TH400 Rebuild Questions, AGAIN!

[Crazy_Jeepman]

I am down to P R N L. I pulled the pan off and things looked ok at first. After closer inspection I discovered what looked to be a half a tube of Blue RTV silicone had been squeezed in one corner of the case. This stuff should be OUTLAWED in the hands of some people! After I scraped it all out, I discover the case is cracked! :mad: Looking further into it I see the whole case has hairline cracks in it. JUNK! :( OK not a big deal for me I have a couple spares. However, I would like to have a rebuilt one since I have a New Motor in this rig. Some of you have rebuilt the TH400 yourself, to you guys my Questions are. What special tools are needed? What was the cost of the tools and video tape, as well as the rebuild kit? Did you do anything in the way of a shift Kit? If so what did you do and how does it perform now? I can put a TH400 on the bench of a local Trany Shop and have it rebuilt for $400.00, so I guess I am trying to figure if it is worth the effort for me to do this myself, and any upgrades I should consider. ;)

[Gladi8r]

If time is a problem(as it usually is) I would pay the $400 for your buddy to do it. It can be built without special tools if you use your head a little. Last time I checked on a kit, it was about $70 and did not include the converter. Besides, with the tranny shop doing it I would imagine you get some kind of warranty :D :D

[River Beast]

I have my trans rebuild kit on my bench for NAPA... $45 no hard parts.

There is a lip seal installer that is needed for the clutch assemblies... without this tool I hear that you can not do a proper assembly as the seal will not be installed correctly and will not do it's job. I have a video coming (Thanks Bart ;) ) that tells of the special tools.. I think that's all that's needed though...

New converter is about $70....not bad

[porkchop]

I am running on a fairly rebuilt tranny, it was done about 1000 miles ago maybe even less. A fellow board memember was kind enough to come down and rebuild it for me (thanks gsmikie). He brought down a couple of his special tools. One was a lip seal installer and the other was a clutch pack press. The first one you cannot do with out! The installation of the lip seals must be done right or the tranny won't shift. The second you can get creative with some "C" clamps and a little afro-engineering.

I bought a rebuild kit from a guy here in town for $71. That included all the seals and the hard parts just minus the steels. The only reason I rebuilt mine was because I was putting in a new tail shaft for the D18 install. I could not have done it without gsmikie. You should email him for some pointers. He owned a tranny shop for many years until he retired.

[Maynard]

if you do it yourself the best tool to get is a good book on tranny rebuilds, ill dig up mine and let you know who makes it, a video is good but I feel the book is better, you can have right by you when you are working. I didnt use any special tools on mine, on the lip installer a feeler gauge and a whole lot of patience will work. Dont forget to sand down the metal disc in the clutch packs, if you reuse them. I am drawing a blank on prices, it was too long ago. I threw in a transgo shift kit which I think was 50 bucks, and I think the rebuild kit was $70, not sure thow. be careful when removing the valve body so those **** little balls dont take off. I took pictures of where the balls went before I took them out so I could get them back in the right spots.

I rebuilt mine about 5 years ago, and have had absolutley no problems with it. It took me a full week with working on it about 4 hours a night, I went very, VERY, slow since it was my first stab at it.

Thats all I can remember for now, hope it helps.
Alex

[gsmikie]

you will need a clutch pack press to change the lip seals as far as a feeler gauge you can use one to install the lip seals but you run a 80% chance of cutting the seals in the first and second clutch pack you can use 2 c clamps for a press but it is a pain in the *%^*#&$@&%#^#^@ matco and snap-on sell both they are spendey ($500.00 for the set up when you buy your kit get it with the steels ($15.00) more and well worth it or you could come out to az and ill do it for you i feel like i owe you one when you take your trans apart in the front and second clutch pack it there is a wavey band spacer under the clutch plates discard it and replace it with clutch plates and steels they come in the kit when you get your kit get the one with viton/kevlar seals need more let me know

