In this video series, I rebuild a 42RH/A500 transmission. This is my first time rebuilding this transmission and I am bringing you guys a long for the ride!
These videos gave me the confidence to try my first auto trans. Thanks Matt. I made the overdrive spring compressor out of 3 -1/2inch all threads outside the drum, connected to 2 pieces of heavy plywood on the front and back, bored for the output and intermediate shafts, with 3 5/16ths x 8" bolts on one end to push down on the clutch hub. the intermediate shaft is used for the planetary gear alignment. The front pump can be easily removed if cutoff bolts of the smaller inside thread, with a screwdriver slot cut in the end, are inserted into the deep holes, and larger bolts are threaded into the outer plate up against the small inserts to force the pump off. The worst part is the determination of the overdrive clutch pack selection as the design changed in the earlier years of production. On mine, the literature had me remove a .215 center steel, ( only 2 friction discs) and replace it with 3 friction , 2 steels, and reverse the pressure plate and reaction plate. I'm still worried about it, but it should work just fine. I'll let you know if it works when I'm done. GC
i have this exact transmission in my 1996 jeep grand cherokee lerado with the quadra trac 4x4 . it lasted 200 thousand miles before it died on me lastweek. now i got it in the shop being rebuilt. god i prey they do it rite after seeing all the parts you gota know about to put back rite. these guys have to be very very talented to do this kinda work period!!! much respect to you and all the others that do this work.
Great tips ! I'm planning a rebuild on a 46re. I watched the intro and part one so far and I already have more confidence to do it thanks to you. I read the atsg manual twice and it's really straight forward but your video will be an excellent supplement. Awesome.
Thank you Matt! I went to automotive school in the 90's. I dropped out due to financial reasons. The one class I missed was automatic transmissions. They had always intimidated me. Again--that you for your video. On a side note, I brought a vechicle to the AMMCO Total care Experts. They told me the transmission was fried. They pulled the pan, and said the fluid was varnished. (I know for a fact it wasen't, because I pulled the pan to change a pressure transducer the previous day.). They said it was going into limp mode. (They lied again--I have a Snap-on scan tool.). They claimed it needed a new spindle, caliber, and brakes. (They lied again.). I asked for a quote on a rebuilt transmission three times. He wouldn't give me the worst case senerio price. He stated they charge $2300 to open it, and then they mic. all parts, and add to the $2300. I said will $5000 cover it. He said, "I don't know."My point is be careful with AAMCO. After he found out I used to be a mechanic, he followed me into the parking lot kissing my ass. He knew he lied about the estimate. This was at the Marin County AMMCO franchise. Sorry about the rant on your video site. My final recommendation, If a technician won't give you a rough estimate on a rebuilt transmission---Walk!
Thanks for the comment! I really don't like when shops take advantage of people. There is an AAMCO right next to my shop that I sometimes go to if I need something pressed out (I don't own a press) or need to remove something in a trans that requires a special tool and they are always super helpful and friendly. So I think it can vary widely between locations.
MattsMotorz That's the downside to franchised businesses. Since there are so many different owners of all the different franchises,it's very difficult to get a consistency of quality of work, customer service or products.
Good Video...dont change anything, you never know when you can pick up a new technique to wrenching. It does remind me though of a time I went to the mower shop for a key for my minibike when I was 12. I told the guy I needed a keyway for my clutch..., and I kept calling it a keyway, hey kept calling it a key. Until he shouted..., ITS A KEY lol. the keyway is the slot, the key is the chip!
a coupel question what happens in this transmission if the PCM or TCM whatever is not working? does the internal hydraulics still work? a 42RE is a light duty transmission, is it posible to swap 44re or 46re internals to have better torque capabilities?
Hey bud wanted to ask what kind of impact wrench u have looks and sounds good i really dont know much of brands but i wuld like to have something like yours nice vid by the way
I have a question. Can hi-energy or high performance frictions make the transmission handle more horsepower and torque? I am needing to rebuild my own 42RH and I was thinking that better clutch packs would improve the durability of the transmission.
Just wanted to let you know your videos are still helping people I have a question have you ever seen a big Square hundred gram weight on the outside of a torque converter that goes in a 5.2 L Dakota?
sir at a bare minimum, what special tool or tools must I have to rebuild the a500. I have a atsg manual on the way. I have a shed full of common tools, a mig welder, torches, impact wrenches, air compressor, pry bars ect. I have crappy smap ring pliers, can u reccommend a good brand.
I don't remember honestly. This was so long ago. Watch through the video series and see what I use. I remember having to make a few special tools to get everything done. As for snap ring pliers, I also have crappy ones, been wanting to get some good ones for awhile.
At 27:42 through 28:11 my two assemblies came out as one long shaft, and I can't seem to break them apart. Any suggestions? I got the pump and the first drum out separate, but the next two are stuck together.
