This was an awesome video Bob. I totally appreciate you sharing your knowledge with the RU-vid community. After 2 years of being mentored, I rebuilt transmissions for 7 years. I enjoyed doing that type of work. Once you get the case and internals all cleaned up, it's actually a very relaxing Android clean job. The older gentleman that taught me how to rebuild transmissions was a stickler on cleanliness. And petroleum jelly/Vaseline is a transmission technicians best friend. He always wanted me to find out what caused the transmission to burn up... whether something was broken internally worn excessively or just normal wear. I miss that old fella. He was a great man to work for. I don't rebuild them for anyone anymore. I've rebuilt a few for myself over the years and that's about it. This video really hit home and brought back some good memories. I totally love your channel Bob and highly appreciate you sharing your knowledge sir. Keep up the great content. You always keep me riveted whenever a new video comes out and always make me look forward to the next video. Keep them coming Bob! I'm a lifetime subscriber for sure. Keep On Keeping On Brother!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Bob you're a humble soul. Whether you know it or not, you are a gifted, talented and highly intelligent man. And I would confidently follow you anywhere.
I lived in Louisiana for over 4 years. I've worked side-by-side with hillbillies. They're the most hard-working and honorable folks that I know. Great content!! God bless you!!
Bob, my wife and I have been watching your videos for a while and love all the knowledge you bring and how you're so down to earth. You're definitely an inspiration and make me want to build rat rods when we're back in the states. Keep these awesome videos coming!!
When you said for dummies you caught my attention. I think I need to give this a try if it doesn’t work out I put it next the watch I took a part. “THANKS’
Excellent video Bob ! I'd better start with a clean garage floor cause I can see it now, I'd get the transmission done and back in the car then I'd find a finishing nail, exactly like the one I thought I put in and I'd be wondering every time I drove it. Thanks for all of your effort Bob !
Learned something Bob. Thanks a Lot. Gonna ask my neighbors if they need a transmission rebuilt. Hey I aint stupid. You simplified a highly technical operation. I got this.
An excellent video Bob. If I ever have another TH350 or 400 that packs it in, I will definitely tear it down to try and diagnose what went wrong. It is tough to think about reassembling it though, when you buy a trans from the wrecker, if it is bad they give you another one. If you rebuild it on your own then it is all on you. Best days to you all. Pray the storms are not trouble for you there, we are seeing some crazy footage.
That storm is pretty far away, never even got cloudy here. Although I have been through my share of strong hurricanes. Hopefully, those folks on the Florida coast where that storm hit evacuated or found some really good shelter, but the weather radar map always makes the hurricanes look much bigger when the real danger is only close to the eye when it first hits the coast. The rest is just like a bad rain storm. Tornadoes are what scares me because you have no warning they're coming like you do a hurricane. But, the TeeVee folks always make things look more dramatic than they really are .... you know .... for the clicks ... the daily news cycle. Like standing in a deep ditch to make the flooding look a lot deeper ... those kinds of devious flicks. Yep ... we are now officially in the era of clickbait. When the normal shop guy does it you know things are getting out of hand. But we all fall for it and click on it! That's all it takes to count as a view even if you don't watch it.
we consider bob our well respected elder, im 45 genx, do alot myself, i look at him and and shake my head at my own ability. Then think wow these kids have never suffered hardship and never fix anything. Their in deep shit looking at bob
Great video 👍. Really learned a lot about transmission stuff that I didn't know about. Thanks Bob. Looking forward to seeing that thing doing some shifts 😀 ✌️.awesome job
Maybe u thought about it already but using a 5 gallon bucket n putting a flywheel on top of it u can stand the transmission case standing straight up n you can install the parts in n works real good for aligning it all when assembling it together...I used that method in the past worked real good....
Great video. That TH400 looks great. The info and knowledge provided was great. Am sure it's gonna work great in Junkyard Dog. Look forward to more. Be safe and stay well.
