Turbo 400 Disassembly

[crabtruck]

Course if they're DRINKING the 40's, vega nos is not far behind ...

[wild bill]

it had a 406 cid small block on alcohol and a junk shifter ! it only burned up the forward clutch pack ,i just got it out of gear in time when it locked up the slicks and almost went over .got it stopped and had to get on the 5000 stahl converter to get it to move to the end of the return lane . one of the more stupid thing's i have done .

[hotrodpc]

Dayum, I guess you know you were pretty lucky on that one. Sometimes those ratchet shifters are worth their weight in gold. It would have been impossible with one of those. Back in those days, I used a B&M QuickSilver ratchet shifter. I loved that thing. Bad or good thing was, anyone needed to use my vehicle, like my dad, I had to give him directions how to use it. I go cheap where I can, but a shifter isn't one of them. For my Munice 4 speeds, I used Hurst Competition Plus shifters. You know if you miss shift with one of those, it was your fault. Loved the Muncie's but had to give them up from breaking rear ends, driveshafts and driveshaft yokes. I only broke 1 Muncie though. Took a couple teeth off of a 2nd gear in a M21. Never could harm the M22. I should have kept to the Muncie in the 3/4 ton truck I had, but I converted it from Granny 4 speed tranny to auto. hahah, there is no speed shifting those top loader granny gear trans even though they are strong as can be. Even with a full manual valve body, and 33 inch tall tires, I never did break the driveshaft or Dana 60 rear end in that truck. Big differance in strength from 1/2 ton to 3/4 ton parts if you have enough horsepower and torque to compensate for the weight. But after I went to automatics, I stuck with them becuase the parts were so plentiful and very very cheap compared to Muncie's. What I did like, was the being universal. No modications had to be made to use either T350 or Muncie. Same driveshaft length, same yoke, same crossmember and rear mount etc. I could be a M21 set up, then in less than 2 hours taking my time, be a Turbo 350. Just had to change flywheel and starter on the engine. Back then we were kind of stupid. We did stuff like, hey buddy, I wonder how your Small Block 400 would run in my truck with the Dana 60 4.56 Locker and M21 etc, so we would swap motors for the weekend to find out. We got fairly quick at that kind of stuff. One of our gang even had 2 rear ends for his car, a 10 bolt 3.08 peg legger and 12 bolt 4.56 locker with a small tire in an El Camino so it was only good for about 50mph cruising on the freeway with the 4.56's. We put the 3.08 rear end in it, put the 4.56 rear end in the back with a jack, jack stands and a tool box. Drive a few hours to the track, swap rearends in the parking lot and race it. Swap back and go home. It was his daily driver, so he kept the 3.08's in it, untl race weekends when it was time to play, then we'd put the 4.56's in. We were kids, didn't have money for a second vehicle or trailers back then. Sorry guys, didn't mean to go down that rat hole. Just got stuck reminissing (spelling).

[hotrodpc]

Good Evening Gentlemen !!! And ladies too if your interested in this kind of stuff. If you are, and single, I need to hear from you. hahaah, Oh, I am on the wrong site for that. Just an update on progress. Checking around on the internet today. Found a Turbo 400 for my hard parts. Asking $75 for this trans, but he knew nothing at all about it other than to say his buddy said it work from the vehicle he pulled it from. Mind you, I am looking for the 34 element sprag and drum which are rare and usually in the 60's models only. So I ask the guy if it has #'s. It does he emails them to me. Checks out to be CE-69- XXXX. Looked it up, the trans it out of a 69 Chevelle 396 Car. How much anyone want to bet, this trans is out of 69 Chevelle SS and has all the good parts in it??? I am hoping so. Told the guy it is a car trans, and the output shaft is not threaded for a truck yoke, and it is not drilled deep enough to even thread it myself. I also pointed out my truck trans has a double the depth pan. Guy said, I want it out of my way, if you can use any of it, you can have it for $50 and I will throw in the converter. SOLD !!! Loaded it up, and about to put it on the bench just to disect it and hope its the good stuff. Worse case scenario, it should be the smooth drum with a 16 element sprag, but I can purchase the 34 element sprag and it will fit the 16 element drum, but the roller sprag and drum that came in my trans is not compatible with either of the dogbone wedge sprags. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I have a feeling, I am going rob this case for the good hard parts and put in my 86 400 Case, then sell this case to someone who is looking for a serial # case correct restoration of a 69 Chevelle SS 396, and it may even go well over the $50 I paid for the whole trans and converter.

