New-to-me '85 K10 with tranny issues - where to begin?

[cptmoney]

Hey all -

So I've been sniffing around, peeking in back yards and driving alleys looking for a solid K10....and I've found one.

Problem is, the tranny is doing all sorts of weird voodoo! The truck is a 305V8 with a 700R4, with roughly 125K miles. Body is SUPER straight and it doesn't look to have been terribly abused - but it doesn't necessarily look pampered either. Transfer case refused to engage as well; just grinding sounds when I attempted it.

The truck has been sitting for several years, and was super low on fluid. I drove it around the block and it was slipping like mad. Low fluid was my initial thought, so we topped her off and took her around the block once again. Same slipping.

Is it premature to jump straight to "yank the tranny" mode? Are there obvious things that I might be overlooking, just because I'm a rookie to all the this tranny business?

The trans fluid didn't smell burnt, but to be honest there wasn't much in the tranny when we checked the fluid level.

I've got an extra 700R4 (the later rainbow case/K case) that is SUPPOSEDLY good - but I never saw it in motion. This is another question for another thread, but do I go through the work of installing it just assuming that it's good? Or do I swing it by the local tranny shop and have them take a peek before I go through all the work only to find that it's NOT good?


Where would you guys start? What should I check first?

Thanks for your help with this one - I imagine I'm going to be hanging around here a lot.....so I may as well get comfortable with this place!

[1967KaiserM715]

For the tranny you can try readjusting the tv cable, but chances are better the tranny is shot.

For transfer case there are a few things to look at-transmission mount if bad can pull shifter out of alignment and make it hard to shift, second the shifter could just be Misadjusted or third the shift pads are bad.

On second thought, the whole transfer case might be the issue, not the tranny, especially if the sun gear broke in the transfer case. Gives almost same symptom as a slipping tranny sometimes.


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[cptmoney]

OK - sounds like something worth trying.

I don't know why.....but I've got this gut feeling that the tranny is going to prove to be smoked.  It has been sitting for a long time, unused, and sitting with little to no fluids.  That can't be good. 

Add to that the non-functioning transfer case, and things are adding up for a truck that just needs a little extra lovin'.  I can't complain, as I'm into the truck right, so there's room for just such a rebuild.  Im just lazy - and didn't want to have to deal with it!  Haha. 

I'll post a pic of the tranny I have right now.  It specs out to be a later model K-case, perhaps a 1989 model.  That's what I'm figuring it is.  I think I'll get in touch with the transmission guy and have him wave his wand over it.  Let's get this train in motion!

Either way I want it to be right, meaning dependable and reliable.  If I have the transmission evaluated (and perhaps completely rebuilt) by my local tranny guy, and also get the transfer case dialed in, then I'll have some peace of mind knowing those two pieces of the puzzle are dead on.  Might be something else that needs sorted - but I can scratch those things off of the list!