My A518 overhaul

[chargerdon]

I had the performance kit put in mine.
I wonder if they actually did, as it doesn't really have what I would call firm shifts.

My 66 Charger with 383 4V has a "shift improver kit in it"... dont know what brand.   Its normal acceleration shifts are still nice and smooth...but wind it up to 5000 in first and the shift to second gives a nice Quick chirp "   

[chargerdon]

Yesterday finished the rebuild of the transmission itself...   Looking good, all air pressure tests are good clutches working, bands apply,   End play is at .038 (.035-.085 acceptable range), i fitted the new torque converter and it goes on as it should. 

Still have to clean the valve body and install the Transgo SK TFOD Jr kit.   

After that will wait till December to install the rebuilt transmission into the car.   Have to wait until after Dec 8'th so i can make sure car is available for the annual Christmas Parade...my grandkids love riding in the car with me.   

Lots to do till then.  Get replacement drive shaft cut to length, get new transmission to radiator lines, trim the case, fabricate (modify) a transmission mount, wire up the switches for overdrive and locking torque converter...  etc.     

[chargerdon]

Got the valve body cleaned and installed the Transgo Jr kit.   Installed it.   

Next i thoroughly cleaned the Pan, and then drilled a drain hole on the back side, and welded on a large nut, but in the drain bolt, and tested with water to insure that it wont leak.  So, for whatever reason that i might have to remove the pan in the future, I can drain it first.

Ohh, and i retested the end play with the transmission laying on its side instead of vertical, and this time i measured .051 so that is smack dab in the middle of the allowable .035-.085 range.   Re-inserted the torque converter.   Will put a bar over it so that it doesnt fall out during maneuvering.   

Will be buying new 3/8 inch cooling lines today...found plain roll at Napa for $1.29 ft...so will buy about 10 ft of it. 

Today will also be doing some precise measurement of the 904 vs the 518 ( i believe its 7" different, as the 904 is even shorter than the 727).   Then will measure the current driveshaft (i think its 51" tip to tip).  Then will bring a driveshaft i picked up to a shop to be cut.   

Will also study the pictures that 1 wild R/T furnished for cutting the support webbing on the 518...nervous about that and do the cutting. 

Then i still have to wait until after Dec 8'th as i need to drive the car in the Christmas parade...   my grandkids love it !! 

[chargerdon]

Question or opinions.   My A518 overhaul kit came with a Paper based pan gasket...I also have the rubber gasket that came with the filter kit.   Which will seal better?   

[chargerdon]

This week, i did the case trimming, and then raised the transmission up into place.   To get the required height clearance, i had the rear of the car on jack stands under the axle as high as they would go, then had jack stands under the frame right behind the engine as high as they would go.   Not enough clearance with the A518 sitting on the transmission jack which adds a lot of height. 

So, i hooked my Engine hoist up to the front bumper supports, chains under the bumper protected by a piece of carpeting and raised her high enough to roll the a518 from the front to behind the engine, and then left if down until it started to "hit".   Then had to wiggle it a lot to get it thru the header pipes...close fit.   

Then the next obstacle was getting it "square" to the dowel pins...  turns out the bell housing was "grazing" the passenger side transmission tunnel pinch weld.   Had i known in addvance i would have ground 1/4 inch of pinch weld off... but, i wasnt about to lower it to do that.  So, i put long extension up to the pinch weld and pounded it over a little...then i could get the tranny square to slide onto the dowel rods.   Once in place there is more clearance there.   

I then put in a couple of bolts to hold here and put a block of wood under the rear of the transmission to hold it up while i lowered the transmission jack and pulled it out.   SO..The A528In but now to fab my own transmission crossmember, as i dont have $300 to spend on the one advertised.  Im retired and have the time to do it for about $20 worth of plate steel.   

Two more issues...  1) i had pulled out a 904, and its dust cover wont fit...   so going to order a new one i found on ebay for $35 plus shipping..  (IF I CANT FIND ONE AT LKQ pull it yard).  I suppose the cover plate for a 727 small block is the one i need as NOONE lists a cover plate for an A518...   

2) 904 used a smaller yoke...  Katfish is going to ship me one that came out of an A518...  thanks man

Lastly, I am going to need some help with "alignment".   I.E when i fab up the crossmember with new gm style mount...  How do i know how "high" the tail shaft should be.   i know i need a "straight shot" back to the rear end u-joint...   But... 

looking at a picture that Katfish sent me, it looks like the speedo cable needs to be about 1/2 lower than the nearest member bolt...  going to see how that works.   

