Chapter 2: Transmission Fundamentals
Clutch Packs
Bands and Servos
Accumulators
Planetary Gears
Roller and Sprag Clutches
Torque Converters
Valve Body
Chapter 3: Transmission Removal
Support the Vehicle
Prep for Removal
Lower the Transmission
Chapter 4: TH350 Disassembly
Oil Pan and Valve Body Removal
Servo Assembly Removal
Support Plate, Separator Plate, Check Balls and Filters Removal
Manual Shaft and Linkage Removal
1-2 Accumulator Removal
Vacuum Modulator and Modulator Valve Removal
Oil Pump Removal
Intermediate Clutch Pack and Intermediate Band Removal
Forward/Direct Clutch Assemblies and Front Planetary Carrier Removal
Governor Removal
Tail Housing and Speedometer Gears Removal
Front Planetary and Sun Gear Assembly Removal
Center Support and Low/Reverse Roller Clutch Assembly Removal
Output Shaft and Low/Reverse Clutch Pack Removal
Low/Reverse Apply Piston Removal
Case Cleaning and Rebuilding Preparation
Chapter 5: TH350 Assembly
Case Bushing Removal and Replacement
Low/Reverse Apply Piston Installation
Output Shaft Front Bushing Removal and Replacement
Component Installation
Forward Clutch Drum Rebuild
Direct Drum Rebuild
Oil Pump Assembly Rebuild
Torque Convertor Bushing Installation
Speedometer Installation
Governor Installation
Accumulator Seals Removal and Replacement
1-2 Accumulator Installation
Intermediate Servo Installation
Manual Shaft Installation
Vacuum Modulator Installation
Valve Body Installation
Chapter 6: Shift Kits and Performance Modifications
Application Types
Custom Mods
TransGo Kits
Shift Kit Installation
Tuning Shift Points
High-Performance Modifications
Chapter 7: Transmission Installation
Troubleshooting Guide
Source Guide
Thank you, once again, to Kris Abrahamson, of Continental Torque Converters, for his knowledge on torque converters, and also to Transtar Industries for their wealth of knowledge on improving shift function and their excellent TH350 1-2 shift kit.
To my friends and family, especially my wife, Deb, for being there for a whopping 35 years as of the time of this writing!
Last, to my longtime friend Ray Klemm: Thanks for always being there and for the countless hours that you contribute to these projects.
Having been a dedicated muscle car enthusiast now for the better part of my adult life, I can say with no exaggeration whatsoever that there are few things more enjoyable that being able to work on your own car or truck and get perfect results from your efforts. To this day, I have never understood why hobbyists farm out many of the components of their cars to others instead of rebuilding them in their own shops or garages. Transmissions, in particular, are at the top of the list for the items that get farmed out. There has always been a mystique about transmissions that makes even the most skilled automotive technicians avoid them like the plague! They also get hit with some pretty hefty bills from not doing them at home.
Similar to most other things associated with this hobby, you can get results that are just as good, or better, and save money by doing it yourself. The key component here is information, followed closely by motivation. This book was designed for the hobbyist.
It was a Saturday afternoon in early fall 1978 in the small garage detached from the house we lived in at that time. Without any outside assistance I had decided to tackle a TH350 transmission rebuild. Not that I really wanted to do it; I would rather have gone hunting or someplace with my friends. I still chuckle every time I lift the valve body off of a transmission, and think back to the six check balls that were rolling across the concrete floor in my garage. I had removed the valve body and turned the unit over to allow the fluid to drain out. At that moment I was really thinking that I should have carried it to a shop, but my income level at that time just didn’t have any room in it for a high-performance muscle car that wasn’t moving because I had fried its transmission.
I managed to find five of the six check balls, and after careful observation could see the “tracks” in the case where they were supposed to be. The story has a good ending; although that particular rebuild took me several weeks, and I wasn’t at all confident that the car was going to move under its own power when I lowered it to the ground for a test drive!
Over three decades and hundreds of units later, I’m armed with quite a bit more knowledge, and a toolbox full of homemade tools dedicated strictly to transmission work. I don’t give a second thought to stripping any automatic