not such a burbarific day :(

[Longhorn Man]

I've been noticing a whine every time I start the 'ole girl up... like a PTO pump at high RPM before the fluid gets warm... a high pitched, almost electric whine... it has been going away after a few moments, so it's all good right?
I kinda figured it was the power steering... I mean, what else is gonna make a hydraulic type noise?
Well.... Wedensday after work, I found out what it was.
The noise didn't stop like it normally did, so i grab the shifter and head to the bank (pay day). I notice it wasn't shifting quite right.
This can't be good.
At least the noise is getting quieter. The noise can't be related to the tranny.... right? I mean it does have a small tranny drip, it's probably just low on oil... right?
I noticed, the less noise I heard, the more slipping I noticed. Sittin at the stop light by wall mart, the noise stopped.
Good... it was getting annoying.
The light turned green.... wouldn't move. I reved it, and the noise kicked in, and the burb slowly pulled into the lot.
Anyways, I thought I'd try doing the manly thing, and drive it home anywyas. So after checking the fluid, I noticed it was WAY high.... but then the whine started again, so i checked it again.... it was right at the full mark now.
That seems odd.
Yeah... I didn't make it home. After thinking about it, the pump is going out. The lever raises when the engine is off on any auto tranny... or, when the pump isn't working. If I fire it up now, if it whines, I can move it... but only a mile or two.
I made it 4 miles out of the 7 miles to get home.
I gotta say though... I do love owning my own tow bar. It has saved me hundreads of dollars.... if not well over a grand. (towed from tx to ohio instead of a rental trailer... same thing from eastern PA to central ohio instead of renting a trailer... lotsa little around town jobs... and, as of Wedensday... it saved me a tow bill.
Pardon the low quality photos... I didn't have my nice camera... just my phone that is in worse shape than ever (yet the phone insurance guys told me to get bent when i trid making a claim???)




I gotta say... I forgot how nice this Longhorn tows... untill it is time to stop anyways.

This happened at the best time possible though. just that morning, I had to take my grandmother to the airport at O'dark thirty in the morning... and then scoot back across town to be at work by 6:30... made that no problem.
And on thursday (thanksgiving) I had planned on hauling my son, one of my sisters, and her husband, my other sister... and me... 80 miles away for the family thing.
So I ain't complaining. I'll probably let it sit till January, then drap the tranny and have it rebuilt. Got a local cat that does a REAL good job, for $250 complete with converter carry out.

Coulda been worse... but it still sucks though.

[Tx Firefighter]

Chin up Andy. Look at it this way, the average Joe has a tranny problem and it costs him 1500 dollars and a bunch of heartache and worry. You have the skills and knowlege to get it done way cheaper and without stress.

Oh, by the way...........waaaaa...chirp.....waaaa....chirp (shift kit while you're at it)

[Jtrux]

That does suck but at least after it's done you shouldn't have to worry about it for a while. Is it a TH400 or 350?

[frankdatank01]

That sucks. But hey, I just save money on my car insurance by switching to GEICO.

That probably didn't help did it.

Look at it this way, the weather was pretty good today and at least you have yours on the road, in some capacity.

Mine is in the garage with projected roadworthy date of 2020. I did get the front clip off today. Almost time to remove the BBB 455.

Hope the burb is back on road soon.

Tank

[toomanytoyz]

As soon as i Started reading your Description of the whine i was in Familar Territory, Been there, Done that as far as that noise is Concerned. Any way you look at it you were lucky the way it all happened, Could have left you stranded Big Time........

Also at that Price for the build you can't go wrong, Keep Going & you will have all new Drivetrain in Daburb.........

Glad all worked out & You Had a Good Turkey Day after all.

Rick

[72armyswbtruck]

Andy,
That truly sucks, but like everyone says $250 is cheap. I paid $450 for a rebuilt one, still sitting in the garage waiting on the project to get to that point.

[LuckyHenriksen]

That sucks but I want a local cat who does good rebuilds for $250! At least its a good excuse to upgrade parts

[Longhorn Man]

I am keeping my chin up... I had an offer for a used one... probably for free, or at least real cheap... but I'm gonna pass on it. If it has a working tranny,then i won't fix the bad one.... this way I'll KNOW the tranny is good.

Kevin... the 250 includes a shift kit, but I'm gonna have it set on mild/lame. The burb is just a cruiser, and I am not doing any performance upgrades... even keeping the exhaust quiet. When I stabbed a cam in it last summer I decided it will remain stock all through out as far as performance wise. She's a cruiser.

Jtrux... it's a TH400, all big block trucks came with that (as far as automatics go) and this one is pretty much 95% original or original type replacement parts.

Rick... you are right... this is my road trip machine, gotta treat her right. And yeah, I did have a pretty decent turkey day. (i brought the Wild Turkey)

Tank... I save with GEICO too... $50 a month for 2 trucks... can't complain.

$250 IS cheap... esp for a guy who stands behind the work and parts, and has a pretty much spotless record. He did the TH350 in the longhorn 2 years ago (over thanksgiving weekend none the less)

Its all good. I still have something to drive, and this can wait till after the silly season.

