XOR - Xtreme Off-Road Builds
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TCI Automotive
Transmission Valve Body, Full Manual, Reverse Shift Pattern, Engine Braking, Chevy, TH400, Each
Automotive Workwear
Official automotive workwear of Xtreme Off Road
Edwards Ironworkers
55 TON EDWARDS IRONWORKER with Hydraulic Accessory Pack option; 10 Ton Bender, 15 Ton Horizontal press,Tubing Roller and 40 Ton Shop Press.
ESAB
The Official Welding and Cutting Supplier of Xtreme Off Road, featuring the all-new Rebel 215 Multi-Process Welder
Maximum Transmissions
300M Shaft, Drum, and Sprag
Monster Transmission and Performance
TH-400 SS Mega Monster Transmission Complete Rebuild Kit
The Industrial Depot
Fasteners, Hardware, and Shop Supplies
Episode Transcript
(NARRATOR) DECISIONS, DECISIONS, TWO GREAT TRANSMISSIONS BUT ROOM FOR JUST ONE. THERE'S ONLY ONE SOLUTION. TAKE THE BEST PIECES FROM EACH OF THEM AND CREATE A KILLER CUSTOM TRANNY. TODAY ON XTREME OFF ROAD BUCKIN' BRONCO GETS A HARDCORE TRANSMISSION BUILD DESIGNED FOR MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY. PLUS WE'VE GOT STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO GET YOUR FUEL PUMP PUMPING WHEN YOU'RE STRANDED ON THE TRAIL.
(IAN) WE'RE KICKING THINGS OFF TODAY BY TAKING CARE OF A COUPLE OF THE DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS FOR OUR BUCKIN' BRONCO PROJECT, AND IT STARTS WITH A TRANSMISSION BUILD. NOW THIS IS NOT THE TRANSMISSION THAT'S ACTUALLY GONNA END UP IN THE RIG. THIS IS A TURBO 400 AND WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS BASICALLY BUILD A BOMB PROOF VERSION OF THIS TRANSMISSION USING COMPONENTS FROM A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PLACES. THE TURBO 400 IS A THREE SPEED HEAVY DUTY TRANSMISSION THAT'S BEEN USED BY GENERAL MOTORS SINCE THE 1960'S. IN THE '80'S IT WAS PHASED OUT OF USE IN PASSENGER CARS AND USED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE TRUCK LINE BECAUSE OF ITS STRENGTH. IN FACT, THE STRENGTH OF THE TRANSMISSION MADE IT A POPULAR CHOICE FOR OTHER HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES. YOU CAN FIND THE TURBO 400 USED OVER THE YEARS IN FERRARIS, JAGS, ROLLS ROYCE'S, HUMMERS, AND EVEN JEEPS, BUT AS TIMES CHANGE THINGS EVOLVED, AND THE TURBO 400 EVENTUALLY TRANSFORMED IN THE FOURL-80-E. AN ELECTRONIC FOUR SPEED VERSION OF THE TURBO 400. THIS TRANSMISSION FOUND A HOME IN HEAVY DUTY APPLICATIONS WITH A STAGGERING GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING OF 18,000 POUNDS. THE FOUR SPEED OVERDRIVE TRANS SHARED MANY SIMILAR INTERNAL COMPONENTS WITH THE THREE SPEED TURBO 400, BUT THEY WERE UPGRADED FOR STRENGTH. SINCE THE TRANSMISSIONS ARE SO SIMILAR, WHAT WE CAN DO NOW IS TAKE SOME OF THE UPGRADED COMPONENTS OUT OF THE FOURL-80-E, MIX THEM IN WITH A COUPLE OF THE FACTORY PIECES IN THE TURBO 400, ADD IN A PILE OF AFTERMARKET COMPONENTS, AND WE'LL HAVE A SERIOUS OFF ROAD TRANSMISSION. TO START I'M GONNA COMPLETELY TEAR DOWN THE TURBO 400, BY REMOVING THE VALVE BODY, THE PUMP, INPUT SHAFT, FRONT CLUTCH PACK, CENTER SUPPORT, FOLLOWED BY THE PLANETARIES AND THE OUTPUT SHAFT. WITH THE 400 TRANSMISSION CASE OFF THE BENCH, I'M GONNA REPEAT THIS PROCEDURE WITH OUR FOURL-80-E TRANSMISSION, FOLLOWING THE SAME STEPS. REMOVING THE VALVE BODY, FRONT PUMP, INPUT SHAFT, FORWARD PLANETARIES AND CLUTCH PACK, CENTER SUPPORT, FOLLOWED BY THE REAR PLANETARIES AND OUTPUT SHAFT. I WOULD NORMALLY ADVISE AGAINST TAKING APART TWO TRANSMISSIONS AT THE SAME TIME, ESPECIALLY TWO THAT ARE SO SIMILAR AS THE 400 AND THE FOURL-80-E BUT THE REASON I DID IT WAS SO WE COULD REALLY GET AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT HOW SIMILAR THE COMPONENTS ARE IN THESE TWO TRANSMISSIONS. NOW OBVIOUSLY THE TRANSMISSION CASE LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. THE 80 CASE IS A LOT LONGER AND THAT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED ROOM INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION FOR THE ADDITIONAL PLANETARY GEAR SET TO GET THAT OVERDRIVE GEAR, BUT IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE VALVE BODIES THEY ARE SIMILAR IN TWO KEY AREAS, BOTH BAND TO PLY PINS. BOTH THE REAR BAND AND THE FRONT BAND ARE IN IDENTICAL SPOTS AS WELL AS BASICALLY THE EXACT SAME DESIGN. THAT SHOWS YOU HOW SIMILAR THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE AND YOU'LL SEE IT EVEN MORE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE INTERNALS. I HAVE BOTH TRANSMISSIONS LAID OUT HERE ON THE BENCH. THE TURBO 400 IS THIS FRONT ROW, AND THEN RIGHT BEHIND IT IS EVERYTHING OUT OF OUR FOURL-80-E. NOW YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENCES RIGHT OFF THE TOP. THE PUMP FOR THE 80 IS A LITTLE BIT BEEFIER. THE INPUT SHAFTS ARE BASICALLY IDENTICAL EXCEPT THERE'S ANOTHER SET OF CLUTCHES AND PLANETARY GEAR SETS IN THIS PART OF THE TRANSMISSION. FROM THERE DOWN THOUGH THEY ARE BASICALLY IDENTICAL RIGHT DOWN TO THE OUTPUT SHAFT. THERE ARE SOME SUBTLE DIFFERENCES DOWN HERE. THE 80'S A LITTLE BIT LONGER, THE 400 HAS A GEAR IN IT THAT DRIVES THE MECHANICAL SPEEDOMETER, BUT THE 80 HAS THIS TONE RING THAT IS PICKED UP BY AN ELECTRONIC SPEED SENSOR TO MEASURE OUTPUT SHAFT SPEED, BUT THE DRUMS ARE THE SAME AS WELL AS THE