Hey Bawb, You must have used some of that voodoo stuff!!!! Seems like you did your homework and it payed off for you!!!! I remember hearin' a lot more cussin' on slidin' some of those assemblies together!!! Good Job!!!!
I'm going to Crusin on the Coast this year. I love the rat rods. Use to build a few race car. The rat rod engineering is what I like. Hope to see you there.
Your making the right call by rebuilding the tranny. Now you know for sure that it is going to be good. Nice work Bob. I’m really looking forward to seeing the finished product. You do really nice work.
I use your idea with the stud's, but use bolt's with the head cut off, to line up my motors to transmission, put them at 3 and 9 o'clock, should be a great working transmission, all the best to you and your loved ones
You got you some cosine error there with your dial indicator Bob. Any time the shaft of the dial indicator is not as close as possible to being at right angles to what you're measuring you're actually measuring a hypotenuse which will give you an error because the distance you're traveling with the dial indicator is actually longer. You may think it won't matter but it does when you're measuring down to the thousandths of an inch. The greater the distance (travel) that you're measuring the more error.
Well dangit Fred. Nice explanation .. had to google a couple of your words to see what you were saying ... lol. Good thing I only needed to be within 5 or 10 thousandths. Never was good at the finer details of machining, probably why I like building Rat Rods.
@@RatRodBobBuilds I would say that if you only had to be within 10 thou, you were perfectly fine. If you want to get as close as a thou or two, then I would take that into consideration in the future. When we realize that the hypotenuse of a triangle is the longest side, the more of an angle we tilt to, the smaller those actual thousands actually become on our dial indicators. Yeah, I do machine work among other things and I often need to hold to tolerances to less than a thou. Keep up the good work Bob, I've been impressed with the transmission build project.
I made a tool for starting the lip seals on the piston out of some fine smooth piano wire and a piece of brake line, get about 3inches of wire, bend it in half, but not folded in half, and put the two loose ends into the brake line and crimp it in the vice. Two different sizes of wire, on on each end of the brake line for different applications. The wire will never damage the seal because it is smooth
If you dont have a press. I made a tool years ago. 2 pc of steal flat stock. 1/2" thick by about 2" wide. 3ft 1/2" all thread cut in half and hand full of nuts. Used a big pc of idustrial pvc pipe for that tool you made. I rebuilt my 48re OD hub. It has a 800# steel spring in it. That junk tool has so much force its crazy.
I often use a zip tie, coated wire, or even a piece of string to help install lip seals into their groove. You can stretch them a little during the process and they will return to intended size. Just don't over do it, no need to pull very hard.
Dang Skippy that's a pretty good idea as far as that tool you made to push on him springs back together to be able to put a clip on it can't wait to see how it does once you completely put it together curious how hard is it going to shift love the video please keep them coming
new specifications call for but you got to account for where right away so it should be a little tighter so as the transmission wears in when it's new it would allow for that
Thank You for your videos. I am swapping the TBI on my '88 Chevy truck for a carburetor. It has a TH400 trans. Everyone says all you need is a micro, or similar switch, to operate the kickdown, but no one ever says what to do with this switch. Do you know? Thank You?
Nice build Bob, it's gonna work great! They do make a tool for thats selector shaft seal, Lisle I believe, but you did fine without it. It makes it super handy to do it without taking the Rooster head out though. :)
Just awesome Bob! Wish you were close to me here in Cassville, Missouri as my TH 400 pushes the transmission fluid out from the ? when engine off and sitting. What yah think Bob?
@@RatRodBobBuildsthx Bob. Tyranny is still in the truck. Is there an easy way to unplug it without dropping the tyranny? Thx so much for your opinions.
@@toddrhine7648 You can probably get a piece of wire or something up in it ... it's on the top right ... where the bell housing meets the trans. Little tube sticks out a couple three inches. Not sure that's what the problem is but I would certainly check that. If that's plugged it will spit out trans fluid everywhere and you won't be able to pour more in because of the back pressure.
