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I just bought used 1994 Dodge Dynasty with a 3.3 V6 and an OD transaxle, for my son the car has many new parts and runs and rides like a new one except for the 1-2 shift has a shudder that will shake you out of the car, unless I take off very slow and accelerate very slowly. The 2-3 shift is ok and the 3-4 has a very slight shudder. I have rebuilt a few 350 & 400 turbos im my days as a Transmission Mechanic but that was almost 15 years ago and cars have changed alot since then. Also i'm a desk jocky now engineering bearings. Just wondering if this car has an electronic shift valve body or maybe one of the clutch pack lip seals has a rip in it. Any advice from the experianced and seasoned Trans mech would be greatly appreciated.  

That trans is a 500 type trans, there is not to much electronics on this one , still mostly hydrolic, try the adjustment on the int-band.  

I know this is an old topic, but my 1991 Dynasty is doing the same thing.  Except I have another symptom as well.  Reverse acts like the parking brake is on, lot of gas to get reversing and when let up, stops suddenly.

This happened overnight, was not gradual.

Did you ever get this resolved?

Thanks.

PS: Can anyone tell me which trans I have?  1991 3.3L,  is it the A413 or A604?  

if it is a 4 speed automatic... it is an A604....

if it is a 3 speed... it is one of the A413 variants...  the numbers change do to the motor they are bolted to... with bellhousing differences...

most of the internal parts are straight torqueflite  design...


the A604 there will be a wiring harness that plugs into a block device on the front of the trans visible if you look straight down from the top... the block device is a valve body... and it is usually covered by a soft cover to block the sounds it can make...  

Going by the fact that you said its an overdrive im assuming its a 604.First of all be very gentle on the throttle until you resolve this.You dont want to burn up the intermediate clutches over something that could have been fixed easily.One of the possible problems is that someone put the wrong fluid in it.If the friction proporties of the fluid are not correct 2nd would be the gear you would notice the problem in.First thing to do is scan the computer and make sure you dont have an intermediate pressure switch code.Next go to a GM parts department and buy a bottle of GM limited slip additive.Its a little black squirt bottle about 4 or 5 ounces. It should be about $8. Squirt about 1 ounce {no more than 1 1/2} right into the dipstick tube.Most likely that chatter will be gone within a few miles.If the chatter persists or turns into a flare up then drop the pan and take a look.If the pan is clean then you might want to drop the valve body and check the 1-2 accumulator.That accumulator is on the backside of the valve body under a thin metal cover.That accumulator piston was made of plastic on earlier models {like yours} unlike the ones in the case which are aluminum.What happens is the accumulator spring breaks through the bottom of the plastic piston causing a total loss of 2nd.Yours could be just starting to crack the piston.The piston can be replaced with an aluminum piston from the 2-3 or 3-4 accumulator.Most tranny shops have 10 or 15 of them laying around they will probably give you one for free.As far as the seals on the intermediate clutch piston they are D shaped seals and they are tough.They almost never tear or get hard.While the valve body is down check the little rubber seal on the bottom of the 1-2 accumulator.That seals against  the intermediate clutch piston housing in the trans.It usually doesnt go bad but just make sure.If your accumulator has been updated to aluminum and you still have the problem you could find a shop that has a scanner that can do a CVI test.{clutch volume index}.Low ,underdrive and intermediate should be around 50 overdrive around 100  

I just realized i answered a two year old question.what a waste of time.


On your gear shift indicater is it  D-3-2-1 or D-2-1?  

Actually it's the Overdrive D then 3-L, so:  D-3-L

Also, I took the pan off today to change fluid/filter/gasket.  Here is the biggie: I found in the pan a small metal ring or washer about the size of a dime.  Where on earth would that have fallen from?

You actually answered a lot of my questions.  I know where to go from now if the filter/fluid change did not work.

And yes, my idiot-self (who actually should have known better) was using some cheap multi-purpose ATF for topping off (as the trans pan leaked).  I now have 5 quarts of ATF+4 to replace and in a few hundred miles, I'll do it again and so on, to hopefully get all the nasty fluid out.