put it drive and just accelerate slowly. The fluid is going to have to work it's way around so don't expect it to hit all the gears right away. I had to go up and down the street a few times before I started getting to all the gears. I haven't had a problem with it sticking ever since. It's still not a perfectly opperating transmission, but it doesn't need to be rebuilt now either.

I hope that helps. Good luck!