1991 Camaro Transmission Problem

It's never good when wheels fall off. Especially just after buying a vehicle.

If you can't understand this, perhaps you should consider this car a total loss.

I can offer you no help, except to say, have someone who knows about cars look at it.

Sounds like a linkage problem, but I don't think you can fix it.

You have a twenty year old Camaro that literally lost a wheel on the day you bought it. Have you never heard of the legal Latin phrase Caveat Emptor. If you live in North Carolina, maybe you and Escape Pod can find a good mechanic. I gave a weak but plausible answer on that thread so I should do that here, too.

If you are lucky, your three wheel experience only broke an engine or transmission mount. This can cause the shifter to misalign with the chassis so full travel is not possible. If this is your only problem, an engine or transmission hoist tilting the powertrain may permit replacement the mount without removing the entire power train from the vehicle. However, you clearly did not do a very close inspection of this vehicle before you bought this. (Always check the lug nuts when buying a used vehicle.) Your car may have a dead transmission from too many hole shots by the previous owners.

You need a professional to now look this vehicle over.

Good Luck

Would you really expect the lug nuts to be missing or loose when you buy a car? I mean, do you really expect that to happen? I do know now that if I'm gonna buy a car on craigslist I should check that sort of thing, though.

Anyways, the only damage that the wheel falling off caused was the trans, the fender, and 2 trim pieces. I know I could get an aftermarket fender for $40 - 50. The trim pieces, I can probably get for $10 - 20 each.. But the transmission will be expensive. I've been thinking, and I kinda want to just switch it to a manual trans. then I won't have to figure out what's broken(?) + Manual is funner than auto. Although, that would cost probably $1,000 just for the parts.. and if I were to have it done for me, it would probably cost double.

Thanks for the help

I think you should reevaluate your knowledge and skills, cause you aren't up to the task.

Good luck.

You're probably right, but I know a lot of people that can help me. What makes you think that anyways?

Good luck, I can't help you.

You said..."What makes you think that anyways?"

It could be your signature, it's not working for you.

I believe I changed my signature after that comment was posted. A reference to THC has nothing to do with fixing cars, either.

Thanks for trying to help, though.

The transmission should not have broken from a wheel falling off. Were you driving when the wheel fell off? was the transmission working when the wheel fell off?

How about the tow truck driver? Did the tow driver need to get the car to roll when he was hooking it up? He would have removed the transmission linkage to be able to get the car to roll if he did not have the key. Talk to him personally, not hes boss, or another worker. If you are able to start the car, the neutral safety switch must be in park or neutral. If the car only drives in first gear, it could be because the transmission linkage has been moved to the furthest position away from "park" where is would not allow the wheels to roll. Good luck.

Yes I was driving it when it fell off, and the transmission was working fine, not perfectly, but all of the gears worked. Something might have been loose or something already, and that just finished it off? Idk.

I will check it out in the morning, but I think you are right about the linkage. Thanks so much!

You were right, I looked at it this morning, and the linkage is just sort of hanging there, not bolted down. Hopefully this is the only problem with it!

Thanks so much, I think you just saved me a LOT of time, and money! :)

Please read the posts from Jaguar again carefully. He has given you the best information so far. Saving two grand having a transmission overhauled will look like chump change compared to that 911 call. PEASE be safe.

PS. You can keep the time, just send the money.

Jack the car up and get someone to slowly shift through each gear position while you are underneath the car and watching the shift linkage (engine OFF obviously). The gear linking is on the driver's side. It should move a short distance incrementally each time the gear shift is moved from one gear selection to the next. If it doesn't, you have a linkage problem. If it does you have a internal transmission problem which will require professional help. If the linkage is not damaged you usually have a threaded rod and a lock nut that allows you to adjust the linkage.

When I shift it, the thing just slides across the different gears, it doesn't seem to sort of click as my other car does. (Not a click, but I'm not really sure how to describe it).Would that be the linkage?

Thanks a lot

Jack the car up and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE use jack stands

I plan to put it on ramps already when I get a chance. But I am curious as to why you put so much stress onto using jack stands, have you had a bad experience due to not using stands?

Thanks

A neighbor was working on his car and he had a stand under it. It was the cheaper style stamped steel three leg kind that use a pin to hold up the Hien. That pin allows the upper part to wobble a bit. I don't know what condition they were in to begin with but it collapsed with him under it. When the firemen jacked it up to remove him, he had been reaching up along the side of the transmission when it dropped, his arm just flopped down.

