Volvo P1800ES...kinda

berkeleying berkeley. I'm sorry to hear that but it must be a relief to finally know what the problem has been. Would it be easier to replace it with another rebuilt one? Or rebuild it yourself? Have a shop do it? Avoid dealing with longer/shorter driveshaft, crossmember and trans mount, linkage, clutch pedal, hard lines to heat exchanger, many other things I'm sure that would be required for a swap. Man it's just a damn shame because you got the car damn near complete! And you tore the engine apart, put it back together again, and... berkeley. 

I tried to get my wife to learn stick several times and she's just not interested. *sigh*

Well, this is certainly an interesting development.  Given it pegged needle at 300 psi at idle, I can only image the pressure at higher RPMS.  It's a wonder the entire case didn't explode.  Looks like you have your answer and new marching orders.

Well, in a way that's really good.  You know your problem now.  I've always felt that a problem understood is a long way towards a problem solved.  So you're on your way, Pete.

Given how you deal with issues, I'm sure you will have this will be sorted soon.  Bizarre though, I have never even heard of something like this happening.

That means that after you get the trans fixed you can stab the E-303 back in there!

In reply to pres589 (djronnebaum) :

Not gonna happen.

Engine, exhaust, Fitech and now the transmission. Been quite the onion to peel.

The ONE thing that I did not want to become even remotely involved in and hence paid a "professional" to make sure it was done right was the auto gearbox. Now I know more than I wanted to know thanks to my friend Pete who has done a bunch of this stuff. If the box is pooched, the path forward might be rebuilding it with his help. The reason this was not done originally is some seal tooling that was deemed too expensive for a one time effort.

Still have to sort this, and then I get to learn about AC installation/troubleshooting.

The adventure continues...

Pete

In reply to NOHOME :

Sometimes what we "want" ain't what we get.  I never wanted to learn to install house plumbing... then my ex- decided to install a master bathroom... so a few hundred feet of PCV pipe later... and cutting into an active sewer line... well... now plumbing doesn't phase me.

In many ways, automatic transmissions a fascinating to me.  There used to be two rebuilder shops a couple of miles from me that had been there for decades, but now both have closed.

Seems like a good ol rattle can rebuild, which is a real bummer.

Now you can rebuild it and put in a full manual vb so you can eliminate that TV cable. Atleast that would be my plan.  

In reply to bigfranks84 :

I would if it were not a month away from being possible. I have to get my parts shipped stateside and then find time to drive over and get the stuff. 

This was even worse than a rattle can job.  the core I delivered was known to work, just had a E36 M3 ton of miles on it and I wanted reliable.

The thing was taken apart. We have found half a dozen assembly errors and the game-stopper tonight was that one of the small check balls is missing. NOT because we dropped one, but because it was never there; we ticked them off by function using the manual and the divider plate was slid sideways so as to avoid that possibility. I now need to find one replacement checkball? 

Pete

Oh man, that's a real kick in the teeth.

I can't wait to pull the AOD out of my car and put in a 5-speed. (First I need to source a transmission, clutch pedal assembly, flywheel and starter, jack stands, a transmission jack, friends to help, and probably some stuff I forgot.)

In reply to NOHOME :

I forgot about you not being stateside. I get spoiled off how cheap and easy it is to get parts here. 

That sucks about the builder. I don't claim to be a transmission expert but I can atleast follow a ATSG manual to do one.  

In reply to bigfranks84 :

Yeah, a dollar with 30% less buying power, 13% tax and cross-border shipping fees just about doubles what it cost stateside. 

If I drive the hour to the border I can get free shipping on a lot of stuff and about half the time they wave the taxes at the border cause it cost them $2 to collect $1 due to paperwork.

Gonna be like Diogenes today, going around town looking for a freeking checkball. 

If I had one, I'd mail it to you N/C today.

However, it's most likely a standard size ball bearing and those should be available locally. (I would hope?)

Totally sucks that someone would pull that kind of E36 M3 on unsuspecting customers.  Besides the check ball, what else could be lurking inside the case?  I have to believe there are multiple wear items that were never addressed given your initial diagnosis and the subsequent shoddy work.

Is the plan to find a check ball and get it running first then look for a better alternative later?

In reply to NOHOME :

It’s not every day that we get a Diogenes reference here. 

Mr Transmission shop in town was happy to donate a new check ball to the cause. Dying to get it back together, but wont be able to until maybe Sunday.

In reply to NOHOME :

Sweet!

In reply to AxeHealey :

Lets not celebrate too soon...there was a lot of black stuff that used to be transmission stuff in the bottom of the pan.

Cool thing I learned about AOD gearboxes...they drip out fluid for like a day after you remove the valve body. And they hold a LOT of fluid. And my shop really, really, really stinks of the stuff.

If the box is FUBAR, I will be learning how to rebuild one. What kept me from doing this in the first place was the cost of the seal tools and a firm belief that it would be a waste of time to learn how to rebuild an AOD since I would never be doing another one in this lifetime. God has a sense of humor don't she?

OR

If I want to drive it this sumer

NOHOME said:

Personally, I'd say drop the $1500.00.... but what do I know.....   I just paid $450 for a used A340E... and I have to pay another $800 to get it here from Japan!   With NO guarantee that any of it actually works.... 

The end of the tunnel is near...... 

+1 on the Jegs tranny...

I'm definitely in the camp of "buy the tool and learn how to do it", but sometimes life is better if you just cut bait.  

In reply to Rodan :

I am literally an hour or two from having the box back together so going to do that. What really pissed me off is that, except for the missing check ball, I could have had the thing together and the decision made on weds night. Now, due to "life stuff", I wont be able to test it and make a decision until maybe Sunday at the soonest. It is the hanging and calendar days going by  that is killing me!

The next question is if I go with the new transmission, do I risk using the converter that I have? It was "new" but supplied by the same clown who did the gearbox.

NOHOME said:

In reply to Rodan :

I am literally an hour or two from having the box back together so going to do that. What really pissed me off is that, except for the missing check ball, I could have had the thing together and the decision made on weds night. Now, due to "life stuff", I wont be able to test it and make a decision until maybe Sunday at the soonest. It is the hanging and calendar days going by  that is killing me!

The next question is if I go with the new transmission, do I risk using the converter that I have? It was "new" but supplied by the same clown who did the gearbox.

Unless you enjoy pulling the transmission for fun, I'd advise a new converter from a reputable source.  Because the clock is ticking....

What’s the stall speed on the one he provided?  You can run pretty tight with the bottom end provided by the Explorer cam.

In reply to MichaelYount :

Stock was the request. Did not see any need for a higher stall. But once again, what I know about auto transmission drive design could be written on a very small piece of paper.

You made the right choice - the “other” cam would have been a joyless affair with a stock converter.

AOD is DOA.

Watch this space for the arrival of a C4.

Pete