Need Tranny Swap Info

Bird · Jan 1, 2003

John, I don't know how you keep up with so many numbers./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Anyway, the Windstar I bought had 27,087 miles on it and I gave $14,599 for it, and since it was the best price I found for one loaded out with all the bells and whistles, I spent a lot of time looking it over, underneath, under the hood, under seats, dash, etc. trying to find something wrong with it and really couldn't find anything other than the normally expected light rust on the exhaust system underneath (it was originally registered in Michigan so I hunted pretty hard for rust on the assumption that it was probably driven on roads that had been salted). So, I'm happy with it, and assume the dealer's happy with the deal or they wouldn't have sold it to me/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif, and most importantly my wife's happy with it./w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

This was the first time I'd ever had anything to do with CarMax and that $14,599 was the price they listed on the Internet; I didn't try to negotiate at all with them and they offered (and gave) me $4,600 for the '99 Escort. Local Ford dealer had tried to sell me a new Windstar (without the rear air, CD player, power seat, roof rack, adjustable brake and accelerator pedals, anti-lock brakes, and quad seating) for over $23,000 (claiming that was $100 over invoice/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif) and only offered $2,800 for the Escort with 48,000 miles on it.

bgott · Jan 2, 2003

I seem to have missed your point, I think.

Chrysler built a small block patterned 727 case. For trucks and cop cars and 340 hi-po cars and whatnot.

ScottAR · Jan 2, 2003

As I remember, the 727 has a one piece case/bellhousing. So, there is a big block patterned case and a small block patterned case and they don't interchange. So, one could not have a small block trans behind a big block. It would be possible to rebuild one to small block specs I suppose as I am not that familar with the mopar trans...

Kelvin · Jan 2, 2003

I looked up some transmission information in an old 1974 Chrysler/Plymouth Shop manual that I have. Here goes:

The A-904 transmission was used with the 198, 225, and 318 engines.
The A-727 transmission was used with the 225, 318, 340-4, 360-2, 400-2, 400-4, 440-4 (standard), 440-4 (hi-performance), and 440-6.

In the rebuild section for the A-727, there are different numbers of front clutch plates & disks as well as front clutch springs depending upon which engine the A-727 was matched up with. For example, the number of front clutch plates & disks is "3" for the 225, 318, 340, 360, and 400-2; the number of front clutch plates & disks is "4" for the 400-4 and 440-4; and the number of front clutch plates & disks is "5" for the 440-6.

So it may be that your transmission rebuilder may have used the parts required for the slant-6 engine instead of a 440 engine.

Kelvin

bgott · Jan 2, 2003

That core he bought might have come from a 400-2 with only 3 clutches and the builder went ahead and built it that way instead of upgrading it. I don't know the guy whom he had build it so I wouldn't want to talk bad about him but I do know Aamco is notorious for replacing just what is wrong in a transmission. Front clutches burnt? That's all you're getting outside of a paper and rubber kit. You don't have to buy a kit to build a transmission, the wholesale trans parts house will sell you each and every part separately. It might pay to go to an RV website and find out who they get to build their transmissions. I do know it would be an unnecessary PITA and expense to convert that truck to a THM 400 when the 727 is as good as or an arguably better trans.

ewoss3 · Jan 2, 2003

Well the CFO laid her foot down and decided the original builder after having this many opportunities to get it right will never see any more equipment from us.

Kelvin, Thanks for the re-build info, I'm taking the truck over to a new re-builder today and will discuss the options with him to make sure he uses the heavier kit.

MikePA · Jan 2, 2003

<font color=blue>Well the CFO laid her foot down and decided the original builder after having this many opportunities to get it right will never see any more equipment from us.
</font color=blue>
I heartily agree with your CFO. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif No offense intended, but when the first rebuild only lasted 13 months and 1500 miles, the guy who rebuilt it should have fixed it for free, or I would have gone somewhere else.

RobertN · Jan 2, 2003

Rob,
I would still pursue some warranty refund or something from the guy who did the tranny. I just can't see all that money paid for assumed quality work being lost.

I would definitely pursue a second shop too.

It would be interesting to here the new guys theory on why the tranny has had so many problems.

ewoss3 · Jan 23, 2003

Well finally got our truck back from the new builder. After talking with him there is a ring at the tail of the tranny that is held on with four small bolts. Apparently this is the most frequently broken piece in the heavy dodge transmissions. These pieces get broken by having too high of an idle and shifting from park or nuetral into gear. He showed me the pieces taken out and the bolts were bent and sheared.
They lowered my idle settings and changed the rubber cooler lines that connect the cooler to the hard lines. Apparently there is a larger size rubber hose than I had used that allows sliding over the hard lines without the chance of cutting small chunks of rubber. They found 2 small pieces of hose in the filter when they took it apart. I went to autozone and o'reilys and neither of them carry this hose, but the builder did offer to let me buy it direct from him for later modifications.

Oh well hope this one last longer