[chargerdon]

Help...  bought used yoke for the a518..  It reportedly came out of an a518..  it looks in perfect shape..no worn spots on it at all.  Part number on it is 196 om one side and w2  and 434 0n the other.   spline count is correct, but when i try to put it on, i can turn it till it engages the splines on output shaft, but then it is tight and only goes on 1/4 or an inch by hand.     

Tried putting on lots of grease and trying multiple times i can get it to go on until maybe 1/2 inch worth of spline are engages then it gets super tight.   Pounding on it a hammer it will go in another 1/2 inch so that maybe one inch of spline engaged.  It will turn with the transmission.  Then to get it back out i have to pound on it with hammer.   When in i still show nearly 4 inches from back of u-joint arms, to the dust shield on tranny.   

One difference i noted from my 904 yoke is this yoke the spline doesn't start until you go in about 1 1/2...   Is this right??   

Anybody else ever have this problem ?   

[chargerdon]

Spoke with a knowledgeable guy from actionmachineinc.com.    He asked if it had laid around for any length of time..  I said it looks great.
  He said the problem is probably rust in the splines..if it had sat for any length of time even a small amount of rust or other contamination can stop the yoke from fully going in.   

So, i'm soaking it overnight in Carb cleaner solution, and then will take wire brush to it tomorrow.   Hoping it works...    If not ill be buying a new one...his company has great prices, and you can pick the yoke univeral size from big to small..   As it is the yoke i bought uses 7290 sized, but my driveshafts are the smaller 7260 size...  They sell yokes for both.   

If the rust solution works, then, im going to have to purchase a Universal that goes from 7290 (2.65 inside length, down to 2.125) down to  7260 size.. (2.65 inside length, down to 2.125)  He said the 7260 is good for up to 500 hp, so the smaller should be ok.   

I hope... 

[chargerdon]

Didn't work.  Even after soaking it overnight in carb cleaning solution, and then washing it out and wire brushing, it still would not slide on.    It is interesting that to isolate the problem, i dropped the driveshaft on my 66 Charger with 727, and the yoke DID slide into it, but, fairly tight.   HMMM   but then i took the driveshaft/yoke from my 66 charger and it slid into the A518 !!   Weird.   So, i gave up and ordered a new 7260 series yoke from actionmachineinc.com.   https://www.actionmachineinc.com/collections/transmission-slip-yoke/products/2603-30?variant=30462696325   great price, and i had them install a new universal joint that is correct for my driveshaft into it as well.   including shipping it was about $88. 

I came in yesterday, so i put it in (no problem at all), till it bottomed, and then pulled out 1 inch, and measured for my driveshaft length 43" center to center.   Brought the driveshaft and the new yoke with u-joint to place that does driveshafts (fleetpride) to be shortened and balanced.   They told me it would be around $175... i guess either their expensive or prices have gone up.   Will take a couple of days.   

I'm going to use the radiator for the fluid cooling, so at Napa store found a connector that will go into my existing radiator, and with slip ferrule, bolt onto the line (after cutting off the flair).   Will start on getting those in today...   

Slow progress !!   

[chargerdon]

Got the driveshaft back from Fleetpride who did the shortening.   It went right in with no problems.   Struggled mightily with the 3/8" transmission cooler lines...  so much stiffer than the 5/16 that was used with the 904...   But, managed to get them both in.  On drivers side got it to go right into the radiator using the fitting i got from Napa that uses a slip ferrel instead of the double flair, and on the passenger side made the final connection to radiator using the hose connector at radiator side.   Whew...those lines are tough to get in. 

Hooked up the gear shift selector using a piece of heavy duty metal that i had like in the pictures, and connected the throttle linkage up.   Had wife hold the gas pedal to the floor while i adjusted it.   The attachment point for the bell and crank looks about the same as on my 904, but i had to adjust the rod from the bell/crank to the throttle lever to rods to near max to get it to go to near bottoming out with gas pedal floored.   Might have to play with it more, but it should be enough to try. 

[chargerdon]

So after checking everything that i could, i went ahead and put in 8 qts of transmission fluid, and started her up.   Kept looking for leaks but couldnt find any, so far so good.   I then added in another qt and felt that it was enough to try it, because it was cold i knew i couldn't get true dip stick reading.   (ps, i have not done anything with the wires for the locking torque convertor, or overdrive other than tie them up...will worry about that later).   

