TH400 Amateur Build
- Thread starter TXChevy
- Start date
Tools.......
Here's a general summary of the tools I used for the rebuild - your needs/tools may vary, but these are what helped me.
First and foremost, was the holding fixture I made out of steel I had on hand. It's way overbuilt but it was cheap and rock solid.
Helped me move the unit to any needed position. I included a sketch of materials/dimensions, yours may vary.
Note! Don't crank down as tight as you can on the 5/8" bolts that grab the unit - you can crack the case. Snug is fine.
Dial Indicator and Micrometer
This one saved the day on the first start-up where the unit had zero pressure. Had I continued to run it, I'd be rebuilding the whole thing again.
Not for long-term use, it's a cheapo set but worth the 20 bucks. vs cost of more parts. If I use it more or decide to keep a pressure gauge in the car I'll replace the cheap hose with 4AN braided PTFE hose.
Here's a general summary of the tools I used for the rebuild - your needs/tools may vary, but these are what helped me.
First and foremost, was the holding fixture I made out of steel I had on hand. It's way overbuilt but it was cheap and rock solid.
Helped me move the unit to any needed position. I included a sketch of materials/dimensions, yours may vary.
Note! Don't crank down as tight as you can on the 5/8" bolts that grab the unit - you can crack the case. Snug is fine.
Dial Indicator and Micrometer
This one saved the day on the first start-up where the unit had zero pressure. Had I continued to run it, I'd be rebuilding the whole thing again.
Not for long-term use, it's a cheapo set but worth the 20 bucks. vs cost of more parts. If I use it more or decide to keep a pressure gauge in the car I'll replace the cheap hose with 4AN braided PTFE hose.
Tools .....
As you've seen in this thread, a phone camera is invaluable to document stuff before you take it apart and to document your build.
I've taken a total of 673 pictures - in more than one occasion, it's been that "one" picture that helped me remember what I did, or what something looked like before.
Whatever you're working on, get the ATSG manual. It's very thorough and along with looking at tons of videos should get your mind around the different tasks to be done, assembly sequences etc. In my case, there were a number of modifications that I did, such as using a 4L80E direct drum/34 element sprag, dual feeding the direct clutches, etc as described in this thread.
I would suggest to research, read the manual, look at videos before you start taking it apart.
This was a great help in removing and installing bushings without damage.
I liked it because each disc was 1mm in difference, critical to fit the bushing without damaging the bore.
Besides the usual assortment of picks, pliers, wrenches, etc, you should have both a ft-lb and in-lb torque wrench.
I torque everything to spec, it's just a habit I've gotten into. Sure, a lot of time good-n-tight is ok but why guess?
For other transmissions, more specific tools are often needed, but the th400 is a fairly simple assembly in terms of tools needed.
This is my assortment of home-made tools, mentioned within this thread.
That Lip Wizard is just a simple piece of round plastic, but even the pros recommend it. It's a great and effective way of installing pistons without damaging the seals.
That spring compressor is made out of a bent piece of steel welded to a couple of pipe sections. You can make it in any dimension you need.
Other items are homemade bushing bars, a bushing installation tool, a flat notched piece of steel for holding the lower geartrain.
The red thing is a plug for the tailhousing to avoid losing fluid while you're monkeying around with the transmission.
This is one of the dumb things that turn out to be a lot of help.
Just a bucket with a hole in the lid to help hold the lower gearset. Lid has to be sturdy enough to hold the weight. I used this a lot.
I'm not sure anybody else will do this - I repurposed a 1/2 hp motor into a stand so I could polish the reverse drum (reaction carrier).
The early versions like this one tend to get some grooving from the reverse band. All it needed was a mild surface cleanup.
Worked really well, but had to be careful - this thing can get away from you.
I'll edit this post if I think of something else, but I just wanted to list the main stuff that I used.
So far, despite the first startup failure, this transmission seems to be fine.
I think it's also helpful to post when things DON'T go according to plan and what was done to fix them.
As you've seen in this thread, a phone camera is invaluable to document stuff before you take it apart and to document your build.
I've taken a total of 673 pictures - in more than one occasion, it's been that "one" picture that helped me remember what I did, or what something looked like before.
