Transmission engagement

[MoparDan]

One night the transmission wouldn't engage it felt like it was in neutral, luckily it was in the driveway so pushing her back wasn't too bad I didn't even feel the bumps between the gears, note: this happened without warning, the transmission had shifted fine that day. Neighbor discovers a broken grommet, he rigs one up temporarily the next day I saw the fluid was low, so added some, shifted fine at first but then only eventually engage after shutting the engine off and moving the shifter in every gear multiple times, made it home, parked her and discovered the fluid very low and puddle i thought was from an old power steering leak...was actually transmission fluid, and looking underneath neighbor quickly saw that the pan had not been tightened well at all some bolts, finger tightened some only halfway in, and a lot of sealant around everything (Theres a shop I'm never going back to!) Anyways a couple of days later I try to drive her and wouldn't engage, I pretty much gave up, tried once or twice but the same thing wouldn't engage in any gear, that was it, I just started the engine a few times to keep things moving until I ran out of gas, the other car needed work, eventually I decided to have her reverse in, I jump start the battery spray a little carb cleaner she fires i put in reverse once she idled down, and engaged fine hit the gas she moves fine, put her drive, fine, parked her again really confused, and i also saw the radiator is leaking, not in the budget right now not even close. Other car is dead now... I've moved her in gear a few times and has been fine, drove to mail box, what caused this? Obviously I can't really drive until I have a radiator, what was causing the transmission not to engage? and why fine now?

 

[AMC Diplomat]

I wonder if you managed to pump out your converter by having a bad enough pan leak and then the act of idling several times refilled it and now it works again.

I'm not a transmission expert so this is just a wild theory. I don't know if that's even possible on a Torqueflite transmission

 

[M_Body_Coupe]

If you are willing to give it one more try, do this: obviously take care of all the loose bolts, get it all tightened, fill the trans to FULL mark and monitor afterwards (I'll explain this later). Put the shifter in NEUTRAL and start the car. Keep it in NEUTRAL, let the trans pump pick up the fluid and move it throughout the trans. As the engine is running go check the trans dipstick, has it gotten lower?

If YES, OK, good result as you're moving the fluid around. Continue to add so that it stays at FULL (but don't overdo it).

Now with the engine still running, shift to 1, keep it there for 15-30 sec, then 2, repeat, and finally DRIVE.

Throughout the process the car is NOT driving, it stays parked, so you of course apply the brake pedal while you do this, be safe toss the emergency brake ON as well to avoid any sudden move.

 

[MoparDan]

I'll buy some fluid tomorrow, stores are already closed, I tightened the bolts already

 

[MoparDan]

Slight update, I ran the engine a couple of minutes (in park), before I saw the comment, so i checked the fluid, its a little below the line that says okay and yesterday I I put the car in the ramps for an oil change in the transmission went in gear fine

 

[MoparDan]

If you are willing to give it one more try, do this: obviously take care of all the loose bolts, get it all tightened, fill the trans to FULL mark and monitor afterwards (I'll explain this later). Put the shifter in NEUTRAL and start the car. Keep it in NEUTRAL, let the trans pump pick up the fluid and move it throughout the trans. As the engine is running go check the trans dipstick, has it gotten lower?

If YES, OK, good result as you're moving the fluid around. Continue to add so that it stays at FULL (but don't overdo it).

Now with the engine still running, shift to 1, keep it there for 15-30 sec, then 2, repeat, and finally DRIVE.

Throughout the process the car is NOT driving, it stays parked, so you of course apply the brake pedal while you do this, be safe toss the emergency brake ON as well to avoid any sudden move.

Ok so I just put a quart of transmission fluid in, that got the level up to the Ok line (see picture) i cant afford any more at the moment at $12. a quart (fucking price gougers) I'd already warmed the engine up, so the idle wouldn't be high, so I put the quart in and put it in neutral like you said, moved through the gears (with foot fully on brake) and checked it, it was low again, around this time neighbor sees me, and gives me an extra quart he had lying around, wasn't a full though, but put it, still needs more to get back to ok, so I'm waiting on some cash...so I get buy another quart and fill it up and go from there

 

[M_Body_Coupe]

OK, the important stuff here is to always check the level in NEUTRAL as that circulates the fluid around so you basically get an equivalent of transmssion being in use.

It matters a bit that the fluid is supposed to be checked when HOT, that will cause it to expand a tad, but we are not talking massive amounts here.

For now, continue on doing what you are doing, but sneak up on it so you do not end up overfilling it.

Each time you check I would go through that quick: Neutral, shift to each gear for about 10 secs and back to Neutral then do the check, cycle.

 

[MoparDan]

Ok, as soon as I get another quart I'm on it!

 

[MoparDan]

Neighbor is changing the fluid and filter (also radiator) there was a lot of gunk at the bottom of the pan, and filter covered in sand (from the pan being so loose) but very little metal on the magnet, pan is clean now and outside painted sliver. Man I'd like to sue that garage that replaced it last and just finger tightened the bolts