Hi all,
I just got back to CA and got my '87 4x4 automatic TV out of the garage. We leave it here in the summer and use it for our ski season. It was working fine when I parked it in April.
I was headed for the ski hill yesterday, first time I had the van out since we got back here. It shifts into gear with no problem, takes off normally in 1st gear, but I have to rev it up to about 25 mph to get it to shift into 2nd, at which time it "lurches" into gear. I have to go about 50 mph to get it to shift into Drive, but that is a smooth shift. I haven't gone out of town, so I'm not sure what it would act like going into OD. I thought that it might act better if it warmed up and I drove it a bit, but that wasn't the case. I drove about 6 miles to Heavenly and went skiing, then drove a couple miles to do some shopping, then drove back home. I definitely got it up to normal temps, so it doesn't appear to be just a cold tranny situation.
I also tried to "force" it to shift by revving up and then backing off on the throttle. That resulted in the van "free-wheeling" until I revved it back up to the engine speed that matched the travel speed (sort of felt like pushing in the clutch on a manual and giving it gas).
I know I saw a thread, either here or TVP, that dealt with this issue, but I couldn't find it, so I'm asking here.
I've seen similar issues and the responses have been: Try Lucas tranny fixer and rebuild the valve body.
I'm heading down to Napa to get some Lucas and see if there is maybe something gumming up a check ball or journal or something.
If anyone has any thoughts, though, I'd be happy to hear them.
Thanks,
Scott
(Update on my '88 head gasket project: I got the head done and back on the van, but we needed to bring our trailer with us this year, so we drove the Subaru. I still have to get the "peripherals" back on the '88 when we get back to MN)