Success!...Well, sort of. I drilled a hole through a black rubber stopper just large enough for the tube of my hand pump to pass through. I put that in the fill hole and was able to pump in an additional 5.5qts of ATF - that's 8qts total at this point. It pumped in very easily, no issues with pressure. Then I ran out of ATF. Right now the truck shifts into all the forward drive gears and works. Still slips in reverse so I think I need to add more ATF, which I will do tonight.

So, it looks like the award goes to Dane! for the correct answer on this one.

 

I am full time military. Last year I helped manage the restoration of 154 m998 (hmmwv). One of the mechanic teams had a trans issue, they changed the fluid, did the service. When it came time to move it out it wouldn't move. They came and discussed it with me and when I walked into their bay I immediately knew what the problem was.


I stood next to the vehicle which was next to a small table. I picked up a new trans filter sitting on the table. While I held it and played with it I asked them some questions... how much fluid is in it? Did you add the right kind?...I then got really stupid... like asking if they discussed anything with the truck before they started it... it might be the trucks day off.








Finally, I asked why I was holding a new trans filter...

 

I'm glad you fixed the problem by forcing in more fluid. I wouldn't say your Transmission is totally in the clear if you don't have reverse though. Hopefully more fluid will solve that also.

How are you making sure you are not over filling the transmission by completely plugging the fill hole like that? I thought that the fluid coming out is supposed to tell you it's full. Did you just do it like that to get the fluid up in the pump then let the rest drain until a 2mm bead came out?

I think we need to look into why so many people seem to have trouble filling the transmission back up after changing the filter. Can the new filter be filled up prior to install similar to an oil filter to help prime the pump?

Maybe the new o-rings are not being install correctly.

 

^^x2^^

 

A weak pump wont pull enough fluid up and it'll act like its full, when its not. Although when full it'll drive fine, my brothers 04 had this exact problem. Worst comes to worst, the tranny will shoot fluid out of the breather

 

Thanks for all of your comments and advice! The truck is back up and working. I had to add just another .5qts before I got reverse back. I've put about 100 miles on it since the other day in all sorts of traffic and speeds up to about 80. Flawless shifting - back to what I had before "the incident." Pulls strongly through all the gears.

@Jared - I estimated how full I was based on Dane!'s comments about how much it took to fill his tranny. I checked after every qt added and when I got close every few pumps. After a few pumps I got the dribble I expect. As to o-rings: I checked and rechecked those assuming a bad one or a slipped ring would be like sipping through a straw with a hole just above the water line. Nope - all good. I used OEM equipment and there were no nicks or tears in the o-rings and the filter flowed freely.

 

@Shanechevelle: Are you a 91B?

 

The job really sucks sometimes. I'm glad you got it up and running.

 

X2^.. I find that very few repairs on my beloved Disco go as easy as the rave make them out to be. I love to hear happy endings to repair threads.