1983 6.2 2500 4x4 transmission?

[jrector]

Hello, everyone...this is my first post...I am getting ready to purchase this truck in the morning......the transmission will not pull much at all.....slight shutter I think, may be normal for a diesel....but shutter seems almost goes away when placed in park....kinda of makes a high pitched sound...and will pull a little upon rev......any idea which trans. this truck should have? I have read everything I could.......just need a little help on deciding on what to do if I buy it? I have never owned a diesel......so needless to say I am lost....as to what to do....the body is in decent shape....motor cranks and seems to run good....I have searched every part of the internet I could and still havent gotten anywhere? The column did not show an overdrive position......which makes me think it could be a 3 speed auto....but every I read if I am reading correctly leads me to believe it should have overdrive? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Any good links to what swap or best rebuilds would be most helpful....all my friends think I am crazy and yes they drive powerstrokes...I just want something dependable, that will pull my 14' horse trailer, and occasionally hay, outside of that, just occasional driver, they keep telling me it just will not pull, much at all....I howerver like the mpg ratings I read about, the simplicity of the motor, once I become more knowledgeable, and am not afraid to get dirty.....not to mention....I like the idea of driving something you just dont see everyday....hello, again everyone....I am a plumber by trade, and will be more than happy to help with anything plumbing related in return.. Jon

[Robyn]

Welcome to TDP :)

The 2500 trucks in that time frame would have a Turbo 400, unless its been swapped out.

A TH400 will have a vacuum modulator on the RH front side of the tranny just above the pan rail.

The tranny pan is about 2-1/2" deep and has a rectangular shape.

There are no cables connected to this tranny and it should have one electrical wire going to it on the LH side.

Sounds like its shot.
Pull the dip stick and smell the fluid, if it smells nasty BURNT and is dark brown to black, then that will confirm that its toasted.

These are a great tranny, but your going to need to rebuild it.

New seals, clutches and such, a complete rebuild, including a fresh converter is in order. Flush the cooler, cooler lines and then install a return line filter to catch any remaining crap that remains in the cooler.

Or better yet, just abandon the in radiator cooler and install a new air/oil cooler up front.

Good luck with the rig, and keep us posted on how it goes.

Robyn

[arveetek]

Yup, should be the TH400 3 speed automatic. The 1/2 ton (K10/1500) models came with the TH700R4 4 speed auto, and the 3/4 and 1 ton (K20,K30/2500,3500) models came with the TH400.

Casey

[Subzilla]

Casey, my '83 K20 Sub came with the 700! :confused:

[jrector]

Thanks, for your replies.......just got truck home looks like it has a 400 3spd trans............cranks good......hope this truck will be dependable.....and not turn into a money pit.......

[Robyn]

A 400 is a good tranny. They do wear out though, but are not a tough one to overhaul.

A good rebuild, fresh converter and a shift kit from Transgo and your set.

Just be sure to clean the cooler lines and as I mentioned, a fresh cooler would be a plus.

Good luck

Missy

[jrector]

Robyn, thanks you again, for the advise.....I think its just a faulty torque converter.......actually got it to pull today drove it up the driveway, and it shifted into 2nd.....four wheel drive works good....just have to bump the throttle a few times to get it to lock in.......when it finally does the tc noise goes away......pulled pan....trans fluid looked good, and did not smell burned, replaced filter......replaced motor oil and it sounds good to me..suprised it calls for 10w 30 (is there something better?)..would it be ok to just replace tc for now to drive and make sure everything else is going to be ok and rebuild later....am very interesed in doing the rebuild myself.....but would like some recommendations on which kits and parts to use specificlly.....and the reason for wanting to do it myself is....not because I want to get out cheap...I would just like to be able to take pride in knowing that I have built everything myself...I really like my new truck...even if I cant drive it yet. But really need a little guidance from somone who has been there...I dont want to cut any corners.....is there a book, that will guide me though the rebuild in laymans terms and do I need any special tools?

[DmaxMaverick]

10W-30 is for GASSERS!!

You should be using 15W-40 DIESEL engine oil (CH-4 rated, or later). Many gasser engine oils are "CF" rated (minimal Diesel rating, and the higher letter in place of the "F" is later/more modern), which is not sufficient for yours, or any modern Diesel engine. There are other variations of acceptable Diesel oils, but 10W-30 isn't one of them. Every standard "conventional" engine oil formulated for Diesels begins with 15W-40, and branches out from there as they become more "enhanced", including synthetics.

Change it at your soonest convenience. A short period with the wrong oil won't hurt, but I wouldn't run it any longer than necessary.

[joed]

Thought I recall seeing Shell Rotella in a 10W-30 - definitely diesel rated. That was probably most recently a couple of years ago, though, so it may not be offered anymore.

I think the owners manual for my 98 6.5 recommended 10W-30 for the winter/colder temps, so it must have been available? I don't have personal experience with it, as I always stuck to the 15W-40.

