Automotive help needed!!!!

BamaBowTie · 11-29-2007, 01:28 PM

I have an 89' GMC Jimmy with a 4.3 V6 2wd automatic (700r4) transmission. The transmission shifts late and shifts hard, it started doing this all of a sudden. Anybody got an idea? Oh and the fluid level is correct, but it is discolored, so I thought I might need to change the filter and fluid but am looking for other possible problems in case that doesn't help.

lefty o · 11-29-2007, 01:34 PM

one main thing is very important with the 700r4 and 200-4r transmission. that is making sure the TV (throttle valve) cable is properly set. since the fluid is discolored (burned), chances are pretty good you've terminally injured this tranny. any chance of keeping this one goingdepends on immediately changing the fluid and filter. setting the TV cable isnt tough, but im not good enough with the written word to preoperly describe howtoo, if you do some searching you'll find some write ups on it online.

nathangdad · 11-29-2007, 02:13 PM

Give it up! Age, natural wear and tear, metal stress damage, current improper gear dimensions, etc. will make this an impossible fix. If you really want this vehicle - put in a new engine, tranny, drive shaft, and rear axle. It will be cheaper in the long run.

Troy · 11-29-2007, 02:52 PM

you say the fluid is "discolored" this can be taken in a couple of ways. discolored as in old, never been changed and needing it badly. if it is just old and in need of a filter and fluid change you may get a bunch more miles out of the old girl. now the other discolored is burnt, you ought to be able to smell it if is burnt, if that is the case your done and get a different trans in there. lefty is right about adjusting the shift points but if it just up and started shifting late all at once and not gradually i would suspect the fluid is toast and what has happened is the clutch packs are not releasing properly or on time. the fluid and filter would be the cheapest first step to take, good luck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nathangdad

Give it up! Age, natural wear and tear, metal stress damage, current improper gear dimensions, etc. will make this an impossible fix. If you really want this vehicle - put in a new engine, tranny, drive shaft, and rear axle. It will be cheaper in the long run.

most or maybe none of this is necessary.

BamaBowTie · 11-30-2007, 02:06 AM

Thanks for all the advice. I smelled the fluid tonight and it wasn't burnt, it's just old. I'm getting a filter and fluid in the morning and hope it works.

billy · 11-30-2007, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nathangdad

Give it up! Age, natural wear and tear, metal stress damage, current improper gear dimensions, etc. will make this an impossible fix. If you really want this vehicle - put in a new engine, tranny, drive shaft, and rear axle. It will be cheaper in the long run.

replacing everything but the body sounds a little excessive to me.

bamabowtie,
dont get the tranny flushed!
everything in there has worn so that when it gets flushed the metal shavings or whatever kind of holds it together arent there anymore.
i have heard of too many old cars that drove into a place ,they flushed the tranny and it had to be towed out.

p.s. i drive a 24 year old toyota p/u

Chris · 11-30-2007, 06:51 AM

check the distributor cap as well

troy2000 · 11-30-2007, 07:53 AM

I drive a 1981 motor home, and a FrankenJeep made with parts of CJ5's mostly from the 'sixties. I'm not in any hurry to replace the entire drive train on either of them...

I suppose if one were doing it "right" he could do that...but if I were doing it right I'd go plunk down the money for new ones.

cubbieman · 11-30-2007, 09:26 AM

I happen to believe that cars that are older than I am should be junked. but that's just personal preference

musicmaniac · 11-30-2007, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cubbieman

I happen to believe that cars that are older than I am should be junked. but that's just personal preference

WOW!!! Really? Funny how different people's opinions can be isn't it? There are TONS of cars way older than me that I would rather drive than some of these newer cars. Give me that 24 year old 'yota somebody had or an old Chevelle, Nova, Mustang, Troy200's "FrankenJeep", or an old style Bronco before any of these ricers or H2s!!!! But, I can see by your avatar that we would have very dissimilar interests in cars. Lol. Different strokes for different folks right?

TheCaretakers · 11-30-2007, 10:48 AM

Yup, Don't ever flush a transmition, or change its oil.

Also never change the motor oil either.

Of course everyone knows oil will last as long as the drive train anyway. So when it fails you just replace the whole drive train at once..

Good god people can be funny!

gunney_m · 11-30-2007, 11:13 AM

Oldsmobile 442.

Mick · 11-30-2007, 11:16 AM

I have a 1981 ford bronco, if I was to replace the motor and gearbox and diff I may as well go and buy a new car.

Mooseman684 · 11-30-2007, 11:18 AM

GMC...Thats "Got Mechanic Comin' " !
Rich

TheCaretakers · 11-30-2007, 12:10 PM

Damn Moose....

All these years I thought GMC was "Gave Money for Crap!"

billy · 11-30-2007, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCaretakers

Yup, Don't ever flush a transmition, or change its oil.

Also never change the motor oil either.

Of course everyone knows oil will last as long as the drive train anyway. So when it fails you just replace the whole drive train at once..

Good god people can be funny!

yep,
i agree with every sentence you posted .
except for the ones with the word oil in them.

changing the tranny fluid and flushing the tranny under pressure are two different things!

Quote:

Originally Posted by cubbieman

I happen to believe that cars that are older than I am should be junked. but that's just personal preference

mines been paid for longer than you have been alive AND it gets 27 mpg.!

