Howdy HAMBers, I've got a '74 C4 tranny/1966 289 setup in my '63 Comet. Had a pretty bad leak at the pan, started to hesitate going into drive, so pulled the pan and replaced the filter and gasket. I measured 3.5 quarts that I drained, so I put 4 quarts of fresh fluid back in after the job...still wasn't engaging in drive, so I added another quart, still no dice. I added another quart, and the car barely moves in drive (like riding a clutch), and just to make me really happy, the pan leak was worse than before I did the job. I re-torqued the pan bolts to about 18lbs, and the leak is much better, but still dripping a little. What did I do? Thanks as always, RNY
Quick Google say 5.5 quarts for a C4 when pulling the pan. But was it slipping before the gasket/filter change?
Is the new filter still on the work bench? Don't laugh. It wasn't until I noticed two distributor rotors on the work bench to make me realize why the car wouldn't start.
That’s odd, but as Don mentioned you need to check the level. Need to be done while running. Should be something like D the R a few times the check in park. But by my count you’re still a qt low via the. TCI website. As far as the pan still leaking, when you had it off did you lay a straight edge along the sides? This would tell you if it was warped
When you took the filter off, did a spring and plunger fall out of the valve body? Most 70 and up C4 had this and is held in place by a tab on the filter.The dip stick is there for a purpose.
A 74 C-4 should have a plunger and spring held in place by a tab on the filter. Is it there? Some valve bodies have the spring and plunger retained by a roll pin. If its held in by the filter, it should go in plunger first then spring then filter. Lots of times, for the unaware, it falls out when removing the filter into the drain pan and dosen't get put back in or is installed backwards. Something to check. Fluid amount on a pan fluid change is around 3.5 qts. Bill
This can drop out or get wedged when charging the filter did the new filter possibly fall off when you installed the pan ? get the trans warm ( go through the gears a few times ) and check WITH THE DIP STICK on flat and level ground . there are two band adjustments that can be done easily on the C4 . Look up the procedure . the governors can stick if parked or not driven “ spirited” for some time . pretty bullet proof transmission .
It's not in the very best shape...someone (not me!) overtorqued it at some point maybe, but it didn't look too wonky.
I would lose my ass as a flat rate mechanic if it took me that long to fill a fresh rebuilt automatic transmission.
Just run it through the gears a couple of times with the tires in the air after filling. Then take it out and make sure it is ok. Thousands done that way never a problem.
If you have a case fill dipstick you may want to pull the dipstick tube out of the case and replace the o ring. They get hard and brittle and will not seal correctly causing a leak. The no drive is probably air trapped in converter. You could open up converter drain plug and see if fluid immediately comes out.
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