I know this topic is exhausted

1996 GMC Sierra, 4x4, 1500, 4l60e
so, I used this forum to find out my 3 and 4 clutch's and drum were trashed, I junk yarded one with just over 100k on it and I hit 5k since, had a log pop out a tranny line and lost about 4 qt in 5miles before I noticed the slip and stopped. I popped it back in and topped it off, worked great the rest of the day and night, the next day, no 3rd or 4th, come to find out at about 4200 rpms in second and let off it'll shift to 3rd and it's so hard it'll break the tires loose on gravel, otherwise 3rd feels like neutral like the last tranny, :236k, so my question is, why does this feel and act different but I'm being told it just the clutches again. Why does 3rd feel like it holds good when it hits? I'm new to the 4l60e and trying to check my options before I start throwing $$$$ at it.

 

Your valve body decides when to send fluid into the clutches to make them apply. When it does so, there is a delay because fluid must fill an accumulator cavity first. when fluid fills the accumulator, fluid pressures pushes on the piston which squishes your clutches and they engage. If your clutches are worn out, the clearance inside your clutch pack gets bigger and takes longer for fluid to build and make the clutches engage.

So bad clutches don't always cause your 3rd of 4th gear to be completely inop, they can cause a long shift too. Time for a rebuild.