This is a case that even with a stand, although of inferior quality, working under a car was deadly.

I throw a stand under even when just changing a tire. Years ago when I was in hot rod club in Connecticut, I was using the clubs Hien-Warner floor jack and the over pressure safety valve failed and suddenly dropped. The stand caught it. I always have one stand in the trunk.

About 15 years ago, the owner of the car in my avatar was doing an oil change at the race shop. It was closing time and his brother asked if he needed to stay and help. He was told it would be alright so he left. The car was up on the floor jack without a stand. Since they always used stands, they were not aware there was a slow leak. But he was in a hurry. While he was under, he didn't notice the car slowly lowering until he was stuck and was being crushed. The car stopped lowering when the transmission rested on his head. He passed out at that point. On the way home, his brother got a funny feeling and returned to the shop and saved his life. The doctor at the hospital said he had a really hard head.

When purchasing equipment, it should be acquired in this order:

1. 10# ABC fire extinguisher minimum
2. first aid kit
3. quality welded steel jack stands, 3 ton per pair for cars, 6 ton per pair for trucks minimum
4. full size floor jack, 3 ton minimum, those cheap 3 ton jacks are too skinny and can flop over if you don't use---
5. wheel chocks
6. quality tools that won't break under load and use up your first aid kit

that use a pin to hold up the Hien. Please replace with extention. I didn't do any of those underlined-bold things either. My puter does strange things without my approval. I shall tie it up outside in the rain till midnight.

Thanks, I'll try to remember that

Something like that happened to my brother a while ago, too. He was doing the brakes on his fiance's car with her, and he jacked up one side of the car while she jacked up the other side. They used jackstands, but apparently she placed the ones on her side wrong. My brother, under the car, decides for some reason to get out from under the car. just after he crawls out, the car tipped over right next to him. And he didn't even know why he got out, but he was pretty lucky there. And now, She is not allowed to do anything more than drive, and put gas in, lol.

I can't see why she wouldn't be allowed to do anything anymore. That was a good opportunity to show her what was done wrong and how to do it right. Even though she might not have to use that knowledge often, or maybe she will, there may come a time when it is necessary, like on the side of the road or as a crew member for your race car. Attend a vintage car race and you will see many women both race and wrench their cars. Often during a race you can overhear a team badmouthing a women racer because she just passed their car.

When I was having transmission issues with my BMW, I had to search for help. The only good help was from a friend's mechanic. And yes, she is a very sharp mechanic.

She doesn't really like working on cars, I think she just wanted to do something and help him. But yeah, I've seen women do a lot.

Steel ramps are OK but I have seen twisted ramps on the street on trash day.

Instead, I have made wood ramps using two 8' 2 x 10's. Each was cut to these lengths and stacked, nailing each layer with appropriate length spikes (bolts and nuts optional). 15", 22", 27" and 32". At the front of the top layer, secure a 10" (9 1/8") 2 X 2 to help prevent going over the edge. I attached a carry handle at the balance point on the side, centered 12" from the big end, for convenience. I just happened to have some conveyor belt around and attached a piece 8" by 40" on the bottom to minimize sliding and give a place where the tire can hold the ramp in place before it contacts the ramp. That will give you ramps that won't crush or bend and can handle a motorhome (and probably a tank, _{usual disclaimer}). You can climb on and shake the car without any fear. Chock a grounded, tire front and back since you WILL have chocks. Chocks are easy. 9" 4 x 4 cut at 45 deg in the middle. Using pressure treated lumber and Thomp*** sealer, and not leaving them out in the elements, they will last you many, many years for the same cost or less than store bought and be much safer in my opinion.

On my car the vaccuum hose came off the transmission modulator and it wouldn't shift out of first gear. I called my transmission shop and they told me what to do.

Were you able to put it in park/reverse effectively? Or was it like, you turned the car on, and it would just start to go forwards?

Would you happen to remember what you were told to do about it?

THANKS!

In the case of a hose coming off of the vacuum modulator, All transmissions functions would work, with the exception of the part throttle up-shift. A vacuum modulator is used to sense the load on the engine. More load= less vacuum. With the vacuum modulator hose disconnected, the transmission thinks you are at wide open throttle, and allows the transmission to up-shift only at a high engine speed. Usually just below the maximum rated engine speed.

it sounds like a broke tranny or engine mount. either way, something has shifted in the drive train. i think the the tranny has dropped.

also, check the tranny linkage.