Automatic Transmission Hard Shifting

[Lefty]

Just got a 1974 2002.  I got the automatic for my wife.  I really wanted the manual.  The transmission shifts hard and when warm going from neutral to A (drive) screeches the tires. Their is also a very slow leak coming from the transmission at the seal where it contacts the motor. Not sure if I need to rebuild it, buy a rebuilt transmission, or what. Any advice would be highly appreciated. Also, where can I get a rebuild. Would a manual conversion be cheaper?

Edited April 24, 2018 by Lefty

[Schnellvintage]

I would check the trans fluid. Is it still reddish in color? Not orange. Does the fluid smell burnt or have a foul odor. When was the last trans service? (Filter and proper fluid). Are there particles in the fluid? I would perform a trans service first and then see what happens.
Matt


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[Jbaumshelter]

The automatic is a whole new animal. Be careful when servicing the trans. The oil pan is a very hard part to find if you need to replace it. I took mine in for service and 2 places flat out refused to service it. If all is well, service the trans and replace the filter & gaskets as mentioned by Schnellvintage.

What is your idle RPM set at? The automatic should be set around 1100 rpm. Higher than that and it will shift hard and "screech the tires". The auto notoriously whines in 1st gear. I have 2 of them and they both whine in 1st. Kind of hard to set the RPM if you car has the clock instead of the RPM Gauge. 

Swapping to a 4 or 5 speed. Probably around 2k for parts. Installation is on you our you have someone do it for you. Somebody wrote a nice article on all the parts needed for the swap. As for a rebuild. From my experience, it's not just a trip to your local transmission shop. Parts are almost none existent. I think there is 1 place in the US that does this. I may be completely wrong about this but I did read somewhere that there is guy somewhere that rebuilds these. I have no information on the cost. You might have better luck finding one that somebody swapped and is sitting in a garage somewhere. There are different versions that have cooling lines from the radiator (later models). My 73 did not have the cooling lines. My 75 did. If you have the cooling lines, you need to correct radiator for those lines. 

All that being said, I have the automatic for the same reason. My wife enjoys driving it.  

Here a couple of links for your info and research. 

 

 

 

 

 

[jimk]

If it's hard shifting, service as has been said plus https://www.auto-rx.com/  It's a diester oil and works.  I cleaned out a M20 that the PO ran for a long time with a stuck open thermostat.

[mosman58]

these guys can rebuild - but parts are very hard to find:

 

http://www.peterschmidtransmission.com/

 

 

[Mike Self]

See the post just above entitled "distributor selection"--the poster just swapped out an automatic for a manual in his '75--might be a source of a tranny if yours is bad, or at least for parts...

 

mike

[Buckeye]

@Lefty use link below and select item #4 (Automatic Transmission).

 

 

Read section talks about "selector lever adjustment". I provided here snapshot of 1st page.

[Lefty]

6 hours ago, Schnellvintage said:

I would check the trans fluid. Is it still reddish in color? Not orange. Does the fluid smell burnt or have a foul odor. When was the last trans service? (Filter and proper fluid). Are there particles in the fluid? I would perform a trans service first and then see what happens.
Matt


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[Lefty]

Level was correct. Fluid was pink and didn’t smell. Still good advice. I’ll service it before tackling a rebuild. 

[Lefty]

Thanks for all the responses. I just joined this site. What a great resource!

 

It shifts firm but the idle is definitely to high. Is there a good resource for the 2 barrel carb adjustment? I just got the car so I am working in triage mode to take care of the big items first. I have some disks and pads coming right now for the brakes. I’m thinking about buying a second tranny rebuilding it and having it ready. 

[mosman58]

you wont be able to rebuild it yourself....  you will have to send it off...

[dave-r]

Lefty,
I am in SouthCentral Pennsylvania and my auto that I just removed shifts like butter but does need dipstick O-ring, Speedo drive Oring (small issues) but is available if you find you need it. Price would be very reasonable. Let me know!!

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[Jbaumshelter]

Lefty,

As for the 2 barrel carb adjustment it would be helpful if you sent a picture if you don't know for sure what type/style it is. 

If you have the original Solex, I can't help at all other than to tell you to replace it with a Weber 32/36. That's just my opinion, some people love the original carb for all different reasons. I love my Weber because i'm not a rocket scientist.

Once you get the idle down to 1100 or 1000 RPM you hard shift should go away. It makes a big difference. Also, the correct tuning of you carb can have an effect on how the car shifts. It's not going to make it smother but it does change the timing of the shift when it's tuned correctly. (Maybe it just feels that way, incorrectly tuned automatics will feel very weak when shifting into 2nd & 3rd gears. Keep this in mind. The automatic cars preformed just slightly slower than the standard trans cars at 0-60 mph from the factory).

 

My 2 cents of advice getting started with you new car:

1 - Service everything including the Auto Trans

2 - Make sure all you safety equipment is working (Brakes, pads, brake lines, brake booster, Brake master cylinder, headlights, horn, mirrors wipers etc).

3. Check all the hoses everywhere! 40+ year hoses/fuel lines can cause all sorts of problems.

 

Actually, I'm just going to stop there and tell you to read this post below multiple times!!!! 

 

 

[Kingryan86]

I have a good automatic I’ll sell for $150. Has leaks but shifted good

[Lefty]

9 hours ago, dave-r said:

Lefty,
I am in SouthCentral Pennsylvania and my auto that I just removed shifts like butter but does need dipstick O-ring, Speedo drive Oring (small issues) but is available if you find you need it. Price would be very reasonable. Let me know!!

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