1995 GMC transmission went south yesterday
 

Was driving home from the city yesterday with a new water heater, and noticed the truck started revving a little and didn't seem to pull as well. Progressively got worse and worse, and I knew the transmission was going out. Checked fluid and it was full but burned smelling and dark. Ended up having to get towed in the last 20 miles to the house.

So, I know the 95 is kind of a transition year between the 700R4 and the 460 transmissions, so will have this one rebuilt. One place has quoted me $1250, and waiting to hear back from the other. Not a lot of reputable places in the boonies where I live, but the places I've asked have been recommended by shop owners/racers.

Truck only shows 70K on the odo, hardly any towing since my grandfather bought it 20 years ago with 35K on the odo. Added a transmission cooler several years ago, but fluid hadn't been changed unless it was done prior to the truck coming into the family. I had a load of Mobil 1 ATF with plans to change it when the weather got nice this spring, but guess I waited too long.

If I have this bench built what is involved with getting it back in the truck? I'm a manual transmission guy so not much to screw up there other than getting the clutch play right. I assume I'd have to adjust the shift cable possibly, or will this thing bolt right back in?

Re: 1995 GMC transmission went south yesterday
 

1993 and up are 4L60E's
Likely 3rd gear went out. This is the weakest point in this transmission.
$1250 would be a bargain where I live.

It takes a lot of special tooling to replace the bushings, specialized snap-ring pliers, etc.
I recommend getting it done as it will be weeks faster.
If you purchase a used one be careful as the many differences between years need to be considered.

Re: 1995 GMC transmission went south yesterday
 

Actually.....MOST of that trans can be rebuilt with only one special tool which you can build with threaded rod and c channel. I've built SEVERAL 700r4/4l60 trans. USUALLY when you lose drive but still have first, second, and reverse....the 3-4 clutch pack burned up. It's very common on those. https://transpartswarehouse.com/0577...xoC9PYQAvD_BwE
The special tool you need looks like this......https://www.amazon.com/Bonbo-T-0150-...CTCKPKTCA&th=1 I made mine with threaded rod so I could put the threads THROUGH the assembly and tighten a piece of flat steel on the back side to compress the springs. I can use mine for ALL the sprung assemblies that way. It's not that difficult to replace the 3-4 clutches. You have to drop the pan. Pull the 2-4 band servo/piston. Pull the front pump. Use a magnet to pull out the 2-4 band retaining pin. Pull out the band. Then grab the whole forward assembly and pull it out of the trans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSXE-GvWXhA


All that being said.....$1250 is a BARGAIN if it's getting built right.

Re: 1995 GMC transmission went south yesterday
 

Have your converter gone through. It will need flushed out or better yet opened up and cleaned. What trash and debris that was in your transmission is now in your converter. Also, thoroughly clean your transmission lines and transmission coolers. Auto Parts stores sell aerosol cleaners just for this purpose that can be attached to the lines and fittings. I would use several cans, you can never be too clean.

Re: 1995 GMC transmission went south yesterday
 

Yep, I rebuild a lot of ATV engines. I learned early one that even if the bottom end is good, if you don't tear it all the way down and clean EVERYTHING out, the grit/dirt from the bottom end will ruin a new top end in short order. Gotta flush out the oil coolers too!

The $1250 price is about a 90 min drive from me. That shop/salvage yard was recommended to me by some drag racers who work at a local oil change shop.

I found another shop that is 20 miles from me, and called it. The guy is 82, and has run the shop since the early 70's. He said that transmission came out in the early 90's when I mentioned it as being 95 only. Said they were from 93-95 IIRC. Very sharp mentally, and the interesting thing is, his name is Jack, and his shop was "Jack's muffler and transmissions". When I was a kid we'd pass his shop and I'd tell my grandfather (also named Jack) "Hey, look! It's your shop!" My grandfather owned a Pontiac, Buick, GMC dealership from the late 40's to the late 80's, and would say "I know that guy, and he does great work" Never in a million years did I think the same guy would still be running that shop.

Jack quoted me $1950 plus tax, but said it would be 3-4 weeks, because he fell and broke a bone in his leg, and has minor surgery on it before he can go back to work. He has a "young big ol fella" to pull the transmissions and put them back in, but he does the actual work.

Dad (who is 86) says "Someone that old might miss something" and I said "but he's done so many he can probably do them in his sleep now".

So for now, I'm leaning towards taking it to Jack. My grandfather was pilot, and always had a very high standard when it came to mechanical work of any kind. I think if he was impressed with this guy that I'd be hard pressed to find a better place to have it done.

Re: 1995 GMC transmission went south yesterday
 

My BIL and I removed and replaced a 700R4 in my 92 GMC K1500in abut 3 hours. Of course we had a two post hoist and his PROFESSIONAL tool sets.

