Blazer K5 1985 is my transmission shot?

[ChrisAwesome]

Started the car in the morning, started driving it and I noticed engine whine on throttle push with loss of power to the wheels. Seems like 1st gear engages fine and when it switches to second it somehow doesn't engage and engine just spins freely. Could that be the case? How do I debug the problem?

I could still drive the vehicle on 1st gear but not very fast. Could it be related to solenoid?

 

[frankin5]

What transmission? 700R4 classic sign of time to rebuild.

 

[K5wrench]

It is interesting that it happened suddenly at start up, this morning.
With no previous troubles?

Is there a fluid leak?
Is the transmission full?
Did you do anything to the truck just prior to starting it that morning.. such as remove the air cleaner.
Throttle Valve cable broken?
Perhaps the plastic adjuster tab on the Throttle Valve cable at the carburetor snapped when you depressed the throttle to set the choke this morning.

I would check these things.

 

[ChrisAwesome]

I was told it's 700R4, not sure. How do I check it?
Is there some protocol on how to check transmission fluid? Can I check it on the cold engine?
I haven't done anything on the car recently but I remember the weird feeling of car revving and losing power (= transmission slip?) for one ride prior, so apparently it was already giving up.

I don't know where Throttle Valve cable is, I can take the air cleaner of and inspect carburetor.

 

[K5wrench]

I was told it's 700R4, not sure. How do I check it?
Is there some protocol on how to check transmission fluid? Can I check it on the cold engine?
I haven't done anything on the car recently but I remember the weird feeling of car revving and losing power (= transmission slip?) for one ride prior, so apparently it was already giving up.

I don't know where Throttle Valve cable is, I can take the air cleaner of and inspect carburetor.

Okay.
Lift the hood.
Locate the transmission dipstick towards the back of the firewall, passenger side.
It is a finger sized loop of metal sticking out of a tube.
Go ahead and check it cold, engine off, for now.
Just pull it out and observe if it has fluid onnit.
Wipe it with a paper towel.
Note the color and odor of the fluid.

Now put the dipstick all the way back in.
Start the engine.
Let it run in Park, with parking brake ON.
Carefully remove the dipstick again and observe the level.
When cold, it should register near the bottom hashmarks on the stick.
When hot, it will be near the middle to top of hash marks.
But don't let it warm up if you see that it is low, or no fluid appears.
Shut the engine off if level is low or non existant.
Add Dextron ATF using a funnel through the dipstick tube.
Try adding one quart at first.
Check the level with engine off until it registers on the dipstick, then check with engine on, in park.

Assuming level was good;
Inspect the TV cable.
There is the throttle cable, and also a throttle valve cable on your truck.. if it has the 700r4.
Engine off, have a helper step on the gas pedal while you observe the throttle.
Look to see if the other cable; the black plastic TV cable, is loose, broken, flopping around, etc.

There is a procedure to adjusting it, but you should not mess with it unless you fully read up on how to do that.
Just look for problems.
Maybe snap us a picture.

Then we can go from there.

Maybe the transmission is toast.
Maybe not.
Start with the basics.

 

[ChrisAwesome]

Here's pictures. https://imgur.com/a/p4OUmLN
There is one wire that seems not attached, loose. I pointed it out with an arrow.
The transmission fluid goes all the way up to the dip on dipstick, seems overfilled? Previous owner informed me that he changed transmission fluid and couple other things. First attempt was blackish, then 2nd and 3rd gave me redish mark on the napkin. Smelt little burnt, but not like fireplace either. Didn't start the engine yet. Air cleaner is bent and smells gas, not sure if that's related. What do you think?

 

[Fastereddie]

That piece that is not connected is your throttle valve cable. Unfortunately that should be connected and adjusted properly. It controls the pressure in the trans.

 

[K5wrench]

Never seen a TV cable that looked like that something isn't right there.

Your going to need to get into that.
My 84 K5 had a button on the top of the TV cable housing near the carburetor.
Engine off.
You pushed in the button and pulled the cable housing away from the carb.
Then released the button and with choke held open, opened the throttle all the way.

What happened was; opening the throttle pulled the tv cable tight and then the cable housing sorta ratcheted forward until full throttle was reached.
After that, my TV cable was perfect and the transmission shifted normally.

A little bit off, and it will have a huge effect on the transmission.

Now, i don't know what you've got there, or if it works like mine.
Hard to see in the picture, very dark.
But if that cable is truly not attached, going in and out with throttle position, you've got a problem.
Unfortunately the damage may already be done.
But i think it is worth a shot to fix that TV cable and get it adjusted properly.
Then address the fluid level.

I outlined how i adjusted my TV cable above but you really should find the proper proceedure steps.
I havent had that truck since an oak tree jumped in front of it back in 2002.
Just my memory of the basic proceedure.

 

[ChrisAwesome]

I took couple more pictures during the day. The plastic connector on the end of TV cable is broken. The missing plastic part is not around, seems like it broke some time ago - not just recently. I can put it onto the metal pin on the bracket, but it is very easy for it to slip. I spotted small white fastener on the TV cable, I suspect previous owner might have used that to keep it in place.

The previous owner of my Blazer K5 1985 replaced computer controlled carburetor with old school mechanical one, so there might be some differences in how TV cable is attached and how it would be attached on a stock vehicle.

 

[K5wrench]

I took couple more pictures during the day. The plastic connector on the end of TV cable is broken. The missing plastic part is not around, seems like it broke some time ago - not just recently. I can put it onto the metal pin on the bracket, but it is very easy for it to slip. I spotted small white fastener on the TV cable, I suspect previous owner might have used that to keep it in place.

