No third gear

[Jim Bob The Dancing Bear]

I have a 727 with l as than 10k miles on it. I took my car down for winter upgrades and four years later she is back up and running.

The motor is rebuilt and running great but I don't have third anymore. I have adjusted the linckage and it shifts into park, reverse and neutral perfectly. To get the car into drive I have to first put the shifter into second gear. Then I shift back into drive and it shifts into first and then into second but no third gear. I have adjusted the kick down linckage and it shifts from first to second as it should but no third gear all the way up to 90. Even when letting off it stays in second at 90 mph.

Could this be simply a stuck valve body after four years of sitting or something more serious?

Also when I step on it hard at a lower speed the transmission rattles. Sounds like the torque converter but I am not sure.

 

[moparnation74]

Holy crap 90mph in second gear? That could have caused the rattle you are now experiencing...Man you could have cook a steak on that trans...

Sounds like a possible drum, seal, or front clutch failure but first things first pull the pan and check the valve body it could be mucky and needs a good cleaning and new fluid.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

My first step when diagnosing any transmission problems is to put in new fluid & filter. You might try some SeaFoam Hydra Tune transmission flush just before you do that & don't forget to drain the torque converter too. And like moparnation said, while the pan is off, take a look for crud inside.

 

[Jim Bob The Dancing Bear]

I have 2.94 gears so it isn't rapped tight.

The torque converter and transmission where drained before I put it back in the car a month or so ago.

The rattle is only under a heavy load at slower speeds.

 

[RT K_line]

If you have reverse but no third I would look at the valve body. Reverse and third both apply the front clutch pack for engagement. So if reverse works it could be a stuck valve or check ball. Was it stored dry?
Edit: If it wasn't stored dry then you likely have a stuck governor valve. In which case my trick below is your best bet. And as far as metal floating around 8 out of 10 times you drop a pan there is a small mound of grey matter built up on the bottom anyways, (fine metal). you are not supposed to leave it in park until it catches. In and out is all it usually takes.

 

[RT K_line]

I mentioned this trick in another thread that a builder taught me to unstick valves and it works but some would call it sketchy. Drive 40 mph and throw the trans in park for a split second then back into drive. Now the parking pawl will make a racket but if your quick it won't hurt anything. That racket I called it is what frees the stuck valves. Good luck

 

[66Satellite47]

I wouldn't try the "throw it into park". That's likely to grind up some metal to be floating around in the trans. Pull the trans pan, unbolt the valve body & give it a good cleaning or buy a new HP valve body.

 

[oldbee]

Your noise might be pinging from too much timing in engine? My 727 sat for 20yrs & worked like a charm. Better recheck all your linkage adjustments again before diving in.

 

[Fran Blacker]

I wouldn't try the "throw it into park". That's likely to grind up some metal to be floating around in the trans. Pull the trans pan, unbolt the valve body & give it a good cleaning or buy a new HP valve body.

If he pulls the pan and valve body he can do an air test on clutch pack.
RT K_lines quick in and out park worked but I cringe at the thought.

 

[Yatzee]

I have a 727 with l as than 10k miles on it. I took my car down for winter upgrades and four years later she is back up and running.

The motor is rebuilt and running great but I don't have third anymore. I have adjusted the linckage and it shifts into park, reverse and neutral perfectly. To get the car into drive I have to first put the shifter into second gear. Then I shift back into drive and it shifts into first and then into second but no third gear. I have adjusted the kick down linckage and it shifts from first to second as it should but no third gear all the way up to 90. Even when letting off it stays in second at 90 mph.

Could this be simply a stuck valve body after four years of sitting or something more serious?

Also when I step on it hard at a lower speed the transmission rattles. Sounds like the torque converter but I am not sure.

Past experience leads me to believe one of the servo pistons has popped the circlip out of the bore and the piston has dropped which also leads to low pressure and the inner band dog dropping out possibly in the pan.

 

[RT K_line]

If he pulls the pan and valve body he can do an air test on clutch pack.
RT K_lines quick in and out park worked but I cringe at the thought.

If he has reverse there isn't a problem in the clutch pack

 

[RT K_line]

Past experience leads me to believe one of the servo pistons has popped the circlip out of the bore and the piston has dropped which also leads to low pressure and the inner band dog dropping out possibly in the pan.

The scenarios you suggest would affect second gear or first/reverse depending on which dog fell out. Front or rear band. Also the bands have nothing to do with 3rd gear.

 

[RT K_line]

I wouldn't try the "throw it into park". That's likely to grind up some metal to be floating around in the trans. Pull the trans pan, unbolt the valve body & give it a good cleaning or buy a new HP valve body.

Haven't you heard that the torque flight 8 or 727 is near built proof in Stock form lol. I've actually thrown it in reverse by accident, locked up the tires and it killed the engine. Threw it in neutral restarted it and drove away no problem. I hammered on my mopar for years while my chevy friends were always blowing theirs up constantly. I know I got off track but mopars are tougher than some think I guess.

 

[66Satellite47]

Haven't you heard that the torque flight 8 or 727 is near built proof in Stock form lol. I've actually thrown it in reverse by accident, locked up the tires and it killed the engine. Threw it in neutral restarted it and drove away no problem. I hammered on my mopar for years while my chevy friends were always blowing theirs up constantly. I know I got off track but mopars are tougher than some think I guess.

I agree a 727 is darn near bullet proof. Hitting reverse at 120 MPH is a bad thing! Been there. Trans survived just fine. Car stayed upright & only bent the K member & frame rails. Ya the Chevy guys need to put a lot of fancy parts into their trans to make them live with the power they can make.

 

[AR67GTX]

3rd gear drive requires both clutches to be engaged. No bands are applied in 3rd. The front clutch only engages in reverse and high - so if you have reverse it must be working. The rear clutch is engaged in any forward gear.

In the shift to 3rd the kickdown band must disengage while the front clutch applies - not sure what might happen if the kickdown band fails to disengage for some reason but I would think it would be apparent something was wrong - not sure.

If it will shift from 1rst to 2nd while in drive position it sounds like the governor is working. Kind of leaves the valve body or a servo as suspicious.

Hopefully Doug (DVW) or Miller will chime in on this.

 

[miller]

Off hand guess is, problem in the shift body.

Of course, you could look in the service manual...trans...trouble-shooting.

 

[Fran Blacker]

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=109
Download service manual, if you pull pan and valve body it tells you how to air test trans. It will narrow down problems. I sold a car and it was towed with front wheels off the ground. I bought the engine trans and rear back 10 years later. Put engine and trans in a car no high gear. Overrunning clutch?, never took apart to see what the problem was.

 

[AR67GTX]

A couple other points/questions:

Is this a stock valve body transmission or does it have a manual valve body in it?

You may need to check the gear selection linkage and make sure it hasn't slipped and it's not moving the transmission lever far enough when the shifter is showing drive - for the transmission to actually be in drive.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Waiting on an answer on if you have reverse, Jim-Bob tdb?

 

[Jim Bob The Dancing Bear]

Every gear works but 3rd.

Stock transmission with stock valve body and stock style converter.

I am going to pull the valve body in the morning.