Turbo 400 problem

[32bantam]

Hi Dan ...asking for anew friend in LHC. He has a Studebaker with a Turbo 400. Trans worked good when he parked it. Now it only has 1st and second gear. He added fluid...he took the govenor out and checked it OK...replaced the modulator. Removed the valve body and checked what he could, and nothing was stuck. He owned a garage in Wisconsin so he is handy!
Any ideas as to what to look for?
Thanks,
Steve 

[bikeguy307]

How long has it sat? Does reverse work ok? Is the 1/2 shift on time or way late? Has he put it back together? If so I'm assuming the results are the same. If the shift valve is free,  the governor is free, and all is correct with the modulator, then it must be internal. I have seen the center support bolt break which leads to fluid leakage to the int clutch and the high drum, however this will almost always cause a reverse problem. If he didn't pull the separator plate, when he checked the valve body, I would pull that and check the bolt before pulling the trans.

[32bantam]

Thanks Dan.....I will check with him tomorrow.

[32bantam]

Reverse is OK...only sat for a few months. He says the 1-2 shift is late and doesn't really shift just "makes an attempt".and 3rd never happens. ?

[bikeguy307]

Did he make sure the modulator valve was free? Also have him check the vacuum at the modulator. I had one once where a spider had build a nest in the vacuum line at the manifold causing very low vacuum to the modulator causing a very high shift point.

[bikeguy307]

Got to thinking about the governer, did he make sure the valve in it was moving free? Just because the weights move doesn't mean it's not stuck. Hold it by the gear hanging down and push the weights in and you should see the valve drop in the shaft.

[32bantam]

One more question on this turbo 400.......could a bad sprag in the trans cause this problem?. 1st gear works great..rev works fine.... seems to shift into 2nd but slips.....never gets to 3.

[msundstrom]

Loose kick-down solenoid or solenoid is powered all the time ( stuck closed switch ). Is this a stock trans, trans brake, manual valve body? Don't remember if that was stated before.
Mark

[bikeguy307]

I'm not thinking a sprag is the issue. They either hold or they don't. Not holding usually involves some crunching of the parts. Both the Int, and high clutch are fed throught the center support. Just trying to link the problems. Does the 1/2 shift act the same when manually shifted? If the kick down solenoid were loose, it would result in no forced down shifts, as the solenoid is held open by pressure, as the throttle moves down the voltage is incressed to the solenoid, when the solenoid overpowers the pressure and closes you get a forced down shift. A stuck on solenoid would result in very high shift points, but you would still have a shift.

Steve have your friend call me, might be easier to help him with a qyick phone call, I will post any results and findings back to this thread.

Dan