Put into drive and felt it engage, and put it into reverse, and that engages, so back into Drive and took it out.   OH NO...no shifting at all !!  Gave it enough gas to get up to 4,000 rpm, but no shift.   Then left off the gas and acted like it was in neutral, engine right down to idle speed even tho i was doing right around 30 mph.   Gave some gas, but, no propulsion.   Thought, "oh no going to have to push it home", but when speed got down to around 10mph, it went back into first gear.   So turned around and brought it home, and left it idle in neutral to check the fluid level...it was only showing a little so put in another quart, and checked, and then a little more, now reading between low and full when hot mark.   Checked for leaks but saw none...   

So, took it for another short test with more fluid, but, still acting the same...  No shifting at all in drive, or manually from first to second, and one up to 3-4000 rpm, i i leave off of the gas, it feels like its going into neutral...once speed down to 10 or under then again first gear seems to reengage...so drove it home and backed it into garage...yep reverse works.   

Damn, Damn, damn...   i am open to any suggestions !!   PS..i had successfully overhauled my 904 before attempting this one...   

[Bullitt-]

I put wrong link in 1st time

both mention tailshaft/governor issues

sounds like similar issue to this post... some folks saying TV/Kickdown adjustment

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/forums/1st-gen-ram-all-topics-93/truck-wont-shift-out-1st-258218/

on this 47rh there's a issue with alignment in the tail housing

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/forums/help-97/47rh-wont-shift-out-1st-80987/

[chargerdon]

Thanks Bullitt...   so possible reasons are the valve body is somehow wrong.....  I did put a transgo shift improver kit into it, or the tail shaft assembly either the tubes or the governor might be stuck...   ...   Not sure what to check first, whether to try to do either or both while tranny in car or gulp...pull it back out...   

Anybody have any other ideas on what to try ? 

[chargerdon]

I decided to make check the governor first by putting a pressure gauge on the governor port.   Book says 0 psi at idle, and then 1 psi or each mile per hour.   Ok, that a518 sits in the transmission tunnel very, very tight...  So, to even get the pressure gauge into it had to drill a 1" hole in the floor pan opposite the governor pressure port.   Did that and used a long hose thru the hole and got the fitting in and with wheels jacked up off the ground started her up.

Yep 0-1 psi at idle, then while in gear brought the speed up to 35 with 4200 rpm and pressure read right around 35...   20 psi at 20 mph etc.

So, glad to me that means the governor isn't stuck and the tubes are in the case correctly or i wouldn't get the pressure reading at the port !!    Yippee...I think...so i'm going tomorrow in good daylight, recheck the throttle kick down linkage, but it seems to be good.
  If that truly is the case, and ill adjust it in each direction and recheck for shift, but, if still no shift then i'm thinking it has to be in the valve body.   That i can remove, disassemble and reassemble while the transmission is still in the car.   Sure, am glad i put a drain plug into the pan to make this easier.   

Thoughts????   Anybody disagree, or agree ?   Any other tests i should do before doing this? 

[1 Wild R/T]

shorten the throttle pressure rod (kick down) first, otherwise yup, valve body...

[chargerdon]

Ok...couple of days ago, i pulled the valve body.  And totally disassembled and reassembled.   In doing to i found the spring that is supposed to go behind the governor valve in the 1-2 shift/governor valve passageway, behind the plug in front of the valve.   Thank you youtube videos for the Chrysler A518 46re class.   Following it step by step on the valve body i found the errant spring!! 

Put it back together right, and today reinstalled the valve body.   

yippee...its fixed !!   

Looks like i was right with a spring in the wrong place on the 1-2/governor valves .   

Just finished getting it back in the car and with wheels jacked up to start, it shifted into second and then into 3rd..

Then took it for a test drive, and i got all three gears, shifting with mid throttle at about 25 into second, and then into third at around 45..   Light throttle earlier shifts.   Also, i tested WOT and the kickdown to 2nd is working and so is the kickdown to first if i do it below 30.   So i think i have the throttle rod hooked up about right. 

A little disappointed in that from dead start, wot  is shifting into 2nd at only around 32-35 mph (4,200 rpm).   But ill live with that..probably about right.  Can always hold it in first with gearshift longer, but, have to be careful no to over rev as it revs quick and my console/floor shifter doesnt have the slap stick.

I haven;t hooked up the wires for the locking torque converter or overdrive yet...(just going to use toggle switches for both) at least initially.  Tomorrow for that... I'm tired.. no easy task in my opinion to put that valve body in, getting the parking brake rod hooked up and the clip in for it, then all of that linkage.   Will keep you posted on the overdrive when i get it hooked up.

Thanks for the help guys !!

PS...i don't know if i should pat myself on the back for finding and correcting the problem, or kick myself in the ass for putting the spring in wrong to begin with !!!