1996 riv tranny problem

whats up guys a newbie here..lol any how i just picked up this riv and ihave to admit they are sweet rides however....when i put mine in any gear i have to rev it pretty damn high just to get it to catch a gear...once it catches then it drives like a wet dream, until i stop completely again...any help would be greatly appreciated...also...willa tranmission out of a 96 regal work..it is a 4t60e tranny..i think i might have to change out the pan thats on the drivers side in order to mount it properly...thanks in advance for any help

Greetings!

You sure its full of fluid?

Bert

yeah its full, i actually had the filter changed last night and still the same...i mean when you put it in any gear u gotta rev it for it to start moving at all, once it grabs it really grabs...fluid level is good, btw how to i check to see if im low on sc oil, and also what kind of oil do you guys recommend for the sc....thanks a mill, i have a feeling im going to be glued to this site now that i own a riv...lol

not sure on the tranny, but for the SC you need 6oz of GM SC oil or from intense or ZZP. the catch is to get 6oz of SC oil you need to buy 2 bottle from GM

actually i think you need 8oz which is 2 4oz bottles from the dealer. online vendors sell it too, but its about the same at the local gm. the level should be at the last thread on the fill hole.

try replacing the valve body on the front of the tranny. also check for vac leaks since the 96's are vac controlled. i know it sounds dumb, but you did check the tranny fluid with the car running and warmed up?

yeah i did check it with the car running...so you honestly think it could be something as minute as a vacuum leak causing all of my headaches? that would be sweet..thanks for the input guys and thanks in advance for any further info as well...

At what RPM does it start to move?

Albertj

like 4k seriously it blows...but when it grabs its great until i come to a COMPLETE stop again

and one more thing...can i use a 4t60e out of a 96 regal in my riv...i know the mounts are different but i can change the side pan for that....i already got the tranny it has been rebuilt and i got a damn good deal on it....my hopes are leading towards me being able to use it... damn i cant wait too get this thing driving good...im pretty impressed with these cars so far...well when mine catches anyway...lol

If nothing else , the internals can be swapped out into the riv case. It was done with a user on here ( derek?) on a 4t65e-hd from a gtp , so i don't see why it wouldn't work out. but that is more money for the labor however.

thanks for the help man anyone else wanna chime in ill be checking it tommorrow...i found a new site to hang in...thanks guys

anyone got anything else to check for on this ride? i picked up a boost /vac guage today.....these cars are sweet....glad i founf this site

I'll chime in for you - these trannies are known to be weak. Start saving for a rebuild.

Sorry.

so in other words i should put this 4t60 in now and start saving for the 4t65.....well thats not too promising but none the less if the one i already got will work then sweet...one more thing...whats the easiest way to drop these trannys... do i gotta drop the under carriage or can i manuever this thing outta there kinda easy?

I had my tranny out 3 times this year. You need to drop the subframe.

For 4T65Es (97-99)
See:

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/series-ii-engine-transmission-f4/exactly-what-trans-swap-to-our-rivs-97-gtp-t2042-15.htm?highlight=trans

and

I can't find the link to my transmission R&R writup... but it's here somwhere. I'm pretty sure the R&R is the same for '96 even though it's a 4T60

jrockstangs wrote:

yeah its full, i actually had the filter changed last night and still the same...i mean when you put it in any gear u gotta rev it for it to start moving at all, once it grabs it really grabs...fluid level is good,

what does the fluid look like? red? or brown and smelly?

as for the SC oil, mine went for at least a few years with 1/4 of the required oil and is still fine. These SC'ers are tough....but not our trannys.

jrockstangs wrote:

like 4k seriously it blows...but when it grabs its great until i come to a COMPLETE stop again

sounds like your first gear is slipping....BAD!

deekster_caddy wrote:

I'll chime in for you - these trannies are known to be weak. Start saving for a rebuild.

Sorry.

im guessing I got over 300hp at the crank and my 4t60E is fine. Just dont abuse it and a tranny cooler is nice insurance too.

When you dog on these trannys, the trans temps skyrockets.

jrockstangs wrote:

and one more thing...can i use a 4t60e out of a 96 regal in my riv...i know the mounts are different but i can change the side pan for that....lol

I dont know for sure, but is a 96 regal and HD tranny? I ask because the SC'ed 3800's are supposed to bolted to "heavy-duty" trannys, and a 96 regal is a naturally aspirated (a.k.a. non-supercharged) motor.
The difference? one motor puts out 40 more hp than the other.

no and the side cover is different for the rear tranny mount so im hoping just to be able to swap out the side cover from mine onto the one out the regal....as long as it holds up for a few months i dont care by then ill have the cash for a good tranny

well i started the tranny removal tonight,so far it is definitely a PITA,i got most of the shit off and tommorrow im gonna follow an r&r write up off here, it seems as if it would make this alot easier...anyhow anyone else got any other input as to whether or not the 4t60e out of a 96 regal will work aside from the side pan in a 96 riv....

well i just came in from dropping the subframeand all pulling the tranny, not as bad as i thought but still a pita...anyhow thanks for the write up on this forum...ill keep all posted onto whether or not the 4t60e works or not..thanks once again

alright guys if there is anyone else out there wondering if a trans out of a 96 regal will work in a 96 riv the answer is yes...however you must use the interior cv axle hubs from the regal and put them on the rivs cv axles due the different size spline, also the side pan must be changed.....other than that everything bolted right up and i've tested the car and its shifting great......took a little longer than expected however definitely worth the 120 dollar rebuilt trans i found in the junk yard .....now that the trans issue is over i am planning on some mods, to include but not limited to smaller puller i put some autolite 605's in today, better wires , due to the fact that im a plumber im going to have a custom 4" cai that will have2 k&n fliters one in each fenderwell, ill let everyone know how that turns out...i already put the 180 tstat....and im not sure what else im gonna due as of yet.... anyone got any input on the dual filter cai?? let me know

Sorry I'm catching this late..

One way to check axle compatibility etc is to use rockauto and look up the axles of the two vehicles in question. Then compare the inboard spline #'s.

i didnt even know about rock auto but luckily i pulled the cv axle hubs from the regal with the tranny nd i was able to use them in the riv's axles