Slipping Transmission... Fixed?
 

Hey guys, for those of you who don't recall, I have a 98 Chevy Blazer that the transmission has been slipping severly on me. I towed it home, had the transmission filter changed and flushed it out. The filter was very clogged. There is 94k on it so it was due......I've been driving it around and so far so good. Is it possible that the filter could have been keeping fluid from getting through the transmission causing slippage. In that respect, do you guys think its safe to assume the problem is fixed or is this just a bandaid and its about ready to go again.
Reason is, right now, the truck is in Upstate NY, where it can be easily worked on in the shop my parents have. I live in Boston, 4hr drive.... Do I want to trust this truck to drive back out here incase it blows again? I've been told blazers are notorious for bad tranmissions, any truth behind this? I knew if I swapped out a rebuilt transmission I would keep it. Now, I'm considering just cutting my losses and just selling the truck. What do you guys think?

RE: Slipping Transmission... Fixed?
 

Who knows if it will be a bandaid fix or not... If there was enough junk in the filter to clog it, chances are the clutches have next to nothing left on them...

RE: Slipping Transmission... Fixed?
 

Yep, your right. It went again. Made it for a day though.

RE: Slipping Transmission... Fixed?
 

I guess I am too late.

The only thing to plug up a tranny filter is tranny parts. Replacing the filter is a bandaid at best. She will die before long. That was going to be my post. Plus some more info. Since your getting it rebuilt, here is the rest.

The 4L60E tranny is an updated version of the 4L60 tranny. The 4L60 tranny is an updated version of the 700R4 tranny. The 700R4 tranny and this current version have been in use by GM since the early 80's. GM has been putting this same tranny in ALL 1/2 ton trucks and suvs. This includes the fullsize 1/2 pick ups, tahoes, suburbans, s-series trucks, astro vans, K5 Blazers, etc. Plus all the counter parts in the GMC series trucks. This is a very relieable tranny, and has been around for a very long time.

The 4L60E tranny is a good tranny. It does have some flaws that need to be corrected. Number one being the sun shell. They tend to break and is the reason people are giving them a bad rap. The sun shell isn't expensive, however it does require dropping the tranny. You need a heat treated sun shell.

I am in the middle of rebuilding my 4L60E tranny. Parts alone cost me $330 and that is with a tranny shop discount. I am installing all top of the line parts. Kevlar clutches, kevlar 2/4 band, Raybestos "z pack" 3/4 clutch pack, heat treated sun shell, pinless accumulators, Master rebuild kit, and a 300mm torque converter, all of it high energy. This is going to be one strong tranny and with an auxilary tranny cooler should last 200,000 miles or so. This thing will be strong enough to bolt up to a fullszie truck hauling max loads all day long.

My honest opinion. Get your current tranny rebuild and keep the truck. It will be the best Grand you spend on it. Install a tranny cooler so it lives longer. Install a tranny drain plug and change the fluid once per year. You'll be replaceing about 4 of the 12 quarts it holds. 200,000 miles isn't unreal if you take care of it.

One last thing, since your tranny puke out debris, you will need to have your cooler lines flushed, and buy a new torque converter. Those little pieces will plug up your trottle valve if you don't.

Here is a link to my rebuild.
4L60E

RE: Slipping Transmission... Fixed?
 

Thanks, I think what i going to happen right now, is we're going to keep the truck and install a used transmission with 79k on it. It has been "tested" whatever that means, and it comes with a 90day warranty. For $600...... Sound about right?

I want it to last, a rebuilt one may have been better, but I couldnt convince my dad to go for it. So this is what I've got. The truck as is has about 94k on it. If it makes it to about 160k I'll be happy. By then, hopefully, I'll be a couple years out of school and settled enough to buy a new car. This truck has gotta be that college/right out of college vehicle for me. Nothing too flashy, but reliable.

RE: Slipping Transmission... Fixed?
 

Nothing wrong with a used tranny.

Several things you need to do to make this one last and not fail.
#1 Buy a can of "tranny flush" from your local tranny shop. Run this through your tranny cooler lines. You need to clean out any debris that may have gotten into the lines, cooler from the last tranny. This debris will play heck with your nused tranny.

#2 Buy a can of "tranny shock" to replace one quart of tranny fluid. This can be found at your local autoparts store, or tranny shop. Your dealing with a used tranny and have no idea if the fluid has ever been changed, or how long it has been sitting idle and open to the elements. The "tranny shock" is a chemical that protects the seals and gaskets from damage due to new tranny fluid. Ask the tranny shop to explain it to you.