The previous owner of my Blazer K5 1985 replaced computer controlled carburetor with old school mechanical one, so there might be some differences in how TV cable is attached and how it would be attached on a stock vehicle.

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That is most likely your problem.

I had an 84 k5 with the CCC system which i deleted by putting a standard hei 4 pin distributor and a non computer quadrajet.
As i recall, i swapped the throttle plate portion of the ccc carb onto the non ccc carb.
That way the linkages work together.

 

[Fastereddie]

Yeah that tv cable is broken.

 

[ChrisAwesome]

I manufactured a temporary mount and adjusted per instruction. Test drove a car - I have exactly same result. R and D1 works fine, but when car starts picking up the speed (about 20mph) it feels like it shifts to neutral and pushing more throttle just causes neutral engine's RPM to go up. I guess that means transmission is shot?

Looking at how that TV cable is broken, I could have been driving with it broken for last 2-3 months since I purchased the vehicle.

 

[K5wrench]

I manufactured a temporary mount and adjusted per instruction. Test drove a car - I have exactly same result. R and D1 works fine, but when car starts picking up the speed (about 20mph) it feels like it shifts to neutral and pushing more throttle just causes neutral engine's RPM to go up. I guess that means transmission is shot?

Looking at how that TV cable is broken, I could have been driving with it broken for last 2-3 months since I purchased the vehicle.

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Damn.
Well, when you get it back from the transmission shop, try and find a non computer quadrajet carb from the early 80's.
I got mine at a wrecking yard.
It was a long time ago, but i think i pulled it out of a van.
Then i removed the lower portion (the section of aluminum with the throttle blades) and rebuilt my non ccc quardajet with that section.
It had the same throttle bracket as the ccc carb and put the tv cable right back where it was.
Sorry man.

 

[ChrisAwesome]

Can I still drive the vehicle? I would like to pick up some parts and then go to the shop to potentially do the transmission + engine swap. That would mean overall about 200 miles of driving 20mph. I could take back roads on some Friday/Saturday night. What do you say?

 

[ChrisAwesome]

I found somebody in my area who's got freshly rebuilt transmission 700R4 for sale for ~$650. Apparently he paid about $1450 at O'Reilly's and he claims that O'reilly's uses a company called 'Power Tour' or 'Torquemaster' for transmission jobs. He crashed the car before swapping trans, at least that's the story.

What do you think?

Also, if I decide to purchase it - do you think it would fit into 2016 Camry's trunk? The opening is about 37inch x 19.5inch. My Blazer is not driving very well...

 

[onetonbb74]

Is the trans for a 4x4? I would hope its a K case as well or at least from 1987 and newer and has the aux valve body. Not to sure of transmissions from O Reallys...You need to be a real good inspector upon teardown and be pretty much ocd to rebuild a 700r4...

I put a complete 700r4 in the trunk of an 90s saturn, just hurts your back getting it in and out, dont recommend it unless that is the only option...I can help you out transporting with my pickup truck if needed, assuming your in San Jose.

 

[ChrisAwesome]

It is for 4x4 Blazer 1988, that's what seller told me. I asked him for receipts, hope to get that so I could confirm exactly what it is that he's got for sale. My Blazer is 4x4 1985, not sure if that matters. He's around Sacramento area, yes I'm in San Jose.

Will 700R4 transmission from Blazer 1988 4wd fit into my Blazer 1985 4wd? Not sure about the differences between solenoids and throttle valve cable.

 

[imiceman44]

It is for 4x4 Blazer 1988, that's what seller told me. I asked him for receipts, hope to get that so I could confirm exactly what it is that he's got for sale. My Blazer is 4x4 1985, not sure if that matters. He's around Sacramento area, yes I'm in San Jose.

Will 700R4 transmission from Blazer 1988 4wd fit into my Blazer 1985 4wd? Not sure about the differences between solenoids and throttle valve cable.

It'll fit fine.
I thought O'Reilly got their transmissions built by shift Management Inc.
I guess they changed suppliers.
Where in Sacramento?
I possibly could look at it before you commit and maybe even take it down next time I head that way.
I need to go to Morgan hill at some point and I will try and meet with @onetonbb74 if you're still in Morgan hill.

 

[Jim burton]

I have a vette with a 700r4....and that's EXACTLY what happened to me...except while I was driving down the freeway...just cruising along, and then all of a sudden I noticed that the rpms were going up, but the car was not going any faster...like someone else said...that's a typical 700 issue (according to trans shop)...the clutch band for 2-3 gets burned up. As far as your question about it worked fine one day and the next it didn't...yeah...that's the way it went for me too.

 

[wheels87k5]

I found somebody in my area who's got freshly rebuilt transmission 700R4 for sale for ~$650. Apparently he paid about $1450 at O'Reilly's and he claims that O'reilly's uses a company called 'Power Tour' or 'Torquemaster' for transmission jobs. He crashed the car before swapping trans, at least that's the story.

What do you think?

Also, if I decide to purchase it - do you think it would fit into 2016 Camry's trunk? The opening is about 37inch x 19.5inch. My Blazer is not driving very well...

Were you planning on replacing the existing 700R4 with a new/rebuilt one? If not, just buy a new Throttle valve cable and adjust it per instructions. Check fluids, then test drive. Your existing 700R4 may be fine.

If you have any questions about adjusting the new cable, ask. Lots of us have experience adjusting the different styles of cables.