BACK AGAIN - I WAS 90% WRONG. NEXT?

[hanajack]

REFERENCE:   Thanks to all.  I have moved topic to:  TRANSFER CASE – "FALSE NEUTRAL"  {Acting on the replies to my post "AUTO TRANS SHOT?", I'm 90% sure the problem is a false neutral condition in the transfer case.}

ORIGINAL POST:  Ref: 84 258 4WD, 81k orig mi.
     After 10 mile drive under 35 mph, had difficulty determining whether in Drive or second.  Stopped.  Started again with much noise and vibration.  Had to move on.  After 1 mile and another stop, car barely moved.  Tried to nurse it home [remote area].  No movement in any gear, but waiting a minute or so could hear it "clunk" into gear at which time it would move for 20 seconds, stop, wait - another 20 seconds to 10, - ten to five seconds, five to two seconds.  Got it to a side road where a friend happened by and towed it home.
     Any diagnosis, opinion, tip, information greatly appreciated.

CURRENT:  Trans fluid is full, clear red.  Adjusted shift rod from carb.  Adjusted front band.  Result - same condition.  Performed vacuum test on TC shift motor - OK.  Result - same condition.  Placed a stick from ear to transfer case -  smooth; placed stick from ear to trans case - definite source of bad sounds!  It' the trans!
     Removed pan {would be nice to have had a drain plug} and filter.  Maybe 1/3 teaspoon of fiber material on filter.  Pan magnet coated with muck - no metal pieces.  I will adjust rear band but have no idea where to go from there. 
     I have put a considerable sum of money and many, many hours on this 81k mile car and it is my main driver.  Maui is a dead end and where there used to be many Eagles on the island, this may be the last, previously, running one.
     Any advise greatly appreciated.

[thereverendbill]

when i replaced the trans in my wagon i had a simular situation ...... I drove it for about 5 miles when it just stopped moving.  we towed it home and it would move like 50 feet then go back to doing nothing unless we let it sit ......... when i got around to dropping the pan the friction materal  in the trans had piled up all over the filter.  I changed the filter and fluid and it drove like a champ

[hanajack]

     That is very encouraging.

[carnuck]

When the torque converter in mine went bad, there was an engine vibration, then a leak and nothing after that.

[carguy87]

Be sure to open up that trans filter! A lot of nasty stuff will hide inside of it, just take a hammer to the plastic casing around the edge and it will break off.  Sometimes enough stuff stuck inside will block the passage for oil flow, hense to movement and it moving when you wait a while, what little flow is there is building up over time.

[hanajack]

     I'm in a remote area.  I sprayed the filter with carb cleaner, hosed it off with a weak flow, including placing the stream in the hole on the upper side to back flush it.  Did it all again and sun dried it -{filter has a steel case, not plastic}.  Put filter back in and it works.  What a relief!  Thanks for the help.

[eaglefreek]

Eggcellent!!

[hanajack]

 I'm not out of the woods yet.

     Drove 7 miles out and 6 1/2 miles back - trans didn't make it.  I had added one gallon of fresh ATF after the last pan drop.
     Dropped the pan again {messy job}.  There was a tablespoon sized oily lump of muck on the pan under the left center of the filter.  Filter also dirty again.
     There should be about 9 pints of ATF still in the trans - right?  Is there a way to flush it out, or, more precisely, to flush out any of the muck still inside the trans so I don't have to continue this filter thing?

     I may be too optimistic but I feel the trans will give me service if I can do that.

[eaglefreek]

You can get a transmission flush from a shop. They hook a machine to your cooler lines.

[hanajack]

     Wouldn't be able to get car to trans shop - too far.

     So, if I were to attach a vacuum pump to the cooler lines I could pump it out?  Wonder, if so, that would remove much muck from the system?

[A-A EAGLE]

You definitely cannot clean an oil filter with carb cleaner sufficiently. Just change it. When a new one is not available quick enough, try to flush it for the moment, but don't expect it helps very much. I had the same and had to change the oil and filter a couple of times within 150 miles or so before all the muck was out.......

Anjo
Holland

[txjeeptx]

Might consider adding a drain plug to the pan to make things easier when changing trans fluids. I know you're waaaay off the beaten path(wish I was there), but if you do order a new pan gasket and filter, consider getting an aftermarket pan with a drain plug. Spectre and B&M make some inexpensive stamped steel chromed deep sump pans that are perfect for the job. If you go for adding a drain plug to your original pan, you could cut the drain plug out of an oilpan from another engine and have it welded into your pan.

[TheWraith]

If you want to invest the time and the coin in order to avoid dropping the tranny pan over and over, consider a remote tranny filter.  Not uncommon or difficult to plumb one in on the cooler lines.  I've seen some use engine oil filters as the remote filter as they are easy to find anywhere (even wally-world) and relatively affordable.

[hanajack]

        Before going to the trouble of trying it:  if I were to attach a vacuum pump to the cooler lines could I pump the remaining fluid out of the trans - {the pan is off}?  Wonder, if so, that would remove much muck from the system?

        Which line on the radiator is the "out"?

[mudkicker715]

Rear line is return. front line is out from tranny. putting sucion on return will net almost no fluid. never tried the front line on vacuum. or rear for that matter. i just know nothing much will be accomplished by pulling vac on the rear line