2001 ECSB 2wd 1500 5.3 4L60E

When taking off forward or backward, I could feel some teeth non engaging properly or something. It felt just like when the spider gears broke. Once it is up to speed, it goes away. So I drove it back to her house to see what I could find.

I opened the differential and everything was good. I lifted the wheels off the ground and put the trans in neutral and twisted the driveshaft with my hand. It would only turn forward. It would not budge in reverse. I thought maybe the pinion bearing had failed.

So I disconnected the driveshaft and the pinion was fine. The binding was coming from in the transmission.

I started it and put it in reverse and it would not move. I gave it some gas and it eventually made a loud pop and moved, but I could still not turn it by hand.

This is not like losing a gear or frying clutches. It feels like some teeth have broken somewhere. It still has all 4 gears and reverse and I can feel the gears immediately engage when I move the shift lever.

Since it happens in forward and reverse, I'm guessing there are some teeth broken on a shaft somewhere in there and they just haven't completely broken off yet. I hope this is a common problem so someone can diagnose.

Thanks for any help.

 

I'd say pull the trans pan, you'll probably find metal in the bottom. Most likely gonna need a rebuild.

 

Yeah, it's obviously got something broken inside and will have to come apart.

I'm just hoping someone will know what is broken based on my description.

If it sounds like a busted output shaft or something easy like that, I will just try to fix it myself. It doesn't seem to be anything in the valve body or clutches.

 

does it have a whining noise?
sounds like the planetary, mine wouldn't move in reverse and then popped real loud. That pop was the rear planetary gear.
300 miles later all i had was forward 1/2/3. No P, R, or OD. 150 miles later. nothing

 

My guess is planetaries, but if you pull the pan and post a pic, it will tell more.

 

I won't be going back over there for at least a week, but I'll be sure to PM you if I get some pics.

 

do you hear a metallic grinding noise?

I noticed tonight I was having a grinding noise with the trans in D or R with my foot on the brake....hmmm...went away in park

 

Yes there is a metallic whining noise in first gear. It would stop when it shifted to second.

Does it sound like a planetary is broken?

 

Yup. that's exactly what mine did. But it was broke bad. it would whine really loud and i'd throttle through it, when It shifted it was quiet again.

Planetary was destroyed, Took out the sunshell and the shavings scared up the pump and burned up the clutches