A500 strength over the years ?

[rustytoolss]

OK A500 techs were the earlier (1988-89) A500 weaker units/ that the later (1993-95) units ? Where there "better years of units that might have more clutch discs / or other improved parts ? I'm only going to look for the 42RH units/ no electronics!!
Buy the way, whats the going rate for a used working/non working A500 "core transmission" going these days ?

 

[rustytoolss]

so all years of A500s were equally as strong ? and did not get any improved parts over the years ?

 

[transman]

so all years of A500s were equally as strong ? and did not get any improved parts over the years ?

The major change was the planetary gear set in the OD section. Chrysler changed the angle of the gear set. The early ones for both the A500 and A518 had breakage problems and the factory upgraded the gear set and problems seemed to go away. They upgraded the A518 first and then later the A500. The replacement set is the same for transmissions. Core prices are all over the place from what I've seen, so I guess it boils down to what you feel comfortable with. If you follow the A500/A518 on electrical connectors thread recently posted, there is some additional information you might want to read.

 

[rustytoolss]

Thanks for that information. I was just wondering if things like shaft diameters / drum disc capacity / planetary gear sets , may have changed over the years.

 

[Jadaharabi]

I believe some of the early ones did not have a lock-up torque converter.
Core prices are $75 to $150. Good used bolt it in and go 250 to 500.

 

[mbaird]

early deisel no lock up

 

[rustytoolss]

early deisel no lock up

Will those bolt up to/work with small block mopars ? I would think that those should be the strongest A500's built.
Or were the diesel transmissions A518's

 

[mbaird]

that I cant say... not sure what the Cummins bolt pattern was.

 

[C130 Chief]

All A500's were lock-up, some A518s were not. The overdrives got better, but Mopar cheaped out on some parts. The servo and accumulator pistons were plastic, which were prone to warping/leaking with age. Superior makes nice billet aluminum replacements for reasonable money (or use earlier factory metal parts). Most 500s were behind 3.9 V6s, so the typical 904 beef up guidelines apply like the front drum.

 

[rustytoolss]

All A500's were lock-up, some A518s were not. The overdrives got better, but Mopar cheaped out on some parts. The servo and accumulator pistons were plastic, which were prone to warping/leaking with age. Superior makes nice billet aluminum replacements for reasonable money (or use earlier factory metal parts). Most 500s were behind 3.9 V6s, so the typical 904 beef up guidelines apply like the front drum.

Thanks

 

[transman]

A500"s in the 4.0L Wranglers, non lockup. Also 88-92 3.9L non lockups. Chrysler stamps a code (831 for example) on the converter. This will tell you what type the converter is and what application it was used for. Also, there are two types of converter hubs, one being what they call a milled flat hub, the other a slotted hub.

 

[rustytoolss]

A500"s in the 4.0L Wranglers, non lockup. Also 88-92 3.9L non lockups. Chrysler stamps a code (831 for example) on the converter. This will tell you what type the converter is and what application it was used for. Also, there are two types of converter hubs, one being what they call a milled flat hub, the other a slotted hub.

Since there are 2 different converter hubs, is one less prone to crack ?

 

[transman]

Since there are 2 different converter hubs, is one less prone to crack ?

That's open to opinions, and there are a lot of them. In our converter shop, their opinion, shared by other converter rebuilders, was the original slotted factory hub was not hardened. As part of our rebuild, all converter hubs no matter what the make were changed, and no matter what they looked like. The hubs we used were hardened. Some transmission rebuilders like to use a bronze bushing instead of a babbit bushing in the pump and bronze bushings on the early softer hubs could/would cause premature wear on it. Again like I said in my opening there are many different opinions.
Only Chrysler knows why they had the two different style of hubs.

 

[volaredon]

I've seen gear (rotor) kits pretty cheap from the trans parts warehouses and they offer both styles/ slotted and "double -D" (flats on the sides) if not scored you'd reuse your original pump housing.

 

[rbkt65]

Scored or not, if you are replacing the pump gears, replace the bushing. Don, are you going to use the same front seal too?

 

[PROSTOCKTOM]

Since there are 2 different converter hubs, is one less prone to crack ?

Having worked at a friends transmission shop and being around them for 40 years we changed the front pump gears to the flat style hubs on 904 performance builds. The slotted necks have a tendency to crack with the way they are cut. I consider using a flat style hub a needed upgrade if you are banging on one hard.

Tom

 

[RustyRatRod]

I would simply get a hydraulically controlled early unit and build it with the parts I wanted to withstand whatever I was puttin it behind.

 

[volaredon]

Scored or not, if you are replacing the pump gears, replace the bushing. Don, are you going to use the same front seal too?

Why would I? I don't even know why anyone would ask that. Those seals are ones that I actually have a stack of extras for. Reusing those is a guaranteed redo. Which I can't stand.
I don't put used converters in either. Every time but one, (years ago ) I've automatically put a reman converter in as well.
I don't do transmissions every day but of those I have, I haven't seen the gears scored very often, just a couple. And if there's any doubt I replace them if not the whole pump.
Just mentioned it that they are available separately, for those that might not know, was all.