torque converter won't lock up

[hoofy]

I have a 96 f350 psd. It has 272,000 miles, trans was rebuilt at 150,000. I have had intermittant problems with the torque converter not locking up. I would get it scanned when the light would flash and no codes would come up. Sometimes it would unlock when I hit a big bump. I cleaned the electrical plug on the trans and it would be good for a while. Now it won't lock up at all. A few times last week it would lock up after the light would start to flash. Do I need a new torque converter?

[AlanS]

hoofy, if it were me I'd revisit that plug and make sure it's right, i.e. all the pins making proper connection. My experience with my own truck was that some of the male pins in that plug were pushed too far 'in' to the plug (away from the female socket pins) and not making contact with the socket on the transmission. This caused various issues, but the main symptom was the T/C would unlock, then lock up again randomly as I was running down the road. One or more of the pins were making poor, intermittent contact. I wound up pushing the pins back into position and the problem resolved. Of course this same symptom--or worse, never locking up--could be caused by any issue that prevents the pins from making proper contact between the plug, and socket--simply not touching (like mine), corrosion on the pins, debris (mud) in the plug, etc...

Seeing as you've already had some issues with the same plug, I'd look there first. Sure no guarantee that's it, but it's the place to start looking, to my way of thinking. Good luck.

Alan

[hoofy]

how did you get yourself in there to see the pins on the transmission end. The female part is on the plug part with the wires and the male is on the trans. The frame and exhaust are in the way. I put dye electric grease in there and it got better for about one day then didn't lock up at all.

[AlanS]

It was the pins on the plug that were pushed back into the plug. They are female. I forgot. My harness had enough slack in it once it was pulled off the tranny, I could move it around so I could see it and work on it.

Mine is still pretty ratty. The insulation on the harness is frayed on the end where the plug is so that it's basically no more than about a hundred strands hanging down, like dreadlocks, over the plug. But it works.

During my trouble-shooting and repair, before I got all the pins properly seated, I had every symptom you can think of with the trans. It shifted like a bucking bronco, I had to back off the gas to get it to shift from 1st to 2nd, it wouldn't lock the T/C at all, it wouldn't go into 1st gear--all these things at various moments in the repair process, depending I suppose on which pins weren't making contact...

[Next GenRacing]

i believe this is the problem with my new truck, its a 95, but it wont shift at all, i pulled the plug on the pass side of the tranny, and its pretty corroded. the problem is the guy before me told me he tried to clean it and broke one of the male pins off. what can i do to repair that? does anyone know how the plug is mounted into the tranny?

any help would be SWETCH.

Danny