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OT but..Auto gearbox question


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Iam stuck repairing my son's 1965 valiant safari SW..so, have to finish his first before I can return to my Dodge B2B..

3 Questions..

1' How does one know when an auto matic (torqflight) needs overhauling?

2. when you put it in gear (drive) the car already wants to drive, it goes in with a "clunk"..is that just adjustment?

3. Can an automatic gearbox "wear its selectors out"?

Hope you can help.:cool:

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Hi, and thanks for the reply. he has got a spare car from wich we think to use the auto box, it starts, and it drives..its going through the gears..the clunk noice is when you put the car in drive, I cannot take it on the road to give it a good drive as it is not registerd so i am limited as in checking it out.

Overhauling the auto trany cost around $900 here..but if I dont have to than we save this money..

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I'm assuming this is a 904.

Unless there's a delay in the trans engaging, the "clunk" is either a U-Joint or more likely slop in the ring and pinion.

There are no "selectors". The trans shifts using combinations of clutches and bands.

Torqueflites will wear out the clutches before anything else. They start to slip and then its downhill from there. Here's what to do: First, look at the dip stick. Is the oil brown or does it smell burnt? If its burnt, the trans has limited life left in it. Next, drop the pan. Look at the bottom of the pan. There will probably be some silvery looking residue from the clutches in the bottom. Don't get too worried, there will always be some, but a lot can be another sign. Adjust the bands, that's pretty easy and covered in the manual (different models require different adjustment). New filter (a must) and button it back up.

They're notorious for leaking at the throttle valve where the valve body pokes through the case. Look at the side of the case, where the linkage connects. See the throttle linkage? Pull that off and look at the seal under that. Most older ones leak. Change that seal if you think it needs it. Not a bad idea to change the torque convertor seal in the front of the trans while its apart either.

Other then that, they are pretty bulletproof.

Myself, when I've had good transmissions that just leaked a little, I've taken the trans partially apart and replaced all the external seals so the car no longer marks it's territory.

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Hey bigg john, a big,big thanks for that info! it may save me $$$$$.... I thoght we had to overhaul or recondition the auto trans..but by the sound of it can all be done through a service! What about the torgue thingy? and is the clutch hard to replace? Here in Australia the cost in relation to any work on these units are shocking:cool:.

I'm assuming this is a 904.

Unless there's a delay in the trans engaging, the "clunk" is either a U-Joint or more likely slop in the ring and pinion.

There are no "selectors". The trans shifts using combinations of clutches and bands.

Torqueflites will wear out the clutches before anything else. They start to slip and then its downhill from there. Here's what to do: First, look at the dip stick. Is the oil brown or does it smell burnt? If its burnt, the trans has limited life left in it. Next, drop the pan. Look at the bottom of the pan. There will probably be some silvery looking residue from the clutches in the bottom. Don't get too worried, there will always be some, but a lot can be another sign. Adjust the bands, that's pretty easy and covered in the manual (different models require different adjustment). New filter (a must) and button it back up.

They're notorious for leaking at the throttle valve where the valve body pokes through the case. Look at the side of the case, where the linkage connects. See the throttle linkage? Pull that off and look at the seal under that. Most older ones leak. Change that seal if you think it needs it. Not a bad idea to change the torque convertor seal in the front of the trans while its apart either.

Other then that, they are pretty bulletproof.

Myself, when I've had good transmissions that just leaked a little, I've taken the trans partially apart and replaced all the external seals so the car no longer marks it's territory.

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Hey bigg john, a big,big thanks for that info! it may save me $$$$$.... I thoght we had to overhaul or recondition the auto trans..but by the sound of it can all be done through a service! What about the torgue thingy? and is the clutch hard to replace? Here in Australia the cost in relation to any work on these units are shocking:cool:.

Not sure what you mean by "torque thingy". Torque Convertor? Drain the old fluid from it, there should be a drain plug and otherwise leave alone. Just be 100% sure the convertor slides all the way into the trans before you bolt it to the engine. 100% sure!! The convertor will slide onto the splines, then it goes back about another 1/2" or so when the notches on the neck engage the oil pump in the front of the trans. Failure to do this is expensive!

Clutch replace? Well... there's sets of clutch packs (two) with multiple clutch discs in each pack. That's really internal to the trans and involves complete tear down. Complete overhaul of the trans is in order (clutches, seals, bands etc) if there's a clutch problem.

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yes i did mean the converter..about The clutch...can we as amatures do this overhaul or do we need special tools? is there a stage by stage manual we can follow.:eek:

Not sure what you mean by "torque thingy". Torque Convertor? Drain the old fluid from it, there should be a drain plug and otherwise leave alone. Just be 100% sure the convertor slides all the way into the trans before you bolt it to the engine. 100% sure!! The convertor will slide onto the splines, then it goes back about another 1/2" or so when the notches on the neck engage the oil pump in the front of the trans. Failure to do this is expensive!

Clutch replace? Well... there's sets of clutch packs (two) with multiple clutch discs in each pack. That's really internal to the trans and involves complete tear down. Complete overhaul of the trans is in order (clutches, seals, bands etc) if there's a clutch problem.

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The clutches are wet clutch packs, hydrauliclly activated/ released by the control valves. Manuals for service and repair are available, but you'll need to knowexactly what transmission model you have. Special tools are often required to repair properly and may be specific to that transmission. They're not as generic to repair as the motor is but it can be done by a novice. They're even fussier about cleanliness than an engine reassembly is.

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yes i did mean the converter..about The clutch...can we as amatures do this overhaul or do we need special tools? is there a stage by stage manual we can follow.:eek:

Well... the Torqueflite is one of the easier transmissions to rebuild. One of the best sources of info would be Chrysler's service manual. If you don't have one already, I suggest buying the CD from these guys. http://www.faxonautoliterature.com/1965-Plymouth-CD-Repair-Shop-Manual-Barracuda-Belvedere-Satellite-Fury-Valiant-P16349.aspx

Tools? There are some specialty tools that make things easier. A lot of them can be improvised with some ingenuity. Snap ring pliers are a must along with basic hand tools. I use a slide hammer to get the front pump out. The clutch packs need to be compressed when they are assembled. I always used a small arbor press, but there are other ways. Some guys use a 55 gallon drum with a hole cut in it to hold the trans upright.

While they are fairly simple, you have to pay attention as they need to be very clean as they are assembled, especially the valve body. Everything needs to be oiled with trans fluid as it assembled and clutches need to be soaked in fluid before they are assembled.

That said... yea, you can do it. I did my first 30 years ago with an open service manual and not much else. The question is really "do you need to rebuild it?" These transmissions are pretty stout. New external seals, fluid and filter takes care of 99% of the problems. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

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