My A518 overhaul

[chargerdon]

I had picked up a 92 A518 transmission to put into my 74 Challenger with 360La stroked to 409 engine about 4 years ago.  It sat in my garage for those 4 years and who knows how long it had sat before i bought it.  So, since its a lot of work to install decided to do the smart thing and do a "soft seal and clutch" overhaul before putting it in. 

So far i bought an overhaul kit off of Ebay (A518 46RE 47RE 46RH Raybestos Performance Transmission Rebuild Kit 90-97 Gas from transdeals4u) that has "heavy duty" raybestos clutch frictions and steels.    I previously had overhauled my 904 and it runs good, but, i can tell the clutches are beginning to slip in WOT runs..   I guess too much power for it.  So i have some experience. 

In addition i also bough the TSG A518 book to use as a guide since my 74 Shop Manual doesn't cover A518's.   To my dismay i find it a near useless book (cost me $28) as it does not give a logical tear down and rebuild steps.   It does have specs for torquing and tolerances, but, not worth it. 

As my guide (dont laugh...its great) i did Youtube search for A518 Rebuilds.   

Found two threads...one called A518 transmission by TSG which has 4 parts.   Its ok, but the guy spends way too much time describing the differences between the A500 and A518 and the RH vs RE styles.   He also glosses over the actual tear down and rebuild steps too fast and leaves some steps out.   Also, he spends wastes too much time showing you how to measure the drums and such to know which uses a 3, 4, 5, or 6 frictions depending on model.   (whats wrong with simply counting the ones in each clutch pack??  )

Second thread is Chrysler 46RE Class.   It is lengthy...10 parts each a little over 30 mins long for about 3 hours worth in total.   He is very very slow but also extremely detailed.   Now mine is a 46rh (hydraulic) but this differs only in the valve body and tail governor (no governor in the RE electronic RE).   I decided to use this one, plus a 727 rebuild for the governor.   d

One criticism of both threads is they both have you totally disassemble the entire transmission before overhauling and reassembling the transmission.   It can be done much simpler without getting parts/bolts etc mixed up if you attack the transmission in 5 sections and disassemble each section and reassemble each section separately.  For example the tail overdrive section can be done in its entirety except re-installation to the body all by itself.   Another criticism deals with how to reinstall the intermediate shaft.   Both of the threads are missing this crucial step, and in fact one (46rE Class has a mistake which would prevent installing it at all).

OK, so so far"

1) i have disassembled the entire transmission and have its parts sitting on a separate desk.   

2) I dissembled the tail section, cleaned it, examined for wear (there is none...this transmission is in excellent condition), i probably could have just installed it.   But, better safe than sorry.  Re-lubed the parts and installed the new Frictions and Steels into the two clutch pack systems in the tail.   That 840lb spring was no problem...i made a tool for shop press by welding together 3 large bolts into a tripod and using it.   (saw that in the 46RE class).

3) Installed the interim shaft into the tail section assembley, and then with body on floor inserted it into the body after replacing the seals on the rear clutch back piston on the body.   No problem doing it this way...installing the interim shaft was left out of both of the youtube tutorials.   

4) Built a stand to hold the body and tail assembly upright to facilitate finishing the body installs.  (plans to build the stand in the 46RE class on u-tube).  Put in new seals into the two outside accumulators and reinstaledl them and the rear band actuator into the main body. 

Towomorrow i will continue...   

[1 Wild R/T]

One thing I did when doing this swap, while the case was empty I fitted it in the car & trimmed the case for clearance... It's easier when the trans is 100 lbs lighter...

Also while the case was empty I used a dial indicator to check the runout, had it needed adjustment which it didn't you can't check it when the trans is full....

You indicate on the pump bore in the case & you work through the pan/valve body opening...

[Katfish]

You going to add a shift kit while you're in there?

[jimynick]

It would sure seem like a missed opportunity to me. 

[chargerdon]

You going to add a shift kit while you're in there?

Havent bought one yet, but, plan on it.   Anybody have a brand/kit suggestion? 

[chargerdon]

One problem i have is a "check ball". 

When i dissembled the main body, after removing the pan, removing the valve body, pulling out the Pump, and then forward and direct clutch drums and assembly i discovered a ball bearing laying in the bottom of the case.    Now, i had not done anything to the valve body other than remove the assembly so i do not believe that it came from there.  size of the ball is 11/32 same as the single large check ball in the valve body.   I have not taken valve body apart to see if its in there.   

I know that the overdrive piston contains a check ball in it, and it is still there. 

Anybody know where else a "check ball" might belong in the main body besides the valve body.   I don't want to start assembling the main body until i figure out where this came from.   

[chargerdon]

Why Me? 

Following the directions for reassembly, early in the main body, you install the reverse drum band and actuators.   Then comes the reverse drum.   Next the thrust washer (instructions says the washer can have one or two tabs depending on model) and then the snap ring.   Whoops i cant find the thrust washer !!   Pretty sure i didn't lose it as the snap ring was right there with the drum.   SO maybe there wasnt one? 

