Anyone Here Know BW35s?

[bunnspecial]

I admit that ATs have always been something of a magic black box to me with understanding how they work.

I have a relatively new to me car with a BW35 behind an anemic 1.8L pushrod engine that probably generously makes 75HP, which I know isn't exactly the most spirited driving combinations. A potential manual swap is under consideration, and I'm afraid it may happen sooner rather than later.

In any case, the car hasn't been driven in 10 years, and I finally got it to the point where I felt safe enough to take it around the block today. I SHOULD have done an ATF change before taking it out, but that got shuffled down in priorities and I may now be regretting it. My "around the block" is up a steep hill(about a half a mile) and then back down. At the end, I have to stop to open a gate, and then go ~30 feet up a hill to park.

All was going well until I had to stop(if I hadn't had to open the gate, I probably could have coasted in). In any case, it seems to either be slipping BADLY or it's not starting/going into 1st gear even with the selector at "1". Basically, I couldn't get it to move up the hill no matter how much I revved it. If I backed up to flat ground, I could build a bit of momentum and get it a few feet up the hill, but I couldn't get more than halfway up(I ended up with a bunch of people helping me push it up to get it up). With it back level now, I can get a sluggish few feet of forward and backward movement, which is as much as I dare before I get back to an incline(I don't want to have to keep asking neighbors for help pushing).

Is there anything easy I could try other than a fluid change on this? I REALLY don't want to pull the transmission out now...

 

[vwmaniaman]

It is probably gummy inside. I have used a half can of berrymans b12 in gummy transmissions before with excellent results. Once it starts working replace the fluid. replace the filter too.

 

[bunnspecial]

Thanks-make sense. Do you drive it around with that in, or just idle and shift through the gears? I'm honestly a bit afraid to take it out for a drive again unless I get this solved, so I'm hoping that the latter might help things at least.

 

[bunnspecial]

So, just to update:

I added some B12 and tried with the car on stands(I didn't want to risk burning up a band or the TC with it on the ground). It was even more stubborn about doing anything, and I could really only get any motion if I gave the wheels a push start.

I drained the pan, and only about a quart came out-the service manual gives the drain capacity at 6 1/2 pints. So, I dropped the pan and the rest kind of sloshed out. I also found a fair bit of sludge in the bottom of the pan, and the strainer screen was torn.

I spent tonight scrubbing the pan out with solvent along with chipping the old gasket off. I have the new strainer installed, but the gasket didn't want to cooperate(or probably more that I had a hard time starting bolts with one hand and holding the pan with the other while also keeping the gasket in place). I decided to put a few dabs of Permatex on the gasket, line the screw holes up, and leave it upside down to set overnight. I also got hit with the brilliant idea of putting a jack under the pan to support it while I at least start the bolts. I won't have time to work on it tomorrow, but hopefully I can get the pan on and get fresh fluid in it the next night.

IF that wakes the transmission up, I may try to drive it a few hundred miles and do another fluid drain and fill-especially I know even dropping gets less than half the fluid out.