I've got an '82, but it shouldn't be any different (maybe a different pull/replace procedure though) internally.. I do realize the '82-'86 are roughly the same, and the '87-up are different.

Has anyone done it? Is it hard? Are there any special tools required? Any suggestions?

Ken

 

Ken:
My brother just rebuilt mine. He is a GM trained mechanic. I would guess that he had about $ 1,000 of special tools that he brought with him. Without the tools it might be an overwhelming job. It took us about 8 hours and we replaced the drive shaft u-joints as well.

I would not have attempted this without the supervision of someone who was real familiar with the components of an automatic tranny. I couldn't believe how many parts came out of that case.

Good luck !!! :seeya

 

Yes, you need special tools. I attempted this last year. I pulled the tranny, disassembled it, then atttempted to put it back together. After trying for two days to assemble it, unsuccessfully, I took all the pieces to a local mechanic who assembled it,with mods, for 250 bucks. If you have access to the tools, go for it!

 

Eastwood sells a 700R4 rebuild video.

 

I'm enrolled in a tranmission class at local college and I'm rebuilding my tranny, you can shade tree a rebuild, but I wouldn't recommend it. I would say having rebuilt my engine myself, that trannies are easier, but I also have an instructor to ask questions. The only special tool you need is a device to compress a few springs that require snap rings.

 

Its possible to rebuild an automatic transmission on your own if you have the right tools, a very good manual on rebuilding it, some prior knowledge of the procedures involved, and time to do it properly.

I suggest you get the eastwood video first and study it for a while. Then figure out what tools you really need to do the work. You can easily make some of the tools yourself for very little money from Home Depot. Don't do this in a hurry. It will take at least twice as long as you think. You may have to farm out some of the stuff that requires expensive specialized tools and or precision work like bushings etc. If you have any doubts about the condition of the internal parts that are reused, take them to a trans shop and ask them if they can look at them. You may have to try several places. A good local shop is usually willing to help. They'll be very helpfull if you get the parts from them and they do some of the work.

I suggest you look into getting a later model 700R4 or the parts from one because the later models were much stronger. Do some research on the net for details or what parts should be upgraded for a stronger and longer lasting transmission. Some of the car mags like Super Chevy, Car Craft, Hot Rod, and Chevy High Performance have done articles on the 700R4 in the past.

Good Luck............. Keep us posted.

 

Cool. I think what I'm going to do is as one of my friends suggested; pull a later model ('88+) transmission from the junkyard, and start with it. That way I can build up a better tranny to just swap in when the time comes, and I can take my time with it. I can clean it up nicely as well.

I have the Haynes manual on how to rebuild the four main GM transmissions, including the 700R4 - I have studied it quite a bit but I think I'll go look at it again and see what tools I really need. I might be able to borrow some of them from Aaron's school (he's in auto shop, and can sometimes borrow tools.) If not, I'm reasonably skilled at crafting things, so making them is certainly not out of my realm.

I really don't like the perspective of using the original tranny, as it's already crapped out after a THIRD rebuild and it only has 70k miles on it. It's working for now, but I'd rather replace it before I start doing engine mods (which I have a lot of.) I don't want to put a cool engine in just to have it blow up my tranny.

 

I bought about $90 worth of books, read all three, and took it to the nearest tranny shop. :eek:

Eventually I'd like to do one myself, but I was looking forward to driving my car before 2006. :D

 

I said get a 'very good manual.' Haynes is not one of those. Those manuals always leave out stuff that you'll need to know. I recommend getting the GM factory manual for the year car you have.

 

There used to be a commercial on tv with a guy standing at a filling station with a garden hose running. He was holding it so the water was flowing up in the air like a fountain. The customer came in to have his tranny re-built and this idiot said, "I always wanted to re-build me one of those".

Your post just brought back a funny memory for me. I am like the guy with the hose. "I always wanted to re-build me one of those."
good luck :seeya :D