No valve body for pre-'99 auto?

[Darel]

Just called Bill at DTT and wanted to order a valve body for my '97 47RE, and he tells me there's a lip seal problem that won't let me use higher pressures. WTF? How hard is it to fix this problem?

Darel

 

[DR]

The transmission needs to be pulled to to do the upgrade. While you have it out you might as well do the TC too.

 

[Darel]

My TC was already done by a PO, that's why I was hoping to get away with just dropping the pan, etc. How difficult is it once you've pulled the transmission? Is it pretty much a transmission rebuild or can I pop in a new seal without too much disassembly? I consider myself a better-than-average mechanic and have rebuild several manual trannies, but an auto is something new to me.

Also, since I've already got an upgraded TC, do you think I'll be OK without the valve body? I've got 3. 54s and pull a Jeep on a car trailer, and a horse trailer, neither of which probably weigh more than 5000 lbs. The engine has a 230/605 plate slid all the way forward, a 4" exhaust and air by Scotty. 285/75 tires.

Thanks for any advice!

Darel

 

[Joe G.]

Darel,



It's kind of a big hairy deal. The lip seal goes INSIDE of the front drum so the drum has to be disasembled. It can be a PITA to get the clutch piston back in with the new seal. You can't do this without a service manual. The bushing in the pump should be replaced so the TC can hold the pressures it needs too.