1990 Legacy (AWD) A/T slipping on 2/3 shift

[Kenneth1948]

Have been driving car since purchase in February with about 150K, with set of rebuilt injectors has been running very well for about 8000 miles.

Tranny has started to give problems:

1/2 shift is fine.

2/3 shift is slow and seems to slip before accelerating in 3rd.

Drained the fluid and is clean and doesn't smell burned.

 

1. I have not removed the pan but can do this and look for problems there. 

2. Searching this forum I found references to a transmission filter that can get clogged?

3. Early Legacys were prone to blockages in fluid lines to radiator??

4. There is a band adjustment but you have to remove the cross member and lower the tranny to get to it?

5. Is the band adjustment likely to resolve this problem?

 

Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Kenneth 

[presslab]

Clogged cooler will burn up the clutches, but by then it's too late and unclogging won't fix the trans.

 

The band adjustment is for the 1-2 shift.  The 2-3 shift uses the "high clutch".  There is no outside adjusment for this.

 

It won't hurt to pull the pan and clean/replace the filter screen, but new fluid and a flush could make it worse.  In any case I'd bet your high cluch is shot, time for a used tranny or a rebuild.  Be sure to check that the trans cooler is not plugged up when putting the trans back in.

[heartless]

90 has the external filter - there isnt a "filter" inside the pan

 

external filter resides on drivers side inner fender area - look straight down between the engine & washer bottle.

[presslab]

If his car had the TSB #16-55-93 applied, then yes there is an external filter.  I'd bet most don't have this filter, though.  There is also a filter screen inside the oil pan, I can't imagine why you say there isn't as all 4EAT have this.

 

A new one can be purchased here:
www.amazon.com/Wix-58969-Automatic-Transmission-Filter/dp/B000C9ULU8/

 

But the most insidious filter screen is inside the radiator - this is why the TSB external filter was added, to keep the little screen from clogging up.