PARKING PAWL. IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT WHAT THEY DID WHEN THEY DESIGNED THE FOURL-80-E WAS JUST ADD A CLUTCH PACK AND A SET OF PLANETARY GEARS TO GIVE US THAT OVERDRIVE, AND THEN STACKED IT ON TOP OF AN ALREADY STOUT TRANSMISSION. NOW THERE'S OBVIOUSLY MORE TO TURNING A THREE SPEED INTO A FOUR SPEED THAN JUST ADDING CLUTCHES AND PLANETARIES. YOU HAVE TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE VALVE BODY, AND THE FOURL-80-E VALVE BODY IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN THE TURBO 400. WHEN COMPARED SIDE TO SIDE IT'S EASY TO SEE THAT THE TURBO 400 VALVE BODY IS A LOT SIMPLER THAN THE FOURL-80-E. IT'S A SMALL CAST IRON VALVE BODY THAT'S JUST USED TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION. THE FOURL-80-E VALVE BODY IS A LOT MORE COMPLICATED. IT'S AN ALL ALUMINUM VALVE BODY, OBVIOUSLY A LOT LARGER, AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT DOES MORE THAN JUST SHIFT THE GEARS. YOU'VE GOT TO REMEMBER, THE "E" AT THE END OF FOURL-80-E STANDS FOR ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S SOME TYPE OF CONTROL MODULE THAT'S MODULATING THAT TRANSMISSION, AND INSIDE THE VALVE BODY THERE'S GONNA BE A BUNCH OF SENSOR THAT ALLOW IT TO DO THAT. THERE'S PULSE WIDTH MODULATING SOLENOIDS. THAT SETS THE LINE PRESSURE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. LOCK UP SOLENOIDS, SHIFT SOLENOIDS THAT DETERMINE WHEN THE TRANSMISSIONS SHIFTS, AND EVEN A PRESSURE PLATE ASSEMBLY THAT WILL TELL THE COMPUTER EXACTLY WHAT GEAR THE TRANSMISSION IS IN. NOW THIS IS A VERY TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED TRANSMISSION, AND THAT IS WHY IT IS INCREDIBLY POPULAR IN HEAVY DUTY LATE MODEL TRUCKS. THE COMPUTER CAN CONTROL WHEN IT SHIFTS, HOW HARD IT SHIFTS, EVEN IF THE TRANSMISSION STARTS TO SLIP IT CAN COMPENSATE FOR THAT. ALL THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT YOU NEED IN A DAILY DRIVING HEAVY DUTY PICK UP. NOT WHAT WE NEED IN A HARDCORE ROCK CRAWLER. THAT'S WHY WE'RE BUILDING A TURBO 400. (NARRATOR) UP NEXT, THE FOUNDATION OF ANY SERIOUS TRANSMISSION IS A BOMB PROOF CASE.
(IAN) I TOLD YOU GUYS IN THE BEGINNING THAT WE WERE GONNA BUILD A TURBO 400 USING SOME PARTS FROM A FACTORY 400, SOME UPGRADED COMPONENTS OUT OF A FOURL-80, AND A BUNCH OF AFTERMARKET PARTS. WELL THIS IS THE FIRST AFTERMARKET COMPONENT. THIS IS THE REED RACING SUPER HYDRA TURBO 400 TRANSMISSION CASE. NOW THIS IS AN UPGRADED 100 PERCENT AFTERMARKET TURBO 400 TRANSMISSION CASE. IT'S GOT EXTRA STIFFENING RIBS INSIDE, ADDITIONAL PORTS ON THE OUTSIDE FOR COOLING AND MEASURING, AS WELL AS A THREADED PORT FOR THE VENT AND THE ABILITY TO USE THE FOURL-80-E CENTER SUPPORT, AND I'LL SHOW YOU THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER. THIS IS THE BEGINNING STEP OF ANY SERIOUS OFF ROAD TRANSMISSION BUILD. IT ALL STARTS BY PREPPING THE OUTPUT SHAFT FOR INSTALLATION. THAT MEANS REMOVING THE TURBO 400 REAR PLANETARY GEARS AND REPLACING THEM WITH A SET OF STRAIGHT CUT PLANETARY GEARS OUT OF A '96 TO '99 FOURL-80-E COMMERCIAL TRANSMISSION. THE STRAIGHT CUT GEARS ARE LOUDER THAN TRADITIONAL ANGLE CUT GEARS BUT THEY ARE A LOT STRONGER. THE AFTERMARKET PARTS THAT ARE GONNA GO INSIDE OUR TRANSMISSION CAME FROM THREE DIFFERENT PLACES. I GOT OF BUNCH OF HARD PARTS FROM MAXIMUM OFF ROAD TRANSMISSIONS. THAT'S SOLID 300-M SHAFTS, BILLET DRUMS, SPRAGS, AS WELL AS CLUTCH ELEMENTS. A COMPLETE MONSTER IN A BOX REBUILD KIT FROM MONSTER TRANSMISSION. THAT'S ALL NEW CLUTCHES, STEELS, GASKETS, EVERYTHING TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION, AND A REVERSE MANUAL VALVE BODY FROM SUMMIT RACING. NOW IF YOU'RE PLANNING YOUR OWN HEAVY DUTY TURBO 400 REBUILD THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS YOU NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR. FIRST, THE MANUAL VALVE BODY, MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET ONE WITH ENGINE BRAKING. SOME OF THE 400 VALVE BODIES DON'T HAVE ENGINE BRAKING. THOSE ONES ARE USED IN DRAG RACING. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENGINE BREAKING, WHEN YOU START GOING DOWNHILL AND GRAB SOME LOW GEARS TO LET THE ENGINE HOLD YOU AS YOU TRAVERSE DOWN THAT HILL, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. YOUR VEHICLE'S JUST GONNA RUN AWAY ON YOU. SECONDLY, THE UPGRADED SOLID SHAFTS. THESE 300-M SHAFTS, THEY DON'T HAVE A LUBE HOLE DRILLED THROUGH THEM LIKE THE FACTORY SHAFTS DO. THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S NO WAY FOR THE FLUID TO GET WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. YOU HAVE TO SWAP OUT THE BUSHINGS INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. THE FACTORY BUSHING INSIDE THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IS SOLID BECAUSE THE SHAFT THAT GOES THROUGH IT HAS THAT LUBE HOLE. SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A LUBE HOLE, YOU NEED TO SWAP IT OUT TO THE BUSHINGS THAT HAVE RELIEF CUTS IN THEM. THAT ALLOWS THE FLUID TO GO AROUND THE SHAFT WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. ASSEMBLY BEGINS BY PLACING THE NEW TORRINGTON BEARING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRANSMISSION CASE. THIS IS AN UPGRADE FROM THE FACTORY CASE THAT USES A BUSHING.
