What comes around goes around - new upgrades for the TH400

[rustystud]

Well I just have to post this bit of news. I just literally read the newest newsletter from "Sonnax" and then posted here. It seems "Sonnax" which is a major transmission parts supplier and builder of high performance transmission parts has just released a new "forward/ direct drum" assembly for the TH400 transmission. It is the first one addressing some major issues that only extremely high-performance (over 1000 HP and above) people experience .
Now what makes this interesting is that they basically "stole" the idea from the good old "Dual Range Hydramatic" that our beloved M135's use !!!!
I read this before, but it seems the engineers that designed the Dual Range Hydramatic didn't know what kinds of stress the transmission would experience since this was basically the "first" truly automatic transmission. So they over-engineered it to the max. That is why you can see this transmission used in cars and heavy trucks and Tanks !
Now here we are almost 90 years later since they designed it and "modern" companies are copying major components from it still.

 

[rustystud]

OK first off who changed my title ? This post has nothing to do with TH400 upgrades. It's about our Dual Range HydroMatics used in the M135. I change the title back to what I originally posted.
Secondly, what's this "NA" instead of the date posted ?
What is going on here ?

 

[serpico760]

Well I just have to post this bit of news. I just literally read the newest newsletter from "Sonnax" and then posted here. It seems "Sonnax" which is a major transmission parts supplier and builder of high performance transmission parts has just released a new "forward/ direct drum" assembly for the TH400 transmission. It is the first one addressing some major issues that only extremely high-performance (over 1000 HP and above) people experience .
Now what makes this interesting is that they basically "stole" the idea from the good old "Dual Range Hydramatic" that our beloved M135's use !!!!
I read this before, but it seems the engineers that designed the Dual Range Hydramatic didn't know what kinds of stress the transmission would experience since this was basically the "first" truly automatic transmission. So they over-engineered it to the max. That is why you can see this transmission used in cars and heavy trucks and Tanks !
Now here we are almost 90 years later since they designed it and "modern" companies are copying major components from it still.

My first car was a 1974 Pontiac Catalina with a 400 four barrel and a turbo hydramatic 400 transmission with a shift kit! Man that thing could scoot! There are so many other people that were so surprised how fast that thing was and how quick it shifted! Your post just reminded me of it!

 

[gringeltaube]

.....This post has nothing to do with TH400 upgrades. .......................

Not.....?? Even after you wrote this: "It seems "Sonnax" which is a major transmission parts supplier and builder of high performance transmission parts has just released a new "forward/ direct drum" assembly for the TH400 transmission. It is the first one addressing some major issues that only extremely high-performance (over 1000 HP and above) people experience ."

... and then, in your PDF-file attached, it clearly reads: "It's the first and only TH400 upgrade to optimize drum function..."
(Nowhere does it even mention anything about the M135 transmission.)


Keep this in mind: To make life easier for our readers and future searchers, a moderator may change a thread's title to something more relevant to the text/topic - and also move a thread to a better fitting sub-forum. With- or without notice to the original poster.

 

[patracy]

Rusty, I have sent you a message. And I've updated the title as well. Your original title is still in place, but I'd ammended more info for those searching when looking at title names.

 

[rustystud]

Not.....?? Even after you wrote this: "It seems "Sonnax" which is a major transmission parts supplier and builder of high performance transmission parts has just released a new "forward/ direct drum" assembly for the TH400 transmission. It is the first one addressing some major issues that only extremely high-performance (over 1000 HP and above) people experience ."

... and then, in your PDF-file attached, it clearly reads: "It's the first and only TH400 upgrade to optimize drum function..."
(Nowhere does it even mention anything about the M135 transmission.)


Keep this in mind: To make life easier for our readers and future searchers, a moderator may change a thread's title to something more relevant to the text/topic - and also move a thread to a better fitting sub-forum. With- or without notice to the original poster.

My whole post was about the strength of the old hydromatic. I mentioned Sonnax and the TH400 as having "Stolen" the idea of a solid shell direct/forward drum assembly and posted the Sonnax information showing this drum assembly. Why is this so cunfusing ?

 

[patracy]

If you'd like to post up a new thread about the old hydromatic with documentation that is specifically related to that, by all means feel free to.

 

[royalflush55]

Well I just have to post this bit of news. I just literally read the newest newsletter from "Sonnax" and then posted here. It seems "Sonnax" which is a major transmission parts supplier and builder of high performance transmission parts has just released a new "forward/ direct drum" assembly for the TH400 transmission. It is the first one addressing some major issues that only extremely high-performance (over 1000 HP and above) people experience .
Now what makes this interesting is that they basically "stole" the idea from the good old "Dual Range Hydramatic" that our beloved M135's use !!!!
I read this before, but it seems the engineers that designed the Dual Range Hydramatic didn't know what kinds of stress the transmission would experience since this was basically the "first" truly automatic transmission. So they over-engineered it to the max. That is why you can see this transmission used in cars and heavy trucks and Tanks !
Now here we are almost 90 years later since they designed it and "modern" companies are copying major components from it still.

Rusty, Thank you for sharing this information and YOUR knowledge with us. This is really good info for both of these transmissions. This is what the world is losing everyday is experience and knowledge! Life long hands on experience is knowledge!