If you are the same Jeepwm69 from the Honda ATV forum, I think even without the hoist you should be able to get it out two hours or so and back in in about the same time. Just a lot of time laying under the truck.

Adjusting the TV cable is the hardest part. Every thing else is drivelines, transfer case, crossmember, cooler lines, wiring, shift linkage and unbolting the torque converter.

Let me know if you have any questions
Steve

Re: 1995 GMC transmission went south yesterday
 

Yep, that's me! Good to see you outside of the little atvhonda world! You know I have just enough mechanical knowledge to REALLY mess things up!

I figured I'd use a floor jack if I tried to do it myself. I pulled an auto transmission from a squarebody back in my younger days by holding it up like I was bench pressing it while my buddy unbolted it. I don't think I could pull that off now. :lol:

Getting it out I'm sure I can do. I'm worried about getting it back in an getting things adjusted properly. Looks like this is what we old people called a kickdown linkage, which is slightly different on these newer trucks.

https://www.jegs.com/tech-articles/h...-transmission/

What about band adjustments?

For reference, I've always driven manual transmissions, and my limited knowledge of automatics has been the TF999 I have sitting somewhere in my shop, that I bought 15 years ago with intentions of swapping it into one of my Jeep CJ's. Obviously that project has not ever happened, but when researching I discovered that if I didn't get the shift linkage, the kickdown, and the band adjustments correct I might well burn up a newly rebuilt transmission.

Pulling the transmission I have no doubt I can handle. Getting it back in it what I'd be concerned about.

Re: 1995 GMC transmission went south yesterday
 

The 4l60e doesn’t have a tv cable. The computer uses throttle position from the sensor on the TBI(in your case) to shift the transmission electronically. It’s not a hard job getting them in or out. If I’ve got some caffeine in me I can do it in less than 2 hours in either direction without a lift, but it feels like I’ve done them a million times in my life. If your truck is 4wheel drive it will take a little more time, a few of those bolts holding the transfer case to the adaptor can be a bit of a pain in the ass to get to but otherwise it’s no terrible.

Re: 1995 GMC transmission went south yesterday
 

Ended up taking the truck to Jack's Garage. I stopped and talked to him at length, and he's sharper at 82 than I am at 49.

"2016 Arkansas Drag Racing Hall of Fame Inductee Jack Mullins was born Sept. 1 1942. Jack attended his first drag race as a spectator in 1966 at the Lakeland Drag Strip in Memphis Tn. Jack began his racing career at Carlisle Dragaway in 1969 running a 1953 Oldsmobile in U and V/Stock. His first NHRA Division win was in 1970 at a division 4 points race where he also set a national record. Jack also won the 1970 division 4 points in Stock Eliminator. In 1972 Jack built a1963 Pontiac Station Wagon using a 389 for power with a 4sp trans running in SS/U and V. Jack won the division 4 points for 1972 in Super Stock Eliminator. Jack sold the wagon and built a Pontiac 4 Dr hardtop and won the division 4 points for 1974. Jack built another wagon and won the division 4 points for 1975 and 76. Jack won 2 points races and was runner up at another points race and number 1 qualifier. After a 6 year layoff Jack was back for the 1985 season running a 1984 Firebird in D and E/MP. Jack was runner up at the Southern Nationals won the Cajun Nationals and was the Division 4 Points winner in Modified Eliminator also winning 3 divisional points races and setting the ETand MPH records in D and E/ Modified Production. In 1986 before taking a break from Drag Racing Jack again won the Cajun Nationals. Jack still works at Jacks Garage, in Helena the auto repair business he started in 1967 when he was 25 years old.Jack won 6 NHRA National events includeing the 1975 US Nationals. Had 4 National event runner ups. He won 11 NHRA divisional races with 6 runner ups. He set national records in everyone of his cars. Jack said the wagon was his most successful but he said the 1984 Firebird was the most fun to drive. Jack has a V/Stock 2000 Firebird a 23 T Roadster and a 190 inch rear engine dragester in various stages of completion that he hopes to someday finish and return to Drag Racing. Jack was also inducted into the NHRA Division 4 Hall of Fame in 1982."

I didn't realize the guy was famous! Anyhow, really nice man. He had the transmission torn down one day, cleaned and reassembled the 2nd day, and had it back in and ready to go the third day. He put a corvette servo in it, beefed up the valve body a bit, and rebuilt it. He showed me a thrust bearing that failed in the rear of the transmission that caused the problem.

He did say "If it weren't for GM transmissions, I would have gone out of business a long time ago" LOL

https://www.hotrod.com/features/0212...ntiac-history/