Dodge D150 Still Shifts But No Power

From the sound of your problem, I think the torque converter has given up the good fight. Some might say the clutches/bands, while others might say the gearing, but I think that your problem is in the torque converter.

The torque converter is the device that sets up a current throughout the tranny, pushing the fluid throughout. The torque converter spins up a set of vanes that spin until the turbine blades on the other side are spinning at the same rate. Once this happens, then, items like the clutches/bands are allowed to spin up so that the engine speed matches the transmission speed so that upshifts can happen.

Of course, the gearing also takes its power from the moving transmission fluid by taking power from the clutches/bands so that you get proper shifting.

At this point in the history of transmissions, it is still some years until the complete computerization of the transmission occurs. With that said, though, there are still some telltales of things to come such as the shift solenoid packs. In 1983, things were still pretty rudimentary but the industry was well into using solenoid packs to assure that the shifts occurred with pinpoint accuracy every time, instead of relying on the somewhat hit-or-miss fashion of the clutches/band packs and gearing.

With all of this said, the biggest hint you gave me of the problem was the fact that the transmission fluid went before you even exited your driveway. With no tranny fluid, you have to motive power in the transmission. Though I don’t doubt you checked the level of the fluid, I would suggest you give it another try to see if there is anything still in the transmission. If not, then you have a serious problem. It could be overpressure caused by deposits of gunk throughout the device that builds up pressure that was only relieved by it blasting out the filler neck and, most likely, the failure of one or more hoses, as well.

It’s highly interesting that all of this should happen at the same time, but it can. So, once you have checked the fluid level, if there is any, look around to see if any hoses have come loose on the transmission or if there is fluid on the engine block near the filler neck. If there is, your transmission has serious issues that can only be repaired with the installation of a rebuilt tranny which should cure your problem. Of course, it will be expensive at $4,000 but if you don’t do it, then you have a very large paperweight gracing your driveway.