[Palf70Step]

Sorry to hear she went out Andy. Glad you didn't get really stranded bad. Those ole tow bars do come in handy. Maybe not very often, but it is sure nice when you have them.

[Spray-Bomb]

Oh come on man, put the trans on Bark mode

Its a heavy tank, it needs it

[fine69]

Ah, i told Andy i have a couple T400's layin' around.

Hard to dish out cash for this stuff around the Holidays.

Its all good. If he plays his cards right we can put it on my hoist and drop the tranny.

Leave it there until the new trans is done. Then pop it back in. Badabingbadaboom.

Slick as some of the hairless chicks he knows.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by fine69

Slick as some of the hairless chicks he knows.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by fine69

Slick as some of the hairless chicks he knows.

So do you think that maybe they sent the flowers?

[Longhorn Man]

hmmmm.....

[67ChevyRedneck]

Sorry man

That was just her way of tellin' ya she doesn't want to see the salt when the white stuff starts flyin

My first 700R blew when I was about 15 miles from home on the interstate. Gave no warning. Never slipped or made noise, just rrrrrrrnnnnnn, then 3rd and 4th were gone! I had a friend go back with me late at night when traffic was dead and limped it home in 2nd gear

[special-K]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Sorry man

That was just her way of tellin' ya she doesn't want to see the salt when the white stuff starts flyin

That`s exactly what I was thinking.

I know I`m stating the obvious to a professional mechanic,but...make sure you bring that radiator in for a good flush and checked for flow.Could be the culprit.

[big_al_71]

Man that sucks, we all have been there at least once or twice....
Good luck!!!!

[1956cameo]

I had a turbo 400 trans go out on me like yours did one time. Its funny everytime a turbo 350 goes out for me I get a little better warning. It will start by not going into third for a couple hundred miles, then it wont go into second for a few miles, and then it wont work at all. At least with that type of failure you can drive her home as she craters. But between your experience and mine with a turbo 400 they might make noise (mine didnt) but when the gears fail they all do it at once and you are stranded. Good thing I own 3 vehicles with old tubo 400's in them huh.
Also I thought you had put the old girl up for the winter?

[Boog]

There's never a good time for one to go down on you but, obviously, there are some better times than others. At least mom made it to the airport first. Hey Andy how bout taking advantage of the burb being in the shop and mix up some ochre tinted primer and cover up the fender, hood and door. Make it blend in a bit until she can get a whole new party dress.

[Pont406]

Mine truck makes the same noise when cold and sitting over night. After 1 or 2 blocks it goes away. I was thinking P/S pump also. I will keep an eye on it now.

[Yukon Jack]

If you ran tranny fluid instead of Mountain Dew in the transmission, this probably wouldn't have happened!

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by Yukon Jack

If you ran tranny fluid instead of Mountain Dew in the transmission, this probably wouldn't have happened!

Thats funny.

[Longhorn Man]

First of all... I'd NEVER put dew in the tranny.... that's a wasted dew!
as for yellowish primer... it ain't in the budget yet. Calico will have to do for a while.
When my TH350 went out in the longhorn 2 years ago, it gave me warning too... it shifted real soft and booring... and I knew something was up. I had about 50 miles left before it fragged all together.
There's no nood to remove the rad or lines to flush them... brake clean sprayed into the upper line, then slip a length of 3/8 hose over the same line... and blow it through the line with a blow gun. I like hanging about 2 feet of hose off the other line, and then loosly clamp vise grips to the end to anchor it down, so the spray goes down into a drain pan instead of all over my face. Repeat till it all comes out clean. 1 can usually does the trick, but I've had some that took 2 full cans.
As far as putting it up... if there's no salt, I'll drive it if I want... and once in a while, I have to drive it. The longhorn just isn't up to some of the tasks that the burb is... like more than one passenger, or being low enough for a very short, very overweight very PITA 79 year old grandmother to get into.

[cparman]

Longhorn, I feel your pain. I own an auto repair shop, and do business with a bunch of my neighbors. SO, I am sitting at the local mail box one morning waiting for the wrecker to come and get me. My 69 SWB had decided to quit while driving, and let me be embarrassed in front of my customers. I am sure you know the drill.. My stuff is the last to get fixed, cause I am fixin their stuff. Bad connection at the connector to the HEI dist, I had just installed.

[Longhorn Man]

I had the HEI plug come off on me a few weeks ago. Same spot too, right in front of wall mart by the shop.... there I am rollin down the road, engine stalled (I thought I was out of gas) and I was rollin trying to crank it up, but no dice... two of wall mart oil chainge kids saw me and ran out to help get me out of the buisy intersection. I get out... in mechanick uniform. Called one of the guys from work to run over with the fuel can that I had just filled for the shop... dumped it in, then when I pulled the air filter off to splash some in the carb... I saw the HEI 12 volt wire hanging out of place.
I'm glad they didn't see that.