Tranny repair shop recommendation needed - Phoenix area

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I'm just to give a scale of a timeframe...
Another member that coached me a little bit when I did mine managed many transmission shops in the day said that if one of his guys couldn't rebuild at least three of these in a day they wouldn't have a job very long. Now with that said I wouldn't expect any of us with non professional tools to do that but in the long scheme of things if it took you a week or so to play with the internal parts and get it right you can imagine the care that will be given...
Besides maybe buying a couple quality snap ring pliers there's really only one special tool needed to release and compress the rear drum... Instead of buying that tool I used a piece of c shaped metal and my vise...
I use this same exact technique on an old Ford 2 speed transmission as well...
I'll see if I can find a picture...
View attachment 1715662268
So you can see the piece of c metal pushing against it in the vice?.. it was just a little too narrow in the spread so I had to put the piece of metal on the floor and hit it on its back side to spread the little legs a little further apart to get the perfect spread to cradle... But very simple instead of buying some fancy-schmancy tool...
View attachment 1715662269 View attachment 1715662271
Don't get overwhelmed just take one section out at a time then rebuild each section one at a time and put them back in one of the time. Bag and tag all your little parts and take plenty of pictures...
Not trying to criticize, but let's not start him off with a terminology
Problem. The drum you need a special tool for is the front drum, not the rear. The rear drum is sometimes called the forward clutch as well.
 
If you watch this video you can rebuild a 727/904......904 are very similar to the 727 except smaller

Thanks for the link. I watched it and it looks kind of scary, but like others said I will take my time and lots of pictures and notes.
 
[QUOTE="j Besides maybe buying a couple quality snap ring pliers there's really only one special tool needed to release and compress the rear drum... Instead of buying that tool I used a piece of c shaped metal and my vise..[/QUOTE]

After watching the video, I see exactly what you are talking about, and I agree that your method should work fine. Thanks!
 
So... after watching the video that 70aarcuda posted I will take it apart before ordering a rebuild kit - think it is better to see if it is worth rebuilding first and if it needs additional parts. From what I see, a Transgo TF-2 shift kit will make it shift smoother than original. Is that right?
Thanks again.
 
So... after watching the video that 70aarcuda posted I will take it apart before ordering a rebuild kit - think it is better to see if it is worth rebuilding first and if it needs additional parts. From what I see, a Transgo TF-2 shift kit will make it shift smoother than original. Is that right?
Thanks again.
Actually the opposite the smoother it shifts the more slippage it gets to make it feel real comfortable... You wanted to shift quicker and not in a jolt situation but a quick shift that doesn't allow the clutches to slip. Kind of how on a stick shift you can ease the clutch out extremely slow and make a really really smooth take off but that's really letting the clutches wear against each other. As opposed to just kind of a firm shift that's not allowing a slip but yet not dropping the clutch....
and yes I'd probably got that wrong it's likely the front drum LOL it's been a while but you'll know which drum it is when you get in there. .
The shift kit has everything to do with the valve body when you're putting it back together so you'll have the main guts of everything back in there with the pump on the front long before you get to the shift kit... And my personal recommendation is to buy the shift kit and not do any fancy footwork... K.I.S.S. .. would be my suggested policy the first time around...
 
TF-2 kits are great if you don't mind cleaning aluminum chips out of your valve body passageways...and grinding a few parts by hand...you're not gonna like it.
 
TF-2 kits are great if you don't mind cleaning aluminum chips out of your valve body passageways...and grinding a few parts by hand...you're not gonna like it.
I've done several of these kits and I had them apart and was cleaning them out anyways.. needless to say if they ask you to drill a couple of holes you're going to clean the passageways out.. in the picture you noticed my couple cans of Walmart dollar 98 carb cleaner...
I don't remember grinding any parts by hand but I'm not saying you don't have to..
I'm just trying to get the guy to follow along a proven method with instructions and great tech support if needed...
If you have some other method of doing this then spill it out and let him make the choice I guess...
 
Just drill the separator plate (no particles enter the vb) and install the accumulator piston into the case; then the fat spring; no other; optional a 5/8" length of 1/2" id water pipe inserted into it. The TF-1 kit says to grind around the governor valve; plus grind off the edge all around the low/reverse piston...too much of a pita. Most vb separator plates have tiny feed holes for the 1-2 and 2-3 shift; and enlargening them does more than anything else to improve the shifts. I do that to every TF without asking; gives a cleaner shift and usually second gear scratch at wot.
 
Just drill the separator plate (no particles enter the vb) and install the accumulator piston into the case; then the fat spring; no other; optional a 5/8" length of 1/2" id water pipe inserted into it. The TF-1 kit says to grind around the governor valve; plus grind off the edge all around the low/reverse piston...too much of a pita. Most vb separator plates have tiny feed holes for the 1-2 and 2-3 shift; and enlargening them does more than anything else to improve the shifts. I do that to every TF without asking; gives a cleaner shift and usually second gear scratch at wot.
778446-c275d76c59acd333827a86f5233ad7f9.jpg

^^^I actually saved a couple of these pictures on my phone because I took this kit to Colorado and put it on my son's Power Wagon... I wanted to show him that we had to grind that part and drill a hole... No big zip... Rebuilding the entire transmission or just putting in a shift kit I would want to completely and thoroughly take the valve body apart and clean it..
the kit is a bit intricate but when you follow everything and make all the adjustments that are laid out one by one it makes for a great transmission experience. Thought just the up shifts but the down shifts as well..


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I discourage any valve body work at all on a person's first build actually. It takes patience to check every wear surface; a lot of pics need to be posted. Just taking it apart and reassembling it is not the problem; we don't want to reinstall bad parts. A few problems and holdups is usually all it takes to discourage most. Biting off more than one can chew will result in running out of patience;..the beginning of the end of what could have been a notable build..
 
I discourage any valve body work at all on a person's first build actually. It takes patience to check every wear surface; a lot of pics need to be posted. Just taking it apart and reassembling it is not the problem; we don't want to reinstall bad parts. A few problems and holdups is usually all it takes to discourage most. Biting off more than one can chew will result in running out of patience;..the beginning of the end of what could have been a notable build..

I agree. While the shift kit would make it better I am going to skip that. I bought a new Barracuda in 68 that had a 318 and torqueflight. It shifted really nice so I expect this one will be plenty good for me. Thanks for all the help.
 
it's always good to know how the trans was acting before.

It leaks like crazy and even when filled it hasn’t moved the car except for once when it hit reverse for a second. Most always it seems to be stuck in neutral. Sometimes it locks up in Park like it should but not always.

The guy I got it from apparently has little clue how to work on cars. He was trying to get the engine running when I bought it but couldn’t. The first thing I saw was that he didn’t have power to the points, which was all that was needed to get it started (after replacing the carb which also leaked like crazy). He also “worked” at a trans shop - he appeared to be a gofer for them and he may have worked on the trans too (the initials on it are not his though).
 
I like these 2 books. The first pic is a newer book and Tom is a member here.

Do you know what Tom’s user name is or how to contact him? I would like to get a copy of his book.

Thx, Jim
 
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