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Transmission rebuild saga (GM 400)

tourus

Member
197
2
18
Location
madison me.
So this is just a story. It all started just before X-Mas. Drove out of the garage pushed snow to the snow bank. Backed out into the road waited for traffic so I could straighten out then drive into drive way lost transmission right there in road. Got the wife's jeep and wife pulled truck across the road into parking lot out of the way. Went got father's truck plowed drive way. Towed truck to garage to try to fix determined the trans had to come out. Again a few days later pulled the trans out of truck. Had to wait a few days in between due to work. So the day came to pull the trans out got the trans out and torn down. What I found was all the clutches were burnet.
OK had a rebuild kit on the shelf from a previous transmission that never got rebuilt. so had all the parts (master kit). Put all the new seals and clutches and B&M shift kit in put trans back in truck. Go for test drive would not shift out of first gear. So park truck for a few days because of work (working a lot of over time). So get a day off push truck into the garage with tractor (MR. Kubota). pull the oil pan off to check the detent and make sure that all the check ball are in place. put the valve body back on fill with oil test drive, no luck still won't shift out of first gear. So take valve body off AGAIN to put the stock plate back in and put all 6 check balls in. Well now I am really depressed. All this is taken place while trying to go to work and help tend to my sister who was sick with Liver Cancer need 24 hour care.
Only getting a few hours here and there to work on this truck. The truck is my daily driver. So get the truck back in the garage to work on it Again take the valve body on one more time and take the valves out. Well there found the problem the 1-2 shift valve did not go back in quite right the plunger cocked off side ways in the cylinder great put all back together truck shifted great. so go to work 2 days on the way home second day truck would not shift into 3rd gear. long ride home 40mph. Get home back into the garage. Knowing in the morning it was it was my day off from work but had to go take care of sister for the next two days to releave mother who had been there for two days. Drive the truck anyways again would not shift out of second gear. So spent the two days with sister left her house. Drove to parent's house to get fathers truck to plow drive way (got a foot of snow). While at parent's house the truck would not back up no reverse so leave the truck there use there jeep some more.( been using the jeep all this time to get to work).
So sister passes away, deal with all that stuff. The next week I take the Transmission back out to find that the forward clutches burnt to a crisp. look at the forward drum found that the seal had ripped putting it back in. well OK had some more old clutches around put them in. put the transmission back in the truck great. Only this time the truck had no reverse (UUUGGG) WTH. So park the truck a few days due to work and other things going on. Well OK get a few days off to work on truck again. Take the transmission back out of truck to see what is going on.
Call a local guy that owns and run a transmission shop to order another rebuild kit. Said to self that since it is out again I am going to put all new stuff in clutches and steels. Talk to him a while he suggest putting in the high energy clutches and the bonded piston's from a 480le transmission so ok that is the way we will go. few days later guy drops parts off at my garage. while talking to him over the transmission (which is on a stand) guy touches the reverse servo piston cover it is loose never got tighten from last time it was out. Hence no reverse. so put all new clutches in and got the transmission back in truck seems to be great at this time. SO I am hoping that this is all be hind me now.
Sorry so long just a story I thought would share for some reason.
But the high energy clutches and bonded piston are suppose to be better than high end 400 clutches. So also put a Fairbanks shift kit in just left it as a heavy duty.
Well that is all for now thanks for listening. Have a great day.
 

Warthog

Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
13,775
227
63
Location
OKC, OK
Hope it works this time. Sorry for your loss of your sister.
 
Last edited:

dikwks

Member
237
1
18
Location
Suffolk VA
Sorry for your loss, dude. Seems like when it rains, it pours. Keep on gittin' up. You seem to have the perseverance thing down pat. You're gonna do just fine. God bless. Dick.
 

swiss

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,703
749
113
Location
Oakwood, Ga
WOW what a story, I am glad that you found the problem. By now you should be a tranny expert so I know who I am going to ask questions if I have to tear into one of these.

Thanks for sharing your story.
 

nyoffroad

Well-known member
912
630
93
Location
Rochester NY
Sorry about your loss and your troubles. As a side note , how long does it take you now to R&I the tranny? I know I got real good at R&I a small block years ago.
 

EMD567

Driver for the Ga Mafia
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,117
44
48
Location
Aiken SC
Sorry to hear about your sister. At least you can rebuild a tranny. I would have to take it to somebody to get it rebuilt.
 

tourus

Member
197
2
18
Location
madison me.
well thanks for the condolences... I can have the transmission on the floor and out from under the truck in about 45 mins. Get the transmission all torn down in about 20 minutes. I can have it all back together in about 45 minutes. back in the truck all depends on how things go last time in about 2hrs. so not to bad. The thing is I have learned a lot about things I can do to improve a GM 400. I hope in the future I can rebuild a transmission and document the whole rebuild. with some improvement. I have learned valve body improvement and clutches and planetary gears.
 
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