1971 280 sl Trans issues

[Mark Sean]

fellow members - replaced the bushings in my automatic shifter - noticeable differance in  crispness of the shifting - however did not solve problem,

 Car only has 1st,2nd and reverse - no 3rd or 4th gears.

fluid level appears red and fine - no smell, 77k miles so i would not think trans would fail..

is it worth it to try and change filter and fluid?

What else could be the issue besides a rebuild?-

any recommendations on a fair repair shop in metro detroit who can rebuild what i have as its the original?

thanks in advance for your input.

[ja17]

Hello Mark,

The first thing I would do is remove the transmission pan and check it for any debris or broken parts.

I believe the rear pump in the transmission supplies pressure for the higher gears. There was a post here not to long ago. Someone in the group opened up the rear case and fixed their transmission with it still in the car.

Anyone else remember the post?