1st gear locking up A-413

[Reeves]

Any one got ideas on this?

Driving to work one day in my van and I noticed it wasn't going into 2nd gear. Just going from 1st to 3rd. If you manually put it in 2nd, it would just free rev.

Got back home and adjusted the front band. That fixed 2nd, but then I noticed reverse wasn't working.

Removed valve body and the rear band was WAAY out of adjustment. I mean a crap load. Lock nut was still tight. So wtf? Adjusted it (almost ran out of adjustment screw) and put it all back together.

Park, reverse, 3rd, and 2nd all work now...but when you put it in 1st gear, it's like you are standing on the brakes anytime you hit the gas. The wheels just lock up the more gas you give it. If it idles, the wheels will turn a little.

Any ideas?

[R/T]

Park, reverse, 3rd, and 2nd all work now...but when you put it in 1st gear, it's like you are standing on the brakes anytime you hit the gas. The wheels just lock up the more gas you give it. If it idles, the wheels will turn a little.

Any ideas?

Transbrake???

[turbovanman²]

You probably over tightened the rear band, its supposed to have a crapload of adjustment,

The front band adjustment is snug down, back off 1.5 turns, rear band is snug and back off 3-4 turns.

The reason the bands get loose is durrrr, the bands wear or the drums wear so periodically, they need adjusting. Also, the rear band strut is very weak, its thin metal and bends over time, hence Sonnax making a nice, HD unit to stop that. I've almost bent the stockers over, they come out looking like the letter C,

[Reeves]

You probably over tightened the rear band, its supposed to have a crapload of adjustment,

The front band adjustment is snug down, back off 1.5 turns, rear band is snug and back off 3-4 turns.

The reason the bands get loose is durrrr, the bands wear or the drums wear so periodically, they need adjusting. Also, the rear band strut is very weak, its thin metal and bends over time, hence Sonnax making a nice, HD unit to stop that. I've almost bent the stockers over, they come out looking like the letter C,

This trans was recently rebuilt. Not blaming the builder at all, just wondering how it went from a perfectly good working trans, to both bands out of adjustment at the same time?

Also, I adjusted both bands the exact way you described above.

Any other ideas?

[turbovanman²]

This trans was recently rebuilt. Not blaming the builder at all, just wondering how it went from a perfectly good working trans, to both bands out of adjustment at the same time?

Also, I adjusted both bands the exact way you described above.

Any other ideas?

You shouldn't run out of adjuster-rear band, it seems like that when you tighten it up but then backing it off gives you lots of screw.

What does it do in manual 1st? It could be the rear band isn't working properly. In first, the rear clutch is on, but that's also in all gears, in manual first, the rear band is applied so if its fine in manual first, the sprag is damaged, aka the one way clutch which means a full tear down.

[Reeves]

You shouldn't run out of adjuster-rear band, it seems like that when you tighten it up but then backing it off gives you lots of screw.

What does it do in manual 1st? It could be the rear band isn't working properly. In first, the rear clutch is on, but that's also in all gears, in manual first, the rear band is applied so if its fine in manual first, the sprag is damaged, aka the one way clutch which means a full tear down.

I’m not sure what you are trying to say in the 2nd paragraph.

I’m doing all this testing on my lift (wheels off the ground). If I put the trans in Drive, it starts off in 2nd gear, then shifts to 3rd. If I manually put it in 2nd, it stays in 2nd. If I manually put it in 2nd, and then shift to 3rd, it goes to 3rd. If I manually put it in 1st, the wheels slow way down and sometimes even stop. If I tap the gas, the wheels stop. If I hold the gas down, the wheels stay stopped, the boost starts coming up, I get that real cool whistle in the garage as if I was standing on the brakes and coming up on the convertor, but I’m not on the brakes!

I just had another idea. Maybe something happened to the trans BEFORE I adjusted the bands, and that is why I HAD to adjust the bands. Like maybe it started doing this before and it wore the bands out. Now that I have them adjusted again, the problem is REALLY showing up now. ??

[turbovanman²]

Start off in manual 1st-aka put the lever in 1st, what happens?

Then put it in D, what happens?

[Reeves]

Start off in manual 1st-aka put the lever in 1st, what happens?

If I manually put it in 1st, the wheels slow way down and sometimes even stop.

Then put it in D, what happens?

If I put the trans in Drive, it starts off in 2nd gear, then shifts to 3rd.

[Captain Chaos]

Cindy's running a 5 speed special.

[Reeves]

Seriously thinking about it! Need to find pedals, shifter, etc.

[Captain Chaos]

Seriously thinking about it! Need to find pedals, shifter, etc.

I have P body pedals and a 523 shifter if it helps.

[turbovanman²]

Somehow I missed what you said earlier??????

Anyhow, to me, you have a governor issue and maybe the rear sprag is acting up.

[csxtra]

just wondering how it went from a perfectly good working trans, to both bands out of adjustment at the same time?

Do you think it could be from accelerated wear due to a rear brake caliper dragging so much that it turned a chrome wheel blue?

[TurboJerry]

Sounds like the rear band is too tight... The governor will need to be cleaned also. If it has a kevlar rear band it might have tore off some of the lining which would explain the crazy adjustment... I do 1 turn on the front band, & 3 on the rear. Just snug on the adj. screws or 72 inlbs. if you have an inlbs torque wrench the back off the required amount. I nursed a few trans with bad rear bands for months before taking them apart to fix the problem... Or the rear band might of cooked from being too tight ???

[Reeves]

Do you think it could be from accelerated wear due to a rear brake caliper dragging so much that it turned a chrome wheel blue?

I seriously don't think it was the rear caliper anymore. When I pulled it in the garage this time to start working on it it did the EXACT same thing as if the rear brakes were locked...I checked them this time...they roll nice and free!

Makes sense since I thought when the caliper was hanging that it would have scooted the ONE wheel from a stop and it didn't.

Granted, the caliper was hanging some.....I'll give you that. But sh*T!

Sounds like the rear band is too tight... The governor will need to be cleaned also. If it has a kevlar rear band it might have tore off some of the lining which would explain the crazy adjustment... I do 1 turn on the front band, & 3 on the rear. Just snug on the adj. screws or 72 inlbs. if you have an inlbs torque wrench the back off the required amount. I nursed a few trans with bad rear bands for months before taking them apart to fix the problem... Or the rear band might of cooked from being too tight ???

That's how I did the rear band. Snugged (loosely) and then backed off about 3.25 turns.

I think I have a bone stock valve body somewhere. Maybe I'll put that in to see what it does.

[TurboJerry]

That's how I did the rear band. Snugged (loosely) and then backed off about 3.25 turns.

I think I have a bone stock valve body somewhere. Maybe I'll put that in to see what it does.

Could be a VB problem, but *really* sounds like a governor problem if it's taking off in 2nd/3rd gear...

[ohiorob]

for the bands to need that much ajustment something is wearing them out. try the valve body body if that don't do it you will have to pull the tranny.

[black86glhs]

James, it sounds like a VB problem. It sounds like it is trying to apply 1st and reverse at the same time. I don't recall a governer causing it to lock up first and not move, will it?
Maybe a valve is hung up?

[turbors89]

Have the same problem with my car but it will only lock up on occasion. Have had it apart three times to clean the governor and clean the valve body, works for a little then back to normal. Every time ive taken it apart the governor was seriously hard to move back and forth.

[R/T]

I think I have a bone stock valve body somewhere. Maybe I'll put that in to see what it does.

I have about 3 if you need one....