Hmm. That is weird, you SHOULD just be able to pull them apart. Perhaps try to persuade it with a brass hammer. I don't work on these all the time so it may be possible you have a different year / model. You should be using the factory service manual if you're in this deep, it should say in there what to do. You can obtain the entire rebuild procedure from alldatadiy.com, but you need to purchase it for your vehicle (I think its like 25 bucks for a year).
Hey man, have a a500 automatic transmission. I have it out like the one here. I remove the main bolts that keep the overdrive to the main housing. When i turn it it will wiggle left and right but doesn't come up. Any suggestions?
Hello Matt. my question is how r u cleaning parts? y a parts washer? also have a question. i have a 32rh which had water in it. flushed, new trans front pump, an new torque converter. put together. wont even turn tires. help
Before I had a parts washer, I literally just used throttle body cleaner or brake cleaner. Did it turn the tires before you did the pump replacement? If so, then I would think that something went wrong with the installation of the pump. If not, then it is impossible to say without getting some pressure readings. EDIT: Or the fluid is low.
+twonb91 In order to replace the pump the entire transmission must be removed. After doing that, then yes you can replace the pump without removing the valvebody, but you must have the special pulling tool. If you don't have the tool, What I have also done is thread very long bolts into the threads that the special tool bolts into and pull up on them.
Hi Matt so this is years later haha but I have a 93 dakota 4wd a500 tranmy and I need to know the torque converter. U got any idea? Google doesn't help much. So many options
Lol I got it. High stall torque. I got lots of questions. I love how I come back to this video and there's my comment and my silly ignorant ass a month ago. Haha here's to this month
Thank you for your efforts great video. However, could use some fixing...you missed a few steps which made it hard to follow at times.I watched another video and realized that there was a piston in the forward clutch drum, the one were the shaft needs to be pressed out. So I had to tear it back apart and replace those seals.This was my fault for not looking at the breakout Picture to mace sure..kicking myself. thanks.Oh it looks like you put the rear band servo ring upside down the spring should fit inside the ring, thats why it was hard for you to get spring compressed and snap ring in place.
can I do a swap trans? ..... I have a dodge magnum 1979 w/ 318 engine & 904 trans, I want OD 0.69 trans, is better gas millage and lifetime motor..... can I put the A500 on it?
Yes you can. The only issue will be depending on what car you are putting it into, you may have to do some modifications to the transmission tunnel and the crossmember support as this transmission larger in diameter. It is also longer than a 904 by about 4 or 5 inches so you will have to get your driveshaft shortened.
I have a 2011 Range rover sport with 50K miles. My transmission fault light came on so i got the code P2704 -Transmission friction element E element apply time range performance & code P0783 saids 3-4 shift? What you reccomend I do?
The clutch plates. Any kind of checking of clearances is a way to measure how worn the clutch plates are. When rebuilding a transmission, everything is built around the clutch plates. When you put in new plates, many times you need to install different thickness washers or snap rings to keep other tolerances in the transmission in check (as all clutch plates are not the same thickness, manufacturing procedures make them off by a few thousandths each, which add up with multiple plates). As the clutch plates wear, these tolerances get larger.
+Marlon Romero The simplest thing to check would be the 3-4 solenoid. Disconnect the wiring harness and do a resistance check on the correct pins. Don't know how easy it is to get to it on that car, but it might not hurt to just replace it, if it is cheap enough and easy enough to get to.
I cannot say. Automatic transmissions are extremely complicated machines and it is impossible to diagnose them over comments on RU-vid. This is just a guess and it is the simplest thing. It is often the simplest things that fix most problems. And often multiple codes at once are related to one issue. So it may, and it may not. I am hoping for the former.
here is the clamp: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t6uIrM1FPO0.html The hole for the intermediate shaft has not been bored yet. ( Use imagination.) gc
a coupel question what happens in this transmission if the PCM or TCM whatever is not working? does the internal hydraulics still work? a 42RE is a light duty transmission, is it posible to swap 44re or 46re internals to have better torque capabilities?
The hydraulics will still work but the energizing of the solenoids will not. So it wouldn't switch gears. The older automatics had no electronics. Everything was controlled with springs and valves in the valvebody, so it would always work and didn't require a TCM. (They weren't as good at shifting, but IMO were still pretty damn good)
Also, I don't know enough about the 44 and 46re transmissions to comment. I would likely guess no, thinks like that generally do not fly with transmissions. But if they are similar enough, maybe.
It is hard to answer that question without knowing the transmission better. That is solely dependent on the hydraulic circuit design in the valvebody. The operation of each gear is described in detail in the factory service manual. If any of the descriptions require an energized solenoid, it likely will not work.
