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th350 no foward or reverse gears


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What's up everyone?

 

My 72 Monte has a th350 and I have no foward or reverse, and it only starts in neutral. Once its running, I can drop the gear selector to any gear, I can hear the linkage moving. The gear indicator on the dash doesn't move tho. It stays in park. The car has sit for 5-6 years. Someone please help me with this problem.

 

Also, when I insert the key into the ignition, I have to turn the key back toward me to start it, unlike most cars, where you turn the key foward.

 

This is my first restoration, and I'd really like to get the car running before I start on the body work. I will post new pics soon.

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My 72 started with the key turning backwards. It happened after I changed to a tilt steering column. I used the old switch but a tilt column uses a reverse mount switch causing the problem. Switched back tot he switch that came on the tilt column and that fixed it. I had to take the wiring harness and twist it 180 degrees from the was it was in the non tilt column.

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What would cause it to only start in neutral? And could it be tied in with no moving gears?

 

With the column shifter in park. I can hear a heavy click when I move it to reverse. But from reverse down thru the rest of the gears, its a really weak clicking sound.

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Yes it is, he is a very good mechanic, he builds open wheel modified cars for a living. I work at the local advance auto parts store now(body shop work got slow) and I give him good discounts on parts. So its he's way of paying me back.

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Yup low reverse clutch pack got tore up probably due to a seal on the piston very commen on the th350. That is dirt cheep to rebuild it. As far as the other stuff im not sure but I would look in the ignition switch area on the lower coloum and nutral safty switch.

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Update: we went to finish the rebuild today, got all the guts put back in and the paper gasket for the valve body was wrong. Going to get the right gasket in the am.. hopefully she will be ready for a test drive tomorrow around noon

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Well we figured out what the problem was. The tranny in my Monte is not a turbo350, its a 350 lock up. I've got to order a shift kit for it and use the gaskets from it. I've never heard of a 350 lock up, is it a good tranny or should I look for something better?

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The lock up trans is just a Tubo 350 with a lock up converter. It was called the 350 C.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo-Hydramatic

 

"Around 1980, a lock-up torque converter was introduced; this transmission was phased out in 1984 in GM passenger cars for the 700R4. Chevrolet/GMC trucks and vans used the THM350-C until 1986. The lock-up torque converter was deemed unpopular with transmission builders — B&M Racing once marketed a conversion kit for THM350-Cs during the early 1980s until the advent of high-stall lock-up torque converters when its overdrive counterpart (THM700R4/4L60) were modified. The standard TH350 is still very popular in drag racing."

 

If you put it all together and wire it to work, you will get a little better highway MPG. Just remember to unlock it when you stop or it will stop the engine because there will be no converter slip. I had this tranny in an 82 Caprice.

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It is normally unlocked. You have to apply power for it to go into lockup. They were not a very good system, I have seen a few take out the thrust bearing. I would not use it. Aftermarket torque converters are not readily available.

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