A 300-M INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IS THEN INSTALLED INTO THE REAR PLANETARIES, ALONG WITH THE UPGRADED SPRAG ASSEMBLY, AND THE CENTER SUPPORT FROM A FOURL-80-E.
THE REASON THAT WE USED THE FOURL-80-E CENTER SUPPORT INSTEAD OF THE TURBO 400 HAS TO DO WITH THIS SMALL, LITTLE PORT ON THE SIDE. THE FIRST FEW GENERATIONS OF FOURL-80-E'S, THE PLANETARY GEAR SETS WERE OVERHEATING AND FAILING. SO TO SOLVE THAT IN THE LATER VERSIONS THEY ACTUALLY CHANGED THE LOCATION OF THE RETURN LINE FROM THE TRANSMISSION COOLER AND FED THE SIDE OF THE CENTER SUPPORT. THAT PUT FLUID BACK DOWN INTO THE PLANETARIES, KEEPING THEM NICE AND COOL. NOW REED RACING TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THAT WITH THEIR SUPER HYDRA CASE. THEY INCLUDE THIS SMALL FITTING THAT ACTUALLY GOES INTO THE TRANSMISSION CASE, AND THEN WILL LOCK INTO THE SIDE OF THE CENTER SUPPORT. THAT WAY WE CAN PUMP FLUID DIRECTLY INTO THE CENTER SUPPORT, KEEP THE REAR PLANETARY GEAR SETS NICE AND COOL. NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THIS MODIFICATION WITH THIS CASE. YOU CAN STILL RUN THE TURBO 400 CENTER SUPPORT IF YOU WANT, BUT IT'S JUST GOOD INSURANCE FOR YOUR REAR PLANETARY GEARS. THE ENTIRE OUTPUT SHAFT ASSEMBLY IS LOWERED INTO THE TRANSMISSION CASE, AND THE CENTER SUPPORT IS SECURED WITH THE CENTER SUPPORT BOLT. THEN THE CLUTCHES AND ALL THE FRICTION MATERIAL ARE SOAKED TO PREP FOR REBUILD. (NARRATOR) STRANDED ON THE TRAIL BECAUSE YOUR FUEL PUMP'S NOT RUNNING? WE'VE GOT A FIX FOR THAT.
(IAN) WHEN SOMETHING BIG BREAKS ON THE TRAIL, LIKE A DRIVESHAFT, AXLE SHAFT, OR YOU CUT A TIRE, IT'S PRETTY EASY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET THAT RIG HOME, BUT WHAT IF IT'S SOMETHING LITTLE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, YOU TURN THE KEY ON AND THE FUEL PUMP DOESN'T RUN? THAT RECENTLY HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I WAS JUST UNLOADING A RIG OFF OF THE TRAILER. IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME, AND KNOWING HOW TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG IS PRETTY IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S WHY LOCKJAW IS IN THE SHOP TODAY. WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU HOW TO DIAGNOSE SOMETHING, LIKE A FUEL PUMP, NOT ENGAGING. IF YOUR FUEL PUMP IS EXTERNAL, LIKE ON THIS PROJECT, GIVE THE PUMP A LIGHT TAP WITH THE HAMMER. DON'T GO CRAZY. IF THE BRUSHES ARE STUCK IT WON'T TAKE MUCH TO LOOSEN THEM UP. IF THE PUMP STILL DOESN'T RUN THE NEXT STEP IS GONNA BE THE WIRING.
THE FUEL PUMP IN YOUR RIG IS GONNA BE CONTROLLED WITH A RELAY. NOW IF YOU TEST RIGHT AT THE RELAY JUNCTION BLOCK, AND IN THIS CASE IT'S INSIDE THE FUSE BLOCK, YOU'LL ALSO BE TESTING ALL THE WIRING IN THE SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT FEEDS IT AND THE SWITCH THAT ACTIVATES THE PUMP. THE NICE THING IS THAT ALL RELAYS HAVE THE EXACT SAME NUMBERING AND DIAGRAM SYSTEM WORKED INTO THEM. SO IF YOU HAVE A RELAY IN YOUR RIG AND YOU CAN READ THE NUMBERS IT'S EASY TO DIAGNOSE IT WITH SOMETHING LIKE A TEST LIGHT. A RELAY IS A SMALL ELECTROMAGNETICALLY CONTROLLED SWITCH WITH FOUR DIFFERENT NUMBERED TERMINALS. TERMINAL 85 IS THE POWER FEED FROM THE SWITCH THAT CONTROLS THE RELAY. TERMINAL 86 IS THE GROUND. 87 IS THE HIGH CURRENT FEED FROM THE BATTERY, AND TERMINAL 30 IS THE OUTPUT TO THE FUEL PUMP. WHEN THE SWITCH, OR KEY, IS TURNED ON, POWER TRAVELS ACROSS THE ELECTROMAGNET AND CREATES A CONNECTION BETWEEN TERMINALS 87 AND 30 POWERING THE PUMP. IF YOU DON'T HEAR THE RELAY CLICK WHEN YOU TURN THE KEY ON, THE RELAY IS NOT WORKING BUT WHY? STEP ONE, MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE KEY IS ON YOU HAVE POWER TO THE WIRE FEEDING TERMINAL 85. [ beep ] (IAN) IF YOU DO, THE NEXT STEP IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A GOOD GROUND ON TERMINAL 86. [ beep ] (IAN) NEXT CHECK FOR 12 VOLTS AT THE WIRE FEEDING TERMINAL 87. [ beep ] (IAN) IF YOU DON'T HAVE POWER AT TERMINAL 85 THE PROBLEM IS OBVIOUSLY A FUSE. IF YOU DON'T HAVE POWER IN TERMINAL 87 IT'S MORE THAN LIKELY THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. IF YOU HAVE POWER AT THOSE PLACES IT'S PROBABLY THE RELAY, BUT THERE'S ONE MORE WAY TO CHECK. USE A COTTER PIN, OR A SMALL PIECE OF WIRE, TO JUMP FROM TERMINAL 87 TO TERMINAL 30. IF THE FUEL PUMP RUNS THE RELAY IS BAD. THIS WILL GET YOU OFF THE TRAIL. (NARRATOR) COMING UP, THE SECRET TO TOP TRANSMISSION PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY, FIRM, FAST SHIFTS.
