Trans going out?

[Zoro]

Working on getting my new to me 85 on the road and I'm having trans trouble, I think.

The car has 126,ooo miles on it with supposedly 3,ooo on a brand new engine and it has the Weber 32/36 carb.

Trans works perfect unless you go uphill then it loses all power and acts as if the trans is dead. Wait 5 minutes and it drives like new again.

While it's doing this there is a trail of oil on the ground but the valve cover also needs done bad so am not sure if that is trans or engine oil.  Gotta love these cars...LOL

[eaglefreek]

Is it downshifting? If not can you manually downshift with the shifter and then does it feel normal? Is the TV rod aka kickdown hooked up? If so, make sure it is working like it's supposed to.

[Zoro]

Don't have plates on the car at the moment so I'm not 100% sure.

Felt like it was downshifting as it should but just losing all power. If I stay on the throttle on the uphill it's like it goes into Neutral like a blown trans.

There is some sort of homebrew linkage going on for the Weber so I will need to grab a photo

[eaglebeek]

The throttle linkage to the transmission does more than cause a downshift. It also regulates hydraulic pressure to the clutches and bands. Downshifting and upshifting are as much functions of the governor...operated by the rotational speed of the output shaft...as the position of the throttle lever.

You have a Weber carb...an excellent unit...but never factory-installed on a 6-cylinder Eagle. An aftermarket carb...combined with the perception of going into neutral on a hill...leads me to suspect slipping. Eaglefreek is right: something may be amiss in the linkage that operates the throttle lever on the transmission.

If the linkage turns out to be the fault it must be repaired or properly adjusted immediately. Slipping clutches and bands will quickly self-destruct.

One other note: transmission fluid level...either over-or under-full...will adversely affect transmission operation.

I wish you good luck. Please keep us posted.

[carnuck]

Sounds like the filter is clogging up or the converter neck is cracked. Under load it can open and dump oil, losing pressure so it stops moving. Unless the front axle isn't engaged and it's in 4x4, burning up the viscous coupler.

[eaglebeek]

Sounds like the filter is clogging up or the converter neck is cracked. Under load it can open and dump oil, losing pressure so it stops moving. Unless the front axle isn't engaged and it's in 4x4, burning up the viscous coupler.

D'uoh! Should have thought of that myself. A cracked converter neck turned out to be exactly why I wound up tearing my 998 down last summer.

And "false neutral" is a common occurrence in Eagles. It's easy to check: use a 9/16 wrench on the nut securing the short arm from the vacuum actuator to turn the shaft one way or the other.

[Zoro]

I'll get some photos of the linkages and report back.