[gsmikie]

also check the movemont of your govner and the gear on it since you dont have 2-3

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Well thanks a lot everyone. I love the info one can get here. gsmikie I would love to make a trip down, but I imagine it would be a long haul in L. I wont rebuild the one in my Chero as it is all cracked up :eek: I never seen one like this before. Anyhow I have two spares, and one that was a rebuilt but FILLED Up with water, (Don't ask) I drained it right away and filled it with ATF and left it. I could not start the rig (water does NOT COMPRESS) so I could not test it to see if it would work or not. What are the odds of it being still good? Sitting FULL of ATF for about 1 1/2 years :rolleyes: I do not believe I am up to rebuilding a trany I really don't have the time as Don pointed out. ;)

[porkchop]

Hey, Mike, Told you he would know.

Pete, did you fill it all the way to the top or is it just serviced?

[Crazy_Jeepman]

I filled it, till the ATF fluid started to leak out the tail shaft with T-case removed. I salvaged the T-case, it was full of water too. ;)

[porkchop]

Did you turn the pump at all to get the new fluid all through out the tranny? If so and you replced the conv. then I would think it would be good to go.

[jeepbob]

CJM,
if you got a little time come on down and we will build you a good one for about $150 and you buy the beer. We have the tools and the parts.
BTW when Mark (my cousin)and I built mine we went with a better grade of parts (kevlar clutches and bands) and the shift kit. This tranny can snap your neck as well as power lock diff carriers. I am able to turn the 33's going into 2nd and chirp them going into 3rd. If you want one like that it will cost a little more but not a whole lot.

[Stolen76]

I just finished building mine today. It's not back in yet, will be tomorrow. I picked up a kit with all seals, new steels, Raybestos clutches and bushings for $80. Took me about 4 hours without any special tools, and a haynes transmission book. It was my first, but after seeing how it all worked it won't be my last.

I did the seals with a dental pick, not really a special tool. Stuck the clutch packs together with 3 c-clamps

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Well again thanks a million, for the tips and offers. I am not going to rebuild one, I am just not up to it. I have way to much other things on the go to do it. I am going to take a chance on the rebuilt one I have that was filled with water, I hope this will not be a mistake. I will pull the valve body and replace it, put it in and hope for the best. I have two more spares in the event it does not work. jeepbob I may take you up on your offer at a later date. I will have to be going to Anne Arbour for training this fall. I may bring a spare Trany for my 70 Wag and have you do it up RIGHT!! At any rate I will be bumming a coffee or two all the way down to Anne Arbour So trany or not I will be stopping by........Should I bring a trailer I wonder???? Well yea I will!!! I never leave home without it!!!! :D :D

[jeepbob]

cool

[Rogue]

get a torque convertor for an Alison 540 trans, same as a 400, its commonly known in trans shops as a RV/Motorhome 400 torque convertor, it is extremely heavy duty and has all the nice things that "high performance" torque convertors have - furnace brazed fins, roller bearings, etc, etc - without the "high performance" price, i bought mine from the trans shop i worked at for $135. the trans shop i worked at the guy who showed me the ins and outs of the 400 highly advised against the Kevlar clutches - wouldn't tell me why just looked down at his feet and shook his head - he has 25 years trans building ( regular and high performance ) experience so I wasn't about to dismiss his advice. and DEFINETLY throw out the "wavy washer" when you rebuild, Jeff

[gsmikie]

if the trans just sat with water in it it depends how long if it was a week or more drop the valve body if it was a day or 2 then you put atf in it it should be fine also try the gm6 converter it has 6 flex plate lugs and all the good stuff it is the trans gm uses for 11/2 ton and up trucks with a 2200 stall speed the gm 3 converter has 3 lugs and a stall speed of 1900

[jeepbob]

Like I said, a higher stall converter I was going by my replacement parts book.
BTW the V12 Jaguar uses the same higher stall converter so if you find a Jag in the junkyard..... :D