Joe.

[DmaxMaverick]

There are a few 10W-30 Diesel rated oils available. Rotella and Amsoil come to mind. However, they are the exception, and not the rule. This grade is not a standard, by any definition. Your manual should advise the use of 5W-30 or 0W-30 in sub-zero climate. NOT 10W-30. 5W-30/40 is a standard dino oil, and 0W-30/40 is a standard for several synthetic suppliers.

Many/most gasser engine oils will label a "Diesel compatibility", but the rating is typically "CF". This rating is not sufficient for modern (1980+) Diesel engines.

[jrector]

WooHooo.....changed transmission to a used hd th400 I purchased yesterday he said it was from a military vehicle....New torque converter with lowered stall. (1150 is what the builder recommended)....flushed trans cooler lines with trans. flush (thanks for the tip Robyn) also changed the oil to 15w 40 rotella.....new filter on trans and engine.......Drove it for the first time tonight.......shounds great.....shifts very firm......being a used transmission.....should I drain the fluid again in a couple of weeks? And how can I check the harmonic balancer...for wear......read about it coming apart.....and also how can I fill the transfer case.....it was almost impossible with a funnell......and doesnt it use dextron II trans fluid too?
I absolutely love my truck.....my first diesel...will try to post pics soon......It needs some paint and interior work but very solid umolested truck...and found out its an 82 2500 4x4 not 83 original owner stated it was an 83 when he sold it too me....it took about 13 quarts to fill the trans.....oil pressure holding at about 40lbs after idiling about 45 minutes and two mile trip, hope this is normal...it held 80 for a long timei....it did not drop until after retuning from the trip...temp around 210. I will try to get a manual soon so I dont have to keep aggrevating everyone....That was a job.....changing all of that without a lift, not to mention by myself......I havent had to work on much for years.....I am worn to a frazzel.....but again love my truck so far...thanks again for all the tips..

[DmaxMaverick]

If the tranny history is unknown, I'd service it after a few thousand miles. Cheap price to pay for the peace of mind.

No funnel. Nothing new. Use a gear oil pump (less than $10 almost anywhere). Many bulk ATF containers will accept the gear oil pump, or use a gear oil container/pump and fill it with ATF for your service. I have a 20+ year old Sta-Lube gear oil jug and pump I use for almost all of my lube services. The rear and front diff's are no fun either, without a pump. The transfer case is serviced with Dexron-III.

Check the balancer for hard/cracked or soft/oozing rubber (between the inner and outer parts). If the rubber is smooth and in-tact (no missing chunks or cracks) and similar to a tire sidewall, it's probably fine. It should be consistent all the way around, with no bulging parts.

[Robyn]

Glad to hear all is well.

Did you install a return line filter on the tranny cooler.

This is important as the coolers can and do harbor loads of crap that accumulates, especially after a hard faliure.

You can remove the lines from the Radiator/cooler and stuff them in a bucket, have a helper fire the truck in NEUTRAL (park brake set) for a second or two to see which line delivers oil, then install the filter in the other one.

Any crap left in the coolers will eventually be washed back into the new tranny.

Some boxes dump the cooled oil back into the pan and others use it as the lube circuit for part of the tranny.

At any rate, a return line filter is a must after a failed tranny.

The tranny shops can sell you an "Inline" filter. These look like a giant inline fuel filter.

OR better yet, install a unit with a spin on element somewhere on the inner fender and plumb it in.

Every time you do an oil change, swap the filter on the remote tranny filter assembly and top off the fluid.

This will drastically clean up the tranny oil. The filters in the pan are little more than "CLOD SIFTERS" and do let a lot of crap through.

Auto trannies have a lot of very close tollerance valves and such that do not like metal particles.

The TH400 has a cast iron Valve body and is far more forgiving than a 700R4 or some of the other units, but still susceptible to issues related to dirty return oil..

I would say, add the extra filter, run a 1000 miles or so, change the extra filter, drop the pan and take a peek there, change the main filter in the pan then refill with oil.

Drive another 1000 miles then swap the extra filter and top off, from here on I would swap the extra filter every oil change or every other change and call it good. (engine change)

Very cheap insurance policy for your tranny.

Even on a spanky new tranny, if you add a remote filter and open it up after a few K miles, you will be amazed at the crap.

The custom furnace brazed HD rebuilt converters are far better than the stock ones, as the blades in the Pump section and the turbine sections of the stock converters are not welded/brazed into the torrus and move some.

This movement causes small amounts of metal to wear off and become suspended in the oil. Also the clutches, bands and other components wear some and shed crap that becomes suspended in the oil.

If you add a spin on remote filter, you can use a remote engine oil type, but be sure is has a bypass feature, at least in the filter itself so that the cooler circuit does not become starved for oil.

The oil flow from the converter (source of most all of the heat) goes to the cooler then back to the tranny and must be kept flowing freely.

Have a great day.


Missy