Hey folks, I got a weird one here. Just wanna see if anybody’s ever come across this.
Last year I had reached out for some help and I just wanted to say thanks to everybody that chimed in and offered me their opinions and their help on my first transmission rebuild. This first unit went into a vehicle of my own and is just perfect. I have since been building transmissions and have about a dozen under my belt and it’s been a lot of fun and I’ve been able to help out a lot of friends. I am a Red Seal (Canada) automotive technician by day, but digging that deep into transmissions is not something I’m doing on the regular so I do it at home in my own workshop.
I am currently wrapping up a 4L60E at home, I would say at this point in my transmission building career, I am the most familiar with this particular transmission. Pretty basic rebuild everything was pretty textbook. I installed a Transtar used (but machined) reverse input drum that looked fantastic as good as new, mirror finish and a new BW HE standard width band. I put a Corvette servo in it and before anybody asks yes I have triple checked that my servo is assembled correctly. This vehicle had a stock two ring pin, although I have always been using the Sonnax extra long pins and grinding to size as I am not a fan of just defaulting to the transgo shims…it works, but I prefer to size the pin myself using the Sonnax part. I usually shoot for 0.040-0.050” on the band as I find it works very well for my 1-2 and 3-2 shifts in combination with how I am setting up the rest of trans.
What I have found is that with the stock 2 ring pin I have a wild 0.220” of clearance!! This transmission that I took apart did have an SK kit in it with a shim in the servo, so first I said to myself OK did somebody put a shim in here and grind the factory pin so I confirmed and the pin was indeed the correct length. I inspected the band anchor pin and the band installation and I have no concerns there that seems OK. I then for fun without even machining it yet put the Sonnax extra long pin in. 0.120” of clearance!! Which makes sense seeing as that I find they’re typically 0.100” longer than a stock 2 ring.
What do you guys think?? Seeing as that the band anchor seems OK and it’s a brand new band and a good/machined reverse input drum. I’m a little confused. Has anybody ever had an issue with reman drums that have been machined having excessive clearance as that is where my head is currently at???
I had thought OK do I use a TransGo Shim(s) in combination with the Sonnax Pin to achieve my clearance, but something just doesn’t seem right about this. I’ve seen up to 0.150” on a worn unit but 0.220” with new parts seems wild to me?
Thanks in advance and happy building!!!
@clinebarger
Last year I had reached out for some help and I just wanted to say thanks to everybody that chimed in and offered me their opinions and their help on my first transmission rebuild. This first unit went into a vehicle of my own and is just perfect. I have since been building transmissions and have about a dozen under my belt and it’s been a lot of fun and I’ve been able to help out a lot of friends. I am a Red Seal (Canada) automotive technician by day, but digging that deep into transmissions is not something I’m doing on the regular so I do it at home in my own workshop.
I am currently wrapping up a 4L60E at home, I would say at this point in my transmission building career, I am the most familiar with this particular transmission. Pretty basic rebuild everything was pretty textbook. I installed a Transtar used (but machined) reverse input drum that looked fantastic as good as new, mirror finish and a new BW HE standard width band. I put a Corvette servo in it and before anybody asks yes I have triple checked that my servo is assembled correctly. This vehicle had a stock two ring pin, although I have always been using the Sonnax extra long pins and grinding to size as I am not a fan of just defaulting to the transgo shims…it works, but I prefer to size the pin myself using the Sonnax part. I usually shoot for 0.040-0.050” on the band as I find it works very well for my 1-2 and 3-2 shifts in combination with how I am setting up the rest of trans.
What I have found is that with the stock 2 ring pin I have a wild 0.220” of clearance!! This transmission that I took apart did have an SK kit in it with a shim in the servo, so first I said to myself OK did somebody put a shim in here and grind the factory pin so I confirmed and the pin was indeed the correct length. I inspected the band anchor pin and the band installation and I have no concerns there that seems OK. I then for fun without even machining it yet put the Sonnax extra long pin in. 0.120” of clearance!! Which makes sense seeing as that I find they’re typically 0.100” longer than a stock 2 ring.
What do you guys think?? Seeing as that the band anchor seems OK and it’s a brand new band and a good/machined reverse input drum. I’m a little confused. Has anybody ever had an issue with reman drums that have been machined having excessive clearance as that is where my head is currently at???
I had thought OK do I use a TransGo Shim(s) in combination with the Sonnax Pin to achieve my clearance, but something just doesn’t seem right about this. I’ve seen up to 0.150” on a worn unit but 0.220” with new parts seems wild to me?
Thanks in advance and happy building!!!
@clinebarger
