63 Dart 904 with rear pump thrust washer question

I didn't comment earlier because right away I noticed your dealing with a early model with a rear pump which I have never been into before but Greg PM'd me asking if I might know something so I'll add what little that is. I noticed right off the link you have to Macko's site is for a newer trans. without a rear pump so that's probably why your not seeing the bearing you mentioned that locks in the rear pump. 904's had a few variations in the gear train where they used or didn't use a thrust washer and that's a part that I'm not real familiar with cause I'm mainly a 727 guy but I watched the video and see what your saying about how the rear planetary doesn't sit down in the annulus properly with the thrust washer under it. You mentioned a thrust washer with a wear pattern on one side but not the other and seemed unsure where it went. Could it go there? That's what is used in that area on a 727. If that thrust washer is splined it'll lock to the output shaft along with the rear annulus so the side against the annulus won't see any wear. I also noticed you mentioned putting a 3 tab thrust washer in somewhere where there were no anchor holes, that doesn't sound right. I have never seen that done in any trans. I've done. Generally if it's a place where there are no anchor holes and a thrust washer goes there you use a flat steel thrust washer.

I think what I'd do if I were going in blind is to assemble everything without the last thrust washer so the rear planetary sets down in the annulus good and put the circlip on and measure the end play and feel how it rotates (rough or smooth). I don't have any books that tell me the end play on the older trans. with the rear pump but the newer ones say .005-.048" and I'd bet that's the same. Personally I like to see less them in the .010-.015" range so the gear train isn't slapping back and forth so much beating up the thrust washers but anything in the range the manual says works. And of course if it doesn't rotate smooth it's not right.

Assemble it and measure the end play with a feeler gauge and feel how it rotates and post what it is.