RE: [MV] CUCV Transmission Trouble

From: John Werner (j_werner@pacbell.net)
Date: Fri Apr 09 2004 - 23:18:45 PDT


Yes, those transmissions are pushed hard at times. I also replaced my
radiator when I got my truck. I have a couple of trailers that I pull with
mine. Had good results with synthetic ATF.
jw, '84 Ten-O-Nine

-----Original Message-----
From: Military Vehicles Mailing List [mailto:mil-veh@mil-veh.org]On
Behalf Of chance wolf

> Now after almost two years of perfect service, my trusty M-1008 Blazer
> transmission has started acting up. The symptoms started out as a rapid
up
> and down shifting from second to third while accelerating. It seemed to
> not want to shift up to third, like it couldn't find the gear.

The shift points are controlled by the Vacuum Regulator Valve bolted to the
side of the injector pump, but even with the device totally inoperable, the
THM 400 will still shift into the next higher gear at near top rpm. (Your
head will smack into the headrest when it does - but at least your engine
won't explode.)

I've had a couple of transmissions go on 1008 and 1009 vehicles, and each
went because of overheating despite the fact the cooling lines run through
the rad and the engines in both cases NEVER overheated. The transmission
shop told me that the problem was a very common condition brought about by
overheating, and told me that the Direct Drive Clutches in the transmission
are the parts that go as a result. First thing I did when I got the
vehicles back was to install the biggest independent add-on transmission
cooler I could find (NOT hung off the rad core with the plastic tie straps
they give you) and I've not had a transmission failure since.

The rebuild to replace the Direct Drive Clutches including re and re labour
was about 800 bucks Canadian when the shop last did it a couple of years
ago, but shopping around would probably get you a better deal. I did call
around auto parts places for a suitable THM 400 for a 4x4 vehicle, but the
nearest one was something like four provinces away and I didn't feel like
being stuck in Calgary while it got shipped, and then having to do the re
and re myself in 11 inches of snow.

By the sounds of it I'd say yours overheated too. Changing the oil works
for a few miles, but in the end...swap out or repair.

Also, while I'm thinking about it, every single radiator I've had in a CUCV
vehicle has been garbage, whether still mounted in its proper place in a
supposedly operational vehicle or chucked in the back as "parts" at GL. As
I said, I've never had a vehicle overheat because of it - but I've certainly
nuked two transmissions because of it. Now every time I get a CUCV in I
send the rad out to be checked as a matter of course rather than risk a
repeat of history.

('course, other list members mileage will undoubtedly vary. The film
company's vehicles are drawn mostly from the Pacific Northwest if that's
likely to make any difference when it comes to personal experiences with the
beasts...)



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