Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!
I've done most of these mods to my personal M1030 truck (or is it a M1034 ? can't remember) and it works great. I can use it to just tool-around or haul 2 tons of sacked concrete. Some people don't like the firm shifts, but it is reassuring to me that all is going well in the tranny. Of course I have also built a TH400 for a guy who was drag racing in the low 6's . I really didn't think a 3 speed transmission would be good for such a fast car. I mean you'll be shifting into 3rd gear past the finish line ! Actually I adjusted the shifting points to match his torque curve and it really worked well. Of course most people don't need a transmission shifting at 5,000 rpm's ! or a torque converter with a stall speed of 3,000 rpm's either.
First the only parts that are interchangeable are the clutch plates like I mentioned earlier. Nothing else fits. To make the pump work better there are new bushings with a poly coating that last real will, also harder gears you can buy. As far as a kit goes I have never used one. I always drill my own separator plates and valve bodies. In my first post you should have seen my cheat-sheet on where to drill and what sizes to drill too. I really don't like messing to much with the factory springs on the shift valves as there are so many variables to consider. They already did the work so why mess wit hit ? I do believe in increasing line pressure though which is really easy in a TH400. You just add shims to the regulator valve in the pump housing. I can show you that later if you want. I also believe in using the "maximum" amount of return springs in a clutch housing. You want to eliminate almost all "crossover" of applying and releasing clutches. The longer a clutch is holding on while another clutch is trying to apply creates wear and tear on the unit. The closer you an get to "zero" overlap the better.
