My trans will not shift into 2nd. The trans starts slipping over 20 mph, if I kick into passing gear at about 15 mph it will get up to about 40 mph then start slipping again. 179,00 and some oil on trans pan but none on the ground.

 

Seems like a rebuild or recondition. The 4l60E is an electric controlled computer shifting trans. If it bucks or grabs hard, then thats one thing. But if it slips, thats usually not a line pressure problem but a clutch problem. If you have done heavy towing in the past, 2nd gear doesn't like that too much as when your infirst gear or reverse, they use the large clutch pack in the rear of the trans. So when your manual low, even the pressures are higher for on demand assist. When the trans goes to second, it usually from the factory is a soft shift and slides into gear. If your towing and dont have a "tow" button on your dash or shifter lever then the trans will just soft shift and slip the clutches and slowly make them hard, burnt and wear out over time. especially if it's a 4x4 with big tires etc. With not knowing your situation about your truck excpet your "slipping" that's the worse thing as it is not a quick fix. especially if you drove it contnually over and over as the clutches glaze over and the material just burns away. The material on each clutch is about the thickness of 2-3 pieces of paper on top of each other. Not much. the only thing that keeps them together is the line hydraulic pressure to the piston that is hydraulically pushing the piston onto the clutch/steel plates against another solid space like the inside of a drum. So, when an automatic starts to slip in any gear, sometimes your shift solenoids will work slow and release one solenoid (like going from first gear to second) and when it turns on the other solenoid and it's not working great, it slowly fills that 2nd gear clutch plates and makes it slip. Over time, this will just burn up the clutches.

Pull the dipstick and smell the fluid. If it is discollered and smells burnt, there is nothing that will fix this except a rebuild or recondition. A rebuild is going through the entire unit. Usually at a cost of $2k or thereabout depending on where you live and how much the trans shop is gonna get ya for. A recondition is cheaper as only the parts that are worn out will be replaced such as the clutches and steels. just remember.. the trans shop doing a recon will use USED clutches and steels and other parts to save them $$.

There is 3 ways about this....

1.) have it rebuilt 100%-should come with a one year warranty-includes all labor and fluids and flushing of trans lines and reman converter
2.) buy a GM reman unit-it has all of the updates and a 3 yr warranty- does not include labor to R&R and fluids (11.5 qts)-comes with new or reman converter
3.) buy a used wrecking trans from a country wide (LKQ) dealer. They will find you the best price, more milage means less $$, but you take a chance on high mileage trucks,
or better yet, you buy one that was already done as they go buy the odometer and not by looks. They also have a 1 yr warranty, but will NOT cover labor to R&R it or fluids.

It all depends on your budget or lack of one.Plus a lift or someone to install it.

Good luck!

If it were me, with a 23 year old truck, I would go wrecking yard if you can pull it out yourself.