Turbo 350 trans...high revs to move!

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Ford49Rat

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
95
Hey guys. I drove my rat rod for the first time this past weekend in the yard,
and I have to rev it pretty high just to get it to move. I bought the th350 from
a man that said it was newly rebuilt and hadn't been put in anything since. I
bought a torque converter separately from another guy that was supposedly
new as well (I don't have any specs on the converter).

What could be causing me to have to hit the gas wide open for it to go?
When I do hit it hard, it takes off pretty quick...but it just seems odd I have to
hit the gas that hard to go anywhere.

Reverse is the same way...high revving to make it go.

What should I look at to come to a conclusion of why this is?

I know the fluid level is correct.

High stall converter/shift kit?

Torque converter not installed properly?

???
 
???? dont know .. if your fluid is correct .... high rev, to move usually is low fluid (about a quart) ,, what did the man say your converter was ?? stock ?? Im not trying to be smart but you did check fluid while running (right)
 
what did the man say your converter was ?? stock ?? Im not trying to be smart but you did check fluid while running (right)

If fluids are at the proper level, probably converter at fault. About how much HP do you think it has? Does it run without slipping once you get it rolling?

Toad
 
Dealing with the same on a TH400 and it was low on fluid (check when warmed up and running). I added some Lucas Transmission Conditioner, and it is steadily improving! :)
 
It should roll and drive from idle, no matter the converter's stall speed or shift kit.

I know little else... but strongly suggest you quit spinning the nuts off it 'til you find the answer!

Tobby? Old Iron?

.
 
ck line pressure in all gears, if in range replace the convertor. I assume you had space between the flexplate and convertor when you installed it. If not the pump in wiped out now. Tobby
 
I'm not sure if the converter was stock or not...he didn't say and I didn't ask.

When you crank it and put it in drive, it doesn't move...then when you apply
the gas I'm guessing it revs anywhere from 2-3k rpm before it begins to move.

If you are in drive at a stand still and hammer the gas all of a sudden, it takes
off pretty quick and keeps driving. But, if you want to take off slow it takes
some extra pedal to get it moving.

I do know this...after I put fluid in the trans for the first time a few weeks
earlier, I had not put enough and it wouldn't move at all no matter how much
gas I gave it. But now that I have it full, it does move, just not at idle or not
much pedal.

I need to add that I think I have a small leak from somewhere on the trans as well.
After shortly driving it, I think some of the fluid is leaking out of where the dipstick is...or
possibly around the pan where the gasket could be bad...not sure yet.
 
^^^ sounds like you toasted it trying to move it without enough fluid in it.

Toasted it to where it needs a full rebuild? Before I had enough fluid in it, I did not get on it much
at all to try to get it to move. Maybe three or for high revs before I knew it wasn't going to move.
 
I think fluid is up in the tube for it to be the right level ... Im not positive on that , if it leaks out of the tube ,, that may have leaked it down from full .
 
Pull the pan and make sure the filter is there and installed correctly.
Make sure there is an o-ring on the filter tube going into the tranny housing. Also make sure there are not two o-rings in the filter hole.
"I assume you had space between the flexplate and convertor when you installed it. If not the pump in wiped out now. Tobb"
You didn't answer Tobby.
Did you make sure the converter was completely engaged in the front pump before tightening the bell housing bolts?
 
Our questions are assuming you slid the torque converter into the tranny, rotated it until it slid into the front pump, mounted the tranny to the engine, turned the torque converter until the bolt holes lined up and then bolt the torque converter to the flex plate.
 
Pull the pan and make sure the filter is there and installed correctly.
Make sure there is an o-ring on the filter tube going into the tranny housing. Also make sure there are not two o-rings in the filter hole.
"I assume you had space between the flexplate and convertor when you installed it. If not the pump in wiped out now. Tobb"
You didn't answer Tobby.
Did you make sure the converter was completely engaged in the front pump before tightening the bell housing bolts?

I made sure the converter was engaged before tightening the bolts...at least I think I did. I turned the converter until it felt like it "fell" into place. I know
when it is cranked, the flywheel is spinning freely if that means anything. I'm
just not familiar enough to tell anything that would be wrong by looking at it.
 
Our questions are assuming you slid the torque converter into the tranny, rotated it until it slid into the front pump, mounted the tranny to the engine, turned the torque converter until the bolt holes lined up and then bolt the torque converter to the flex plate.

That is correct. I must have been typing my previous reply as you were.
That's what I meant by it "fell" into place. I turned it until the bolt holes lined
up and then bolted them up.
 
Call that a lesson learned. Parts that can't be truly verified as good shouldn't be used, much less purchased. A converter should always be purchased new unless you have explicit knowledge it is good.
 
Turned out to be low on fluid (thankfully). I had no idea it took 10-12 quarts to fill it up. Someone had told me you put as many quarts of fluid as you do oil (5). So after letting it run then checking the level it wasn't even showing any on the dipstick. So I added 4-5 more quarts then it finally showed about another quart short. All in all it moves now just by putting it in drive. Thanks to everyone for the help and advice!
 

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