Something broke...

[v2]

My transmission started shifting funny, neutral between 3 - 4th and random clunks between 1 - 2nd so, I decided to first try swapping the shift solenoids. I saw this orange bit of plastic poking out of a hole up in front of the secondary pan. Pulled it out with needle nose pliers in 4 pieces and after a bit of Googling I think it is a thrust washer. Do I need to get the tranny out and fix it or is it OK with out it for a while?

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/medium/DSC_0635.JPG

Who's idea was it to put plastic bits in a transmission anyway?

Thanks

[Thelgord]

This stabilizes a lot of other parts. Expensive parts. I would recommend not driving unless it was going to a shop to get rebuilt. Preferably a shop that is close to you. The clunk you hear is probably the main shaft moving back and forth, and I fairly certain that isn't included in the rebuild kit. Definitely time for a transmission rebuild.

[v2]

The clunk happens very rarely and only when the tranny is cold. I have not been driving it much at all lately since the neutral thing between 3 and 4 freaks me out. No shop near me wants to touch it. In fact, I have not been able to find a shop that will work on this transmission at all that seems even remotely reputable (I've even tried AAMCO). Believe me, I only started this replacing the solenoids project because of that fact.

There wasn't much crud in the pans and the fluid was nice and red. Very little mud on the magnet. The truck has less than 113000 miles. I've had two Rodeos, and a Trooper with more than double the miles on the same kind of tranny (4l30e) with out ever needing a rebuild (or solenoids, maybe that is a bad sign) so, hopefully it is just a part failure not a total loss (rebuild). Currently it is not in a drive-able state as it has no fluid, is missing two front solenoids (one is some kind of Borg-Warner part) and no front transmission pan.

After doing more research, it looks like the washer is from the pump assembly behind the bell-housing. It also looks like it is the only place it could have come from to end up in the front pan top hole. I think, all I need is to pull the tranny, get one of these https://www.sonnax.com/parts/2182-thrust-washer-shim-kit, take off the bell housing and put it all back together. It all looks easier typed than done but worth a try. If that doesn't work I will just look for a pre-rebuilt transmission. If that fails, I probably will say good-bye to my VX. I love the truck but, parts and people willing to work on the truck are getting hard to come by and I just do not have the time or the needed knowledge to do it myself (mostly time, knowledge can be acquired)...

- Now, I have got to go get me a transmission jack.

[Thelgord]

Either way i hope it works out for you. Good luck and keep us posted.