Transmission Dying at College

[sierrablue]

So, it started squealing on me after I got back from MN, but it was just a fairly quiet squealing and upon some reading everything said that it was just a plugged filter, and so I continued driving it some around town when I would have, not thinking too much of it, and my parents are shipping me my new filter. I also have fresh fluid ready to go.

Today it stopped squealing and I thought it was fine, and then had to stop at a stop light. I went to go and it was stuck in N, and then slipped in and out of 1, and 2-3 seemed fine. After that it started slipping out of 2-3 also.

I'm hoping that it's just that the filter is so plugged that it can't flow enough fluid to stay in gear. I'm not really counting on it or expecting it. It'll be kind of my last-ditch effort.

Just wondering if anybody has any suggestions on good ways to get either another TH400 or a 700r4...or heck, even an NV2500.

[Yeller]

That sucks….. filter change is not going to fix that. I’d start calling local transmission shops, time for an overhaul. Keep me posted, help ya all I can.

[Stuka]

Unless you are wanting to swap out the t-case, make some mounts, and replace both driveshafts, plus some other random stuff like kickdown linkage differences, you need to stick with a TH400 like you have now.

TH400's are pretty cheap to rebuild compared to modern transmissions. And will certainly be cheaper than doing the above work. Unless you are wanting an OD, I would stick with the TH400. Its widely considered the strongest 3sp auto made for light duty vehicles.

[sierrablue]

I do really want the OD. If I was just hanging around in CO all of the time, then I wouldn't care about having the OD, I really don't need it here. The issue is that I have no idea where I'm going to end up, and driving across NE and the Dakotas it would be really nice to have the overdrive.

I think the TV cable off a Buick with the 350 and a TH350 won't be 100% right, but should be close to the one I need for the 700r4. The adapter between the engine and transmission is pretty cheap, and an np208/np242 ought to be fine...obv I'd like the Dana 300 but I'm not paying as much for the case as for a transmission. It might not be quite as simple, but I think out here I'll have some sort of CHANCE of finding a shop that will do swaps like that, probably 4x4 shops, but in MN there's no way I'd find anyone to do it for me.

Have also considered a 5-speed, would be more fun to drive, but my issue with that is that it would kind of take away from having the bench seat and the general aesthetic.

I suppose technically the TH400 isn't too complicated...I could buy a rebuild kit and rebuild it in the dorm...my roommate PROBABLY wouldn't kill me

[Yeller]

If you do the swap, the brackets for the 350/350 tv cable will work but it will require a universal TV cable for a 700r4 or 200-4r. I would really try to keep the t400 and look at the swap after your out of school, it will be a minimum of $2000 less expensive, probably more than $3000, just from memory, everything changes, need an adapter to the engine, need an adapter for the tcase, drive shafts will be different, shifters are different, and there's more, it all adds up to a lot.

[tgreese]

From what I've seen, you can do the TH400 rebuild in the parking lot - BTDT at college - and the parts are cheap. Lots about this on IFSJA. There was member gsmikie that sold a tape for your VCR. Plenty of resources.

Supposedly this is the principle authority for these: https://archive.org/details/howtoworkwithmod00sess I had a digital copy somewhere but now Adobe Digital Editions wants registration and a password and ... too difficult.

[devildog80]

Does the school have an auto tech department? Might see if the instructor could get you some contacts, or they could rebuild it for class credit?