My auto trans feels like a manual

Chuckwagon976

Well-known member
Dec 5, 2013
142
7
Ft. Worth, Texas
96 auto D1. When leaving from a stop auto trans feels like slipping the clutch to engage 1st in a manual. Almost like it winds up and the goes, rest of gear changes are fine. I will say my tcase leaks like a sieve that may have run a little low. For the last 20k miles upon accelerating from a stop the tcase clunks like bad ball joint but you can feel it very well when holding the diff selector, no feel in the gear selector. Also that clunk has now disappeared in lieu of the new trans issue. Could it be the tcase? Trans fluid is just above the low circle on the dip stick.
 

Jimmy

Well-known member
Apr 10, 2006
740
64
Aurora, CO
How are your mounts? A shot engine or rear (they're on the t-case IIRC) mount can allow things to shift under torque (like when accelerating from a stop) and hit (making a clunk sound). That was the first thing that came to mind on that.

The clunk may have gone away because the transmission isn't engaging right away/like normal and it's masking the original issue (which I suspect is a bad mount).

Good luck figuring it out.
 

Jimmy

Well-known member
Apr 10, 2006
740
64
Aurora, CO
To test bad tcase mounts is it a easy as jacking up the tcase with a block and looking for movement?

Yep. Do the engine too to check those front mounts.

The fastest way is to have one person holding the brake and applying the gas in gear, and the other watching the engine to see if it rocks over. If it does, then track down which mount is bad; could be more than one, too.
 

Chuckwagon976

Well-known member
Dec 5, 2013
142
7
Ft. Worth, Texas
Not mounts. It seems like the trans is starting in 2nd or 3rd right away but only after being warmed up. Other than the trans going out anything else it could be, like the hydraulic shift plate being gummed up or something?