moparguy

In a moment of auction madness, I bought a 1988 PowerRam 150 a couple of years ago. Among the issues it had was a bad auto. Well after installing a $100 kit (seals, bands, clutchs and plates along with a new pump bushing) it was working great. I drove it about 50 miles, and parked it.

Since it was shifting and driving to perfection, (the transmission that is the rest of the truck is another story), I was feeling pretty good about myself.

Well after setting for a couple of weeks it now takes off in second. Pull the shifter to 1st, it takes off in 1st.

Once rolling after a second gear start, put it on the floor and it'll downshift to first.

My first thought is a sticky piston the valve body. I did go to great pains to clean every thing, used 6 cans of carb cleaner and I did take the valve body apart and cleaned all the passageways.

I'm not a transmission guy at all. I've done one other 727 and a Turbo 350 in the last 30 years. I do have a shop manual that I used to step me thought the process.

Any help is appricated.

Thanks, RR

ckt_santiago

Did you remember to lube everything before you put the VB back together? *too dry*







If it doesn't correct itself after awhile then you might have to replace some of the pistons/valve cause they may have gotten scuffed

jughead

sounds like gov. sticking to me. get speed to 25-30 mph. stick it in park for about a sec. this will usually shake the valve free. dont laugh a factory rep. showed me how to do it in the 60s. really does work. just dont do it with older push button trans. i found out the hard way.

ckt_santiago

Sticky governor wouldn't cause the second gear starts, but would give troubles shifting up and sometimes down... TV cable being out of adjustment would also act similar to a sticky governor.

rattlerbob5.9

Check out yor kick down linkage make sure it is returning with a closed throttle
Check to see if someone has it adjusted it out to far (long)
Make sure the pivot arm that the linkage hooks to at the tranny case is moving freely and returning.

jughead

i respectfully disagree. seen it happen many times. dont think it is possible for throttle cable to to cause it. even if throttle valve is stuck when gov. pressure goes to 0 it will shift back.

moparguy

Thanks for the replys, I'm working out of town on a pipeline job, no PC, so replys will be slow.

Jughead, man that's scary, put er in park at 25 or so? I've got pictures of broken park stuff in my head. Not saying it wouldn't work, and I may try it.

rattlerbob, when it acted up last weekend, I did adjust the linkage longer on the tranny, I expected it to shift a bit firmer, but there was no noticeable change in anything.

The crazy thing is it worked fine till it sat for several days.

RJR

rattlerbob5.9

Mopar guy if you make the linkage longer it will make the tranny upshift at a higher speed in other words make it stay in each gear longer. With it acting up after sitting it makes me think that the kickdown lever is sticking at the transmission case your linkage is not moving freely or you have a return spring weak or missing.