[Cliff R]

" For those of you that think I lack the skills you have, better think, it has been 10 years since my novice days started and how many of you have built your own Trans. . I gave myself an "A" for that job. Plus, my motor is still cleaner than most of yours inside by flushing it out with Trans. fluid and if I could I would add an addendum to the Manual depicting so."

I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express once......does that count?

[TRADERMIKE 2012]

Originally Posted by Cliff R

" For those of you that think I lack the skills you have, better think, it has been 10 years since my novice days started and how many of you have built your own Trans. . I gave myself an "A" for that job. Plus, my motor is still cleaner than most of yours inside by flushing it out with Trans. fluid and if I could I would add an addendum to the Manual depicting so."

I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express once......does that count? Hail:

You are the one that got me through the Trans. build, Thanks to your exact diagnoses of the original problem and I believe through the entire rebuild, kiss- ass I know, but it's true. If one man can rebuild a Trans. Another can, it took a lot of study by reading the Pontiac Manual throughout. The videos helped and the forum members were helpful. Knowledge from shopping parts at different vendors and reading what they had to say in their Articles proved to be invaluable to me. My Trans. is not only built to tighter tolerances but uses more Bearings than the Factory used. There are a few more steps that I took like upgrading the Pump using Sonnex parts. The Accumulator received an adjustment kit for the future. The B+M rebuild kit had most of the parts necessary for a complete build. The Torque Converter is a new HD Hughes make. The Modulator is new, the one I had must have been damaged in the accident? I know use a larger Truck Trans. oil Pan. Also, I added a Remote Oil filter. All new larger diameter hose lines etc... If I am wrong and it was another person that helped me more, I just don't have the time to read the entire Thread at this time, better to just thank the PY forum for being there for a successful Trans. build 101 by Mike.

[TRADERMIKE 2012]

Originally Posted by TRADERMIKE 2012

You are the one that got me through the Trans. build, Thanks to your exact diagnoses of the original problem and I believe through the entire rebuild, kiss- ass I know, but it's true. If one man can rebuild a Trans. Another can, it took a lot of study by reading the Pontiac Manual throughout. The videos helped and the forum members were helpful.

Knowledge from shopping for parts at different vendors and reading about their products, in their articles, proved to be invaluable to me. My Trans. is not only built to tighter tolerances, but uses more Bearings than the Factory used. For example, we added a Bearing to the bottom of the Case that keeps the Shaft loads from pushing against that area, that could affect the load toward the Engine thrust Bushing. By the way that is why I think that my Harmonic Balancer earned its crack in the accident that caused me to rebuild this TH 400 in the first place. There are a few more steps that I took like upgrading the Pump/Regulator by using Sonnex parts. The Accumulator received an adjustment kit for the future.

The B+M rebuild kit had most of the parts necessary for a complete build. The Torque Converter is a new HD Hughes make. The Modulator is new, the one I had must have been damaged in the accident or was a defective one from new? I know use a larger Truck Trans. oil Pan. Also, I added a Remote Oil filter. All new larger diameter hose lines etc... If I am wrong and it was another person that helped me more, I just don't have the time to read the entire Thread at this time, better to just thank the PY forum for being there for a successful Trans. build 101 by Mike.

Mike forgot to say:

I just remembered that after many attempts at rebuilding the Valve Body, I finally destroyed one of the Bushings that holds a certain number of valves, positioned in a certain sequence within this particular Bushings. Never force A Bushing into a Valve Body because there are specialty tools that can ream or Bore the Valve body hole that houses the Bushings that house the small Valves within. By using Vaseline to insert the Bushings one can do the job correctly.

I should have known that this could happen from reading the Sonnex Information prior. First time for everything, I just did not have the proper tool at the needed time and I did not think that the Bushings were as sensitive as the Valves inside of the Bushing. I certainly did not think that I bent or collapsed the Bushing Aluminum Housing, itself. After all we had the Valve body apart a half a dozen times as we were trying to diagnose the Trans. issues. Also, being that I had to push too hard, on the insertion of the Bushing, means that my roommate had 5 other times to destroy it.

I paid about $70 for a remanufactured one, I had to live with the one that I received, because they lost the one that I originally ordered in the ware house an hour away from my house, we looked all over with the warehouse manager because that was the correct one for my application. But, in the long run I can't notice the difference. The Valve body they gave me had the proper Valves and Bushings for that particular Valve body, it was not PC code, but it works. When you are dealing with 50-year-old parts sometimes you must make certain sacrifices to get back on the road sooner than later. We are experts in R+R the Valve body for sure.