(IAN) A LOT OF PEOPLE BECOME A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS WHEN THEY TEAR APART AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. IT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY. THEY'RE A FAIRLY COMPLICATED PIECE OF MACHINERY. I MEAN IF YOU ACTUALLY JUST LOOK AT THE VALVE BODY THAT'S CAST INTO THE CASE, IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE'S BRAIN HAS JUST BEEN MADE INTO SOME ALUMINUM. IT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT HARD TO UNDERSTAND, BUT IF YOU JUST UNDERSTAND THE BASIC PRINCIPAL OF HOW AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WORKS IT'LL REALLY HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THE DIFFERENT UPGRADES THAT WE MAKE TO THE TRANSMISSION IMPROVE IT FOR THE ABUSE THAT WE PUT THEM THROUGH OFF ROAD. NOW THE HARD PARTS, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE A LOT STRONGER. WE UPGRADE OUR CLUTCH DISC TO THESE RED ALTO, OR BLUE ALTO, CLUTCH DISCS BECAUSE THEY CAN HANDLE A LOT MORE HEAT. EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE DO INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION IS ALL ABOUT FLUID FLOW. ALL THE SHIFTS THAT HAPPEN INSIDE YOUR TRANSMISSION HAPPEN IN PLACES LIKE THIS, EITHER A SET OF CLUTCHES OR A BAND. NORMALLY THE CLUTCHES JUST SPIN AROUND INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE FLUID IS APPLIED TO THE PISTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS DRUM, THE CLUTCHES AND THE PLATES SQUISH TOGETHER, STOP SPINNING. THAT THEN ENGAGES SOME TYPE OF TRANSMISSION COMPONENT, LIKE THIS INTERNAL STATOR HERE, AND WILL THEN TURN A SHAFT INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. IF WE CAN SPEED UP HOW FAST THE FLUID GETS THERE BY EITHER CHANGING THE LOCATION OF CHECK BALLS INSIDE THE VALVE BODY, OR INCREASING THE HOLE IN THE SPACER PLATE THAT ALLOWS THE FLUID TO TRAVEL FASTER, THAT WILL FIRM UP THAT SHIFT. BY FIRMING UP THE SHIFT IT MAKES EVERYTHING A LOT STRONGER BECAUSE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FROM THE FACTORY THE MANUFACTURERS, THEY WANT SMOOTH SHIFTS THAT YOU DON'T FEEL. TO GET THAT SMOOTH SHIFT, AS THE PISTONS ARE APPLYING, THE CLUTCHES ARE ACTUALLY STILL TURNING INSIDE THIS DRUM. THAT MAKES THEM WEAR OUT OVER TIME. IF YOU ACTUALLY INCREASE THE PRESSURE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A FIRMER SHIFT, NOT ONLY DOES IT MAKE IT STRONGER, BUT IT'LL ALSO MAKE IT LAST LONGER. TO FINISH OUT THE TRANSMISSION THE NEW MAXIMUM OFF ROAD TRANSMISSION 300-M INPUT SHAFT AND BILLET DRUM ARE ASSEMBLED WITH THE FACTORY PISTON... NICE, OH YEAH, PERFECT!
...AND THE UPGRADED MONSTER TRANSMISSION CLUTCH DISCS AND KOLENE STEELS.
THE DIRECT DRUM IS MODIFIED BY REMOVING THE PISTON AND ELIMINATING ONE OF THE SEALS INSIDE.
AS WELL AS UPGRADING THE SPRINGS TO THE ONES THAT CAME WITH OUR SUMMIT RACING MANUAL VALVE BODY.
THE FRONT PUMP BUSHING MUST BE REMOVED BECAUSE OF THE SOLID FRONT SHAFT, AND IT IS DROPPED OVER THE INPUT SHAFT ONTO THE CASE. THE FRONT AND REAR BAND APPLY PINS ARE INSTALLED INTO THE VALVE BODY, A SINGLE CHECK BALL, AND THE REVERSE MANUAL BODY IS BOLTED INTO PLACE.
FINALLY INSTALL THE SHIFTER SHAFT AND ALIGN THE MANUAL VALVE.
AND WITH THAT OUR TURBO 400 IS COMPLETELY REASSEMBLED. NOW A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN YOU USE THE REED CASE. THE OIL PAN RAILS, WELL THEY'RE CAST A QUARTER INCH DEEP THAN THE FACTORY RAILS FOR EXTRA FLUID CAPACITY. SO THEY GIVE YOU A LITTLE SPACER THAT HAS TO GO UNDERNEATH THE FILTER MOUNT TO KEEP IT AT THE CORRECT LEVEL. THEY ALSO CAST DIP STICK HOLES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION CASE. SO YOU CAN CHOSE WHERE THE TRANSMISSION DIP STICK WILL BEST FIT YOUR APPLICATION, AND THEY OBVIOUSLY GIVE YOU A PLUG TO PLUG THE ONE THAT YOU'RE NOT USING. NOW WHEN YOU USE A MANUAL VALVE BODY LIKE WE HAVE, YOU'LL NO LONGER USE THE VACUUM MODULATOR THAT GOES INTO THE SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION. THIS USES ENGINE VACUUM TO DETERMINE THE LINE PRESSURE. WE DON'T NEED THIS BECAUSE WITH A MANUAL VALVE BODY WE HAVE FULL LINE PRESSURE ALL THE TIME, AND YOU ALSO LEAVE OUT THE GOVERNOR, WHICH GOES IN THE BACK. THE GOVERNOR DETERMINES SHIFT POINTS. MANUAL VALVE BODY, YOU CHOOSE YOUR OWN SHIFT POINTS. NOW THIS WAS A VERY COMPLICATED TURBO 400 BUILD. WE HAVE A LOT OF AFTERMARKET PARTS YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE PLAY TOGETHER NICELY, BUT IF YOU'VE NEVER REBUILT A TRANSMISSION BEFORE, GO AHEAD AND TEAR APART A TURBO 400 AND JUST PUT IT TOGETHER IN STOCK FORM. IT'S A VERY EASY TRANSMISSION TO LEARN HOW TO REBUILD AUTOMATICS WITH, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THE WORST THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN IS YOU GET TO REBUILD IT AGAIN.
