Transmission Won't Engage after Rebuild

[Jarhett]

Hey All, I'm getting pretty desperate here.

I just did the infamous HG job on a 96 Outback 2.5l, machined the heads, new bolts, gaskets, de-greased and re-oiled everything, the works. Anyway, I got the motor back in after it being out for several months and now it sounds like a song, but the transmission does not engage. I got the fluid to the right level, checked all wires that I could see going to the trans (made sure there were no bent pins on the harnesses), even pulled the pan off the bottom of the tranny thinking I may have bent it with the jack (I know I did bend the pan just a little) but I can't see any damage, and when I start the car I don't get any dashboard codes or anything, so I think the wires in there are OK.

 

When I try to shift the car into gear, the RPM responds a little bit as if taking on the load, but the car doesn't even try to actually move. When I originally added the ATF after the engine was back in I definitely added too much, but I drained it and got it to the proper cold level with the car running in park (cold since I can't actually warm up the trans). I am on an island and parts cars are scarce so I am kind of limited that way, plus my spare car just went ca-put so I really need to get this guy up again. I have searched the forums for this exact problem but I can't find anything. Please let me know if there is anything that would cause this problem, anything I could have done when mating the tranny and the engine, it worked great before my dumb self tore the whole thing apart.

Thanks in advance,

-Jarhett

[GeneralDisorder]

Was the torque converter fully seated when you bolted up the engine? It should have been about 1/4" or so back from the flex-plate till the 4 mounting screws were installed. If they are not seated properly they can easily damage the oil pump inside the tranny. Same goes for pulling the engine out with the TC attached - the loads that can be placed on the tranny by doing that can easily break the pump. If that's the case you will have to find a replacement transmission.

 

GD

[john in KY]

Pull one of the ATF lines that go to the radiator and crank the engine. ATF everywhere means the pump is good. No flow means the pump is broken.