Kenteth

Well, I was on my way to belle fouche to see a girl ( I think my car got jealous honestly...) and...

I'm running I-90 about 5 over traffic speed. In this area, traffic speed is around 85-90 anyway. Downhills running about 100. Well, This area is just outside the Black Hills, and the interstate does have a bit of elevation to it. On one hill I noticed I'm spewing a bit of smoke out the back end (I didn't worry it too much, because its usually the tranny fluid running out the overflow...) Well, than I looked out the thermo and realised I was overheating (AGHGHGHG....) Being 5 miles from the nearest exit, I decide to blow in the hot hot heat/defroster and it drops the temp almost back to normal. I was assuming at this point the radiator is clogged, or something. Just as I was turning lanes for the exit... Poof! I total cover 3 lanes of interstate in so much white smoke that cars have to stop. Well, I figure at this point that a coolant seal went, and I'm stuck 40 miles from home. DAMN. I head into the small town of Whitewood, SD. A car followed me off the interstate and helped me. I pulled into the gastation, cut the gas and the car died. I pop the hood and smoke comes everywhere off the exhaust manifold. The guy that followed me knows a guy at the local auto shop so I start her up (with no smoke by this time) and follow him there. The guy comes out and like freaks out at me. Little did I know that the underside ruberized paint on my car is on fire. He quickly puts with the shop extinguisher. He used a temp gun and found the tranny was running about 900 degrees!
The tranny fluid was heated so much it spewed out the flow, hit he exhaust and must have flamed, or something.

Anyways I let her sit for awhile, we start her up and take it for a drive. The auto shop guy said 2nd is gone, and thats when I informed him I knew that (guess I was kinda a smartass.) Anyway I told him I need to get home. He told me 2nd is gone, as probably 3rd. I ask him the way home keeping off the interstate, he gave me good directions and said it will get home long as I don't hot rod it (and drive 100!). Anways I start out and it drives just like normal, 3rd is there, but 2nd is gone just as it had been for the last 3 weeks.

When I got home I shut her down for a few hours, and than decided to do a few various things. Changed out the tranny fluid, and oil fluid. Topped the coolant.

Than I thought I would do the ATF trick, just incase. This is the first time I would be using a vac line to induce the tranny fluid. With the car off I stick a vac line from the UIM into the tranny fluid bottle. I crank the car twice and it dies. I expected itto though. I went back in the engine bay and found that in just about 2 seconds of cranking, half the bottle of ATF was now in the manifold! AGHGHG.

I replaced the vac line, and started her up, she hessistated at first, but than was fine. I had to let her sit idle for 3 hours to burn out most the atf fluid. She still spews quite a bit out at high rpm i noticed.

What I learned: The Auto Tranny in my car does not like running 90mph for more than 20 minutes. Radiator is undercooling, considerbly. My driveway is covered in black and red crud. Vac lines have a super vac.

A good thing: Manual driveline parts are on their way per SonicRat.

Have a goodnight all!