Classic/Antique Car Repair: 65 Pontiac Turbo 400 Tranny, turbo 400, dipstick

Question
Hi!
I have rebuilt a 389 engine with a turbo 400 transmission.During the assembly I removed all the fluid from the converter.Transmission was not overhauled.
After assembly I added all fluids as normal.
When I try to engage the transmission, the console does move thru all the gear positions, but the car will not move. I know that I put in about( 8 liters of fluid(calls for 19 quarts)The dipstick shows full when hot.I added more fluid above the full mark(1 quart). Ran the gears thru, up and down. There was no sign of the level on the dipstick depleting, and the car still will not move. Any ideas?

Thanks for responding


Answer
It appears that the front pump is not filling the converter.  The proper procedure for a dry transmission/converter is to put 7 quarts in, then let the engine run at fast idle for 1 1/2 minutes in "Park" (to fill the converter), then reduce engine speed to idle and add 3 more quarts, plus whatever additional is needed to bring it up to the "full" mark.  

You already have 9 quarts in there, and if you have run it in Park at high idle for at least this long, and the fluid is still over the full mark with only 9 quarts in there, and there is no drive, something is blocking the pump inlet, or there ia a problem with linkage adjustment (like maybe it's not really in Park?), or else something didn't get hooked up mechanically.   Did you have a problem putting the converter on the flywheel?  Like maybe the front shaft isn't engaging the pump?

Other than telling you to do the high idle routine and if that doesn't work, double check your installation, I can only guess at what is wrong.

Sorry not to be more help.

Dick.