Friends, I have concocted this crazy idea of driving from Los Angeles to Indiana. I'll be picking up my transmission from Rick Allison at A&A Transmission and swapping it in a parking lot somewhere in Indiana with help from my friend Bubba.
Any tips or helpful Direction to make this a smooth swap are welcomed. Any insight gain from your experience of removing transmission would be a big help just so it helps me identify any problems I might have not foreseen. Also if any of you live in the area and just want to grab a beer and hang out and talk cars I would love that as well.


https://www.gofundme.com/cannonball-run-la-to-indiana

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70 Plymouth Valiant 4dr

Pack four tall jackstands. You will need as much height as you can get.
Pack a transmision jack.
Pack a floor jack.
Pack a full set of box end wrenches.
Pack a full set of offset box end wrenches to make getting the torque converter bolts easier.
Pack a full socket set, deep and normal sockets, many extensions of varying lengths, and wobbly/universal joints for the sockets.
Pack two cases of transmission fluid (latest Dexron variant [VI?]).
Pack a couble sealable drain pans for transmission fluid.
Pack something to lay on that will keep you dry and protected from inclement weather.
Pack something such as a pop-up canopy to protect you from sun and inclement weather.
Pack some contractor grade garbage bags and duct tape to put your old transmission in to avoid leaks.
Pack lots of disposable gloves or some pairs of Mechanix type gloves and some car-work clothes.

Get the car up on the four jack stands as high as is reasonably safe.
Put one of the drain pans under the trans.
Remove all the trans pan bolts except for the three in one corner. Slowly loosen those last three bolts and control the fluid drianing into the pan.
As the pan drains, remove the rear u-joint straps and pull the driveshaft.
As the pan continues to drain, remove the starter motor and the torque converter inspection plate.
remove the four bolts holding the torque converter to the flex plate.
Fully remove the trans pan and let it ad the guts of the trans continue dribbling into the catch pan.
Remove the cooler lines from the trans.
Disconnect the shift and kickdown linkages, speedo, and neutral start switch.
Once the pan and guts have finished dripping, reinstall the trans pan.
Remove all but one or two of the trans to engine bolts. Leave the bottom two in so you can et to them easy from underneath.
Support the engine with the floor jack and the trans with the trans jack.
Unbolt the trans mount from the trans and the trans cross brace from the frame.
Remove the last two engine to trans bolts.
Lower the trans and back it away from the engine to disengage the torque converter snout from the crank pocket.
Installation is reverse of removal. Don't forget to fill the torque converter if you are replacing it. This is also a great time to replace the trans mount.


Take lots of pictures and post them, if possible!

I assume this is just a 904 swap? Should be pretty quick and easy. You will need a jack and 2 stands, drain pan, a block of 2X8 or 2X10 or better yet a square of 5/8 or 3/4" plywood to save the trans pan from jack damage, sockets, wrenches, adjustable wrench or large correct size wrench or channelocks to get the speedo cable off... I have swapped trannys at tracks a few times.

Make sure to put a little trans fluid on the converter snout before you insert it in the new transmission so you do not damage the front seal. Also, bring some rubber trans hose and clamps and 5/16" fuel/oil hardline just in case you bugger up the tranny hardlines. Maybe get under there before the trip and break the cooling hardlines loose to make sure you do not bend them up when you are in a place where they are hard to fix. Do not force the trans toward the engine with bolts. If they do not slide together easily, something is hung up like the converter pump drive or the dowel pins.

With 2 guys, it should be a 2-4 hr job if you are not hurrying. I have done it in an hour with a very skilled and experienced helper (Mr. Cameron Tilley)... Not sure how many times I've done 904 swaps, but probably it's in the 50 times range.

What converter are you going to use? How old are you and how much can you bench press??

Sounds like a fun and crazy trip...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines

Why?? Oh Why???

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

Besides Reeds list I'd say, watch the forecast carefully for timing this, and bring a bunch of puppy-pads(PigMats or the like) along..................waterless hand cleaner & plenty of shop/paper towels,
This sounds like something I'd do! If Your car is cable shifted and You haven't removed it yet/before, You'd better get acquainted with the particulars and bring a couple cans of Minnesota Freeze
or Wurth Rost-off Ice-Max, or such to help get that apart......Good Luck and Have Fun!!

