Well, tomorrow a buddy and I are gonna pull the tranny and reinstall the Yank SS3600 converter. Hopefully this fixes the issue.
*Back Story*
Merging on the highway, car downshifts to 1st, bounces off the rev limiter, won't go into OD on the way home, doesn't feel like it's stalled at all. Go to pull it in the garage next morning, tranny won't go into gear.

 

it kinda sounds like your tranny is blown man, with mine i would take off and it wouldnt shift WOT until i let out of the gas, than it wouldnt go in gear like you were sayin with yours... all i would say is check your fluid and if it smells burnt then your tranny is prob blown

 

I checked the fluid the next morning. It doesn't look or smell burnt. I knew I should have installed that damn cooler when I first did the swap

 

its best to use a lift and a trans jack. Using ramps and a car jack sucks................BELIEVE ME !!!

 

Ya, I called up my shop automotive teacher from HS and he's gonna meet me up at the school tomorrow morning and loan me some extra jacks and a tranny jack. Definitely lucked out with that one

 

Aww it wasn't too bad!! The Harbor Freight trans jack I bought definitely helped.

Tips from my install experience:

Flexhead ratchet wrench! I got 6 of the bolts easy with this. The other 2 needed the long extensions and swivel.

Grease! If you need to shim the converter.. It was a pain in the *** trying to hold the shim on the other side of the flex plate and get a bolt in! Then I had a great idea...put just a small dab of grease on the shim, put it on the converter through the bottom inspection hole...then spin the converter to match up with the hole on the flexplate! Done!

 

You need the car really freaking high and a lot of patience.

 

Jackstands all the way up will be high enough. Long extensions to get the bell housing bolts. Maybe an extra set of hands and a tranny or motorcycle jack.

 

I'm in the same boat. Will be renting a transjack in a few days to get mine out. So much for the "built" transmission. Failing twice in four months with 200hp under the rated limit was my last straw.
Oh well, at least you learn how to do something new. Every skill you learn is something else that somebody can give you a case of beer to help them with, you know? Good luck!!!

 

I got my car as high as the jackstands would allow..but it wasn't high enough...

So I had a friend help me slide the transmission off of the trans jack and onto a piece of cardboard..pull it out from under the car..DONE! haha

 

the highest part of the transmission while sitting flat on the ground is about 16.5inches tall. so the bottom of the car needs to be that high at least.

 

Yep. It's blown. Time to start saving for a 4l80e

 

if you don't me asking which "built" transmission were you using?

 

I had to go to NAPA and purchase a swivel socket (3/8 drive on one side of swivel, a 13mm socket on the other end of the swivel, one piece design). That was the only thing that I could get between the tranny and the firewall without dropping the K member some.

The socket was $22 from my local napa (small town), didn't want to pay that, but it was worth it once I got back and it fit perfect. I could get all 6 of my bellhousing bolts with that socket and one 2' long extension, and anohter 8" extension.

It's a pain taking out without a lift!

dm

 

We just swapped my t56 for a th400 and did it on the floor with jacks and stands. Wasnt too hard except the jack wouldnt go up high enough for the th400. So we had to bench it up into place but its not that heavy so it wasnt a big deal.

 

jackstands wasnt high enough for my car either.

 

How did your figure out it is blown

 

No play in the converter. Everything's still tight and power's getting to the tranny. Linkage is still tight and good. Oh well. **** happens.

 

A 36 inch extension, swivel sockets, and drop the K member to lower the tailshaft a bit. Easy as pie..... The hardest part is without a Tranny jack, lowering it on a piece of plywood on a regular jack.

What I HATE is when the trans hasnt been out of the car, and your dropping it for the first time. Those pins suck!

 

Oh yeah, line clips.....

KEEP A FINGER ON THAT CLIP WHEN YOU TAKE IT OUT!!!

If you don't, that M*&^*(&^%$ER WILL fly out of there and you may not be able to find it, it is very small and hard to find.

A small pick, grap underneath the clip, put your finger on top of the clip to hold pressure against the pick, and pull it out.

2. Unhook battery before dropping starter, or you just may get some fireworks above the starter!

3. You'll need a 15/16 socket (what I used) to turn the engine over with using the balancer bolt!

Drop tranny K member, and then get the bellhousing bolts.

And be carefull with the fill tube when removing and installing, they will bend.

Good luck.