Technical So, just how hard is it to rebuild an automatic transmission?

I got a quote of $900 to rebuild my Ford AOD transmission from a local shop. That price includes a new torque converter, with me carrying the transmission to their shop and picking it up when finished. The guy does a lot of transmissions for the drag racers in this area as well as a lot of stock rebuilds, has been in business 25 years or so, and knows his stuff. I'm looking at a stock rebuild, replacing any worn parts, and new clutches, rubbers, gaskets, etc, no upgrades. With the prices of rebuilt transmissions from places like Summit, he is at about half or less of what they want.

I entertained the idea of doing it myself, I found a supposed rebuild kit for $185 with new clutches, steels, rubbers, etc. I've never been into an automatic before, so not real sure what I'd need to look for as far as wear on parts might be, or special tools involved. This transmission sat in my carport for 10 years and got a little water in the pan somehow, not sure how as it was against the house side and rain seldom blows in that far, but I took the pan off and cleaned it and put in a new filter before I put it in the car. When I tried it, it only has reverse, no forward gears at all, he said it was probably some seals or o rings dried out from sitting so long and broke or cracked, seems logical to me.

So, any of you guys do your own automatics? What kind of special tools, gauges, etc would I need? Or would I be better to just bite the bullet and pay the man and go about my business? I'm all for saving money, but this thing is a bitch to get in and out, I have to pull the motor and transmission at the same time, no way to drop just the transmission because of the way the factory wishbone/ transmission crossmember is welded in. I don't want to do it myself then it not be right and end up having to take it out and take it to him anyway, I want to do this once and be done with it.

So, what to you say?

 

I'll follow along, never did an Auto, much less an AOD.

Good luck!

 

Friend of mine built a 4l60 using videos like this.
One of the transmission parts supplier places has great videos and tech help. Will forward the info when I remember the name.

 

I've done aluminum powerglides before and th350. Those were not bad,but don't know about overdrives. I have someone else do those. Some special tools will be needed or made . Have a big work space , lay it out in order of taking apart and go in reverse going back together. I always had the manual with exploded pictures near by me.

 

The special tools mostly are a clutch spring compressor, and a set of bushing drivers. Other than that, normal tools.

I was lucky, I started on simpler ones when I was a teenager....mistakes didn't cost as much to fix back then.

 

Do it yourself, using manuals and videos, you will learn a new skill. If you mess up beyond your ability to recover it, then pony up the $900 and consider it a learning experience. My dad showed me how to rebuild a C4, it comes apart and goes back together only one way. AOD adds a gear.

 

I remember making the compressor out of a long bolt and some washers and a piece of small angle iron. That was a long time ago. I kept it for a long time. Lost in a move sometime ago.

 

Automatic transmissions are a lot like sausages to me...I like them, but don't want to know what's in them
As far as I'm concerned, an auto trans is full of magical parts and fluids that mysteriously move around and know what to do at exactly the right time.

 

My career was in healthcare as an X-Ray/CAT Scan Tech, but my hobbies were cars and drag racing. I got into rebuilding transamatic automissions for my drag cars, because the transmission rebuilders wanted too much. I started with aluminum Powerglides, and learned the hard way (you can't mix parts from the 1.76 and 1.82 first gear glides), but eventually it got easier. For a few years, I did Powerglides for the local Bracket Racers, but they had to bring me a clean case to work with. Then I did a TH-400, that I sold, followed by a TH-350, which was the more difficult one for me. Getting the cases clean is the challenge when you don't do transmissions for a living. Keep everything really clean, keep everything in order, and get a good book for reference. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

If I remember correctly from tech school 26 years ago, the AOD had “The World’s Most Complicated Valve Body”, their words, not mine. I’ve tried my hand at rebuilding automatics, but always ended up with a transmission full of neutrals. To me, it’s worth the money spent to have a bench job done. If I have a problem with an automatic transmission, I usually convert the vehicle to a manual transmission.


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Pay the 900. You're getting a new converter in the deal. You said it yourself, it's a bitch to remove. Plus, if you fuck it up, you're out 200 bucks and you're still gonna pay the 900.00. With automatics, 'close and almost' are two words you don't ever want to use or hear.

 

I have a buddy that owns a trans shop. Not a race shop, he does mostly stock, late model overdrive stuff. After talking to him over the years I can say what he does is vastly different than slamming a set of clutches and seals into an old turbo 350 in your garage. I'll say up front this automatic trans stuff is black magic to me. For starters, he says no aftermarket internal parts. He has said that the aftermarket parts are so bad as to be unusable and he won't take a chance on comebacks with customer cars. He buys all OEM replacement parts right down to the factory trans fluid. Part of the rebuilds are replacing the internal electronic harnesses and solenoids, addressing piston bore irregularities etc. Just looking at one disassembled on the bench I can say it is way above what my skill level will ever be. Too many parts to keep straight and too much measuring for me.

 

Offer to help him take it apart and clean it . Watch him. Listen and learn.

 

I have done a few , autos and more manuals . The key as explained is surgical cleanliness in every part . A good work surface to disassemble and reassemble on. Tear down is a messy , greasy , oily job . All hard parts are OEM only . Finding a China part is only close here is not the same as tossing a grenade close to the enemy and hope for the best . It is very doable , with a manual and videos . You will need a few special tools . When disassembling the valve body take your own photos ,and carefully inspect each and every ball , spring and port . Again it needs to clean enough that you would eat off of it yourself . You can air test your progress as you go . I feel assured from reading your posts you can handle this job. It is new like many other tasks you have tackled in your hobby of building a car for the first time . Take your time , take photos and read , good Luck . You can handle this .

