Good morning,
I am in the process of rebuilding a 47RE (for/with my girlfriend). We are using an ATS overhaul kit. The teardown took us about 4 hours (and six cans of brake cleaner). The cause of failure was obvious... front and rear bands completely gone.

We are going to drop the OD direct clutch off at a local shop and let them install the new clutches. I would love to do everything in my shop, but I am still lacking a good hydraulic press. If the transmission shop comes back with a ridiculously high labor quote, I will be buying a press specifically for this.

I have a couple of questions, and was wondering if anyone here could provide some insight.

1) The front and rear bands were badly worn. As such, the drums show some wear. Is it acceptable to reuse the drums as-is? Can/should the drums be turned like brakes?

2) We are considering changing the type fluid used in the transmission (for reasons of both cost and availability). I recall reading that people had been using Dexron III. Without starting a huge fight, is there any merit to running Dexron III vs. ATF+4?

3) For anyone who has done this overhaul, is there anything that you wish you would have known before you did it? Any pointers or words of wisdom?

 

With respect to question #2... I see that the recommendation to run anything other than ATF+4 stem from the use of aftermarket TC's. We will be using ATF+4.

 

I was told not to run ATF+4 in my trans.... promotes too much slip, or something to that nature. I use Dexron in mine with a bottle of LubeGaurd Red.

Other advice??? Don't even consider for one second reusing your TC. Buy a new one.

 

If I was funding this project, and it was my rig, I would fork out for th TC. However, a new TC is not in the budget for this build.

Is the concern with respect to the clutch material in the TC?

 

Wound up replacing the front drum as well...

Can anyone explain to me why I would want to use the 5.0:1 lever?

 

Speaking from experience, take your time and be sure to thoroughly go through each area of the transmission, and don't second guess anything that may need replacing. I rebuilt mine in a pinch on a short budget, got a new converter and all the rebuild parts, some upgraded, for just above a grand, and worked well...even though now I have NV4500!

PS clutch material is not very friendly to the 47RE, in my case it wrecked just about every seal in it, plus the pump. Definitely should consider a new converter, transstar offers some very reasonably priced billet front/lower stall converter which worked well for me.

 

Yes. If you're not going to replace the TC, then go ahead and save all the old trans fluid you drained out and reuse it too. You'll save a little more money and the end result will be the same.... you'll be spending all of your "saved" money and then some to rebuild it again.

 

More applied force to the front band so it will grip tighter, hold better, slip less for the same given line pressure as the stock ratio lever.

 

Thought Goerend advocated and use the 4.8 lever?

Also, Goerend has some build videos on his site, worth it to watch at least.

 

The higher ratio band apply lever can cause shift bind-up on the 2-3 shift.
There are several factors involved. don't use any ratio other than the recommended one. To get a clean 2-3 shift is something learned from experience. It may not be felt becaus of the torque we can make, but it is still hard on it.

 

In 727's we always use type F if we can get it less slipage better for clutches. As far as your lever its up to you but again in gas tranny's (727's, 904's) we like the 4.2 lever 5.0's cause too much bind as stated earlier.Also you can make a drum/clutch pack press simply out of some plate steel and a piece of channel, and a piece of 1/2" threaded rod if I get a chance I'll take a pict. of mine. If you can't get 'verter flushed you should replace it I.M.O Nate

 

I think we're going to run with the stocker 3.8:1 lever then.

I actually found a local shop that has been incredibly helpful. They did the OD direct clutch for no charge. The owner has been doing this for 60+ years (yeah, he's 83) and is a phenomenal guy to talk to.


This makes no sense to me. Let me explain why... should I also replace the heat exchanger and fluid cooler? It seems that although those can be cleaned/flushed, reusing them is covered by the same principals. I understand that there is friction material in the lockup portion of the converter, but the converter itself is simply a fluid coupling with rotor and stator.

My mechanical engineer brain says: particulate deposition caused by isolated pockets of laminar and turbulent fluid flow will likely remain static after an overhaul as the fluid mechanics of the coupling should be in a state of stasis.

Translation: I guess it wasn't breaking the transmission when we pulled it, so back in it goes.

It is what it is... and it's what can be afforded at this time, so it is what will be done. It's too late to re-use the old oil fluid though... I already added it to my heating oil tank.

 

I have spent a little time in a tranny shop and I think it would be a mistake to do that. You may get away with it by flushing it a few times but I don't think you could get all of the junk out for sure. I would at least get the converter cut open and cleaned out to be sure. Otherwise, as stated above, you'll be doing it again and it will cost you even more to repair. Just MHO.

 

What does a decent TC cost for this truck? Everything I have seen is well over the $700.00 mark. If I can find something that fits her budget, she may be more apt to replace it...

 

Check out trans star, if they are still in business. I got a full billet front (not stamped steel) for around $350? I think. They have others as well. Mine was CR70X, rating was something like 350hp/800ft-lbs, and lower stall than stock by a few hundred.

http://www.transtar1.com/catView.asp?ID=609