Show Full Transcript
(IAN) WE'RE KICKING THINGS OFF TODAY BY TAKING CARE OF A COUPLE OF THE DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS FOR OUR BUCKIN' BRONCO PROJECT, AND IT STARTS WITH A TRANSMISSION BUILD. NOW THIS IS NOT THE TRANSMISSION THAT'S ACTUALLY GONNA END UP IN THE RIG. THIS IS A TURBO 400 AND WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS BASICALLY BUILD A BOMB PROOF VERSION OF THIS TRANSMISSION USING COMPONENTS FROM A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PLACES. THE TURBO 400 IS A THREE SPEED HEAVY DUTY TRANSMISSION THAT'S BEEN USED BY GENERAL MOTORS SINCE THE 1960'S. IN THE '80'S IT WAS PHASED OUT OF USE IN PASSENGER CARS AND USED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE TRUCK LINE BECAUSE OF ITS STRENGTH. IN FACT, THE STRENGTH OF THE TRANSMISSION MADE IT A POPULAR CHOICE FOR OTHER HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES. YOU CAN FIND THE TURBO 400 USED OVER THE YEARS IN FERRARIS, JAGS, ROLLS ROYCE'S, HUMMERS, AND EVEN JEEPS, BUT AS TIMES CHANGE THINGS EVOLVED, AND THE TURBO 400 EVENTUALLY TRANSFORMED IN THE FOURL-80-E. AN ELECTRONIC FOUR SPEED VERSION OF THE TURBO 400. THIS TRANSMISSION FOUND A HOME IN HEAVY DUTY APPLICATIONS WITH A STAGGERING GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING OF 18,000 POUNDS. THE FOUR SPEED OVERDRIVE TRANS SHARED MANY SIMILAR INTERNAL COMPONENTS WITH THE THREE SPEED TURBO 400, BUT THEY WERE UPGRADED FOR STRENGTH. SINCE THE TRANSMISSIONS ARE SO SIMILAR, WHAT WE CAN DO NOW IS TAKE SOME OF THE UPGRADED COMPONENTS OUT OF THE FOURL-80-E, MIX THEM IN WITH A COUPLE OF THE FACTORY PIECES IN THE TURBO 400, ADD IN A PILE OF AFTERMARKET COMPONENTS, AND WE'LL HAVE A SERIOUS OFF ROAD TRANSMISSION. TO START I'M GONNA COMPLETELY TEAR DOWN THE TURBO 400, BY REMOVING THE VALVE BODY, THE PUMP, INPUT SHAFT, FRONT CLUTCH PACK, CENTER SUPPORT, FOLLOWED BY THE PLANETARIES AND THE OUTPUT SHAFT. WITH THE 400 TRANSMISSION CASE OFF THE BENCH, I'M GONNA REPEAT THIS PROCEDURE WITH OUR FOURL-80-E TRANSMISSION, FOLLOWING THE SAME STEPS. REMOVING THE VALVE BODY, FRONT PUMP, INPUT SHAFT, FORWARD PLANETARIES AND CLUTCH PACK, CENTER SUPPORT, FOLLOWED BY THE REAR PLANETARIES AND OUTPUT SHAFT. I WOULD NORMALLY ADVISE AGAINST TAKING APART TWO TRANSMISSIONS AT THE SAME TIME, ESPECIALLY TWO THAT ARE SO SIMILAR AS THE 400 AND THE FOURL-80-E BUT THE REASON I DID IT WAS SO WE COULD REALLY GET AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT HOW SIMILAR THE COMPONENTS ARE IN THESE TWO TRANSMISSIONS. NOW OBVIOUSLY THE TRANSMISSION CASE LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. THE 80 CASE IS A LOT LONGER AND THAT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED ROOM INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION FOR THE ADDITIONAL PLANETARY GEAR SET TO GET THAT OVERDRIVE GEAR, BUT IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE VALVE BODIES THEY ARE SIMILAR IN TWO KEY AREAS, BOTH BAND TO PLY PINS. BOTH THE REAR BAND AND THE FRONT BAND ARE IN IDENTICAL SPOTS AS WELL AS BASICALLY THE EXACT SAME DESIGN. THAT SHOWS YOU HOW SIMILAR THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE AND YOU'LL SEE IT EVEN MORE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE INTERNALS. I HAVE BOTH TRANSMISSIONS LAID OUT HERE ON THE BENCH. THE TURBO 400 IS THIS FRONT ROW, AND THEN RIGHT BEHIND IT IS EVERYTHING OUT OF OUR FOURL-80-E. NOW YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENCES RIGHT OFF THE TOP. THE PUMP FOR THE 80 IS A LITTLE BIT BEEFIER. THE INPUT SHAFTS ARE BASICALLY IDENTICAL EXCEPT THERE'S ANOTHER SET OF CLUTCHES AND PLANETARY GEAR SETS IN THIS PART OF THE TRANSMISSION. FROM THERE DOWN THOUGH THEY ARE BASICALLY IDENTICAL RIGHT DOWN TO THE OUTPUT SHAFT. THERE ARE SOME SUBTLE DIFFERENCES DOWN HERE. THE 80'S A LITTLE BIT LONGER, THE 400 HAS A GEAR IN IT THAT DRIVES THE MECHANICAL SPEEDOMETER, BUT THE 80 HAS THIS TONE RING THAT IS PICKED UP BY AN ELECTRONIC SPEED SENSOR TO MEASURE OUTPUT SHAFT SPEED, BUT THE DRUMS ARE THE SAME AS WELL AS THE PARKING PAWL. IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT WHAT THEY DID WHEN THEY DESIGNED THE FOURL-80-E WAS JUST ADD A CLUTCH PACK AND A SET OF PLANETARY GEARS TO GIVE US THAT OVERDRIVE, AND THEN STACKED IT ON TOP OF AN ALREADY STOUT TRANSMISSION. NOW THERE'S OBVIOUSLY MORE TO TURNING A THREE SPEED INTO A FOUR SPEED THAN JUST ADDING CLUTCHES AND PLANETARIES. YOU HAVE TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE VALVE BODY, AND THE FOURL-80-E VALVE BODY IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN THE TURBO 400. WHEN COMPARED SIDE TO SIDE IT'S EASY TO SEE THAT THE