atx problems

i recently did an engine swap which i thought went pretty well, until i found that the transmission isn't working.

i pulled it out still attached to the engine since i was reattaching it to the new engine and it is easier to just remove or reinstall with them together
the only fluid that leaked out is what came out from removing the axle and radiator
i'm planning to do a flush soon, so i didn't drain it all out
removed the tq converter from the old engine and attached to the new (i intentionally left fluid in the tq converter)
lined up the new engine and trans and guided the trans onto the engine slowly and carefully, it looks like it can't go on the wrong way as the shaft is notched on the sides.
bolted atx and engine together and dropped them in
put the axles back in, connected atx to radiator lines and all electrical connectors

i added 2 quarts of fluid as soon as i got it back in before starting it
after starting, ran through gears and added another quart or two
it's now reading full, but still not working

there is a faint buzzing sound (sounds electrical to me) when it's in any gear except for park or neutral

i'm hoping theres something just not connected or loose somewhere
i already checked all connectors on the trans and the entire engine bay for that matter. nothing unaccounted for

any ideas? what should i check first?

thanks

The torque converter needs to be set in the trans first, not bolted the the engine. My guess is the torque converter is not completely set into the trans pump on the trans. Its possible to put bolt it together without the converter being set right. If its not set into the pump, then the trans can't pump fluid and wont move.

The proper procedure is to have the converter fully installed in the trans before mating to the engine, then bolt the converter to the flexplate afterwards. It's extremely easy to break the pump gears doing it the way you did...

Before you jump to that conclusion though, set the brake, and put it in neutral to check the fluid. It may still be low.

so i messed up? could i have done harm? :(

what about that buzzing noise i hear?

when i was putting it on, i aligned it with the shaft
notches on sides looked kind of like this (\\)
11 or 5 oclock position

i'm so used to working on 5spds, it just seemed like the proper way to install it. although much trickier trying to get those tq converter bolts off through that little hole

already checked fluid in neutral and in park
a few times...

i hate atx's, so much more stuff to deal with
worst case scenario, i hosed destroyed a very expensive transmission
i was really looking forward to trying this thing out
i've never driven a car with a shift kit before, or a highstall tq converter, or an lsd for that matter...

at least i still have the full 5 speed conversion
would take me at least another week to get that done :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by n2nsanity

already checked fluid in neutral and in park
a few times...

i hate atx's, so much more stuff to deal with
worst case scenario, i hosed destroyed a very expensive transmission
i was really looking forward to trying this thing out
i've never driven a car with a shift kit before, or a highstall tq converter, or an lsd for that matter...

at least i still have the full 5 speed conversion
would take me at least another week to get that done :(

---

sounds a lot like the reason some people shy away from forced induction.

what specifically do you mean when you say "it's not working". (assuming it's built correctly) since it has a high-stall, you may need more gas to get it in motion. have all the plugs on the TCU been connected? are you running a tt-ecu--if so, have you modified it to properly work with the tcu? are you getting any engine codes? are the electronics on the transmission native to the 3/s; or are they from a different car (and what year/trim are they from)? shooter83 (evan) never tried using my new trans with the diamante electronics that it came with; so it's hard to say for certain if that could be a problem. it works perfectly with the stuff swapped over from my OEM 95 3kgt trans.

it might also be possible that the mechanicals are fine, and it's simply an electrical issue. if that's the case, you could also try the IPT manual-shift option.

should be all original electronics
i bought this car from another member
had a blown motor
i bought it because i was wanting to see what the 3.5 and built atx could do together
he said trans was fine before engine died
i didn't seen any metal shavings in the fluid that came out

i'm going to go with either (hopefully something electrical is loose) or i need to pull the trans back off and install the tq converter inside the trans first
and hopefully i didn't destroy anything

noone knows what that faint buzzing sound is when i put in any gear but park and neutral?

i really can't say for certain. i don't have any experience with a built f4a33/w4a33, so i wouldn't be able to venture a guess. the DSM guys might be able to help you pinpoint what that is much better than the 3/s guys.

atx's don't just "not work". they'll limp; but it's VERY VERY rare to have one simply not do anything (worst case, they'll do 3rd gear and nothing else--not even reverse). from what i've seen in my years around the forums, the problem most definitely seems to be electrical--since you can't seem to get any type of response out of it. that...or as brian suggested, you've installed the converter incorrectly. afaik, the only proper way to install the transmission is 100% intact; converter already in the trans.

i know there's breakdown manuals for the f4a33/w4a33 online. if you need to find one...let me know and i'll see if i can find the link.

another thing i like about this site
5 views and several replies
on the other site, 25 views and 0 replies....

