Car won't run past 60mph

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Either way it definitely sounds like you should rebuild the trans and get a fresh convertor installed. Buying these out of a junkyard and throwing them right in with no info on history will usually get you into trouble.

My 3 cents.
 
I have the lokar kit. I will also check to ensure I'm getting full throttle and while doing so ensure that the kick down is engaging fully. I read that when hooking up the lokar kit that you have just enough tension on it until you lightly feel the spring tension from the return spring. It may be to tight and not allowing fully throttle or to loose not allowing enough pressure. However, initially i thought i set it up right but i will recheck that as well.
 
If too tight, it will be pulling on the kickdown lever and making the trans think the throttle is hard open all the time, and the trans will stay in a lower gear and the shifts will be at abnormally high RPM's/speeds. (But I do not think that would not explain the high revs in reverse.....??)

The correct Lokar adjustments have nothing to do with the throttle spring tension, so I am not sure what your post above means exactly. The kickdown lever on the trans has some light springing inside that returns it to the closed throttle position; that maybe the reference to light spring tension. But it would be VERY light return spring tension only; you really need to get under the car and check out the kickdown lever motion and adjustment. Moving the kickdown lever on the trans rearward raises the shift point RPM's (like with more throttle opening).

BTW, where/how is the kickdown cable connected to the carb throttle?

All these suggestions to check the kickdown are just a starting point for the easy (dumb?) things to check first; it could still be in the trans, TC, or elsewhere.
 
Do you put it in neutral before backing out to load the converter?? Does it rev everytime you put it in reverse, or just when its cold?? I always warm the trans in neutral before I set out, even in my daily 03 Ram! Not going to solve your high speed limit, but may be a false reading on the reverse issue! My truck revs way up in reverse if I don't load up the converter first, and it has a 3:91 rear!!! Just throwing out ideas!!!
 
cosgig said:
Do you put it in neutral before backing out to load the converter?? Does it rev everytime you put it in reverse, or just when its cold?? I always warm the trans in neutral before I set out, even in my daily 03 Ram! Not going to solve your high speed limit, but may be a false reading on the reverse issue! My truck revs way up in reverse if I don't load up the converter first, and it has a 3:91 rear!!! Just throwing out ideas!!!
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I did confirm that i get full throttle and believe my kick down is set just right with just a little tension on it. While holding the gas peddle to the floor the throttle blades fully open and the trans kick lever is fully engaged. When I let off it barely has tension on the kick down lever. Now my second finding is when i looked at the trans fluid. It doesn't smell burnt but does look like a strawberry milk shake. Looks like moisture got in there at some point. It's not coming from the radiator because I am only running a trans cooler. So it had to be in there from the beginning. I am now toying with the idea of draining it all and taking out the valve body so i can try and replace the leaking kick-down lever seal while the trans still in the car. With the valve body removed i should be able to take a small screw driver and knock the seal out from underneath but the trick is putting the new one in.
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You are not going to want to hear this, but water in the fluid dissolves the adhesive holding the friction material on the bands and clutch discs.
That is the exact phrase we used to describe it as well, "strawberry milkshake"
 
TrailBeast said:
You are not going to want to hear this, but water in the fluid dissolves the adhesive holding the friction material on the bands and clutch discs.
That is the exact phrase we used to describe it as well, "strawberry milkshake"[/QUOTE

This could in-fact be the last of its service. I am gonna at least give her a good servicing and see if I cant squeeze a little more life out of it.
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Many years ago, at the Low Country Mopar event, Summerville SC... They had a guest speaker who was a engineer/torque converter guru. This guy had cross sectionals or cut aways, separate internal parts, etc.., on his table, a board with a bunch of formulas written on it, and a speech that went on and on.
Most everything after, "how yall doing today?" went waaaaaay over my head. I stuck with it for about 15 minutes before Wife asked, "you getting any of this?" We might have stayed longer if there had been enough chairs. So we walked away having learned 1 thing... There are tremendous differences in torque converters from one application to another. Passenger cars, light duty 1 ton pickups, 2 ton pickups, larger dualies, school buses, you name it , all different in how they react to engine rpm ramps, rpm ranges, and loads.
Would that guru submit that your torque converter is only generating foam in the fluid beyond a certain rpm, due to lack of load ? Maybe. That is the type scenarios he was suggesting.
 
