Hey all, just pulled my old trans that was slipping and not wanting to shift out of first a few weeks back.  Got a brand new rebuild with a shift kit, raised pressure, redone VB, the works (not a full race trans but warrantied to as much power as I could add on a single turbo) and put it in.  At first, it wouldn't run well, so I figured "what the heck, I'll replace output speed sensor and try."  After that, It ran fine for about 5 miles until suddenly, it started slipping and wouldn't shift out of first.  Same exact issue I had with the old one.  The other day, it started up and went through the gears no issue but the problem has since come back.

 

Now I've got the fluid level perfectly dialed in, adjusted the TV cable all around, cleaned all contacts, and put in a brand new output speed sensor.  The issue is still there.

 

Any common issues?  I know it could possibly be TPS related, but I don't have any dead spots on the pedal and none of the other weird tps issues.  I was told it could be an internal harness, but I have one that was tested before installation and was found to be good so I doubt that.

 

Could it be TCM or a bad ground or something?  It seems like it must not be making enough pressure because of the slipping and no shift, but I'm not sure what would cause that.  Not enough power to the pump maybe?  Air in the system somehow?

 

Any wires/grounds I need to check before bringing it in for pressure testing?\

 

I installed it myself so I know it was done right, the one mistake I made was overfilling it at first, but I never turned the truck on or even connected the battery until I had drained out the excess fluid.

 

I've got all sorts of time and money tied up in this now and it still won't work right, starting to get super worried.

 

Thanks.

did you clean (flush) out  your lines and trans coolers or relpace?

 

maybe pumped debris and metal into your new tranny and metal froze up your vb

Edited April 1, 201510 yr by GSP7

did you clean (flush) out  your lines and trans coolers or relpace?

 

maybe pumped debris and metal into your new tranny and metal froze up your vb

I blew everything out with air, all the liquid I got out was quite clean.

Give us a little info about your truck. When I installed a built tranny in mine, with raised line pressures, I had to install a 100 ohm resistor into the orange wire in the middle pcm harness. I had to fool the PCM into thinking the truck was within normal limits (stock), for line pressure, otherwise I would get a Trans Temp light on and it would go into limp mode. Not saying this is your problem at all, but there is always a cause and effect when you change something. I would check the line pressure. I believe stock settings are around 60psi idle and 100 wot. On a performance transmission it should be around 70 or higher at idle and 190 at wot. Knowing the year model would help as well. There is a pigtail harness out there that will allow the 00-02 models to run the old style governor pressure solenoid instead of the plastic version. However, it is not backwards compatible. Meaning, it will plug into the harness of the 98.5-99 trucks and look fine, but the transmission will do some crazy things. I found this out the hard way. Anyway, let us know about the truck. It's possible the valve body could be for the wrong application. What type of torque converter did you install?

Give us a little info about your truck. When I installed a built tranny in mine, with raised line pressures, I had to install a 100 ohm resistor into the orange wire in the middle pcm harness. I had to fool the PCM into thinking the truck was within normal limits (stock), for line pressure, otherwise I would get a Trans Temp light on and it would go into limp mode. Not saying this is your problem at all, but there is always a cause and effect when you change something. I would check the line pressure. I believe stock settings are around 60psi idle and 100 wot. On a performance transmission it should be around 70 or higher at idle and 190 at wot. Knowing the year model would help as well. There is a pigtail harness out there that will allow the 00-02 models to run the old style governor pressure solenoid instead of the plastic version. However, it is not backwards compatible. Meaning, it will plug into the harness of the 98.5-99 trucks and look fine, but the transmission will do some crazy things. I found this out the hard way. Anyway, let us know about the truck. It's possible the valve body could be for the wrong application. What type of torque converter did you install?

Good point, it's a 2000 2500 4x4.  The pressure in the lines were said to be 80 psi by the guy who built it, so I'm assuming that's at idle.  I know the gov pressure solenoid is aftermarket, as are all the electronics in the new trans I believe, I don't think he used the older style stock ones.  The torque converter is a low stall single disc billet one, I don't know the brand but I know it is a decent one, sorry I don't know much about transmissions at all.

I'm not getting a temp light, but it seems as though the truck may actually be starting in 2nd gear since takeoff is slow and I can get up to 40 mph around 2000 rpm.  I'm not sure if this could be limp mode, since limp mode starts in 3rd gear, or so I hear.  Our issues seem similar.