 

Do you like the challenge and adventure? Might you do a few more in the future? Get to learning up on them and invest in the tools, time and equipment. If your goal is one and done pay the man. I've been doing them for 54 years because I enjoy the various challenges that arise. I've got a 4l60 on the bench now. I've thought about it and I've done about 50 torqueflites and 20 GMs.
Your best investment is nitrile gloves. I lost 2 friends to cancer caused by long term exposure to ATF. The stuff is absorbed by your skin and ends up in your liver.

 

I know guys who do it. We hold them in high regard like Shamans, Priests, Medicine Men and Miracle Workers, Magicians for sure. We have some idea what they do but have no idea how they go about it. Unless you are are a very brave soul, leave it to the professional. If something goes wrong, you have some recourse. If you do it yourself and something goes wrong, you have much remorse!.....Don.

 

I’ve built a few over the years.
Like squirrel said drum compressor for the snap rings and a bushing driver kit is all you really need.

princess auto up here sells a cheesy drum compressor kit thing that works, kinda. Harbour freight might sell something similar.
Nothing that can’t be figured out with some pipe or steel and a press.

my advise is make sure everything is clean clean CLEAN !!
Use varsol not brake clean as brake clean makes things to dry.
Compressed air for blowing out passengers etc.
And take the trans out have space and lay everything out left to right and install go right to left.
Easy enough trans to build.

good luck.

 

I am no expert, but I have done C4, C6, turbo 350, and AODs. The AOD is drasticly more complicated and I would not recommend one as your first rebuild. It uses a different kind of seal than the easy to replace rubber ones on the other trans and you will need special tools to install them. By the time you buy a good book or video and all the tools, you will easily double the cost to rebuild your first AOD.

Pay the $900 and wait for a simpler trans to learn on.

 

900 is cheap for an A.O.D. Check some YouTube videos and get a rebuild manual if ya wanna see what's involved. Take a class at votech, bring yer trans in and build it....

 

$900 seems like a decent price. Spent $1600 on the 2004R thats in my 60 Pontiac. That does include upgrades. I consider myself a petty good mechanic. Can take anything apart and ususally get it back together. I've done a lot of Buick standard transmissions over the years but never an automatic. Like Clint Eastwood says "A mans got to know his limitations".

 

One other thing I forgot about. Lots of the newer transmissions use Teflon seals that require special tools to install and correctly size the seal. I was seriously considering rebuilding the Ford 4R44E in my Ranger work truck until I came across some ATRA bulletins on the Internet about various problems and fixes. Nuts to that idea. For what it cost for me to buy the parts to ATTEMPT a rebuild, I bought a 5 speed manual and happily converted the truck over. Very very little in the mechanical world intimidates me, (been a professional for 29 years) but automatics are a science unto their own. I’d rather overhaul a 13 speed Fuller Roadranger that tangle with an automatic.


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As an old auto trans rebuilder, I would shy away from rebuilding it yourself. $900 is cheap, there are special tools that you will need for this particular transmission

 

Ive rebuilt several learned to hate auto trans. Had a school buss full of good used drums cases ect. Sold it all for scrap. Im like truck doctor Andy. Stick shift conversion is the best way to fix a automatic trans.

 

Here in France automatic were not popular for 1950 and 1960 cars
99 /100 are Manual
I know how to rebuilt a manual gearbox
On my 1965 Renault 8,i’ve modified myself the 4 gears to a 5 gears
2 years ago i had troubles with the 1956 jetaway
The damn thing don’t wanted to put the fourth gear
I was affraid to open the beast
Call me crazy
I purchased a jetaway core in oregon
Managed to ship it from oregon to michigan in a reputable rebuilder
A lot of money was involved
Call me crazy again
I had to ship after the rebuilt from michigan to california where is goodies family the company who organize the shipping from usa to France
That took 2 months for the rebuilt and all the travels all over usa
I said myself :
You have nothing to lose with the old jetaway
I dropped the pan
Cleaned all distributors
Putted thème back
Replaced the front and rear seals
The old jetaway works now like a charm,runs good and smooth

 

I would have to try it. It's already broke. My motto is " if it wasn't created, I'm going to try and fix it".

 

I have done some c6 and th 350’s ( but no ado’s) not that hard, the most you can be out is 200$. On my first c6 I have the trans shop do the valve body, cash and carry. I did the rest and worked out great.

 

Have a go at it, I have done 3 over the years. You will be surprised how easy they are, use a workshop manual or there is plenty of stuff on youtube to guide you. Keep everything clean and follow the manual, its not rocket science, you will soon notice a worn or broken part as its normally just worn seals. Glen

 

It seems like you guys are like me, some say go for it, some say pay the man. I've been in a few manual transmissions and did a few simple things, helped rebuild a Rockwell 9 speed truck transmission, but an automatic has always been voodoo to me. I have a basic knowledge of hydraulics, but the circuits and valve bodies stump me. The mechanical part of replacing parts shouldn't be a problem, just having the proper tools to do the job might be a problem. And then there's the problem of a clean, large workspace, my wood table might work, but I doubt it's big enough to place the parts in a decent order.
That idea of knowing one's limitations rings true here....

I've got another AOD with a broken bellhousing, I might do some online studying and practice on it.
I've got a bell housing and a long tail three speed, I'd have to come up with a 50oz flywheel and clutch assembly and a shifter and build a clutch pedal and linkage to swap it over. Doable for sure, and worth thinking about. Might be cheaper in the long run, I'll have to check and price some stuff.

 

I paid $1350 to have the 700 R 4 in the Stude done by a well respected local transmission guy, add in $60?? for fluid, so $900 sounds good to me.