Whatever you're working on, get the ATSG manual. It's very thorough and along with looking at tons of videos should get your mind around the different tasks to be done, assembly sequences etc. In my case, there were a number of modifications that I did, such as using a 4L80E direct drum/34 element sprag, dual feeding the direct clutches, etc as described in this thread.
I would suggest to research, read the manual, look at videos before you start taking it apart.
This was a great help in removing and installing bushings without damage.
I liked it because each disc was 1mm in difference, critical to fit the bushing without damaging the bore.
Besides the usual assortment of picks, pliers, wrenches, etc, you should have both a ft-lb and in-lb torque wrench.
I torque everything to spec, it's just a habit I've gotten into. Sure, a lot of time good-n-tight is ok but why guess?
For other transmissions, more specific tools are often needed, but the th400 is a fairly simple assembly in terms of tools needed.
This is my assortment of home-made tools, mentioned within this thread.
That Lip Wizard is just a simple piece of round plastic, but even the pros recommend it. It's a great and effective way of installing pistons without damaging the seals.
That spring compressor is made out of a bent piece of steel welded to a couple of pipe sections. You can make it in any dimension you need.
Other items are homemade bushing bars, a bushing installation tool, a flat notched piece of steel for holding the lower geartrain.
The red thing is a plug for the tailhousing to avoid losing fluid while you're monkeying around with the transmission.
This is one of the dumb things that turn out to be a lot of help.
Just a bucket with a hole in the lid to help hold the lower gearset. Lid has to be sturdy enough to hold the weight. I used this a lot.
I'm not sure anybody else will do this - I repurposed a 1/2 hp motor into a stand so I could polish the reverse drum (reaction carrier).
The early versions like this one tend to get some grooving from the reverse band. All it needed was a mild surface cleanup.
Worked really well, but had to be careful - this thing can get away from you.
I'll edit this post if I think of something else, but I just wanted to list the main stuff that I used.
So far, despite the first startup failure, this transmission seems to be fine.
I think it's also helpful to post when things DON'T go according to plan and what was done to fix them.
if your going to order a bushing driver set,
read very carefully the details,
some of the cheaper 52 piece sets that charge $40-$45 also charge $20 shipping and theres a 10-12 day expected arrival date
some or the initially marginally more expensive 52 piece driver sets have free shipping and next day delivery
if you have amazon prime
thus the marginally more expensive set saves you over 8-10 days wait and $10-$15
and as usual, having access to a decent metal saw and welder can save you a good deal of time and cash
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/first-mig-welder.10392/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/useful-mig-weld-info.441/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/does-the-welder-used-really-matter.75/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/mig-or-tig.72/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/looking-for-a-cheap-mig.4732/
and YEAH, being a tool junky, I learned this simply during the process of looking into ordering a 52 piece set of those tools,
just so Id have them in my personal tool inventory when I get around to rebuilding a 4l80e I purchased
read very carefully the details,
some of the cheaper 52 piece sets that charge $40-$45 also charge $20 shipping and theres a 10-12 day expected arrival date
some or the initially marginally more expensive 52 piece driver sets have free shipping and next day delivery
if you have amazon prime
thus the marginally more expensive set saves you over 8-10 days wait and $10-$15Google Search
www.google.com
and as usual, having access to a decent metal saw and welder can save you a good deal of time and cash
in the market for a metal cutting miter saw
I'm in the market for a 12" or 14" metal cutting miter saw,or radial arm saw , to cut 3"-4"-6" wide and 3-4" deep rectangular aluminum tubing and channel up to 1/2" thick on the walls. Ive talked with several fabrication shops and metal supply shops and they all suggested rather expensive saws...
garage.grumpysperformance.com
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/useful-mig-weld-info.441/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/does-the-welder-used-really-matter.75/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/mig-or-tig.72/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/looking-for-a-cheap-mig.4732/
and YEAH, being a tool junky, I learned this simply during the process of looking into ordering a 52 piece set of those tools,
just so Id have them in my personal tool inventory when I get around to rebuilding a 4l80e I purchased
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you have hundreds of options in bearing/gear pullers and only a few work in each specific application
so do your research before you buy tools and be certain the tool you buy works for your application
so do your research before you buy tools and be certain the tool you buy works for your application