Everything I'm hearing is pointing to pressure, which makes sense.  I'm just terrible at diagnosing what is causing it lol.

I just think it has to be more than coincidence that this new transmission is giving me the exact same issues as the old transmission.  It seems like it has to be something with the truck more than the transmission itself.

Why not take it to the tranny shop for some assistance, most of them have been around and have seen these vehicle specific issues if it a decent shop and probably know right away what it is rather than you beating your head against the wall.

Why not take it to the tranny shop for some assistance, most of them have been around and have seen these vehicle specific issues if it a decent shop and probably know right away what it is rather than you beating your head against the wall.

The only one I've heard good things about in my area can't seem to call me back.  Or I would've just given in and done that by now.

Who build the tranny?

 

Does it slip in 1st or is it starting in 3rd?  I would guess the latter.  I am guessing your going into limp mod and the tranny is only giving you 3rd and 4th most of the time. 

 

Nick

Who build the tranny?

 

Does it slip in 1st or is it starting in 3rd?  I would guess the latter.  I am guessing your going into limp mod and the tranny is only giving you 3rd and 4th most of the time. 

 

Nick

It slips when I put it in drive and then again sporadically while driving making that awful squeal noise.  I only have one gear and it doesn't seem like 3rd since I don't really labor to take off, its just slow.  I might try the resistor in line trick and see if that fixes it.  Could be the computer telling the trans to limp I guess.  Cheap thing to try.

Oh, and it was built by Black Sky Racing.  Place came extremely highly recommended from people all over the midwest and the owner/main guy seems like a straight shooter and very knowledgeable.

And the place that built it is not local to you? If not is he the one not wanting to return your calls, you need to call the builder and see if he will allow another tranny shop to troubleshoot it and see if he will cover the cost at this point.

 

One reason I refuse to run mail order trannies, I need a shop to go to locally to do this warranty and troubleshooting if the need arises. I Have a couple tranny shops that deal with pretty much all the big tranny component shops and will build your tranny with whatever components you choose. The builder who just did the tranny in my 2010 Hemi works with pretty much all the big name tranny component builders and has honest opinions of all of them he was not afraid to share.

It slips when I put it in drive and then again sporadically while driving making that awful squeal noise.  I only have one gear and it doesn't seem like 3rd since I don't really labor to take off, its just slow.  I might try the resistor in line trick and see if that fixes it.  Could be the computer telling the trans to limp I guess.  Cheap thing to try.

"Slips while driving" does it free rev when this happens? IE: jump from whatever ever rpm you were at right to redline pretty much?

Same question for putting it into drive, when you pull lever down to "D" does it sometimes just free rev then catch?

 

Squealing noise might be a result of the slip or free rev but I doubt it is related, more likely just a worn belt.

 

How fast do you go in the gear that you have?  mutliple different RPM vs what speed would be great to know. IE at 1500 rpms I am at xx mph and at 1800 rpm I am at xx mph

 

Agree that you really need to talk with the builder.  If it is possible bring it back to them and have them look at it.

 

Edit: wild I guess it is about 4 hours from him

 

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Black+Sky+Racing+LLC,+E5484+County+Road+BB,+Menomonie,+WI+54751/Kenosha,+WI/@43.7316655,-92.2173525,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x87f87f69d43376e9:0x315d777533a84e04!2m2!1d-91.883469!2d44.938003!1m5!1m1!1s0x88055e372255d1e5:0x6d11785b8a32df18!2m2!1d-87.8211854!2d42.5847425

And the place that built it is not local to you? If not is he the one not wanting to return your calls, you need to call the builder and see if he will allow another tranny shop to troubleshoot it and see if he will cover the cost at this point.

 

One reason I refuse to run mail order trannies, I need a shop to go to locally to do this warranty and troubleshooting if the need arises. I Have a couple tranny shops that deal with pretty much all the big tranny component shops and will build your tranny with whatever components you choose. The builder who just did the tranny in my 2010 Hemi works with pretty much all the big name tranny component builders and has honest opinions of all of them he was not afraid to share.

 

No, he's about 4-5 hours away.  I went up and got the new transmission from him personally.

"Slips while driving" does it free rev when this happens? IE: jump from whatever ever rpm you were at right to redline pretty much?