TURBO 400 VALVE BODY IS A LOT SIMPLER THAN THE FOURL-80-E. IT'S A SMALL CAST IRON VALVE BODY THAT'S JUST USED TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION. THE FOURL-80-E VALVE BODY IS A LOT MORE COMPLICATED. IT'S AN ALL ALUMINUM VALVE BODY, OBVIOUSLY A LOT LARGER, AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT DOES MORE THAN JUST SHIFT THE GEARS. YOU'VE GOT TO REMEMBER, THE "E" AT THE END OF FOURL-80-E STANDS FOR ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S SOME TYPE OF CONTROL MODULE THAT'S MODULATING THAT TRANSMISSION, AND INSIDE THE VALVE BODY THERE'S GONNA BE A BUNCH OF SENSOR THAT ALLOW IT TO DO THAT. THERE'S PULSE WIDTH MODULATING SOLENOIDS. THAT SETS THE LINE PRESSURE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. LOCK UP SOLENOIDS, SHIFT SOLENOIDS THAT DETERMINE WHEN THE TRANSMISSIONS SHIFTS, AND EVEN A PRESSURE PLATE ASSEMBLY THAT WILL TELL THE COMPUTER EXACTLY WHAT GEAR THE TRANSMISSION IS IN. NOW THIS IS A VERY TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED TRANSMISSION, AND THAT IS WHY IT IS INCREDIBLY POPULAR IN HEAVY DUTY LATE MODEL TRUCKS. THE COMPUTER CAN CONTROL WHEN IT SHIFTS, HOW HARD IT SHIFTS, EVEN IF THE TRANSMISSION STARTS TO SLIP IT CAN COMPENSATE FOR THAT. ALL THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT YOU NEED IN A DAILY DRIVING HEAVY DUTY PICK UP. NOT WHAT WE NEED IN A HARDCORE ROCK CRAWLER. THAT'S WHY WE'RE BUILDING A TURBO 400. (NARRATOR) UP NEXT, THE FOUNDATION OF ANY SERIOUS TRANSMISSION IS A BOMB PROOF CASE.
(IAN) I TOLD YOU GUYS IN THE BEGINNING THAT WE WERE GONNA BUILD A TURBO 400 USING SOME PARTS FROM A FACTORY 400, SOME UPGRADED COMPONENTS OUT OF A FOURL-80, AND A BUNCH OF AFTERMARKET PARTS. WELL THIS IS THE FIRST AFTERMARKET COMPONENT. THIS IS THE REED RACING SUPER HYDRA TURBO 400 TRANSMISSION CASE. NOW THIS IS AN UPGRADED 100 PERCENT AFTERMARKET TURBO 400 TRANSMISSION CASE. IT'S GOT EXTRA STIFFENING RIBS INSIDE, ADDITIONAL PORTS ON THE OUTSIDE FOR COOLING AND MEASURING, AS WELL AS A THREADED PORT FOR THE VENT AND THE ABILITY TO USE THE FOURL-80-E CENTER SUPPORT, AND I'LL SHOW YOU THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER. THIS IS THE BEGINNING STEP OF ANY SERIOUS OFF ROAD TRANSMISSION BUILD. IT ALL STARTS BY PREPPING THE OUTPUT SHAFT FOR INSTALLATION. THAT MEANS REMOVING THE TURBO 400 REAR PLANETARY GEARS AND REPLACING THEM WITH A SET OF STRAIGHT CUT PLANETARY GEARS OUT OF A '96 TO '99 FOURL-80-E COMMERCIAL TRANSMISSION. THE STRAIGHT CUT GEARS ARE LOUDER THAN TRADITIONAL ANGLE CUT GEARS BUT THEY ARE A LOT STRONGER. THE AFTERMARKET PARTS THAT ARE GONNA GO INSIDE OUR TRANSMISSION CAME FROM THREE DIFFERENT PLACES. I GOT OF BUNCH OF HARD PARTS FROM MAXIMUM OFF ROAD TRANSMISSIONS. THAT'S SOLID 300-M SHAFTS, BILLET DRUMS, SPRAGS, AS WELL AS CLUTCH ELEMENTS. A COMPLETE MONSTER IN A BOX REBUILD KIT FROM MONSTER TRANSMISSION. THAT'S ALL NEW CLUTCHES, STEELS, GASKETS, EVERYTHING TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION, AND A REVERSE MANUAL VALVE BODY FROM SUMMIT RACING. NOW IF YOU'RE PLANNING YOUR OWN HEAVY DUTY TURBO 400 REBUILD THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS YOU NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR. FIRST, THE MANUAL VALVE BODY, MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET ONE WITH ENGINE BRAKING. SOME OF THE 400 VALVE BODIES DON'T HAVE ENGINE BRAKING. THOSE ONES ARE USED IN DRAG RACING. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENGINE BREAKING, WHEN YOU START GOING DOWNHILL AND GRAB SOME LOW GEARS TO LET THE ENGINE HOLD YOU AS YOU TRAVERSE DOWN THAT HILL, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. YOUR VEHICLE'S JUST GONNA RUN AWAY ON YOU. SECONDLY, THE UPGRADED SOLID SHAFTS. THESE 300-M SHAFTS, THEY DON'T HAVE A LUBE HOLE DRILLED THROUGH THEM LIKE THE FACTORY SHAFTS DO. THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S NO WAY FOR THE FLUID TO GET WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. YOU HAVE TO SWAP OUT THE BUSHINGS INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. THE FACTORY BUSHING INSIDE THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IS SOLID BECAUSE THE SHAFT THAT GOES THROUGH IT HAS THAT LUBE HOLE. SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A LUBE HOLE, YOU NEED TO SWAP IT OUT TO THE BUSHINGS THAT HAVE RELIEF CUTS IN THEM. THAT ALLOWS THE FLUID TO GO AROUND THE SHAFT WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. ASSEMBLY BEGINS BY PLACING THE NEW TORRINGTON BEARING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRANSMISSION CASE. THIS IS AN UPGRADE FROM THE FACTORY CASE THAT USES A BUSHING.