ATXs will definitely not work without fluid in the right spots. There's no mechanical connection between the engine and atx, its just fluid. I busted a line while driving and lost most of my fluid and the atx absolutely did nothing. I could rev it as high as I wanted and the car wouldn't move in any gear. I had to push it off the road. It was fine afterwards. My no-go situation was because either the torque converter didn't have enough fluid in it or fluid wasn't getting to the valve body.

also, for this buzzing sound
its more like a really fast clicking sound and its quiet in the car, but loud under the hood
i can shift it from under the hood with neutral safety switch, dont know if im supposed to be able to do that or not
i only shifted under the hood when car was off. would be my bad timing that it would start working, lol
it does it whether the car is running or not, as long as the key is in the ignition and turned to on
seems like the sound is coming from the lower rear side of the transmission
sounds more like a solenoid not working, really fast clicking sound, like when youre trying to start a car with a dead battery

still no ideas?
i'd like to figure out this clicking sound first if possible
i'd hate to pull this thing back out for a little wire somewhere

There are solenoids on the valve body. If one has gone bad it might cause some of the problems you are having. You can test them by applying 12V to the connector on top of the transaxle. Here is the relevant circuit diagram:
Attachment 2536

thanks for the info
but im still lost, lol
that diagram doesn't make much sense to me

Email John at IPT.
He's one of the best on 3k atx.

IPT Performance Transmissions | Performance Parts | Torque Converters

I've had a lot of solenoid issues and never had a buzzing sound. IDK?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by n2nsanity

thanks for the info
but im still lost, lol
that diagram doesn't make much sense to me

---

The colors of the power wires to the four solenoids are Blue with a yellow stripe (L-Y), Red (R), Green (GR), and Orange(O). Look for a ten pin connector on top of the transaxle containing wires of this color. attach an alligator clip or just a piece of insulated wire to one lead (making sure it ONLY contacts that lead, sometimes a paperclip is helpful if it's a female connector) and briefly touch the other end to the positive terminal of the battery to test it. Repeat for the other three solenoids. If you find one sounds funny, you may have found the problem. Be extremely careful while doing this that you only touch the appropriate pins and nothing else. If you touch any ground (just about any metal on the car), electricity will flow and possibly short something.

Alternatively, you can drop the valve body and test each solenoid outside the car, you may have to end up doing this anyway. Worst part is dealing with atf.

Did you ever find the problem? I have the exact problem you've had.

Ended up just doing the 5spd conversion. There's a few good tips in here and also a solenoid diagram on the 1st page. I would check the torque converter as that sounds like the most likely issue. Do you have the buzzing/clicking sound too?

Update: I repaired the tcm still getting the solenoid chatter. I figure torque convertor or valve body. I cleaned and inspected the valve body twice, no sticking valves, no broken springs. I've talked to a tranny tech and he has had people ask about the chatter, ground issue???, but they could still drive the car. I'll try a new torque convertor, just never had one go all the way out. Thanks n2nsanity for your help

if you need any help shoot me a pm they have you on the right track as is. but the dsm auto trans is identical to the 3s internally. and dont waste your time with talking to john at ipt their parts are good but their customer service blows.

I installed a rebuilt torque convertor and now goes into drive, also the rebuilt TQ felt lighter than the old one by about 8-10 lbs, wow! Don't know why but it was (full of clutch material???). I have yet to figure out the solenoid chatter. I still have to install new cv half shafts, so have yet to road test. Lesson learned on rebuilding 3000gt tranny, Always change torque convertor! Never had to change it on the 700r4's I rebuilt

Update! Torque convertor DID NOT WORK! After installing the CV shaft I noticed I didn't have the solenoids plugged in! Just can't figure this out. Pressure control solenoid still chattering. It's the only thing left to change but tests good on bench and until I install valve body then the chattering starts.