Have you dropped the tranny yet?

I have some usefull tips for you.

Buy a 15mm wobble socket and have about 30" of extensions. The top two tranny bellhousing bolts are a bear to get to any other way. Verify your bolts are 15mm before you buy the wobble socket. It is 15mm on my '00, and 18mm on my '87. Somewhere between the 2 modle years it changed. You need about 30" of extensions, tip the tranny down, and run the wobble socket from the back of the tranny up front to those bolts. You need wobbles becuase the firewall will prevent you from removing the bolts with a regular socket and wobble on it. You won't have a straight shot and need the wobbles to get the socket square on the bolt. Plus there is no way your going to get oyur hands in there, unless you want to spend an hour and come from the engine compartment and are strong enough to turn stubbies, assuming you have stubby wrenchs. Trust me 30" of extension and a wobble socket is the only way to go.

Disconnect the battery, both cables. The starter has to come out. The only way to unbolt the torque converter from the flywheel is through the starter access area. There is a plate the starter goes through that has to come off, 2 10mm bolts (wrench). You have to spin the crankshaft by the bolt up front. Drop your splash guard to gian access. Turn it only clockwise. I used my 1/2 drive rachet on the crank bolt, and my 3/8" rachet on the torque converter bolts. You will need a short piece of pipe, or large socket and extension to gain leverage to break the bolts free. See pics below. Unbolt I like to unbolt the torque converter just before I do the tranny cooler lines. See below

Take out your driveshafts. You need the space to get everything else off.

Take out your exhaust y-pipe. PB Blaster and deep well sockets, and impact gun or cheater bar makes this easier. Carefull of those exhaust manifold to y-pipe bolts. If they are being stubborn. Heat them with a torch, get them nuts red hot, and they should come off. If you don't unscrew them, you will break them off, then the exhaust manifold has to come out. It only gets worse from there.

Take out the t-case.

Don't drain the tranny, no need to. Put a catch can under the cooler lines, and dipstick tube when you get to those. And those are the last two things to do before you drop the old tranny out. There won't be much fluid coming out, and even if you miss have of it, you will make a lot less mess then if you where to drop the pan and drain it. My tranny cooler lines required a 18mm flare wrench to get them off. Verify yours. DO not use anything other then a flare wrench on these fittings. It is soft metal, and you don't want to round them off. If you do, cut the line in half and pinch off both ends to hold the fluid in. You will need to run new tranny cooler line(s). See leverage pics below. You will need it.

DO NOT attempt to pry the connectors off the shift linkage on the drivers side of the tranny. Take the bolts out, and take it off. Those connectors are heald in with a wax like sustance and most people break that device. I hear it is $140 to replace. I cracked mine, hopefully all I need to do is sea

RE: Slipping Transmission... Fixed?
 

Thanks for the help! I fowarded that post over to my father, since he has to do all the work basically because I'm stuck at school in Boston. I really appreciate it though!

RE: Slipping Transmission... Fixed?
 

I’ve heard the flush machines are even better (the ones that hook up at the pump, not the ones that hook up to the radiator lines).

A mechanic I know told me that when their shop first bought one of these machines, it arrived on a Friday afternoon, and since they weren’t going to set it up until Monday, he took it home for the weekend and tried it on several vehicles.

He flushed the trans on a relative’s older Volvo that had lost its passing gear, and had to be manually downshifted. After the flush, it had its passing gear back. He said his Chevy pick-up used to drop down two gears to go up a particular hill, but after the flush, it only dropped down one gear.

He also said the manufacturer claims it will extend the life of the trans by 50% to 75%.

RE: Slipping Transmission... Fixed?
 

A complete tranny flush can be good and can be bad. All depends on the age of the fluid in teh tranny and how frequent the tranny has been serviced.

The problems the flush fixed in your post would indicate that the fluid didn't get changed regularily and sludge was built up on some of the valves causing performance issues. The complete flush pushed that stuff out, you take the risk of a tranny failure at this point too. New tranny fluid is a great cleaner, and it could remove some of the sludge that is makeing your gaskets hold pressure. In essence removing that build up could expose a crack in a seal, and that crack could lead to a failure.

A complete tranny flush can be a good thing, and it can be a bad thing. Changeing those 4 quarts once per year will help keep the system clean, plus provide fresh lubrication to make all the seals, gaskets, etc live longer.