Hello, guys! Long time no talk! I've unfortunately been real busy with school which I can say I am finally done with and have now began my career as a full time firefighter for a county department! Good to see you all again! So my 1965 C-10 loves transmissions, I guess. I'm on my third one, this one a custom built TH350 that was supposed to be warrantied for a lifetime, as I shelled out $600 for this luxury at the local AAMCO place.... PROBLEM is, the shop sold their AAMCO franchise and are no longer honoring the lifetime warranty they sold me three years ago. Recently my tranny stopped going into second gear, going simply from first to third. The diagnosis is a broken sprag... a $50 part, but a $650-in-labor fix. Seeing as how this is the third transmission by the third shop (two 700R4s previously burned up by faulty mounting) and seeing as how this one made it a mere 6000 miles before its inner workings became FUBAR, I figured, what the hell, I might as well give her a shot myself. I can't do any worse!! My question is have any of you ever dove into a transmission or know where I can find info on the subject. My cousin and his buddy both went to WyoTech, so I am going to get their assistance as they have both rebuilt transmissions. Any other advise is GREATLY appreciated! Thanks guys!
i agree with mr valintine, no offence aimless, but aamco is the absolute worst tranny company there has ever been in the history of the US. ive had several friends and family members take there rods or daily drivers there, and ive never ever heard a good story in the end. every one of them had to go through hell and several trannys before finally buying a tranny elswhere. believe it or not, auto trannys are very easy to do, at first they look complicated but as you work on it youll find that they are actually very simple technology. they do require a few special tools (you can make your own) to get a couple of the baskets out. buy a b&m rebuild kit (and a shift kit if you want additional perfomance) and dump the torque converter and get a stall converter 2500-3000, youll find it to be a huge difference. the shift kit comes with very good directions, but as far as instructions on rebuilding, there are books out there that will help you. the main thing to remember is to pay attention as you pull it apart, and put it all back the same way. youll be replacing cluthes, steels, orings, and seals, and a filter, thats about it. you must pay attention to how many clutches and steels you pull out of each basket and put the same amount (in the same order) back in as you pulled them out. rebuild the pump while your there too, or install a higher flowing pump. the shift kit concists of changing out a few springs and removing a few balls in the valve body. good luck my friend, i was fortunate to be able to bring my trannys to work and have a 20 year tranny vet teach me the ropes. sorry, i have no literature for you, its all in my head
That's no problem, 66! One thing I will have you tell me is I have heard that they must be rebuilt in a clean environment - how "clean" are we talking? My dad's Morton building is too dirty, I reckon, but I don't think my mom would appreciate me rebuilding the transmission in her bath tub, and I'm not doing it in my apartment! Suggestions?
Let's just say this: I have lost my faith in ALL tranny guys. I think back to the whole reason I bought the truck in the first place - to teach myself how to work on trucks!! The longer I've had ol' blue and the more money I've made, I've gotten lazy and started paying other people to work on her for me. They don't have the same kind of respect for my ride that I do. So I'm back to bare bones, just me, a wrench, and the desire to learn! If you put all the money I've given to shops to do things to my truck into a bucket, you'd probably have enough to buy all my own specialty tools to have just done it all myself!!
as far as rebuilding in a clean environment, if you can clear off a work bench, dust it off and keep debris from other projects flying into your work area youll be just fine. keep everything covered up with a blanket when your not working on it. and remember, when you pull it apart alot more fluid will be coming out, even after you drain it. so youll want to make sure to have some rags handy. make sure to put a quart of fluid in the coverter before you put it on. the biggest mistake people make when rebuiding there trans is putting in there coverter. make sure you slide it in, put some pressure on it and turn in clockwise untill you feel it slip in, then continue to do the same again untill you feel it slip in a second time. it needs to do this twice, when you bolt it up to your engine, you should be able to pull the converter forward about an 1/8 to 1/4 to meet up to the flex plate. ive seen alot of people only slip it in the tranny to the first slot and then they burn up there pump, toasting there tranny. dont worry, its easier then it sounds to get it right.
