904 Transmission Stopped Going Into Gear
After reading everything, these are the steps I plan on taking:
-Replace everything that comes in a standard rebuild kit, including all bushings.
-Replace torque converter. I finally started to find some places that can get them around town for around $100.
-Replace direct drum, it is heavily scored from band. Also replace band.
-Inspect composite thrust washers closely for brittleness.
-Inspect pump cover for wear from bushing and wear from sealing rings. Post pictures.
If your direct drum is bad and the pump cover is bad, plus the converter is bad...that's beginning to add up to more than another trans would cost.
Direct Drum(need): $40
Front Pump Cover(may not need): $100
Torque Converter(need): $100
Master rebuild kit w/steels, bushings, bands, etc: $130
Total: $270-370
If you know of a reputable source for a freshly rebuilt 904 for close to $370 delivered, please share it.
I don't see how you could be very adept at replacing bushings yet at the same time not be able to identify a bad one.. From the pics you've posted, I can see that too little attention is being paid to critical areas. I'm advising on this build because I like to see folks rebuild their own transmission; especially a 904 and a lot of viewers might be interested for their own build. But in all honesty, I don't have high hopes for this build if you're going to cherry pick my advice; because everything I suggest is tried and true over a span of almost forty years.
The reason I am on this forum is that I have never re-built a transmission before. I am here to learn from the experience of others as I learn a new skill. If I was an expert at identifying and inspecting the critical areas of a Torqueflite 904 transmission, this thread would not exist.
Also, advice from experienced people is sometimes contradictory, as in the case of the bushing replacement:
That pump bushing looked pretty good to me; a lot of them show copper when new.
The problem with not replacing the pump bushing is that it locates the pump gears in the pump housing by locating the pump drive cogs on the converter, so not changing it can lead to pump damage purely from the pump gears running off center causing low pump pressure and quicker drain back of the fluid when not running.
I am a mechanical engineer with years of experience designing, building, and servicing parts. I just need some constructive guidance to point me in the right direction here.
