hi sages- have3 questions for a sl6er with recent torqueflite experience.these would apply to an f body sl6 car. 1. what is a reasonable cost for r and r, tear down and rebuild of this trans. 2. did the sl6 f bodies mostly have the 904 or 727 torqueflite. are they interchangeable and what is the difference. 3. does anyone have experience or advice on using an independent rebuilder like jasper where you r and r the old trans yourself. as you can surmise i have had bad experience with auto trans shysters and have tried to stick with manuals for 40 years, but that is getting tough to do. thanks tons bob f .

1. Do you want it stock or something better? It's tough to have an automatic gone through for less than $1000 any more. Extras are extra.

2. 904s in nearly everything. They are lighter, soak up less power and are plenty strong for a slant.

3. No, I had a friend do one of mine. I did another.

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Joshua

hi josh- thanks for your insight. on a rebuild. wouldnot want anything special. just a competent rebuild at a reasonable price. would say 1000 was reasonable. but notice that the clip joints want more than that. all the automatic f bodies ive seen had 904s but have been told by a few that 727s also appeared in them too. thought 727s were the older automatics in the 60s and early 70s. shops ive talked to do not use an outside jobber to supply a rebuilt trans. they say they do the rebuild themselves. see why i prefer autos with 3 pedals on the floor, reduces the risk of going to the cleaners. ever been to the cleaners? bob f

727s came behind all the big blocks, most small blocks in trucks/vans and some slant six trucks and vans. 904s came in most every slant six passenger car except those specifically ordered as fleet/taxi service and then only sometimes. For instance I had a State of Oregon Dart Custom 4-door with a 904.

I don't believe you could even get a 727 with a slant after about 1980, but I may be wrong. There are plenty of 904s in late model slant six powered vans and pickups. 904s also came behind most small block V8s other than 340s and 360s with a 4bbl. Early 360s with 2bbls got 727s, but by the mid to late '70s they went to the heavier duty 904 known as the 999.

What I would do is try to find a good independent rebuild shop. These are one of the easiest automatics to overhaul.

BTW, I never asked. What's wrong with your transmission?

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Joshua

You could get 80s Dodge trucks and vans with a slant and a 727 through the end of the line in 87. Not too common, but i did have a 1984 slant six 727 once.

Personally, I would buy one of those NOS 904 transmissions being sold on eBay right now. $350 obo plus shipping and plus a torque converter and you will still come in under $1k for a fresh factory unit unmolested by any hack.

I, too, have been burned by transmission shops. And nobody will rebuild a 904 for less than $1k anymore. I called around.

I would, if I had the time. Right now, since my wife's medical problems, I am back logged.
PS: flat rate labor time to R&R a slant six 904 in a 79 Volare is 4.5 hrs.

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

josh- not having a problem yet. want to anticipate and have my bases covered. been looking for a sl6 f body wagon or 4 door with a stick for a reasonable price and have had no luck. plenty available with automatics. thinking if i want an f body may have to get an automatic. just want to limit my chances of getting clipped if the auto craps out in the short run, thus my questions. figure my best shot would be to expect a 1000 rebuild if i get an automatic. thanks reed and charlie s for your input. tip me off if you discover a sl6 f body with a 3 or 4 spd manual. thanks bob f

Well, the Torqueflite is one of the most reliable autos built. If you have a factory service manual and patience they are not that tough to rebuild.

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Joshua

Bob I second what Josh has to say. You can rebuild one for a lot less than you think, most important part is clean area and parts when doing the re-assembling.

Richard

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

I thought $1,000 was a bit much. I checked with a few trans shops in my area. Rebuild "carry in" price for a 79 Volare slant six 904 trans, is between $350-$450 with a rebuilt converter. More then $500 is a total ripoff. If they need to R&R the trans it would be more. About 4.5 to 5.0 hours at the shop labor rate.

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

i can vouch on one thing, if you can find an a-body (duster, dart etc) 833 or OD833 it is almost bolt in for the good 'ol F-body of amazingness, have you checked out www.fbodymopars.com ???

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I am the Guardian, I hate helos, everything leaks.......

For what it is worth, a few weeks ago I was quoted $1000 to rebuild a loose 904 if I brought it in to the shop already removed. I guess it depends on where you live. I must be surrounded by crooks...

I guess so.

FYI, as long as the trans doesn't require "hard parts", a master rebuild kit with bushings and thrust washers, bands, seals, clutches/steels, is less then $100. A decent trans guy can do the rebuild in 3-4 hrs. Even someone that has never done a auto trans, but has the ability to build an engine, can do the 904 in less then 8 hrs with a GOOD trans manual. The hardest part is locating or making the few special tools needed.

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

greetings to you 3 sages- appreciate your comments and insights. youre right reed you are surrounded by crooks especially in this specialty. only thing worse would have been congs in the mekong . volare 4- remember pal, switching auto to manual in a or f body has a hidden $$$glitch. true the bell, flywheel, clutch and trans are all bolt ins, so is the pedal and one end of the z bar,but then you have to fabricate the floorshift hump, weld it and also the swivel ball on the frame. thats where the crooks reed refers to come in. only way i would go that route would be if i already had an automatic f body ,it blew and i could only find crooks to rebuild it. have recently been on fbodymopars .com and no luck with finding a manual fbody so far. charlie- if i have to get a 904 and it blows, i may look you up for an honest fair rebuild. youre not that far from stuart. by hard parts i think you mean the pumps and planetary gears, but in reality, when you have the 904 on the table and all apart doesnt smart money say replace that stuff too while it is all apart? thanks bob f

wow 1,000$ for a 904 rebuild! I agree with Charlie that's a rip off, I only charge 1200-1400 to rebuild a A518 in a 4wd truck including R&R, I did a 727 in a 2wd truck R&R rebuild for $600 out the door. It only takes an hour out and another in on most of those trannys
by the way there is no need to replace hard parts if they are good,most hard parts last hundreds of thousands of miles

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Nick
86 d150 turbo /6.