Well that is true. There could be chips that I could not get out of it. But I observed no chips or metallic sparklies in the effluent when I flushed the trans cooler...

it'* hard to say which side of the tranny (TC or tranny) would be causing the slip. and despite what everyone else here has said, I wouldn't feel the least bit uncertain about trying the old TC in the new tranny. you already know they're the same model, and there won't be any 'unknowns' inside of the TC. the fluid goes through the filter, to the pump, and directly to the TC.

and i'm not quite sure which o-ring you're talking about, but if it'* at the end of the turbine (input) shaft, I would replace it in a heart beat. those passages control the flow of fluid to and from the torque convertor, as well as the TCC lockup. any leakage there would potentially effect the pressure of the fluid, which in turn could (not positively) affect the TCC lockup.

in other news, a new battery took care of most of my TCC issues...

and last word of advice/warning (not sure if you're familiar with this one or not) - if a TCC has been dropped (even less than a foot) and lands on the ground, don't think about putting it into a transmission. it'* dead. done. gone. living in la-la-land.

anyhew, good luck - let us know how it goes!

matt

Thanks Matt, I'm sure glad to hear it. I think I have handled the old TC pretty carefully, and since it seemed to lockup OK in the old trans, might fix the lockup slip problem. This is not the kind of stuff I could recommend to others, as the cost of labor or the time spent for most people would quickly outweigh the cost of a new TC. But in my case, I enjoy doing the work. And if there is a less expensive way to get something done, I'm all for it.

Since I have the old trans sitting in the garage, do you think I should try to change out the TCC solenoid, too? Or am I likely to cause more harm than good? I have NO special trans tools. And I have no idea how deep I have to go to get at it.

I'll put up that part number for the o-ring when I get it from the dealer.

Thanks again for the help.

don't bother with the TCC solenoid. not worth the pain and misery you'll go through, if you've never torn one of these down before. too many little things to try and remember...

<edit> looks like it'* in the side pan (maybe - not too much time to search right now), but i still wouldn't bother...

Thanks for the advice, Matt.

Update: Well, I finally got the drive train installed in the SLE.



What started out simple just got more and more complicated (and expensive!) I ended up changing the “new” torque converter for the old one that I knew worked OK. (Good idea to keep the old trans!) I also changed the turbine shaft seal (o-ring) under the torque converter, opened the side cases and swapped the PWM and TCC solenoids, and also swapped the vacuum modulator from the old trans to the new one. (Thanks, Matt)



The new trans now shifts right and holds properly in lock-up. YAY! The only problem is I changed so much stuff that I don't know for sure which component was bad. But my guess is the TC.

The motor got a stainless steel reduced diameter EGR pipe and sleeve machined by a friend (at a loss) for $60, (Thanks, Ranger.)



Also got new lower and upper intake manifold gaskets, pan gasket, MAF cleaning, new rod bearings, knock sensor (separated when undoing it), oil pressure sender, (busted when it got bumped on the way out), gutted air box (thanks for the instructions, Don), lifters meticulously cleaned, (for all the good it did) 180 deg thermosat with 2 1/16" holes, new NGK TR55 plugs, new Belden premium wires, new lifetime water pump, idler pulley, front and rear crank seals, exhaust donut, new blower motor cover, flywheel covers, and heater barrier (now that was tricky!) New o-rings in all the water passages, a new air filter, and a throttle body cleaning. (Do you think it needed it?)



Yeah, I know, I shoulda' done the timing set and the balance shaft bearing, but hey, ya gotta draw the line somewhere! My $700 car now has about $1800 of my money. But I have learned a lot.

Here'* the kicker: Started it up and after it settled down, it was quiet - yay! But then, as the oil warmed up...tick..............tick tick..........tick tick tick tick.......etc. BOO! I WILL find and destroy that lousy lifter! But not 'til it gets warmer. I'm not in a hurry - the car is running swell and shifting fine.

If I had it to do again, I would buy the EGR kit from KenCo. $80 really is a good deal. And, I would have spent more time identifying the particular offending lifter before I tore the motor down. Of course, it was puking oil all over the driveway.....

Thanks for all the help, guys. We are now a two-Bonneville family.

Great job you did there.
How'* she feel in the throttle response and power compared to the SSEi? I bet the SLE is a nice ride now.
BTW - WE need more pics of the car.

Thanks!

It'* OK, but it ain't no L67 - there is a huge difference in the two. But the SLE is quiet, tight, and a very nice ride.

Pix of the SLE have to wait for a little cosmetic work. Have had to put it off for the mechanical stuff first.

sweet!

doesn't it feel nice and rewarding getting all of that done?

wish I could find a 700 dollar bonnie in the shape yours was in - i don't mind motor and tranny work, but body work isn't exactly my forte...

Yeah, it is good to get it back on the road. You are right about the body work, better to find one with a great body in the first place and just do the mechanical. I was really happy how the trans turned out - I would really like to learn how to tear these trannies down and rebuild them completely. If I could buy the specialty tools for a grand, I think I would invest it.

And the BC is such a great resource. Seems there isn't a question we can't get answered with the considerable combined knowledge of this great group of Bonneville nuts.

Gonna' take a break on the SLE 'til warmer weather. Then I'll get that lifter and the cosmetic detailing done. The wife is drivin' it now. Thanks again guys for the help and encouragement.