I was interested in rebuilding a 904 trans and was wondering what special tools I would need. Thanks in advance.

_________________
"You know a car is really yours when you've touched every fastener on it." -David Freiburger

You'll need something like this...



...but you might want to check the sticky in this forum for the service manual.

Clutch spring compressor...ok. I have the factory service manual but those always have manufacture specific tools with their manufacture specific part numbers and I was wondering what more common tools would be.

_________________
"You know a car is really yours when you've touched every fastener on it." -David Freiburger

You'll need a clean place, space to lay down the parts, something to compress the clutch springs (as shown above) and something to press in the bushings. You could put the bushings in a freezer for a few hours and tap them in, or have a shop done this for you.

You'll need no other special tools for the rebuild.

A set of gauges to measue line-pressure is needed for a proper diagnosis. But if you are going to rebuild anyway you don't need it. A small camera to keep track of your steps is a very good idea.

What about getting the pump out? Thank you for the advice so far

_________________
"You know a car is really yours when you've touched every fastener on it." -David Freiburger

The pump came out pretty easy. I used two very long bolts and, again, a piece of wood.

On assembly don't forget to get the two parts of the pump properly aligned. You can try for ages to get the pump back in if you don't. It won't fit. Don't ask me how I know... Just follow the manual step-by-step

Thank you for all your help

_________________
"You know a car is really yours when you've touched every fastener on it." -David Freiburger

I'd add inch-pound and foot-pound torque wrenches to the must have list.

_________________
V8?? We don't need no stink'n V8!!

Awwww...yes. Forgot about that

_________________
"You know a car is really yours when you've touched every fastener on it." -David Freiburger

You'll need this snap ring plier or equivalent:
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/kdt2534.html
The jaw has two serrated flat faces, and is used for the square section snap rings on shafts.

You'll need a tool to slide the o-rings onto shafts and possibly to get the pistons started onto the lip seals. The tool can be made from a strip of plastic cut from a bleach bottle or soda pop bottle. I prefer using a bleach bottle because the plastic is softer. Use a new single edge razor blade to make the bevel cut. Bevel the end cut so it keeps the sharp edge away from the seal thus:


_______________ <seal side>
_______________\______________
\_______________________
<shaft side>

Coat the tool, shaft and seal with transmission assembly lube, slip the tool onto the shaft, and slide the o-ring on.

After you cut the bleach bottle, save the bottom 3" section. Pour in some transmission fluid and soak the clutch friction material before assembly. You only need to soak them for a few minutes, until you don't see any more bubbles.

You must use ONLY "Transmission Assembly Lube" when reassembling an automatic transmission. It is compatible with transmission fluid. Any other grease will cause problems. In a pinch you can use transmission fluid, but it gets messy and may not provide good lubrication on initial startup. Coat the oil pump parts with assembly lube to assure quick priming. Fill the torque convertor 1/3 full with ATF before installing it.

I like to use zip-lock bags to hold the subassemblies during disassembly, theb re-bagging them into clean bags after cleaning. The subassemblies can be reassembled and bagged until final assembly. This keeps everything clean.

Work in a clean dust-free area and use lint-free rags (or the blue Scott "Shop Towel" paper towels. Plain white paper towels and plain cotton rags will shed fibers that can cause problems with transmission operation.

Ken

Its useful to have a compressed air source and rubber tipped blow gun. Before installing the valve body, apply air pressure to the various clutches to verify that they operate and do not leak. Its much easier to find and repair a leak problem while the transmission is still on the workbench.

Ken

Sounds like you know your stuff...thank you

_________________
"You know a car is really yours when you've touched every fastener on it." -David Freiburger