Bad tranny or torque converter?

[thatK30guy]

I installed a rebuilt 400 tranny about 1.5 years ago and it ran fine til around last winter, all the forward gears got weaker and weaker. Reverse shifted fine and hard.

My question is, would you think the converter is shot or worn out? I reinstalled the same, stock converter from the previous 400. Or would you say the internals of the tranny are worn?

Any ideas? I'd rather replace the converter knowing theres nothing wrong with the tranny than have it rebuilt again.

 

[dyeager535]

I'd bet tranny. Without lockup all the pieces in a torgue converter are "hard", so when they fail, that means the fins, bearings, whatever have come apart.

Usually its the converter bearings that go bad, and they make noise out of gear, but not in gear.

 

[thatK30guy]

Damn. Not real thrilled about pulling the 400 out again. Maybe I should just drive backwards instead.