help needed with 904

-
j par

j par

Well-hung Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
33,163
Reaction score
20,813
Location
Portland Oregon
Never messed with a automatic transmission before more than putting in a shift kit a long time ago I think. I have a free Craigslist 904 transmission. I have a TCI torque converter that is new in the box and been sitting in the Box for probably ten years or so but still brand new. The transmission was rebuilt like 10 years ago and barely ran for a small amount of time and reverse went out? It's whisper clean for being kicked around someone's garage for the last 10 years so that's the story. I have a mucky old 904 transmission Outback that does have a slip yoke and the dipstick and looks like some of the kickdown linkage. I have a quicksilver shifter I intend to use with it. I'm converting from my 4 Speed to an automatic.
Building a small motor for my wife to drag race the car so it will be a race application but honest very extremely strict budget this must be one of the number one considerations.
I guess my questions are where do I start by taking this apart obviously I want to put a shift kit in it or some sort and open it up and try and see if there's anything wrong with it or maybe I need to replace it soon SEALS or something because it's been sitting so long? anyways it needs to be dealt with. Thank you for any and all responses...
20170323_202600.jpg
20170323_202745.jpg
 
Inspect the reverse band assembly and rear servo for loss of reverse and go from there with a plan I guess.
That's what I would do.
If the reverse servo seal is hardened up that should give you your direction on how to proceed on a budget.
JMO obviously. :D
 
Converter looks to either be a 11" breakaway, or perhaps a "Saturday night special".
 
j par said:
Saturday Night Special sounds cool :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
141300 is the 11" breakaway. I've personally bought a couple of these. A slight upgrade over stock, and works well on the street. They call it a 2400 stall converter, but it's a general number. Your motor will decide the stall... :)
just under 400 bucks now.....
 
Looks like your gunna have to tear into it. May as well rebuilt it with good stuff. Good parts are cheap and the TF is so easy to build a 10 year old girl could do it & that's not a joke!!
 
Mad Dart said:
Looks like your gunna have to tear into it. May as well rebuilt it with good stuff. Good parts are cheap and the TF is so easy to build a 10 year old girl could do it & that's not a joke!!
Click to expand...
make him a list of "the good stuff" with links :) it would be very helpful
 
Or go take a closer look and see if I can find the number
318willrun said:
141300 is the 11" breakaway. I've personally bought a couple of these. A slight upgrade over stock, and works well on the street. They call it a 2400 stall converter, but it's a general number. Your motor will decide the stall... :)
just under 400 bucks now.....
Click to expand...
 
I rebuilt my 4-speed last year is it was the first time and it turned out to be quite easy so I'm very willing to give this a first-timer shot at rebuilding the transmission if it's really cheap. And of course like I said maybe something that incorporate some kind of badass shift kit or something :thumbsup:


Mad Dart said:
Looks like your gunna have to tear into it. May as well rebuilt it with good stuff. Good parts are cheap and the TF is so easy to build a 10 year old girl could do it & that's not a joke!!
Click to expand...
 
I did make a list probably 2 years ago.. it may be in my 73 Scamp thread. The transmission was part of it. Pretty detailed like I always do or should I say use to do. Lol
 
For better or worse this is what we have to work with and I'm thankful to have it. TCI-141338 the inspection card is from 2011.
 
SAY WHAT !!??
I was talking about a transmission!
Click to expand...

TrailBeast said:
He said "reverse went out".
Click to expand...