Same question for putting it into drive, when you pull lever down to "D" does it sometimes just free rev then catch?

 

Squealing noise might be a result of the slip or free rev but I doubt it is related, more likely just a worn belt.

 

How fast do you go in the gear that you have?  mutliple different RPM vs what speed would be great to know. IE at 1500 rpms I am at xx mph and at 1800 rpm I am at xx mph

 

Agree that you really need to talk with the builder.  If it is possible bring it back to them and have them look at it.

 

Edit: wild I guess it is about 4 hours from him

 

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Black+Sky+Racing+LLC,+E5484+County+Road+BB,+Menomonie,+WI+54751/Kenosha,+WI/@43.7316655,-92.2173525,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x87f87f69d43376e9:0x315d777533a84e04!2m2!1d-91.883469!2d44.938003!1m5!1m1!1s0x88055e372255d1e5:0x6d11785b8a32df18!2m2!1d-87.8211854!2d42.5847425

The squealing is sometimes accompanied by the transmission jerking, like I can feel it buck.  When the old transmission was doing this, I took it to a local shop and they said I needed a full rebuild due to chips in the VB and when the guy who rebuilt my trans took it apart, he showed me the extreme wear on the internals.

I'm at 35mph or so around 2000 rpm, 45mph around 2500 rpm or so.  I don't like pushing the rpms up that high so I only did it once to test.  Once in a while I'll get this halfass shift kind of feeling around 15mph/1800rpm, but it isn't an actual 1-2 shift.

 

Unfortunately, I can't bring it back to him since he's so far.  I simply can't pull the trans again, drive it up again, and reinstall it again while balancing school and work.

But no free rev during the slip at all.  Rpms stay consistent.

 

Unfortunately, I can't bring it back to him since he's so far.  I simply can't pull the trans again, drive it up again, and reinstall it again while balancing school and work.

Then it should stay parked until it can be addressed and the builder needs top know this. You keep driving it and trash even more stuff he is not going to stand behind it at all if he even will at this point anymore.

 

You wipe out a planetary set or even more major damage it will only cost more and more the more you drive it, the instance you heard it make noise and it slipped is when it should have gotten parked until it could get fixed, not drive it more and more.

Then it should stay parked until it can be addressed and the builder needs top know this. You keep driving it and trash even more stuff he is not going to stand behind it at all if he even will at this point anymore.

 

You wipe out a planetary set or even more major damage it will only cost more and more the more you drive it, the instance you heard it make noise and it slipped is when it should have gotten parked until it could get fixed, not drive it more and more.

Yeah, I've only driven it to see if adjustments have helped and to bring it home form the barn where I was working on it.  We've been in touch.

So looking at your revs vs mph I am guessing you are stuck in 2nd. 

 

I don't think your tranny is slipping though. I am guessing your tranny is stuck in 2nd and the TC is being worked hard to get the truck moving.  It would feel very much like slipping, as that's what a tc does when it isn't locked,

 

I am gonna throw out there that something in the wiring to the tranny is busted.  Maybe bad solenoids? did the builder actually give you all new solenoids? 

 

I would break out the multimeter and start tracing the tranny wires from the computer the vb and make sure all of them are good.

Yeah, I know the solenoids are new, a broken wire or something sure would make sense.  I don't really know where to start tracing though...  Basically from the PCM I'm guessing.

I have had "new" solenoids that sat on the shelf before install that were bad out of the gate. 

 

I chased a similar issue for a month thinking to myself "solenoids were brand new so they are fine" and the issue ended up being the solenoids.  

 

As for chasing wirings get the wiring diagram out and start chasing wires.

I'm not getting a temp light, but it seems as though the truck may actually be starting in 2nd gear since takeoff is slow and I can get up to 40 mph around 2000 rpm.  I'm not sure if this could be limp mode, since limp mode starts in 3rd gear, or so I hear.  Our issues seem similar.

Everything I'm hearing is pointing to pressure, which makes sense.  I'm just terrible at diagnosing what is causing it lol.

 

Could be limp mode ....... you need a scanner on it to pull codes.

 

My brand new tranny put me in limp mode too  

Beyond that you need to check line pressure at idle (hydraulic hose and guage) and as you manually switch between gears.

 

But like W&F said - you really need to get on the phone and talk with builder and get an action plan.