Thread: Th350 experts needed....help!!!

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We know very little about automatic transmissions and have a problem we need help with. The TH350 in my Son Dan's 30 rpu is a BOP pattern that we bought from Jacksons Racing Transmissions about 4 years ago. The car has yet to move an inch under power and has been filled the entire time we broke in the engine with Dextron III.

I've been a little nervous because even after running a bunch of times there was never any fluid in the lines to the cooler, not a drop. I kept thinking it was because the trans had only been run in park, but I had a talk with a rep from ATI at the drags Sunday and he said there should be fluid pumping even in park.

The driveshaft is still not in the car, so last night we took an extra yoke and inserted it into the tailshaft and started the car. When Dan put it in gear nothing happened, the yoke didn't move in any gear. Even though it was full of fluid we put in two extra quarts and when Dan revved it up the yoke did start to spin, however, it went the same direction even in reverse. And after a while it stopped spinning at all.

Just to try the simple things, tonight we pulled the pan and replaced the filter and made sure all the bolts on the valve body were tight, they were. Fired it up and it doesn't move at all now. I'm a little upset with Jackson because, while I don't expect them to warranty it after 4 years....even though it is still undriven, I can't even reach them via phone. The phone goes right to voice mail and the message says the box is full. We have bought 4 transmissions from Jackson and this is the first real problem.

I see two possibilities:

Something in the trans is screwed up, or, the torque convertor is bad (B and M Holeshot 2800 stall.) However, the fact the trans would only turn one direction, even in reverse, makes me think the torque convertor is not the problem.

Here is the real problem...........the body will have to come back off to access the transmission. The 455 Olds and TH350 are really tight in there and the only way to get the trans out without beating up everything is to pull the body off. Dan doesn't even want to look at the damn car right now, and I know how he feels.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Don

Oh, just some addtional info:

This is a 1970's style th350, no electronics or anything. Also, we pulled the pan and the linkage IS moving everything inside like it should, even the plunger is going in and out.