If ball#4 is missing then oil in the reverse circuit goes right on by the servo and dumps back into the pan at the manual valve. Since the pump normally is capable of pushing oil thru that circuit at full pressure full volume, to the tune of 260psi,or more,this circuit may still work, just very slowly and not a lot of clamp on the band.So the band slips and reverse "goes out". Of course that ball cannot escape by itself, so it would have had to be accidentally left out during a rebuild.
Some shift kits,IIRC* require the removal of a ball. There are 5 of 5/16, and 1 of 3/8. (EDIT: and one of 11/32),Perhaps when the shift kit was installed, the wrong ball got left out. But I'm not real sure about the leaving* out of a ball, as the last TF-II kit I installed was in the 80s.
Since the tranny is out, this is an easy look-see. While the VB is off, you can do an air pressure check and inspect the servo and band.
The seals should be fine.
About the only thing that might occur in long term storage is that the oilpan gasket might shrink, and crack.Some rust might occur on the drums, but that would be surface-rust, and would get wiped off at the first band application.On units that were stored pan-side down,I have seen some rust on the topside of the VB,accumulate sludge in the pockets there. It will stay there.I always store mine bellhouse end down.
If you want a snappy teener-car I highly recommend a 2800TC. It works good with 2.73s! I think actually, it makes the 2.73s sorta feel like maybe 3.23s, for at least several car lengths. Then reality sets in. But it's ok, cuz by this time you are doing over 20mph and probably closer to 30.
That 2800 works very good with 2.94s. Great with 3.23s.Double-really great with 3.55s. Triple-really great with 3.55s and an A999.
I think every teener-Moparite should, in their lifetime, experience a mid 70s low-compression teener with about a 10/1 starter gear,and a 2800TC, at least once. Maybe then guys would stop putting XE268s in 'em.
In any case, good luck in your game-plan.
 
Last edited:
AJ/FormS said:
If ball#4 is missing then oil in the reverse circuit goes right on by the servo and dumps back into the pan at the manual valve. Since the pump normally is capable of pushing oil thru that circuit at full pressure full volume, to the tune of 260psi,or more,this circuit may still work, just very slowly and not a lot of clamp on the band.So the band slips and reverse "goes out". Of course that ball cannot escape by itself, so it would have had to be accidentally left out during a rebuild.
Some shift kits,IIRC* require the removal of a ball. There are 5 of 5/16, and 1 of 3/8. Perhaps when the shift kit was installed, the wrong ball got left out. But I'm not real sure about the leaving* out of a ball, as the last TF-II kit I installed was in the 80s.
Since the tranny is out, this is an easy look-see. While the VB is off, you can do an air pressure check and inspect the servo and band.
The seals should be fine.
About the only thing that might occur in long term storage is that the oilpan gasket might shrink, and crack.Some rust might occur on the drums, but that would be surface-rust, and would get wiped off at the first band application.On units that were stored pan-side down,I have seen some rust on the topside of the VB,accumulate sludge in the pockets there. It will stay there.I always store mine bellhouse end down.
If you want a snappy teener-car I highly recommend a 2800TC. It works good with 2.73s! I think actually, it makes the 2.73s sorta feel like maybe 3.23s, for at least several car lengths. Then reality sets in. But it's ok, cuz by this time you are doing over 20mph and probably closer to 30.
That 2800 works very good with 2.94s. Great with 3.23s.Double-really great with 3.55s. Triple-really great with 3.55s and an A999.
I think every teener-Moparite should, in their lifetime, experience a mid 70s low-compression teener with about a 10/1 starter gear,and a 2800TC, at least once. Maybe then guys would stop putting XE268s in 'em.
In any case, good luck in your game-plan.
Click to expand...

The ball left out per the kits is only for the most firm 1-2 shift.
If the ball was left out for the reverse circuit it might have had a little bit of reverse only when the fluid was cold, and it would go away completely with hot fluid.
 
Don't wish me luck yet, I'm still a week or so away from starting in on the transmission. I'll need lots of help. As I start reassembly of the budget 318/360 my forward thinking brain (what little I have) is thinking about how I'm going to approach this unknown transmission?
AJ it's the same 410 dana 60 spool 35 spline thats already in the duster. 90% track. 29in slicks (I think) and 28in street (I think). Again right now I'm gathering up ideas for an approach.... thank you

