Hello to the Forum. This is my first post after some months of reading through the informative threads here. Alas, I come hat in hand, having recently traded my Harley for a '65-'66 Chevy C10 (Fleetside 250 I6 with 2 speed, automatic, aluminum Powerglide) which is now presenting an issue that has me and my mechanic scratching our heads.
Briefly, here are the facts:
Although the truck (and transmission) was running perfectly, I recently noticed drops of transmission fluid leaking from the front and rear seals. I decided (since I am new to the truck) that it was time for a rebuild. I gave the truck to a shop that has a stellar reputation for working on these trucks and they gave the truck back to me one week later clearly running even better than it had before. (More power and very smooth.)
This past Saturday I set out from Brooklyn, New York on my way to vacation in Maine -a 12 hour drive. I was on the interstate about four hours, cruising along at 65 mph, sometimes 70, even 75, feeling as good as good can be, and the truck was sounding as happy as I was. Then I stopped to pay a toll. When I accelerated to leave the toll booth, all I got was a revving of the engine. She would not go forward. I tried reverse and she would not reverse, offering the same revving as I got trying to go forward. I tried for a few minutes more, but it was clear that she was going nowhere. A truck gave me a push for a short distance to get me off of the turnpike and into a nearby lot. While I waited for a tow truck, I gave another try and the transmission engaged perfectly, but she would only move about 100 feet and then just rev. In the couple hours that I waited for my tow, I started her up several times and each time the transmission would engage -but only for some several dozen feet of travel forward or backward. Then she would just rev. At no time were there any noises or other clues as to what could be bothering her. Of course I checked the fluid -it was fine. The fluid was perfectly clean and without any burn odor and exactly where it should have been on the stick. I went under the truck and saw that the linkage was not damaged and appeared to move as it should when the gear shift lever was operated. All lines and hoses appeared just fine to my eye.
She was flat-bedded the 200 miles back to my mechanic's shop in Brooklyn where she sat until Monday morning. Monday morning she acted the same for my mechanic as she did for me two days previously.
Around 5pm Monday my mechanic calls me and says I can take my truck. I queried him as to what caused this catastrophic failure of the transmission that he had just rebuilt. He said he "honestly" did not know. He told me that he dropped the tranny and spent most of the day trying to find something. He found nothing. He says he "hit the books" and consulted with others, but no one had any ideas. He put the tranny back together and into the truck with the intention of sending the truck to another shop. But he started her up and put her into gear, she engaged and then drove perfectly! Forward and reverse. He said he then went out driving and drove for a while, at all speeds. He said she performed beautifully. I then took the truck and went driving for a while. Everything perfect. He told me to spend a few more days here in the city, test driving the truck for about an hour a day before I hit the road for a 12 hour drive to Maine. Yesterday she drove a little bit and was still good. But then today I took her out as part of the test driving regimen that the mechanic requested of me. She ran nicely for about 3 miles. At that point, as I was approaching a red light, I heard a slight slipping. A few seconds later, while decelerating for the light, the tranny lost engagement and all I could muster was revving of the engine. I coasted to the side and turned off the engine. No forward and no reverse. No low gear. I called my mechanic to come and get me and then I tried starting her up again to see whether she would move. She did. About 500 feet, and then -when I had to decelerate for traffic, the tranny went out again. I coasted to the side, turned off the engine, waited a few minutes, restarted her, and she went another 500 feet or so when I again had to decelerate for a stop sign and lost transmission. I did this the whole way to the shop -a couple miles. The shop's big kahuna said he is going to bring in a specialist, which will entail a few days but that I should have the truck back by the end of the week. As politely as I could, I requested that the truck not be given back to me without a good test drive and an explanation as to exactly what was wrong. I then walked home in today's 90 degree heat, where the mailman was just delivering my Powerglide Transmissions Handbook. Maybe I should go and drop off the book at the shop?
So I present to this forum the above information in the hope that someone here might be able to tell me what they think the "problem" is.
I hope this post is not a ramble. I would appreciate any comments that anyone here can offer. Thank you. Alden
