[matrix]

Actually this is in my Chevy junker race car. Anyway, The turbo 350 wont shift out of first gear when under throttle. It will rev up to 5800 -6000 when the HEI starts to break up and still wont shift. If I let off the gas completely it feels like it shifts but then as soon as i get back on the gas it feels like it kicks down into first again. Modulator hooked up with full vacuum. Kickdown hooked up and adjusted properly. Could the governor be the problem?

[Jeff Walker]

That would be the next place I would check.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Yeah teeth gone on the governor. It should still shift even with the modulator disconnected from vacuum. Sounds like an easy fix to me..

[matrix]

So I pulled the governor today. Heck of a time getting the cover off. Dont think it has ever been off before. Every thing looked ok to me but I am no expert here. White plastic gear looked perfect and was engaged because it turns as you pull it out or push it in, kinda like a distributor. The weights pivot freely and the springs are intact. The piston in the center of the shaft slides freely. Not sure how it is supposed to wok though. Do the weights spin out centrifigually and push against hydraulic pressure on the piston in the center of the shaft?

Any other ideas what I can check? Or is it gonna have to come out and go to a trans shop for an internal problem?

[screamingchief]

Drop the pan and pull the valvebody and perform an air check to verify the clutch pack operation,if you dont find any problems there,you'll already have the valvebody out and ready to disassemble for inspection of all the shift valves,one of the shift valves or the pressure regulator assembly could be stuck.

HTH.

[johnta1]

Try a new vacuum modulator first.

[screamingchief]

Even without the modulator working at all,it should still shift into second,it would just be late and shift real hard.

Possible causes:

If the kickdown cable/valve were binding or sticking,that could be an issue possibly.

As well as leaking intermediate clutch seals,hence the "air check" recommendation.

Also a leaking 1-2 accumulator piston seal,ditto on the "air check".

Or a bad/damaged intermediate sprag assembly.

Incorrectly installed valvebody gaskets,or incorrect gaskets,blocking passages.

A stuck 1-2 shift valve like mentioned previously.

The govenor was the most likely culprit,so if the bore for the govenor in the case is'nt worn,and the govenor is operating correctly that eliminates that,so now you need to consider other suspects.

Did you check the govenor feed screens,those can get blocked up by trash ocassionally and cause govenor related issues.

So lets start from the begining,how fresh is this transmission?

New,rebuilt,or used OE?

What parts on it are new?

What kind of modifications have been done?

Was any work done to it recently?

[matrix]

I got the trans used from a salvage yard. Paid $100. Put it in my "Junker" race car powered by a 350 Chevy. Seemed to work properly for about 50 laps on a 3/8 mile dirt oval. Then I began to notice it would kick down into first with the shifter in second. Usually you keep the car in second the whole race. The motor let go soon after and I was out of the race. Built new motor and forgot about the trans acting up until into the next race. This is when it started not wanting to come out of first unless you let completely off the gas and would kick back down into first as soon as you eased into the throttle. The trans appears to have never been opened, and also probably has a bunch of miles on it as it is very dirty on the outside. The only thing I did before installing it was new front and rear seals. Didnt even drop the pan. And it did shift properly through all three gears when first installed and running it up and down the street. Probably needs a complete going thru, I was just hoping for an easy fix such as the governor.

Also I have the detent cable adjusted so that it is pulled all the way out at full throttle and the modulator has full vacuum. If one or both of these was wrong wouldnt it still shift at its max shift point of 4800 to 5000 for a stock 350?

[Thumpin455_GTO]

oh.. it dropped out of second while you were driving it? That is easy. Dry clutches. It failed to get enough fluid to engage and hold the clutch pack, clogged filter is most likely the source. Time for a rebuild or another junkyard tranny.. They are somewhat easy to build, and instead of $100 a shot, you could build them for about the same money. Plus they would last a good while longer than a junk yard core.

Also you are sure the teeth on the governor were all there? They should be rather deep on the gear, like a good 1/8" or better. If the teeth have a rounded off spot in the center, you need a new gear. But it sounds like dry clutches to me with the latest info.