The 904 that is in the 68 Barracuda was built by A&A.
When they put mine together I arranged with Rick A for me to be onsite and observe the process. Was very interesting, great attention to detail, lot of emphasis on cleanliness, not creating burrs,,
Let me know when you plan to be in the area, perhaps you me and wvenable could get together.
Have you considered having A&A installing the tranny? Would be ez on a lift.
I don’t want to discourage, you have a tranny in the car that is worrisome enough that you want to swap it out, but you plan to drive it from CA to IN?

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Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

Blue thread locker & brake clean for four bolts connecting flex plate to torque converter, and a torque wrench. If one or more of these bolts back off, one can easily access them by removing starter.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

YES, definitely thread lock the tc bolts to flex plate, and if you pull the flex plate Loctite those into the crank too.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines

If it's giving you grief now, just wait until it's hot and your pulling the grade in the rocky's. The burned up 904 I sacrificed at the Lincoln Rest-Stop at the summit is likely littering a landfill near Laramie. It burned up so bad, it didn't stink anymore. (Read: not returnable as a core.)

Smoothest:
(where you test Bubba's prowess with A904 TV's)
Have trans shipped to Bubba's. Have car hauled to Bubba's behind a Freightliner. Fly to Bubba's. Drink beer with Bubba.
Swap transmission.
Drive home.


Cheapest:
Order transmission shipped to your shop/closest you fix it garage. Meet trans with car. Install. Drive to Bubba's. Drink beer with Bubba.

Laziest:
Order Transmission delivered to your favorite mechanic's garage. Drop off car. Have Bubba fly out for a visit. Drink Beer with Bubba. Drive Bubba home for epic road trip without the fear of burned up transmission goo getting all over Bubba's brand new California foot-wear.

The way your going to do it:
A thrill filled trip with loads of suspense that could terminate riding the greyhound to the closest used car dealer, or... it might work out exactly like you pictured it.

In life, I have found, nothing turns out exactly like I pictured it. But nothing ventured...

Good luck, and have fun!

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

If I had the time, I would love to try a trip like this. The older I get, the more I realize that the interesting and fun parts of life happen when you are dealing with an "emergency." Not a life threatening emergnecy, or serious illness emergency, but unexpected problems that arise and keep things from going smoothly. What is life without a little challenge? Overcoming challenges is what builds character and makes memories. If I didn't have to work I would likely spend most of my time doing harebrained road trips like this, seeing the world and having fun.

I hope you do make the trip. Go prepared, have an open mind and a credit card with zero balance, and it should be a memorable adventure.

Oh boy this tranny trip of yours reminds me of "Roadkill", a new show on Velocity Channel where two motor heads ride the roads in freshly cobbled up junkers, clunkers, and barn-finds. What could possibly go wrong with this plot line...

PS

Hijack alert!!

If anyone want's to kill a half hour right now, or come back to this later, click the red.
In this episode the guys finish up their 55 Blashemi gas'ah build, and head cross country to Charlotte NC.

I'll post the episode where the Roadkill boys transplant a Cummings diesel a slightly modified Sedan deVille, and go for a few test drives.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.

82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp

07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Even mor eof a hi-jack- if you are liking Roadkill, go subscribe to www.motortrendondemnd.com You can watch all the past few years of Roadkill episodes there, plus Roadkill Garage, plus Hot Rod Garage, plus lots of other shows. I subscribed, it is only like $5 per month for loads of good content. The enginemasters show has some great dyno tests that actually teach you things.

Fellas, thank you all for your replies and important info. Bubba and I have recruited a third member to help us drive from LA to Indiana. After having talks with my insurance company (God forbid Bubba is driving and something happens to us) it turns out it would actually be cheaper and faster if we were to rent a car. New altered plan is to remove the transmission here at home, throw it in a rent a car and then drive to Indiana since we're on a crunch for time to make it back home. I spoke with Rick and he said the transmission should be done sometime in March hopefully.

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70 Plymouth Valiant 4dr

Wouldn't it be cheaper to ship the trans?

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 225 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170

Yes you are right....
But neither Bubba or I have ever driven anywhere except Tijuana. I think it would be nice to see Arizona New Mexico Texas Oklahoma Missouri and Indiana.
We plan on stopping at that huge meteorite crater in Arizona.. we work in Aerospace so stuff like that kind of excites us.

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70 Plymouth Valiant 4dr