727 Rebuild recommendations

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jgchemie

jgchemie

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While my 1969 A108 van is being repainted and I'm waiting on engine parts, I have the stock 727 tranny sitting in my garage. It was parked for 14 years prior to me buying it. What are people's recommendations for it? Supposedly it ran before it was parked but everything is caked in dirt. Do I:
A) Put it back into the van once the engine is back (building a 390 stroker from the 318 case and probably adding a 2,000 - 2,5000 stall torque converter) and then deal with any problems as they arise?
or
B) Rebuild it now while I'm waiting for the other parts to be shipped and assembled?

If I decide to rebuild it, what kit should I go for? I see ATP Automotive kits for $91 to TCI kits for $290. I have a FSM for my van. What other information do I need? Special tools? Lastly, the rear tail for these vans is slightly different than most- are there any special seals in them I need to be aware of?

Thanks!
Joe

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390 cube stroker with a used unknown trans could be trouble. Or it could work fine. The only different seal is for the rear yoke. Everything else is the same.

Pull the pan and see what’s inside, is it clean or full of debris? How is the fluid? Burnt or new?

EDIT. It is ABSOLUTELY a 727. If you don’t know what you are looking at then don’t call it a 904 or 653 or anything else for that matter.

The seal? No, the special output seal is not going to be in any rebuild kit. You have to buy it separately.
 
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At first glance it looks like a 904, not a 727? Like 413 suggested, drop the pan and see what it looks like inside then determine if it needs gaskets & seals or a full rebuild.
 
I really think it would be a no brainer here !! Now is the time to do it ! I’m not saying buying the TCI kit is the way to go ! But just remember you get what you pay for !! The TCI is a good kit !
 
Rebuilding now is definitely what I was leaning towards!

So then back to my questions- do I need any special tools or literature besides the FSM? Does the TCI kit have the pieces for the tail on the A108 van?

It's definitely a 727, or at least that is what the door plate says is in the van.
 
Here are the markings on the tranny.
On the outside bell housing it reads 432-3
Inside on the plate around the input shaft it reads 3416963 L-4

Is there a decoder to confirm this is actually a 727 from 1969?

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Get a copy of Carl Monroe or Tom Hand's book (or both)!

That and a video that a member here shares.

Using a book and the video, I built my first one last year.

70aarcuda said:
If you watch this video you can rebuild a 727/904......904 are very similar to the 727 except smaller

Click to expand...
 
I built one of those a while back! Bushing was worn out so we water jet cut a new urethane rubber insert for it.

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Numbers mean very little on a 50 year old tranny. You wouldn't believe the different stuff put together I find in old automatics. That's why I love taking them apart; to see what some previous mechanic installed. Transmissions are like a box of chocolates...ya never know what you're going to find..Step one= measure end play.
 
CudaFactHackJob said:
Numbers mean very little on a 50 year old tranny. You wouldn't believe the different stuff put together I find in old automatics. That's why I love taking them apart; to see what some previous mechanic installed. Transmissions are like a box of chocolates...ya never know what you're going to find..Step one= measure end play.
Click to expand...

Measured about 20 - 30 thousandths... very roughly with a caliper (0.5 - 0.75 mm).
 
That's very little for an old trans; it's still within factory specs. Tap it in with a hammer, then pull on it.
 
CudaFactHackJob said:
That's very little for an old trans; it's still within factory specs. Tap it in with a hammer, then pull on it.
Click to expand...
Just to confirm, you talking about the end play between the drive shaft and the fix part in this image? I measured again after tapping with the hammer and got about 35 - 40 thousandths. Again- very rough measurement with my caliper.

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Yep, 727. Ive got one just like it that came out of a 73 camper van .Im rebuilding the 360 that came out with it.

Tim
 
Yes, that is correct. Now squirt some oil around where the pump meets the case and remove the pump and front drums and band and struts.
 
CudaFactHackJob said:
The shaft will wobble side to side somewhat; no problem; it's centered by the converter.
Click to expand...

I think this is becoming a weekend project, not something I do on Monday night when I have work tomorrow :)
Also, I stupidly pulled the tranny without draining the oil so I need to do that before I create a huge mess!
 
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