Want a deal on a high-performance...
Want a deal on a high-performance trans? Take one toasted TorqueFlite, add a B&M No. 1029 Transkit, and put 'em together yourself.
Even relatively hard-core engine freaks will often just shrug when asked, "What does it take to rebuild my automatic transmission?" The truth is, most of us are more than up for the challenge of bolting together a hot engine combo, but we're a little reluctant to delve into the workings of a "slush box." Why? Probably because when tearing into one, it isn't easy to see how they work. Open a manual tranny, tear it down, and the workings are very clear; this shaft turns here, this gear slides over there. The same goes for engines; these things go up and down 'cause this thing goes 'round and 'round. A juice tranny is much more mysterious. From the maze of passages, valves, and check balls in the valvebody, to the multi-disc clutch packs, drums, bands, and planetaries, a quick look inside reveals little.
Chrysler's TorqueFlite, the first of the modern three-speed automatics from the Big Three, was immediately respected as an outstanding engineering accomplishment. With the debut of the aluminum-case 727 coinciding with the era of red-hot factory racing in Stock and Super Stock drags, respect on the track came hand in hand. Under the ever-escalating power requirements found in racing, innovation in 'Flite performance was accelerated both at the factory and with the aftermarket. The design was continuously refined throughout Chrysler's long production run, and while the factory's priorities moved away from outright performance in the later era, aftermarket development continues to this day.
The valvebody comes out first....
The valvebody comes out first. Unbolt the linkage levers where they clamp to the valvebody outside the case, and then pull the filter and the 10 screws holding the valvebody in place. The Park rod runs from the valvebody rearward to engage the Park pawl, and it may be necessary to slip a driveshaft yoke into the tailshaft and rotate the output shaft to release the rod from the pawl.
Indeed, due to that aftermarket support, there are many choices in building a TorqueFlite, mild to wild. Transbrakes, full manual valvebodies, bolt-in sprags, lightweight drums... the list goes on and on. Like engine building, building a performance tranny can be as simple as starting with the basic Chrysler package and fleshing it out with fresh performance components. But simple enough to do at home? With a box containing all the parts needed, and a really good set of instructions, it is surprisingly doable. B&M's Transkit contains the components required to build a heavy-duty standard, street, or street/strip TorqueFlite, as well as instructions detailing every step of the process.
We had a 727 in a '71 Charger R/T that was a perfect candidate for a basic performance rebuild. As the years and mileage stacked up, our TorqueFlite was showing signs of impending doom. With slow, slipping upshifts under load and burnt fluid, it clearly had one foot in the grave. A tranny service offered some hope for recovery, but it wasn't to be-this one was toast. We pulled the tranny and ordered up a B&M Transkit to fix it ourselves.
The kit contains the basic rebuild items such as seals, rings, and gaskets, as well as new high-performance clutch linings (and new steel spacers), bands, front clutch springs, a high-ratio kickdown servo lever, and all of the components needed for high-performance valvebody reprogramming. Basically, it's a B&M performance tranny in a do-it-yourself kit, and even if you've never worked on an auto box before, the clearly detailed instructions from B&M walk you through the process. That said, let's get this puppy up on the workbench.
The front pump requires a...
The front pump requires a slide hammer to remove it after unbolting. There are two opposite bolt positions where the front pump housing is tapped to 3/8-inch NC. The slide hammer can be attached with a 3/8-inch NC adapter. If a slide hammer isn't on hand, a chain bolted to the pump with a weight on the other end can do as a makeshift solution.
With the front pump out, we...
With the front pump out, we can strip out the internals. The front and rear clutch assemblies just pull out.
Remove the snap ring at the...
Remove the snap ring at the front of the output shaft, and the front planetary assembly and drive shell will slip off the shaft. This R/T's trans had the heavy-duty four-gear planetary assembly, although many T/Fs came with three-gear planetaries.
The low/ reverse drum and...
The low/ reverse drum and rear planetary assembly slides off the shaft next, and the basic guts of it are out. Still, in the back of the case is the overrunning clutch assembly, consisting of an outer cam and inner hub or race, with springs and rollers between the two. The springs, rollers, and inner hub (race) come out.
The low/reverse band is simply...
The low/reverse band is simply unhooked and pulled out. Notice the overrunning clutch in the back of the trans has been stripped out.
Back outside, the extension...
Back outside, the extension housing is unbolted from the main case. We removed it as an assembly with the output shaft.
The output shaft support is...
The output shaft support is bolted to the rear of the case. It's usually a tight fit into the case, requiring a block of wood and hammer to whack it out from the inside.
The front servo actuates the...
The front servo actuates the kickdown band. There are two common styles: a small shaft type, as on our tranny, and a large shaft version, which has a 5/8-inch center rod. Both styles are disassembled by pushing the cover back against the spring and working out the large snap ring at the housing bore.
At the rear of the case is...
At the rear of the case is the low/reverse servo, which operates the rear band. It opens the same way. On the bench is the low/reverse band linkage, which comes apart when its pivot shaft is pulled from the case.