Ok, to start with the transmission i'm working on was supposedly out of a 91 or 92 Dodge Van.   The date code on the transmission is 1017 which chrysler used a 4 digit 10,000 day calendar system.   Best i can decipher is that 1017 would be in around 1991 sept 27'th.   So ok its a 1971 transmission.  Ok, so this thrust washer would be for a 1971 transmission and based on the hub it fits on would be a 1 tab thrust washer.   BUT 91 and up are supposed to be two tabs...  A local transmission parts shop Transtar technician says that they only carry parts for 91 and up and that it would be two tab.   WHAT THE?   Then i went to another transmission parts shop WIT website and they have better blow up of the parts.   It would be Part 22254..Description: Washer, A518 Under Snap Ring To Rear Band Drum (1 Tab) 1989-90 (1988 Did Not Use This).  But they only show this part as U22254 meaning used but currently unavailable, and there is no new 22254.   Now there is a 22254A which reads: Washer, A518/A618/48RE Under Snap Ring To Rear Band Drum (2 Tab) 1991-Up.   But two tab will not work as there is only 1 notch in the hub that the washer fits on.    SO...  once again i got a transmission which has been modified...

Going to go and get the 2 tab thrust washer, with drum in hand see if it fits.   If yes, then cut off the 1 tab.   If it doesn't fit then im not sure what to do...   

[Katfish]

I'm sure you triple checked it's not mixed in with other parts?

[Chryco Psycho]

I have built a few 727s about 20 years back , got burned bad on one & quit doing them as I didn't have enough tools to fully diagnose them anyway as I recall there were some ball brgs in the trans case above the valve body in a couple of the ports but I could be wrong & this may have nothing to do with the 518 

[chargerdon]

I'm sure you triple checked it's not mixed in with other parts?

Yep...quadruple checked..   Now looking at diagrams for an A500 (mine is a A518) it shows a single tab thrust washer and their avail at WIT.   So taking drum with me to parts dealers to look at the 22254 2 tab and a 12254 single tab (for an A500) to see if either can fit. 

[chargerdon]

The single tab thrust washer which is for an A500 is too small in diameter.   The guy at Transstar transmission called TSG in my behalf, and they said some of them had no thrust washer, but, i could try the two tab and cut one tab off.   So, i tried that but it doesn't fit.  There is a snap ring that goes on top of it, and clearance for about .020.   The two tab washer is .062 thick, so it wont fit.  So, i do believe mine never had one with the drum and shaft support that comes with mine.   So, putting together without one. 

Next problem is i broke the damn little clasp on the metal sealer ring that goes in a grove in the input shaft.   Damn...need to drive another 40 mile round trip to get another...ill get two just in case as its difficult to put in and brittle.   Think ill keep the shaft in the cold garage and heat the sealer ring in hot water to expand it before trying to install the next one.

Problem three...  Down to installing the last three frictions and steel plates in the direct clutch pack.   Found out their missing from the kit.   I still have a total of 5 frictions that are .061 thick, but the old ones are .095 thick (tutorial guy confirms their supposed to be .095 thick.  So, somebody packaged them wrong !    Spent several hours taking apart all of the other clutch pack assemblies to make sure i didn't put the thick ones in someplace that they shouldn't have been.   But, nope, all the rest are correct, so the Kit screwed up, not me.
 
Damn, but luckily the old clutches look like new, so their going back in.   And i will let the kit company have a piece of my mind.   

Slow progress...   

[Katfish]

I applaud your persistence, I was not ready to tackle something this complex and paid $1000 to have mine rebuilt.

[chargerdon]

I applaud your persistence, I was not ready to tackle something this complex and paid $1000 to have mine rebuilt.

Thanks, its actually more like stubbornness...and lack of money !    I'm more stubborn than wealthy.  It actually isn't all that complex and the youtube tutorials are excellent.   It it amazing to me that the entire internals (not including the valve body), is all held together with just a bunch of snap rings.  Watch the three tutorials starting with : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nz_ICxyMW8&t=342s at about the two minute mark.   He dissembles the entire main case in about 5 minutes. 

  What is cool is that all of the instruction manuals do a lot of talking about tolerances and measuring for everything and the availability of selective snap rings and wavies.   However, the tutorial i'm using says that as long as your not modifying the number and type of frictions and have a quality kit with quality frictions, simply ignore most of that...it will be right.    Example...on one of the clutch packs you use a feeler gauge to check the clearance between the last snap ring and the steel.   Allowable tolerance is between .020 to .050...  and to change out one or more steels with thinner or thicker (available at the transmission parts stores) to get there.  Checking mine it was right at about .035 with no changes.   

I'm lucky in that mine appears to be in excellent condition with the bearing surfaces still in excellent shape, so, no need to pound out the old bearings and pound in new ones.   Hopefully it will turn out perfect.   

[chargerdon]

Waiting on a new sealing ring which isn't stocked so have to wait on it before i can finish installing the drive gears and pump.   So meanwhile will be starting on cleaning the valve body and putting in the shift kit i bought for it.  Hey, now i know where the "check ball" that was lying in the case came from.  Its the detent ball on the shift lever..must have fallen out when i was removing the valve body.  Lucky to have found it. 

  I bought the TransGO SK TFOD-Jr kit that is a general improver ..for OD Planet Failure, Soft Shifts, Lockup Shudder...   so not really a "quick shift".  Dealer said this was the most popular kit used by most transmission shops.   It was $34..  They also had a "Performance Kit" but it was over $100 and dealer said that it requires a lot of drilling and other mods.."stay away from it unless your an expert".  Ok..   Jr kit it is. 

[Katfish]

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.