[hotrodpc]

So here is the part I was wanting. eBay Motors: 400 Turbo M40 Early Cam Style Clutch Drum COPO LS6 (item 350110198264 end time Apr-12-09 12:15:18 PDT)
Its only $155 + $24.50 shipping on eBay. If you want, he will upgrade to a 34 element sprag for an additional $70. Nice Guy !!! Think I'll take 2. NOT !!! As I suspected, the trans I bought today with converter for $50 is gorgeous inside. Has some wear, it is definatly used, but very very clean and no damage to the hard parts whatsoever. As I suspected, it HAS the high dollar rare drum I wanted with the 16 element sprag. That's OK. I can get the brand new GM 34 element sprag off of ebay for $25 + $4.95 shipping. eBay Motors: 34 ELEMENT SPRAG FOR TURBO 400 (item 170314076848 end time Mar-29-09 19:26:59 PDT)
I didn't save a ton of money on my car insurance, but I saved a ton of money to have the best parts in this trans. Now I am ready to order my kit with New Bushings, thrust washers, Kevlor Steels and bands, Red Alto clutches, New pump gears just because and filter and seals. Putting all the good stuff in this one guys. I already have the better needle bearing assemblies, they are also in this donor trans and look perfect. Anyone know about Hurst Hot Shift shift kits? I am going to assume it is the same kit as B&M but with Hurst name on it. I can get one of those off of eBay for $19.99 and $8 shipping, and it like B&M can be either stage 1 or stage 2. I made my own kits for T350, but I am not sure about what goes into a 400 shift kit, so I figured at that price, I will buy one and then make my own from it and have the kit for a pattern in future trans jobs if I do not have to use the parts and can work around the kits parts. I do not intend to make this truck a hotrod, but I do intend to be towing a 12,000 lb backhoe on occasion, so likely go with the Stage 1 RV/Heavy Duty Kit. These pics here are from the donor trans.

[mrjohnwayne]

You can make a home made kit for the 400 too. Depends on how hard you want it to shift... LOL

my old 400 would literally smack you head on the back glass if you were not paying attention... LOL

I used a transgo plate, left out all but 2 check balls, blocked off the 1-2 and 2-3 servos and blocked off the detent. It is wicked... LOL

[hotrodpc]

hahaah, yes, I know all the about the wicked shifts. I did that to the T350. Drilled a couple holes in the stock plate, threw way 2 of the 4 check balls and the accumulator spring, and use a trasnfer plate that one of my dads old friends owned a metal fab shop, made me like 100 plates with B&M plate as a pattern. I really like taking my dad for a ride. He'd about **** hisself. It was more fun taking people for a ride that were't expecting it and their headds did hit the back glass. But no, not this truck. Just a firm shift, not a wicked shift. That Hurst Hot Shift kit is likely the same as a B&M kit, so for the money I am going to get it, unelss someone tells me its junk. I had never heard of Hurst Hot Shift kit. Heard of several others, but never that one.

[hotrodpc]

You learn something new everyday. I do anyway. Last night I learned a lesson on T400 assempbly. Remember I got this donor trans and its a 69. I am using some of the part from it that were bad in my current trans. I was having a problem getting to go together. After plenty of research I found out why. I was trying to use the spacer and the center support out of the 69 trans. Sure enough. Its about .040 thicker. So I took the spacer out and BAM !!! Fit is now perfect. Not sure what I will do here, but it sounds like I want to use the newer system with the spacer ring. I may take the guts out of the 69 center support and put them into the 86 center support if they fit.
Manufacturing Changes
Be cautious. The 1969 casings are identical, but the guts aren't necessarily so. The center support in early 1969 casings did not have the 0.040" spacer ring in there to protect the casing from the slamming of the center suport. Later 69's, (after around March) and newer TH-400s had the spacer, and therefore a 0.040" thinner center support. That spacer is a case saver. So you may want to ensure the internal lugs where the center support go aren't beat to heck.

[hotrodpc]

Here is where I got to last night. Then stopped to wait and see what I will do about this center support spacer issue. I think I want it in there. See there are some advantages to not being married. Could you imagine what a wife might say if she caught me building a trans on the kitchen counter?

[crabtruck]

Originally Posted by hotrodpc

..... See there are some advantages to not being married.
Could you imagine what a wife might say if she caught me
building a trans on the kitchen counter?

What do you care what a wife may say,
you wouldn't hear it over the the sound of the shotgun.