### no park? 1st post

sspano01 · 05-22-2012, 08:31 PM

Hi Folks,

This is my first post here!

A few months ago, I picked up a somewhat rusty 1967 GTO with a non-original 400 and an automatic trans.

This will be my 3rd build/restoration project

Anyway, i have the car running now and I have to put brakes on it because someone took the shoes off.

The transmission does not seem to engage in park and it has no drive or reverse. I have not looked at the trans yet, I think its a TH400.

Its probably completely blown....but...does anyone have any quick tips to try? or things to check out? Ideally, i'd just like the car to move around on its own power and maybe do a big smokey brake stand before I park it until my garage/shop is finished.

Instg8ter · 05-22-2012, 08:55 PM

will your shifter run through the gears and just not engage? or is it just locked up? linkage may be bound up or kinked. did you drain and check the fluid?

sspano01 · 05-22-2012, 09:30 PM

i have not checked the fluid, drained/etc. i am going to pull the pan off this weekend. shifter appears to go through all the gears and I can see the linkage moving on the transmission itself. shouldn't it engage in park without fluid though?

FlambeauHO · 05-22-2012, 10:04 PM

Yes, but it could just be mis-rigged. When you have some time check the fluid and inspect everything visually. Then loosen linkage at the transmission and move lever on tranny to the farthest detent forward (with shifter in PARK) then tighten linkage. It might take a few tries to get it perfect. Will also likely have to adjust park/reverse/neutral switch.

69Goatee · 05-22-2012, 10:18 PM

Park is mechanically connected to the shift input shaft, no fluid required to engage. When you pull the pan, check for any linkage parts in the pan before you dump it all of the way out. It may be just a broken clip, or link.
One way to check the pump and fluid is to unhook the supply line to the trans cooler at the radiator (lower fitting on trans is supply). Put a lenth of rubber hose on it,then put the hose into a clean milk jug. Start the car and watch for fluid.

geeteeohguy · 05-23-2012, 12:13 AM

Had a friend a while back who picked up and old GM car with a TH400 and it wouldn't move...turned out the filter (which is the pick-up for the fluid) was MISSING. Check the fluid level, if ok, pull a cooler line at the rad and see if it pumps fluid when you run the engine for about 2 seconds. Be ready for a big mess if the pump is ok. Congrats on your new project.

sspano01 · 05-23-2012, 09:59 PM

thanks for the ideas, i am going to check it out in more detail this saturday or so.
if i get it running, i'll post my burn-out picture

later this year or so, i plan to get it into my new shop, take the body off/etc and start a restoration on it.

kjk990 · 05-25-2012, 11:01 AM

sspano01...
Your story is exactly like mine. I bought a 67 with a th400 that had not been running for about 2 years per the old owner. I brought it home got the engine runnning, put in gear and nothing happened. It didn't even try to move in the slightest. After banging my head against the wall I pulled the pan and found that the filter/fluid pickup was laying sideways in the pan. I replaced it and I am still driving now with no problems. It's been about two years.

I hope it is the same for you. Good luck

sspano01 · 05-28-2012, 08:12 PM

Hi Folks,

So I had a chance to pull the pan, the shape matches the TH400 outline, so it looks like a TH400! No parts, metal shavings/etc, the pan was clean. The linkage intact/etc.

However, it seemed very low on fluid, and the pickup (as mentioned by kjk990) does not seem to match the exploded diagrams of the TH400 that I have found. The diagrams show a tube and a large rectangular filter.

Th400 or ??? by sspano01, on Flickr

The attached flickr link shows what I found in the trans. Its "pickup" looks like it was just at the level of the valve body and barely making contact with the fluid? It was inserted into the transmission though, probably in the place where the normal pickup/filter would be.

I am going to see if I can locate a filter tube and filter/etc for a TH400, but, can anyone shed some light on that weird filter I found?

sspano01 · 05-28-2012, 08:18 PM

67 GTO! by sspano01, on Flickr

here she is though

Rescued from North Carolina to New York State