An RE5R05A no move

The shop noticed that it picked up all the fluid so it new the converter was being filled. But when they selected drive and reverse, not even the feeling of an engagement was noticed. Could it be a defective valve body or still something wrong inside the transmission?

The unit was pulled again and all the sprags were inspected again but nothing there. The unit was reassembled without the valve body. The selector lever was placed into park to lock the output shaft from turning. The front brake band was tightened and air was applied to both the High & Low Reverse Clutch and the Forward Brake Clutch. The input shaft should not turn and it did. This confirmed an internal problem with the gear train. Something had to be stripped or broken so each and every part was scrutinized.

The center ring gear is held into the rear planetary carrier by a snap ring. Separating the ring gear from the carrier is not typically done during a rebuild. But with the problem at hand everything was coming apart and BINGO, they found the problem. Underneath the ring gear are 16 little tabs that index into the rear planetary carrier. Each and every one of them was sheared off disconnecting the powerflow from the rear carrier to the middle ring gear which drives the output shaft through the middle carrier.