The torque converter doesn't work in reverse, only on forward gear and only above 50mph. Cross that off your list.
Don't use synthetic oil, it's snake oil. It won't hurt anything, but it's not going to cure anything either. Draining the pan isn't changing the oil; you need to flush the entire system. There are 12 quarts, or thereabout, in the system and you'll get, at best, four of them out by draining the pan.
The pump is a gerotor that either works or it doesn't. It won't work sometimes and other times not. Cross that off your list.
There is no filter pre se in the pan; it's a screen. You can clean it, or replace it. The part number is 35330-60010 ($67.64) Cross that off your list.
Rodney's comments were directed to a condition that occurs when the transmission oil is cold. There likely won't be a piston starvation when it's warm, if it didn't occur when it was cold. What could happen is some errant trash is floating around in there and makes its way into the piston inlet when the reverse is selected. If this is the case, and I'd put money on this being the root cause, you need to
1» flush the entire system, using the pump while the engine is running;
2» drop the pan and remove the valve body, clean both really well in kerosene, and then
3» reassemble everthing and refill with fresh oil, not the stuff you used to flush the system.
Yes, this means you'll have to buy 24 quarts of ATF. Yes, it will be expensive (at $6 a quart – check Summit Racing for the lowest price). Yes, 4 cases of ATF is far cheaper than a new transmission.
You need to bear in mind that the clearance between the shift pistons and the valve body is really, really small. It takes literally nothing to clog them up. You really want to get all the trash out of the entire cooling loop, before you drop the pan and valve body, or else all the good work you do there will be for nought when you flood them with old fluid. Flushing the system only removes old fluid, it will not clean anything.
One caveat to my long distance assessment here: if your transmission slips out of gear when you're in reverse, as well as the other problem you've described, this may not be the only problem you have. The only way to determine if the clutches are still viable is to measure the action when they are under pressure; the procedure is in the transmission unit repair manual (not the vehicle service manual). You can do this with the transmission installed, after you pull the pan, but you need to make sure everything around the case is spotless, before you pull the pan. Not my preferred method, but it is doable in a pinch.
Don't use synthetic oil, it's snake oil. It won't hurt anything, but it's not going to cure anything either. Draining the pan isn't changing the oil; you need to flush the entire system. There are 12 quarts, or thereabout, in the system and you'll get, at best, four of them out by draining the pan.
The pump is a gerotor that either works or it doesn't. It won't work sometimes and other times not. Cross that off your list.
There is no filter pre se in the pan; it's a screen. You can clean it, or replace it. The part number is 35330-60010 ($67.64) Cross that off your list.
Rodney's comments were directed to a condition that occurs when the transmission oil is cold. There likely won't be a piston starvation when it's warm, if it didn't occur when it was cold. What could happen is some errant trash is floating around in there and makes its way into the piston inlet when the reverse is selected. If this is the case, and I'd put money on this being the root cause, you need to
1» flush the entire system, using the pump while the engine is running;
2» drop the pan and remove the valve body, clean both really well in kerosene, and then
3» reassemble everthing and refill with fresh oil, not the stuff you used to flush the system.
Yes, this means you'll have to buy 24 quarts of ATF. Yes, it will be expensive (at $6 a quart – check Summit Racing for the lowest price). Yes, 4 cases of ATF is far cheaper than a new transmission.
You need to bear in mind that the clearance between the shift pistons and the valve body is really, really small. It takes literally nothing to clog them up. You really want to get all the trash out of the entire cooling loop, before you drop the pan and valve body, or else all the good work you do there will be for nought when you flood them with old fluid. Flushing the system only removes old fluid, it will not clean anything.
One caveat to my long distance assessment here: if your transmission slips out of gear when you're in reverse, as well as the other problem you've described, this may not be the only problem you have. The only way to determine if the clutches are still viable is to measure the action when they are under pressure; the procedure is in the transmission unit repair manual (not the vehicle service manual). You can do this with the transmission installed, after you pull the pan, but you need to make sure everything around the case is spotless, before you pull the pan. Not my preferred method, but it is doable in a pinch.
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