Urgent help! Jeep cj7 not going in gear!

[Grabber Blue]

Hi I’m new to this forum but I just recently finished my Jeep restoration and I moved my Jeep outside my garage onto my drive way, which is on a hill, and I found out that my AMC 304 th350 Jeep won’t go into gear. I moved around my Transmission shifter and my Transfer Case shifter and I got nothing. I appreciate any help because my Jeep keeps rolling down the hill every time I try to drive and soon I will be in the street. This Jeep took me a year and a half to build and this is the first time I took it out of my garage so it’s not inspected and doesn’t have insurance so any advice is appreciated.

 

[shum8]

Hi I’m new to this forum but I just recently finished my Jeep restoration and I moved my Jeep outside my garage onto my drive way, which is on a hill, and I found out that my AMC 304 th350 Jeep won’t go into gear. I moved around my Transmission shifter and my Transfer Case shifter and I got nothing. I appreciate any help because my Jeep keeps rolling down the hill every time I try to drive and soon I will be in the street. This Jeep took me a year and a half to build and this is the first time I took it out of my garage so it’s not inspected and doesn’t have insurance so any advice is appreciated.

Man, I'd love to give you some help but I know very little of auto Transmission troubleshooting...... my first thought was the flex plate / torque converter. If she fires up and runs, and the Transfer Case is good, gotta be the converter or shifter linkage..... I'm spitballing here, tho.

 

[gert]

make sure your Transfer Case is not in neutral make sure your torque converter is bolted up thats about it for the easy fixes after that it gets harder to fix

 

[hole]

Start with the easy stuff. Since it's a new build, how much fluid did you put in the Transmission ? It can take a bit for the fluid to get to the converter

 

[RiverandSand]

This ^. Also did you prefill the torque converter before you installed it? The TH 350 holds 10 qts of fluid if empty after rebuild, 4 to 5 qts if just a fluid change.(assuming a stock pan) It will take little time to completely fill the Transmission berfore it starts working from a rebuild, keep filling and checking until the wheels start turning then stop let it warm up the check it again add until the level reaches "hot" fill line. Also make sure the xfrcase is in gear.

 

[Grabber Blue]

Thanks for the info I have a feeling I didn’t fill it up the whole ten quarts because it was empty before and then it started leaking at the fill tube so I’m going to try and fill it up and see if it works

 

[RiverandSand]

Around quart 8 or 9 the Transmission should start showing some life, shift between neutral and reverse as it uses the highest pressures and will help fill and bleed air out the Transmission .

 

[Basod]

I had TH350 in my old Chevy that leaked from the dipstick fill tube. It was a feed and bleed model. Add a pint at a time and then check for engagement. You won’t be able to read level until it’s on flat ground with the engine running.

 

[yleefox]

I'd place a brick or chunk of wood, behind a couple of the tires, to prevent the Jeep from rolling backwards down the hill. Or if your parking brake works, you could apply it. Once the Transmission is moving the Jeep forward, you won't need the blocks or the brake.

 

[JR74CJ5]

I'd place a brick or chunk of wood, behind a couple of the tires, to prevent the Jeep from rolling backwards down the hill. Or if your parking brake works, you could apply it. Once the Transmission is moving the Jeep forward, you won't need the blocks or the brake.

This is what I came to say... lol

This will solve the issue of it about to roll in the street part.

Others have given you the normal easy fixes already from there on the only caution I'd recommend is track what you've actually put in there too - I don't believe you want to over fill it much either, but I'm not a auto Transmission dude either...

Let us know if fluid and working the gears to bleed it through helps or not.

 

[Grabber Blue]

So I’m 17 rebuilding this project car that was frame off for my first car but my dad and brother started it and they put the Transmission and motor in and I don’t believe they filled up the torque converter with fluid before installing so I think it has to bleed out what would be the best way to do that

 

[shum8]

I think you will find your best course of action in posts 7 & 8.........


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[RiverandSand]

On edit: Agreed, the Transmission pump will fill it just don't over fill it.

 

[shum8]

He may have to get it fairly level ground. Last report was it was partially down the driveway.


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[Basod]

Does the dipstick show any level while idling in park?
Get at least a gallon or two of ATF and Transmission fill funnel- the caps with fill tubes that attach to gallon jugs are junk, drip and leak every where.

It’s hard to know how how much to add with it being on a slope but don’t overfill just a pint or so at a time with the engine idling shift from park to r-n-d-3-2-1 in between additions.
Once you hear/feel engagement check the dipstick and add a bit more, get it to a flat surface and check the level with the engine on and idling in park.
Don’t worry too much if over filled a bit it will just leak out your dipstick/fill tube.
You’ll want to check and add before each use until you have to time to drop the pan and replace that seal.

 

[JR74CJ5]

So I’m 17 rebuilding this project car that was frame off for my first car but my dad and brother started it and they put the Transmission and motor in and I don’t believe they filled up the torque converter with fluid before installing so I think it has to bleed out what would be the best way to do that

I'm going to over explain a bit of basics just in case - ignore if you already know, but we may be taking for granted that you know some of these basics, and you may not since first project car etc. Most of it has been touched on, just wanted to consolidate it for you. Again, you may know all this and my intent is not to talk down to you at all - just don't want you spinning your wheels (or want you to be rather )

1 - The Transmission fluid needs to be checked on level ground with the engine idling (running) and in Park (when you can safely achieve that).

2 - The best way to bleed air out / fluid in everywhere needed is to have the engine running, and shift from Park to Reverse - pause 5-10 seconds or so, then shift to Neutral - Pause again - then Drive - Pause etc - all through all your available shifter positions. When hit the end, go backwards back through them (Holding foot on brake pedal the entire time) - Continue filling a little bit more, and repeating until you start to feel the Transmission start to engage in both Reverse and Drive, then get it moved to level ground to continue filling to correct level on dipstick (see #1).

3 - After filling to correct level on stick, do the bleed again (#2 above) and then check it again. Add as needed. Repeat until the level remains full after a bleed process.

4 - Take it for a short drive (if you can legally) around the block seeing if it's shifting ok etc. After you drive it around short distance, then get it back on level ground and check fluid level again.

Auto Transmissions work on fluid pressure, so if you don't have enough, it's very common to not get gear engagement in any position...

All others - I'm doing this from memory - last time I worked on or maintained a auto Transmission was probably 10 years + ago - Please make sure you correct anything I said above if incorrect

:rb:

 

[Grabber Blue]

New issue: I found metal in my flywheel cover 3 small pins and a part of some type of metal gasket any ideas?

 

[shum8]

New issue: I found metal in my flywheel cover 3 small pins and a part of some type of metal gasket any ideas?

Can you post up a couple pics?

1 - The Transmission fluid needs to be checked on level ground with the engine idling (running) and in Park (when you can safely achieve that).
:

An old memory cell of mine is suggesting the Transmission should be at operating temp to check fluid level - does that sound right or am I making that up???



Sent via my universal translator

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Can you post up a couple pics?




An old memory cell of mine is suggesting the Transmission should be at operating temp to check fluid level - does that sound right or am I making that up???



Sent via my universal translator

You be 'rite'-
LG

 

[RiverandSand]

New issue: I found metal in my flywheel cover 3 small pins and a part of some type of metal gasket any ideas?

Could be parts of a starter, did you replace a bad starter?