4l60e slipping 3rd

[silky28]

Hey all,

so after a tranny fluid leak from the from mount tranny cooler I’ve now got no 3rd gear. When it tries to go into 3rd then engine just revs but nothing happens. Sounds like the clutches have burned out.

I cannot find an affordable transmission locally and don’t want to pay for a rebuild because the truck has 200,000 miles on it and it has lots of rust. But I don’t want to scrap it because the 5.3 runs great and it has all new break lines.

my question is this: Can I replace the burnt out clutches without have to tear the tranny down completely? From what I gather the 3-4 clutch pack is directly behind the pump and is the first section to come out of the tranny. I could just rebuild the whole thing but time is tight and it seems like an overwhelming number of parts.

2003 Tahoe, z71

 

[exp500]

Try your local U pullit or other yards, sometimes can find a fresh rebuild that totaled. About $250.00

 

[OR VietVet]

Replacing clutches involves trans removal. What @exp500 said about a used trans sounds like the way to go.

 

[JonnyTahoe]

If you have never removed a Transmission before watch a few vids and read some of the threads on here first. I was in a similar situation with my Tahoe that had 295k.

 

[silky28]

Try your local U pullit or other yards, sometimes can find a fresh rebuild that totaled. About $250.00

Not sure I want to go that route...to pull a tranny, install it then find it’s no good...

 

[Rocket Man]

Not sure I want to go that route...to pull a tranny, install it then find it’s no good...

Well you don’t have much choice- it’s either a junkyard trans or a rebuild. Plus you don’t know what all is messed up, you’re just guessing. It would be even worse to remove the trans, pay someone to replace some parts (because unless you have experience doing this, it’s nothing you should attempt yourself), reinstall it and THEN find out it’s no good.

 

[JonnyTahoe]

Not sure I want to go that route...to pull a tranny, install it then find it’s no good...

Well then have it rebuilt even if you get another truck no guarantee how long that trans will last.

 

[OR VietVet]

I think he was talking about pulling his own transmission and installing the salvage yard transmission and finding out it is bad.

 

[JonnyTahoe]

.

 

[Fless]

People are pulling engines and transmissions for themselves all the time at the UPull. Hence the name.

 

[79jasper]

Yeah, 90% of the salvage yards around here are you-pull-its.

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

 

[silky28]

I think he was talking about pulling his own transmission and installing the salvage yard transmission and finding out it is bad.

Exactly...

Basically I was asking if I can yank my own tranny, replace the 3-4 clutch assembly and throw it back in...

And I do have a pretty good idea of what is bad: transmission line to front cooler ruptured. I fixed it but I guess in the process of fixing it another spot developed a leak. I didn’t catch the leak in time and 3rd started to slip. Now it is to the point where 3rd is useless. I’m no expert but I suspect that is bad clutches

 

[exp500]

It is a Time/money thing. Tools and luck factor in too. If you have the tools and time, then about$250 in parts will do a partial rebuild. I Definately would not pick a 4x4 for my first trans rebuild. My friend an extremely good wrench did his 97 5 times and never got it. (suspect a bad case internal leak.)

 

[Rocket Man]

Exactly...

Basically I was asking if I can yank my own tranny, replace the 3-4 clutch assembly and throw it back in...

And I do have a pretty good idea of what is bad: transmission line to front cooler ruptured. I fixed it but I guess in the process of fixing it another spot developed a leak. I didn’t catch the leak in time and 3rd started to slip. Now it is to the point where 3rd is useless. I’m no expert but I suspect that is bad clutches

If you think you know what’s wrong and nothing else got damaged by running low on fluid (unlikely) and you think you have the skills and want to buy the tools needed ( since there are a few special ones needed) then by all means yes you could give it a shot. Myself, although I’m a pretty fair mechanic, an automatic transmission isn’t something I would try. You might want to watch a few videos on rebuilding a 4l60 if you haven’t already.