TheCaretakers · 11-30-2007, 04:58 PM

Flushing a trans means to use pressure to push new fluid into the converter, getting the old fluid "flushed" out.

If you only change the oil which was in the pan, you did VERY little. Much of the oil in a trans stays in the converter.

Under that theory, Motors would be fine by changing the filter, and topping them off.... Don't worry about the old oil in the pan.

billy · 11-30-2007, 05:04 PM

all i know is what the CAR GUYS say
i tend to believe click and clack.( i got one of their books)
i am no mechanic BUT my toyota p/u has 260,000 miles on it and the transmission works great.
you are going to have to convince somebody else.

TheCaretakers · 11-30-2007, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billy

all i know is what the CAR GUYS say
i tend to believe click and clack.( i got one of their books)
i am no mechanic BUT my toyota p/u has 260,000 miles on it and the transmission works great.
you are going to have to convince somebody else.

Welp, please go ahead and start drag racing, and go ahead with your bad self!

ps - If you find metal in your trans, you already blew it up!

billy · 11-30-2007, 05:22 PM

ANYTHING YOU SAY BOSS.

11-29-2007, 01:28 PM	#1
BamaBowTie Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Alexandria, AL Posts: 226 Images: 1	Automotive help needed!!!! I have an 89' GMC Jimmy with a 4.3 V6 2wd automatic (700r4) transmission. The transmission shifts late and shifts hard, it started doing this all of a sudden. Anybody got an idea? Oh and the fluid level is correct, but it is discolored, so I thought I might need to change the filter and fluid but am looking for other possible problems in case that doesn't help. __________________ "They call you paranoid until the worst happens, and in the aftermath they call you a hero." -Me

11-29-2007, 02:13 PM	#3
nathangdad Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,519	89 means 18 years old Give it up! Age, natural wear and tear, metal stress damage, current improper gear dimensions, etc. will make this an impossible fix. If you really want this vehicle - put in a new engine, tranny, drive shaft, and rear axle. It will be cheaper in the long run.

11-30-2007, 02:06 AM	#5
BamaBowTie Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Alexandria, AL Posts: 226 Images: 1	Thanks for all the advice. I smelled the fluid tonight and it wasn't burnt, it's just old. I'm getting a filter and fluid in the morning and hope it works. __________________ "They call you paranoid until the worst happens, and in the aftermath they call you a hero." -Me

11-30-2007, 06:51 AM	#7
Chris HMFIC Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 3,834,177 Images: 19 Blog Entries: 18	check the distributor cap as well __________________ Rules \| Contributing Members No one has the right to deny my personal safety Please be descriptive in your thread titles!

11-30-2007, 07:53 AM	#8
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 9,506 Images: 9	I drive a 1981 motor home, and a FrankenJeep made with parts of CJ5's mostly from the 'sixties. I'm not in any hurry to replace the entire drive train on either of them... I suppose if one were doing it "right" he could do that...but if I were doing it right I'd go plunk down the money for new ones. __________________ I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting you really believe what you just said. WF Buckley, Jr

11-29-2007, 01:34 PM	#2
lefty o Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: mn Posts: 4,815	one main thing is very important with the 700r4 and 200-4r transmission. that is making sure the TV (throttle valve) cable is properly set. since the fluid is discolored (burned), chances are pretty good you've terminally injured this tranny. any chance of keeping this one goingdepends on immediately changing the fluid and filter. setting the TV cable isnt tough, but im not good enough with the written word to preoperly describe howtoo, if you do some searching you'll find some write ups on it online.

11-30-2007, 09:26 AM	#9
cubbieman Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Alaska Posts: 1,481	I happen to believe that cars that are older than I am should be junked. but that's just personal preference

11-30-2007, 10:48 AM	#11
TheCaretakers Banned Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Orlando, Florida Posts: 92	Yup, Don't ever flush a transmition, or change its oil. Also never change the motor oil either. Of course everyone knows oil will last as long as the drive train anyway. So when it fails you just replace the whole drive train at once.. Good god people can be funny!

11-30-2007, 11:13 AM	#12
gunney_m Banned Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Muskogee,Ok Posts: 1,931	Oldsmobile 442.

11-30-2007, 11:18 AM	#14
Mooseman684 Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alaska Wilderness Posts: 9,736 Images: 2	GMC...Thats "Got Mechanic Comin' " ! Rich __________________ You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!

11-30-2007, 12:10 PM	#15
TheCaretakers Banned Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Orlando, Florida Posts: 92	Damn Moose.... All these years I thought GMC was "Gave Money for Crap!"

11-30-2007, 04:58 PM	#17
TheCaretakers Banned Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Orlando, Florida Posts: 92	Flushing a trans means to use pressure to push new fluid into the converter, getting the old fluid "flushed" out. If you only change the oil which was in the pan, you did VERY little. Much of the oil in a trans stays in the converter. Under that theory, Motors would be fine by changing the filter, and topping them off.... Don't worry about the old oil in the pan.

11-30-2007, 05:04 PM	#18
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 12,353 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 146	all i know is what the CAR GUYS say i tend to believe click and clack.( i got one of their books) i am no mechanic BUT my toyota p/u has 260,000 miles on it and the transmission works great. you are going to have to convince somebody else. __________________

11-30-2007, 05:22 PM	#20
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 12,353 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 146	ANYTHING YOU SAY BOSS. __________________