Can you tell me about the vacuum line going to the modulator valve? Does the hard metal line have a check valve in it ? Can I run a line from the modulator valve to the manifold vacuum on carb?
Can the third gear ratio be changed? Having a motorhome with the TH400, I would like a 3rd gear ratio of somewhere around .7. To the best of my knowledge the ratios are currently 2.48 - 1.48 - and 1.00.
3rd gear is direct drive, or 1:1 so no you can't change it. The only options or higher rear end gears, a gear vendors overdrive or an overdrive transmission.
Hi Bob, I have a Th400 mated to Chevy 454 and mounted on a 1995 chevy taho, recently the transmission started producing grinding noise on D or R nothing to report on P or N, the sound will disappear as soon I drive the car, and will return once I am at a complete stop or about. the transmission was rebuilt three years ago but the car drove less than 2000 miles. transmission is shifting very smoothly with no issue the last thing I wanna do is take the transmission down or take them garage, any thoughts on what to inspect will be highly appreciated. BTY ordered a new filter and oil to replace just in case the issue is from the filter (clogs) I live in Dubai and the garage which is specialized in rebuilding the transmission is asking a fortune to look at it and rebuild it in case it needs a rebuild.
I thought it was only in America where the transmission shops love to rip folks off. A complete rebuild kit is less than $200 and they want like ten times that just for starters. So that being said it's not a good idea to own a car with an automatic unless you know how to fix it or have butt loads of cash. I have had those old gm transmissions that made like a sucking sound until you take off like the oil pump was sucking air. I would change the oil and filter and run it until it quit and start saving money for the fix. If the oil pan has flakes of metal in the bottom then you won't be driving it long.
@@RatRodBobBuilds thanks Bob for the advise, will try to change the oil tomorrow. But I am a still concerned about the grinding noise. Let see how it will go. Will keep you posted Keep up the great videos and information.
@@RatRodBobBuilds so I changed the oil and filter, tons of dirt were in the pan that made the oil looks like mud, wining noise is gone (obviously because of how much) but the drinking noise when I shift to D or R still there. Something is touching the torque converter which I cannot figure what it is. Look I will take to garage to help checking. Ps. I will change the oil and filter again after driving 500mile or so to ensure the filter has collect all dirt from the transmission Big thanks for the help again
Hey Bob on my first attempted install I put a 2 stage shift kit in a TH400 I first warmed up good & Barked through the gears just fine like I wanted, after I was done only until I shutter down she puked up about 2 quarts of ATF out the dipstick tube, what caused that you reckon, Any idea? 😅
@@RatRodBobBuilds Thanks Bob your absolutely correct 😉👍 later I had found a dirt dauber had built a nest up in my vent tube, so I remedy-it by sliding about a 6inch hose onto the vent tube so he can build a next nest up in it. SMH 😒" Bugs...!
@@RatRodBobBuilds thank ya Bob" wish then their had've been a Google, that happened a few decades & lost night sleep back... Nice job on your rebuild it learnt me a few things 👍"
Hello friend, I saw your video and I would like to get a question right, I took my th400 transmission to be repaired but it did not make the third change, I already changed the governor, modular, converter, and it continues the same, now to your great experience what will be the problem for which Does the third change not make the transmission? please help
The early 3 speed autos are easy. The 4 speed overdrive trans are a completely different unit, you need special tools to do thoes. I have been doing Powerglide, TH350 and TH400 for years, i build my own TH400 race trans. I have tried doind 2 700R4 and neither one worked correctly. Don't think that watching this video will make you a transmission expert.
If I had that all apart like that I would buy a new sprag if it showed any signs of wear not that I think Im expert I just know I wouldnt want to come back later. Wow no way I would attempt that LOL. What happens to the petroleum jelly? I guess the tranny fluid washes it off?
I explained several times in the video that someone has just went thru this transmission and that all the bushings are like knew. Probably didn't need to change the seal either.