A 300-M INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IS THEN INSTALLED INTO THE REAR PLANETARIES, ALONG WITH THE UPGRADED SPRAG ASSEMBLY, AND THE CENTER SUPPORT FROM A FOURL-80-E.
THE REASON THAT WE USED THE FOURL-80-E CENTER SUPPORT INSTEAD OF THE TURBO 400 HAS TO DO WITH THIS SMALL, LITTLE PORT ON THE SIDE. THE FIRST FEW GENERATIONS OF FOURL-80-E'S, THE PLANETARY GEAR SETS WERE OVERHEATING AND FAILING. SO TO SOLVE THAT IN THE LATER VERSIONS THEY ACTUALLY CHANGED THE LOCATION OF THE RETURN LINE FROM THE TRANSMISSION COOLER AND FED THE SIDE OF THE CENTER SUPPORT. THAT PUT FLUID BACK DOWN INTO THE PLANETARIES, KEEPING THEM NICE AND COOL. NOW REED RACING TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THAT WITH THEIR SUPER HYDRA CASE. THEY INCLUDE THIS SMALL FITTING THAT ACTUALLY GOES INTO THE TRANSMISSION CASE, AND THEN WILL LOCK INTO THE SIDE OF THE CENTER SUPPORT. THAT WAY WE CAN PUMP FLUID DIRECTLY INTO THE CENTER SUPPORT, KEEP THE REAR PLANETARY GEAR SETS NICE AND COOL. NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THIS MODIFICATION WITH THIS CASE. YOU CAN STILL RUN THE TURBO 400 CENTER SUPPORT IF YOU WANT, BUT IT'S JUST GOOD INSURANCE FOR YOUR REAR PLANETARY GEARS. THE ENTIRE OUTPUT SHAFT ASSEMBLY IS LOWERED INTO THE TRANSMISSION CASE, AND THE CENTER SUPPORT IS SECURED WITH THE CENTER SUPPORT BOLT. THEN THE CLUTCHES AND ALL THE FRICTION MATERIAL ARE SOAKED TO PREP FOR REBUILD. (NARRATOR) STRANDED ON THE TRAIL BECAUSE YOUR FUEL PUMP'S NOT RUNNING? WE'VE GOT A FIX FOR THAT.
(IAN) WHEN SOMETHING BIG BREAKS ON THE TRAIL, LIKE A DRIVESHAFT, AXLE SHAFT, OR YOU CUT A TIRE, IT'S PRETTY EASY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET THAT RIG HOME, BUT WHAT IF IT'S SOMETHING LITTLE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, YOU TURN THE KEY ON AND THE FUEL PUMP DOESN'T RUN? THAT RECENTLY HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I WAS JUST UNLOADING A RIG OFF OF THE TRAILER. IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME, AND KNOWING HOW TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG IS PRETTY IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S WHY LOCKJAW IS IN THE SHOP TODAY. WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU HOW TO DIAGNOSE SOMETHING, LIKE A FUEL PUMP, NOT ENGAGING. IF YOUR FUEL PUMP IS EXTERNAL, LIKE ON THIS PROJECT, GIVE THE PUMP A LIGHT TAP WITH THE HAMMER. DON'T GO CRAZY. IF THE BRUSHES ARE STUCK IT WON'T TAKE MUCH TO LOOSEN THEM UP. IF THE PUMP STILL DOESN'T RUN THE NEXT STEP IS GONNA BE THE WIRING.
THE FUEL PUMP IN YOUR RIG IS GONNA BE CONTROLLED WITH A RELAY. NOW IF YOU TEST RIGHT AT THE RELAY JUNCTION BLOCK, AND IN THIS CASE IT'S INSIDE THE FUSE BLOCK, YOU'LL ALSO BE TESTING ALL THE WIRING IN THE SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT FEEDS IT AND THE SWITCH THAT ACTIVATES THE PUMP. THE NICE THING IS THAT ALL RELAYS HAVE THE EXACT SAME NUMBERING AND DIAGRAM SYSTEM WORKED INTO THEM. SO IF YOU HAVE A RELAY IN YOUR RIG AND YOU CAN READ THE NUMBERS IT'S EASY TO DIAGNOSE IT WITH SOMETHING LIKE A TEST LIGHT. A RELAY IS A SMALL ELECTROMAGNETICALLY CONTROLLED SWITCH WITH FOUR DIFFERENT NUMBERED TERMINALS. TERMINAL 85 IS THE POWER FEED FROM THE SWITCH THAT CONTROLS THE RELAY. TERMINAL 86 IS THE GROUND. 87 IS THE HIGH CURRENT FEED FROM THE BATTERY, AND TERMINAL 30 IS THE OUTPUT TO THE FUEL PUMP. WHEN THE SWITCH, OR KEY, IS TURNED ON, POWER TRAVELS ACROSS THE ELECTROMAGNET AND CREATES A CONNECTION BETWEEN TERMINALS 87 AND 30 POWERING THE PUMP. IF YOU DON'T HEAR THE RELAY CLICK WHEN YOU TURN THE KEY ON, THE RELAY IS NOT WORKING BUT WHY? STEP ONE, MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE KEY IS ON YOU HAVE POWER TO THE WIRE FEEDING TERMINAL 85. [ beep ] (IAN) IF YOU DO, THE NEXT STEP IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A GOOD GROUND ON TERMINAL 86. [ beep ] (IAN) NEXT CHECK FOR 12 VOLTS AT THE WIRE FEEDING TERMINAL 87. [ beep ] (IAN) IF YOU DON'T HAVE POWER AT TERMINAL 85 THE PROBLEM IS OBVIOUSLY A FUSE. IF YOU DON'T HAVE POWER IN TERMINAL 87 IT'S MORE THAN LIKELY THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. IF YOU HAVE POWER AT THOSE PLACES IT'S PROBABLY THE RELAY, BUT THERE'S ONE MORE WAY TO CHECK. USE A COTTER PIN, OR A SMALL PIECE OF WIRE, TO JUMP FROM TERMINAL 87 TO TERMINAL 30. IF THE FUEL PUMP RUNS THE RELAY IS BAD. THIS WILL GET YOU OFF THE TRAIL. (NARRATOR) COMING UP, THE SECRET TO TOP TRANSMISSION PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY, FIRM, FAST SHIFTS.
