Just started driving home, and it's like I bumped the shifter into neutral. No power to the weels. No gears. 4wd no effect. No bad noises, nothing. Flat bed on the way.

Your posts are good and I realize you are savy but I still feel the need to throw this out for you. The most common reason for a no drive situation on any auto is very low fluid. Its unlikey it would just happen but might take a peak befor u pay for a tow. You could have blown a cooler line and dumped some fluid... While you have the dipstick out might as well give it a sniff.

Stripped front hub and vacuum/electrical for 4wd not working?

Stripped front hub and vacuum/electrical for 4wd not working?

I thought about the stripped hub but ignored it since he mentioned no noises and nothing in 4wd. This totally possible even if the 4wd switch and solenoid were good the clutches might not be. Another easy thing to check for.

The op was made while waiting for the tow. No flood of atf anywhere. It quit on a moderate uphill grade. I rolled it back into a parking lot, sitting level, still no dice. 28 degrees. No flashlight. (D'oh!) No funnel. About a 30 minute drive home. I've been home for about 30 minutes now. Going to pull the dipstick in a few minutes . I'll update in a bit...

4wd worked a day or 2 ago. No noises at time of failure, or after. I really thought I bumped the shifter into neutral.

Does park hold on a hill without the e-brake?? Just wondering if the axles and final drive are ok.

Park holds. Fluid level normal. Did start and try it before using my backhoe to pull and push it into the garage. Absolutely zilch effect, any choice of gear.

The 3EAT likes to strip out the governor gear.  Will it move in 1 or 2?  If memory serves, the governor is on the top of the transmission.  If you search around here, you should be able to find something.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/115992-87-gl-transmission-swapconversion-ea82/?p=977899

 

This is a post with a picture of what mine looked like when it quit.  The gear on the end of it should be square.  If it looks like the one in the picture, that's your problem (or at least on of them).

No power to the wheels no matter what position of the selector. No change in idle speed. No reaction to raising the rpms.

Now that you have daylight Ide recheck the fluid again, warmed up after completely cycling through all the gears. Dont just look at the level check color and see if its severely contaminated (like it has antifreeze in it). For you to have nothing in any gear suggests a pressure problem: Failed pump, clogged filter, bad internal leak etc. 

The atf looks good, nothing unusual there. I should look at the manual... if it's the pump or it's drive, can I fix it on the car if I pull the engine?

Ide drop the pan first, check filter, see if the valve body is loos or has a blown out gasket.. What manual do you have? pm me if u need help with that. Silverhelm has rebuilt these and knows them far more than I. When I get home ill look at the 3at in the garage and see if the pump can come off easily in the front. IMO its easier to pull the motor but honeslty less work and less mess to pull the trans. Its tough to get it out from under the car without a lift. A pressure test kit would be awesome here.

I have a rig to drop the Trans. I could come up with a way to test pressure. I have full FSM for 86 and 90.

I have a rig to drop the Trans. I could come up with a way to test pressure. I have full FSM for 86 and 90.

Awesome. I guess its time to open up the FSM too the auto tranny trouble shooting section and follow the tree for "no drive in any gear". I still think you should drop that pan first. Keep us posted.

Gathered parts to connect a pressure gauge to the line pressure test port.  Need to get something to unscrew the plug.  Metric square head in an impossible location to get a wrench on.  Only a socket will get in there.  1/4" drive end is too small.  6 point won't grab it.

 

In the manual, it shows a couple of tubes that have to be pried out to remove the control valve.  It also says only re install new ones.  Are they still available?  Anyone ever try to re use?

 

Thank you everyone.

Setup for dropping transmission.

 

Here's another thread which has a similar problem.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/79273-92-loyale-3at-4wd-wont-go-into-any-gear-lost-all-gears-at-cruising-speed-on-highway/

have you pulled or checked the governor  gear for apple core yet? it lives under the dome on the trans. you know this im sure but future searchers might not

My understanding of what the governor does indicates that it would screw up the shift points, or not shift. This is not the problem.

 

Tomorrow I will be stopping at Napa to see if I can find anything to get the test plug out. When I get home, I'm going to pull one of the cooling lines and check for fluid while running. No fluid, no pump.

Here's another thread which has a similar problem.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/79273-92-loyale-3at-4wd-wont-go-into-any-gear-lost-all-gears-at-cruising-speed-on-highway/

It's not a good sign when the thread ends with the OP talking about airing up the tires in his bicycle... :-[

 

Davet on sure you'll get that car back on the road though, whatever it takes.

Here's another thread which has a similar problem.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/79273-92-loyale-3at-4wd-wont-go-into-any-gear-lost-all-gears-at-cruising-speed-on-highway/

"all the kings horses"

Haha friggen GD!

 

Im hoping this thread wont become a "manual swap" thread.

 

At this point a pressure check has become more trouble then its worth. If you really want to pull a cooler line you can but it may not tell u much. Even if fluid pukes out it doesnt mean theres enough pressure to operate the tranny. Drop the pan...

Edited January 23, 201511 yr by ihscout54

I like manual shift. BUT. Clutching annoys the arthritis in my left knee. It's way easier to maneuver in tight places and or with a trailer with an automatic. My wife can't drive a standard.

 

I rebuilt a Ford select-o-speed transmission. It is a 10 forward 2 reverse tractor transmission. Same kind of internal mechanisms as what I see in the FSM for the 3AT. Just more them. And bigger.

 

At the moment, I am half way through swapping the tires from the dead 87 to the 93 so I can drive in snow if needed. Next, pressure check. Before dropping the pan, so I don't have to back track. A 12 point 8mm socket is needed to remove the test plug.

Broken flexplate?  Guess it wouldn't start then.

 

Missing flexplate bolts?