I was out plowing the yard today, the truck has been setting all summer but started and ran like it was down for a day. I idled around pushing a little light snow and only had a few short paths that had enough there to actually work the truck at all. I might have run for 20 minutes total, nothing hard.

I ended up a little close to the edge of the lot and my front tire dropped down into a hole, I put the truck into reverse and it loaded up the engine then nothing, just like neutral. Now there is no gears, shift from park down to 1 and nothing happens, shift transfer from low to high and nothing happens in any gear.

I pulled the truck out and have it on level ground, still nothing. The gear selector moves on the transmission and I can feel the detents so it must be moving inside. there is a slight engagement when it first goes into reverse or drive but not enough to move, with the transfer in neutral and in gear it will grind a little but then stops and goes into gear so there is some light pressure going through.

The drive train locks in park so the transfer must be fine

I can see the torque converter turns so the bolts must be fine(they did come out a few years back and caused the same problem)

There is plenty of fluid in the trans

I am going to get it in the shop, I think I'll hook up the gauge to the side and see if there is any pressure. I'm thinking maybe a pump problem or input shaft.

Would the input shaft make a noise if it broke or stripped?

Any other test to do before dropping the pan to look for pieces?

Whats your guess?

 

could be the coupler between trans and tcase

 

park holds it still so it couldn't be that could it? wouldnt it free wheel?

 

yep. sorry i should have read your description more carefully.

 

Might have sheared the pump gears.Easy way to check for that is let truck sit overnight so convertor drains back see where the fluid is on the stick before starting should be fairly high up then start it up and see if fluid level goes down.I have seen the input shaft break to with no noise what so ever.

 

update:

I have accumulator pressure, it going from 50-80's when pulling the kick down cable, so the pump must be fine?

No pressure in the front servo, I can shift the lever from 1st to reverse and not even a jump.

The shift selector is broke off the steering column under the hood, I am guessing that it broke when the cab flexed when trying to back out of the hole. there is very little left to the cab, it is rotten and setting on the frame.

New question, If that shift selector was half broke and it didnt put the transmission fully into reverse then could that have blown something?

The trans did load the engine before it let go, no tire spin just loaded up then complete release.

Tomorrow I will check the other ports for pressure but do not expect to find anything, my helper has had enough for one night so i need to take her home. The truck is setting on jack stands and the rear tires will slowly spin forward while in gear, i can stop them with my hand and feel nothing from the driveline. reverse also moves the tires slowly forward the same way.

Other odd note is that there is a slight draw on the engine when its first shifted into reverse or drive, so there is something there just not much.

Can it be a broken shaft or maybe a seal or something?

What else can I check? I want to drop the pan but am not sure that is going to show much?

 

I think I did that test backwards, the front servo only has pressure when the trans is in 3rd right?

I hooked up to the rear servo like I should have and have pressure there is 1st and reverse.

It appears as though first is working now and will move the tires and create some load against the brake.

Reverse does give pressure but the tires slowly roll forward, and can be stopped with my hand.

The fluid was down couple quarts, I checked it before while in netral and it was fine, is it possible for air to get trapped in the system? the trans was out to fix torque converter bolts last year and there is probably less than 10 miles on it since.

 

Sounds like the input shaft gave up.

 

would the rear servo or accumulator be able to build full pressure with a broken input shaft?

Rear servo only has pressure when in 1st on the selector, dont think it will shift into second and 2nd on the snifter is dead.

 

rear servo has pressure in reverse too, but it is very jumpy on the gauge

guess I will drop the pan down and see if there are any parts floating around.

 

pulling big chunks of metal out of my trucks is getting old

dropped the pan and found what looks like a piece out of the front drum perhaps? Its got the grooves that hold the clutch plates in place.

guess its time to drop the trans and see about pulling it apart.

 

it was the rear drum, it exploded on the outer ring. The transmission place here in town was amazing, the guy went out and dug through some shelves to find me some washers and a drum, all after 5:00 on a friday night, cant beat that. He has never seen a drum explode like this one, it looks like its been cracked for a while so I guess its lucky to have made it this long.

Hopefully I can put these parts in and put it all back together tomorrow.

 

Well its back together and going now. got most of the yard plowed out just in time for another 3-4 inches tonight. Hopefully it all holds together.

the shift selector broke off at the column so it has a floor shifter now it works but thats about it.