(IAN) A LOT OF PEOPLE BECOME A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS WHEN THEY TEAR APART AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. IT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY. THEY'RE A FAIRLY COMPLICATED PIECE OF MACHINERY. I MEAN IF YOU ACTUALLY JUST LOOK AT THE VALVE BODY THAT'S CAST INTO THE CASE, IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE'S BRAIN HAS JUST BEEN MADE INTO SOME ALUMINUM. IT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT HARD TO UNDERSTAND, BUT IF YOU JUST UNDERSTAND THE BASIC PRINCIPAL OF HOW AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WORKS IT'LL REALLY HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THE DIFFERENT UPGRADES THAT WE MAKE TO THE TRANSMISSION IMPROVE IT FOR THE ABUSE THAT WE PUT THEM THROUGH OFF ROAD. NOW THE HARD PARTS, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE A LOT STRONGER. WE UPGRADE OUR CLUTCH DISC TO THESE RED ALTO, OR BLUE ALTO, CLUTCH DISCS BECAUSE THEY CAN HANDLE A LOT MORE HEAT. EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE DO INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION IS ALL ABOUT FLUID FLOW. ALL THE SHIFTS THAT HAPPEN INSIDE YOUR TRANSMISSION HAPPEN IN PLACES LIKE THIS, EITHER A SET OF CLUTCHES OR A BAND. NORMALLY THE CLUTCHES JUST SPIN AROUND INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE FLUID IS APPLIED TO THE PISTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS DRUM, THE CLUTCHES AND THE PLATES SQUISH TOGETHER, STOP SPINNING. THAT THEN ENGAGES SOME TYPE OF TRANSMISSION COMPONENT, LIKE THIS INTERNAL STATOR HERE, AND WILL THEN TURN A SHAFT INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. IF WE CAN SPEED UP HOW FAST THE FLUID GETS THERE BY EITHER CHANGING THE LOCATION OF CHECK BALLS INSIDE THE VALVE BODY, OR INCREASING THE HOLE IN THE SPACER PLATE THAT ALLOWS THE FLUID TO TRAVEL FASTER, THAT WILL FIRM UP THAT SHIFT. BY FIRMING UP THE SHIFT IT MAKES EVERYTHING A LOT STRONGER BECAUSE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FROM THE FACTORY THE MANUFACTURERS, THEY WANT SMOOTH SHIFTS THAT YOU DON'T FEEL. TO GET THAT SMOOTH SHIFT, AS THE PISTONS ARE APPLYING, THE CLUTCHES ARE ACTUALLY STILL TURNING INSIDE THIS DRUM. THAT MAKES THEM WEAR OUT OVER TIME. IF YOU ACTUALLY INCREASE THE PRESSURE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A FIRMER SHIFT, NOT ONLY DOES IT MAKE IT STRONGER, BUT IT'LL ALSO MAKE IT LAST LONGER. TO FINISH OUT THE TRANSMISSION THE NEW MAXIMUM OFF ROAD TRANSMISSION 300-M INPUT SHAFT AND BILLET DRUM ARE ASSEMBLED WITH THE FACTORY PISTON... NICE, OH YEAH, PERFECT!
...AND THE UPGRADED MONSTER TRANSMISSION CLUTCH DISCS AND KOLENE STEELS.
THE DIRECT DRUM IS MODIFIED BY REMOVING THE PISTON AND ELIMINATING ONE OF THE SEALS INSIDE.
AS WELL AS UPGRADING THE SPRINGS TO THE ONES THAT CAME WITH OUR SUMMIT RACING MANUAL VALVE BODY.
THE FRONT PUMP BUSHING MUST BE REMOVED BECAUSE OF THE SOLID FRONT SHAFT, AND IT IS DROPPED OVER THE INPUT SHAFT ONTO THE CASE. THE FRONT AND REAR BAND APPLY PINS ARE INSTALLED INTO THE VALVE BODY, A SINGLE CHECK BALL, AND THE REVERSE MANUAL BODY IS BOLTED INTO PLACE.
FINALLY INSTALL THE SHIFTER SHAFT AND ALIGN THE MANUAL VALVE.
AND WITH THAT OUR TURBO 400 IS COMPLETELY REASSEMBLED. NOW A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN YOU USE THE REED CASE. THE OIL PAN RAILS, WELL THEY'RE CAST A QUARTER INCH DEEP THAN THE FACTORY RAILS FOR EXTRA FLUID CAPACITY. SO THEY GIVE YOU A LITTLE SPACER THAT HAS TO GO UNDERNEATH THE FILTER MOUNT TO KEEP IT AT THE CORRECT LEVEL. THEY ALSO CAST DIP STICK HOLES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION CASE. SO YOU CAN CHOSE WHERE THE TRANSMISSION DIP STICK WILL BEST FIT YOUR APPLICATION, AND THEY OBVIOUSLY GIVE YOU A PLUG TO PLUG THE ONE THAT YOU'RE NOT USING. NOW WHEN YOU USE A MANUAL VALVE BODY LIKE WE HAVE, YOU'LL NO LONGER USE THE VACUUM MODULATOR THAT GOES INTO THE SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION. THIS USES ENGINE VACUUM TO DETERMINE THE LINE PRESSURE. WE DON'T NEED THIS BECAUSE WITH A MANUAL VALVE BODY WE HAVE FULL LINE PRESSURE ALL THE TIME, AND YOU ALSO LEAVE OUT THE GOVERNOR, WHICH GOES IN THE BACK. THE GOVERNOR DETERMINES SHIFT POINTS. MANUAL VALVE BODY, YOU CHOOSE YOUR OWN SHIFT POINTS. NOW THIS WAS A VERY COMPLICATED TURBO 400 BUILD. WE HAVE A LOT OF AFTERMARKET PARTS YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE PLAY TOGETHER NICELY, BUT IF YOU'VE NEVER REBUILT A TRANSMISSION BEFORE, GO AHEAD AND TEAR APART A TURBO 400 AND JUST PUT IT TOGETHER IN STOCK FORM. IT'S A VERY EASY TRANSMISSION TO LEARN HOW TO REBUILD AUTOMATICS WITH, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THE WORST THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN IS YOU GET TO REBUILD IT AGAIN.