RedFish said:
Would that guru submit that your torque converter is only generating foam in the fluid beyond a certain rpm, due to lack of load ? Maybe. That is the type scenarios he was suggesting.
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It's possible and a thought I had.
Water and air both will separate out after sitting, so that would be the tell tale.
Air does is fairly quickly, and I didn't see a separation line in the fluid in the bottle so am assuming it's water.
 
TrailBeast said:
It's possible and a thought I had.
Water and air both will separate out after sitting, so that would be the tell tale.
Air does is fairly quickly, and I didn't see a separation line in the fluid in the bottle so am assuming it's water.
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After removing the trans pan it looked like an absolute murder scene. I seen it all...metal shavings, sludge, a pile of sand, friction material, moisture, and rust. How on earth did this tranny even allow the car to get down the road. I figure what the hell, lets see how much life it still has left. So I started by draining all the fluid including the torque converter, and blew out the cooler lines.
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As I was letting everything drain out I started on adjusting the bands. Low-reverse band was first torque to 72in-lbs and backed off 2 turns. Ended up about 1.75" cause as i was tightening the lock nut moved my setting a quarter turn. But i think im fine with that. The kick-down band was adjusted 72in-lbs and backed off 2.5 turns. Both needed a lot of adjusting to get it to the 72in-lbs which leads me to believe services were not done on this trans in decades most likely.
 
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Next I couldn't leave well enough alone so I decide to fabricate some tools so I can adjust the line pressure and throttle pressure. First was the line pressure I made sure I adjusted too factory spec of 1-5/16". But i couldn't leave it factory so I cranked the pressure up a little and settled at 1.25". I know this is a base line setting and really needs to be checked with a pressure gauge on the port. I don't have one so lets see what happens.
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Next was the throttle pressure I didn't have the special tool C-3763. So I made one out of a 3/8" bolt that I cut down to spec of .625". However, after making the necessary adjustments I realized that my lokar kit was the reason of not getting third gear. With the gas peddle to the floor I was only getting about half the throttle pressure. So I adjusted the lokar kick down cable so when full throttle I have full throttle pressure. This however, posses a new problem because the throttle valve still has pressure on it at idle. I will have to compromise between full throttle pressure at wide open and not to much pressure at idle. (set at full pressure right now) Can fine tune it later on. Not sure if you guys are following what I am saying here. However, I am hopeful I get third gear now.
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Finally, after all the messing around. I got the new filter in and the pan on. I just need to add the fluid, start it up, and pray that it all works out in the end. So the question is how long do you think the trans will last? I should take a poll.
 
I'm hoping it works at all!! I was hoping the same for the trans in my 66, but it ended up needing a rebuild!!!
 
Sorry Dude; but one look at that pan and that trans is toast , it has had water in it and high clutches are not holding, slips but will backup with boosted line pressure in reverse, slips and wont hold high in forward. REBUILD it now before wasting time and money on fluid parts!!!
Good luck, Lon;
 
It will be an interesting experiment.....correction, just an experiment. For your poll, I would not expect it to work. And the description of the kickdown adjustment sounds backwards and will be less likely to upshift...but that may just be my brain on a Monday LOL
 
TrailBeast said:
Nope, you got it right. :D
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Just so I understand that I may have it backwards. I thought at full throttle I should have full throttle pressure. This means that the throttle valve is pushed in the valve body all the way at full throttle. Is this not true? Please explain...where should the throttle pressure valve be at full throttle? I just put 8 quarts of fresh fluid in and still need at least another quart added before I test drive.
 
