perk03z06 Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Well, seems that it's my turn to be tagged by the tranny bug. Timing couldn't be any worse, though. I had 2 work trips scheduled next week plus a run to PA pulling a trailer ... so maybe it's better it happened before I left ... anyway, here's the story. Left restaurant to go see Pirates 3, started truck, dropped it into Drive, and truck barely crept out of the parking space. Felt like it was starting off in 2nd. Strange, I thought, so I immediately fired up my scanner, and scanned the PCM. No codes set, & no pending codes. Checked shift adapts, and everything looked normal. Checked 2-3 shift time and errors, time within 0.3 mS and error 0.6 mS. (All normal so far). So, I get out onto the main road, and I have about 10% of 3rd and 4th. (Shifting between the 2) I get out on the highway, and the truck struggles to keep 50 MPH in 3rd & 4th. Had to limp off the hwy in 2nd. Driving city roads home, got to a stop light, and I suddenly had 3rd & 4th back again. That, I thought was good ... maybe just a weak connection to my 2-3 solenoid. I get to the next light, and I've lost 3rd & 4th again. Had to shift to 1st to take off from the light. Still no codes. 2-3 TAP cell pressures still within a reasonable range. (10-16 psi). Get to my apt., had to wait for the gate to open, and I forced takeoff in Drive. Got about 4000 RPMs and barely going 15 MPH when the SES light came on ... P0756: 2-3 Shift Solenoid Performance Stuck Off. TAPs for the 2-3 shift are now in the 60-62 psi range instead of 10-16 like before. Guessing I have mechanical failure on my 2-3 clutch. Dunno for sure. My truck has always been tempermental when it rains, and we got rain today. Gonna clear the code tomm. morn. and see what happens. Real hesitant to drive it anywhere else before getting it looked at. If I have to have the tranny rebuilt, what am I looking at in terms of cost? I don't really know anyone that does transmissions ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black2003SS Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 I'm not familiar with your issues and if there is an easy or cheap fix. However, I have been shopping around for trannies in case mine goes as well. For pretty much stock trans, you can find a reman for around $1,000+ with stock components, or a stock take out from a junk yard for $600-800. Rossler in Ohio has high performance rebuilds for about $3k, with everything you want and need for high hp numbers. Some have found the FLT 5 trans to be good and I think that one is over $3k as well. I've found some on ebay motors with high performance (allegedly) parts for around $2k. I think I saw on here somewhere that a good rebuild with parts like the beast sunshell and hardened parts, better clutch paks etc. can be had for around $1,600-2,000...as good as the FLT or rossler though? I dont know. Hope this gives a rough idea, I'm sure someone else can narrow it down better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcairns Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 I don't think Mr. P would want to be known as a "Tranny Guru". A Transmission Guru, perhaps. But not a Tranny Guru ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perk03z06 Posted June 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 I don't think Mr. P would want to be known as a "Tranny Guru". A Transmission Guru, perhaps. But not a Tranny Guru ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
04CHASE Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 lol " you got a hummer from the tranny" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perk03z06 Posted June 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Another question I have is ... if my 1st and 2nd gear clutches look OK when the trans. comes out, should I have them rebuilt as well? Or, just the 2-3? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black2003SS Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 If they go in to replace teh 3-4 cutch pack, they will replace the 1-2 as well. If you are concernd about money, try looking for a junk yard trans with low miles. You aren't heavily modded so you dont need anything super special (unless you plan some mods in the coming year). You can find a junk yard trans and get it installed for much less than a rebuild will cost you. http://www.rosslertrans.com/ http://finishlinetrans.com/store/index.php?cPath=1_22 http://www.gmentransmission.com/ A good junk yard that sells top notch removals... http://www.schramauto.com/ Just giving you some options... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterp Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I don't think Mr. P would want to be known as a "Tranny Guru". A Transmission Guru, perhaps. But not a Tranny Guru ;) True Dat. Perk, my opinions here - I got 756 codes because burnt clutch material had clogged a tiny orifice in one of the hydaulic circuits, and that blockage kept the tranny from apply & releasing clutches correctly; short answer = totally smoked friction materials inside Another clue - what have the tranny temps been? If they've been rising then that's an indication of advanced clutch slippage... Yeah it sounds like someone is going to have to get into the transmission and if that is the case at a minimum they are going to R&R all the friction materials + the shell. My advice is to find someone that really is skilled at rebuilding a trans, I've found quite a few guys that aren't. And the prices charged by what I consider truly qualified builders is the same as someone that isn't. Also, the 4L60's are VERY unforgiving on the rebuild, you cannot jack with them that much or they won't last. Specific advise - I'm not a fan of the kevlar or carbon fiber bands, they're too hard IMO; I've used the wide 2-5/8" Alto Red Eagle band with a Beast shell, absolutely hammered on that thing banging into 2nd for 16-months and it looked BRAND NEW taking it out of the case, we reused it! 3-4 clutch pack is the weak link in the tranny, the secret here is to use a replacement clutch pack with NO MORE than 8 clutches, that way you still have full thickness steels and this is critical as thin steels burn up (the highly regarded Z-Pack clutch is CRAP). Again I use the Alto Red Eagle 3-4 performance clutch pack with full-thickness Kolene steels, and I highly recommend a billet 4th/OD servo as well. Now that I remember, all the friction materials I used were availble as an Alto Red Eagle master rebuild kit (not including band?) for a couple hundred bones. I would not invest the money on 5-pinion planets or reinforced input drum on a rebuild intended for a N/A motor unless it was for a maximum effort AWD truck, or 2WD truck with racing slicks. Add a 0.490" boost valve, Vette 2nd servo, shift kit, 29-element front sprag. Also, a VERY good upgrade is the $15 Superior 3-2 downshift valve. It's late, I'm sure that there's a lot more I'm not thinking of. If I think of more tomorrow I'll add it here. Mr. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krambo Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I had that exact same code and the exact symptoms a long time ago on my stock trans and limited mods (Bolt-ons and a 3000 stall converter). I was planning on a built tranny anyway so I really didn't care if it blew. I parked the truck for like a week, started it one day and went through the gears manually in my garage like 10 times. I then went for a drive and everything was normal To this day, I don't know what it was. Keep us informed on what you find out. ...very interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perk03z06 Posted June 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Thanks for all of the help, guys. I do very much appreciate everyone's feedback, lessons and experience. I've got a rollback on the way to haul it to a trans. shop (Note, I didn't say "tranny" ) I reset all my codes and trans. pressure shift adapts yesterday and took it out on the road ... this time it started off in Drive ok, but I still had no 2-3 and 3-4 shift. I'd get to the shift point, and the engine would just start turning 4000 RPMs, like I put it in neutral. Scanner showed 6+ seconds on my 2-3 shift. So, I am pretty certain my 3-4 clutch is gone, which is what I kind of expected. Like Mr. P's when his went ... no evidence in the fluid of failure. It's not discolored, and it doesn't smell burnt or feel grainy/gritty. (Although there's probably clutch material in it) Sucks I just spent 400 bones getting the trans. flushed at 50K and put AmsOil in it, and I have to throw it all away ... If I can, I'm going to try to keep in close contact with the shop that works on my trans. so that I can see what exactly failed. They recommended an upgraded 3-4 clutch kit and a "high-energy" band as opposed to a kevlar band, since I plan to keep the truck pretty much stock. I'd like this rebuild to last at least as long as it takes for me to pay the bank to own the truck, and still do some light towing with it. I got about 71K out of the stock 3-4 clutch ... dunno if that's good or not ... I'll be sure to report back with everything I find out ... hopefully, it's not too bad ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterp Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Thanks for all of the help, guys. I do very much appreciate everyone's feedback, lessons and experience. I've got a rollback on the way to haul it to a trans. shop (Note, I didn't say "tranny" ) I reset all my codes and trans. pressure shift adapts yesterday and took it out on the road ... this time it started off in Drive ok, but I still had no 2-3 and 3-4 shift. I'd get to the shift point, and the engine would just start turning 4000 RPMs, like I put it in neutral. Scanner showed 6+ seconds on my 2-3 shift. So, I am pretty certain my 3-4 clutch is gone, which is what I kind of expected. Like Mr. P's when his went ... no evidence in the fluid of failure. It's not discolored, and it doesn't smell burnt or feel grainy/gritty. (Although there's probably clutch material in it) Sucks I just spent 400 bones getting the trans. flushed at 50K and put AmsOil in it, and I have to throw it all away ... If I can, I'm going to try to keep in close contact with the shop that works on my trans. so that I can see what exactly failed. They recommended an upgraded 3-4 clutch kit and a "high-energy" band as opposed to a kevlar band, since I plan to keep the truck pretty much stock. I'd like this rebuild to last at least as long as it takes for me to pay the bank to own the truck, and still do some light towing with it. I got about 71K out of the stock 3-4 clutch ... dunno if that's good or not ... I'll be sure to report back with everything I find out ... hopefully, it's not too bad ... Well hopefully all it needs is just a simple rebuild. Your advice from your transmission guy jives with my own experience and above recommendations. Sucks man, I know what it's like to be afoot and a grand lighter in the pocket-book Mr. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perk03z06 Posted June 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2007 (edited) Well, here's the latest ... Picked up the truck last Thurs. afternoon. Ticket was $1512.xx. $750 labor, $100 tow, and the rest parts. New torque converter, new 1-2 clutch, upgraded 3-4 "commercial duty" clutch with more steels, new 3-4 band, new shift solenoids, new EPC solenoid, "bonded pistons" (dunno what those are ... Mr. P? ...) new fluid, etc. As soon as I picked it up, I left for a 660 mile trip to northeast PA, from there to Pittsburgh, and back to Charlotte. 1900 miles total. 660 miles with a stove, a dining table & 4 chairs in the back for my buddy who just lost everything he had from a water heater that exploded & burnt his house down. Kept a close eye on it the whole way ... shift times ranged from 0.2 - 0.8 seconds ... but what's weird is that my 2-3 shift @ light throttle is now taking 60+ psi for the clutch to engage. I don't remember it being that way before. I'm hoping that's because of the new 3-4 clutch that's in there ... or maybe the valve body has been modified too ... I've also decided NOT to run AmsOil in the trans. anymore. I believe that it may have contributed to the 3-4 failing. ALL my shifts got real smooth after putting in the AmsOil ... and I don't think this trans. can handle much slipping from the PCM gradually engaging the clutches. All in all, it shifts nice and hard now, in all the gears. Also got a 12 mo. 12,000 mi. warranty on the rebuild job ... Not happy about parting with the money, but I think every penny of it was money well spent. Thanks to everyone that posted to this thread & helped me out. Glad to be back on the road again. Edited June 14, 2007 by perk03z06 (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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