AJ/FormS said:
If ball#4 is missing then oil in the reverse circuit goes right on by the servo and dumps back into the pan at the manual valve. Since the pump normally is capable of pushing oil thru that circuit at full pressure full volume, to the tune of 260psi,or more,this circuit may still work, just very slowly and not a lot of clamp on the band.So the band slips and reverse "goes out". Of course that ball cannot escape by itself, so it would have had to be accidentally left out during a rebuild.
Some shift kits,IIRC* require the removal of a ball. There are 5 of 5/16, and 1 of 3/8. Perhaps when the shift kit was installed, the wrong ball got left out. But I'm not real sure about the leaving* out of a ball, as the last TF-II kit I installed was in the 80s.
Since the tranny is out, this is an easy look-see. While the VB is off, you can do an air pressure check and inspect the servo and band.
The seals should be fine.
About the only thing that might occur in long term storage is that the oilpan gasket might shrink, and crack.Some rust might occur on the drums, but that would be surface-rust, and would get wiped off at the first band application.On units that were stored pan-side down,I have seen some rust on the topside of the VB,accumulate sludge in the pockets there. It will stay there.I always store mine bellhouse end down.
If you want a snappy teener-car I highly recommend a 2800TC. It works good with 2.73s! I think actually, it makes the 2.73s sorta feel like maybe 3.23s, for at least several car lengths. Then reality sets in. But it's ok, cuz by this time you are doing over 20mph and probably closer to 30.
That 2800 works very good with 2.94s. Great with 3.23s.Double-really great with 3.55s. Triple-really great with 3.55s and an A999.
I think every teener-Moparite should, in their lifetime, experience a mid 70s low-compression teener with about a 10/1 starter gear,and a 2800TC, at least once. Maybe then guys would stop putting XE268s in 'em.
In any case, good luck in your game-plan.
Click to expand...
 
TrailBeast said:
The ball left out per the kits is only for the most firm 1-2 shift.
If the ball was left out for the reverse circuit it might have had a little bit of reverse only when the fluid was cold, and it would go away completely with hot fluid.
Click to expand...
Thanks TrailBeast, I couldn't remember which ball.
Looking at the flow diagrams I see that besides the big 3/8 relief ball,there are actually 5 small 5/16 balls, AND 1 of 11/32;and all but the # 6 are too prevent the dumping of pressure at the manual valve when manually shifting. Only #6 might be expendable. Unfortunately the ball locations in the VB are not identified with numbers, so I can't help with finding which one is which.


I'm converting from my 4 Speed to an automatic.
Building a small motor for my wife to drag race the car so it will be a race application
Click to expand...
budget 318/360 my forward thinking brain (what little I have) is thinking about how I'm going to approach this unknown transmission?
AJ it's the same 410 dana 60 spool 35 spline thats already in the duster. 90% track. 29in slicks (I think) and 28in street (I think). Again right now I'm gathering up ideas for an approach.... thank you
Click to expand...
J par
Well one idea that came to me, is that to use those 4.10s that teener is gonna want some snort. I see 5500 wanting to hit 106. and that will require a p/w of 10.4. With a 3200pound raceweight that equates to 3200/10.4=308hp. So the teener will need to be making that at around 5100. Other numbers are of course do-able. She will sure squirt out of the gate tho if that is a low-first tranny.Even with 29s. I ran a stockish teener one winter with 4.30s, 28snows,a 10 inch 2800TC called a "DirtJerker", and the 2.74 low; WOW is all, ....I.....................can.........................................say
 
Last edited:
AJ/FormS said:
Unfortunately the ball locations in the VB are not identified with numbers, so I can't help with finding which one is which.
Click to expand...

They are named by function instead.
That's why I didn't use the ball function name, is because I don't remember. :D
I could look it up, but so can anyone.
 
I'm with AJ on this........ I tore my valve body apart yesterday because my car had hardly any reverse when cold, and sure enough, one of my check balls (#4 to be exact) apparently didn't get put back in when I did my shift kit..... Pull the valve body, do an air check on the trans to check for leaky seals and band and clutch operation, and take the valve body apart, just to be sure nothing is missing!!!!!
 
Well I got back with the previous owner and he said he was having some serious linkage issues with the stock linkage and went with another tranny and another shifter? Said he only had it in the car for a couple years and it performed very well period also said he had it at some performance shop near Seattle and they had done some heavy duty work to it for a high-horsepower application? I'm very confident in the owners truthfulness that's for sure. I mean really would you lie when you're just giving it away for free? That don't make no sense......
 
put it in,..see what itll do,..cheapest way if its a good trans,..only out time and fluid spilt if'in it ant good....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top