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67/6barracuda said:
Just so I understand that I may have it backwards. I thought at full throttle I should have full throttle pressure. This means that the throttle valve is pushed in the valve body all the way at full throttle. Is this not true? Please explain...where should the throttle pressure valve be at full throttle? I just put 8 quarts of fresh fluid in and still need at least another quart added before I test drive.
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Yes, what you are asking is true, and at full pressure the trans probably won't upshift until really high in the RMM's if at all for the 2-3 shift.
Actually the lower pressure the sooner the shifts, so you really need to sort out your TP control linkage instead of trying to mod the trans for a messed up linkage.
 
TrailBeast said:
Yes, what you are asking is true, and at full pressure the trans probably won't upshift until really high in the RMM's if at all for the 2-3 shift. Actually the lower pressure the sooner the shifts, so you really need to sort out your TP control linkage instead of trying to mod the trans for a messed up linkage.
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I understand what your saying that less throttle pressure should equate to the 2-3 shift. I will take it for a test ride tomorrow if no 2-3 shift I'll dial it back. I didn't think it was getting enough pressure at first, I set it about half of the travel of the throttle valve. Maybe it needed to be turned back even more for the 2-3 shift. However, What your saying contradicts the instructions for the lokar set up of step 10. It does say to set it at WOT and to pull the cable tight which would be full throttle pressure. Not sure whats right or wrong but if full pressure doesn't work at least I know where I'm starting at because i adjusted it with the pan off and can see the throttle pressure position. I do appreciate everyone's assistance.

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A lot of that Lokar adjustment instruction has to do with making sure that you don't adjust it too short; if that happens, then when you push to WOT, the cable will be jamming the kickdown lever hard against the kickdown valve or some stop inside the trans, and something will have to give: the lever, the shaft, the cable, the valve..... So that instruction really does not set the length for the shift point but for avoiding damage.

The stock linkage has a lot of design features, like the slots and springs, to avoid that. There have been some setup mods developed by clever people to prevent that with the Lokar cable while getting the shift points right. I don't have a pix right now.....
 
If the TP lever on the trans is all the way forward (or mostly) at idle and all the way back at WOT it should be close.
If you adjusted it like that and still don't have a 2-3 shift you have trans problems.
With no pull on the TP lever at all it should be in 3rd by 20mph.

Not saying this is what should be done on your car, but I designed a linkage to make the TP travel and geometry both adjustable at the carb.
This disc attached to my throttle assembly is slotted where the TP cable goes so it can be moved closer or farther from the pivot point of the carb.
It allows me to set the pull amount of the TP cable higher at low throttle for later and firmer shifts without limiting the WOT of the carb by moving it closer to the pivot point and have it partially pulled at lower throttle openings, or more linear so the TP moves exactly the same amount as the throttle.
This motor has been in and running on a daily driver for months now, just so you don't think I'm just blowing smoke about something not even test run yet. :D

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I road tested today and confirmed that I get third gear. Yes it's late in the rpm range but do have it. I have to let off the throttle and then it shifts. I will slowly dial back the lokar that will provide less pressure until I get it in desired rpm shift point. By adjusting the low-reverse band to spec I get reverse now as soon as i hit the gas. Before I had to Rev up a little. However, I still can't go much faster than 75mph confirmed by GPS. I still hear surging when I get on it. I can still burn the tires but no top end what so ever. Like some agreed earlier it must be the convertor. When I adjusted the line pressure it helped with the 1-2 shift it's nice and crisp. Drove it around about 30 minutes. Besides me having to still adjust for the third gear rpm range and it not wanting wind out the gears. It runs good, it likes to cruise at 50mph at about 3000 RPM. Motor sounds good Tran seems fine. It really just feels like it's ran out of gear by 70-75MPH.
 
There isn't any chance of an exhaust restriction in there?
 
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