Well its started. A major undertaking for me, but Im bound and determined to get it done one way or another. I have a spare 4F27E ATX and I have started disassembly of it in order to prep it for a build up to handle more power and hopefully eventually a supercharger. I dont know that it will be done anytime fast because I have been dumping all I can into SyntheticShield, but it will get done.
First order of business for me was just to get inside the thing and see just how difficult all this was going to be and whether or not I just needed to order parts and have someone professionally put them in or if I could do it and save the money to have the tranny installed by a shop.
I removed the pan and have removed the valve body, an easy task actually and my first part will be to replace the valvebody with a performance one for quicker, firmer shifts without needing the shift controller. The only trouble I foresee here is remembering which solenoids have which connectors. You can see what I mean here:
I have taken the two halves of the tranny apart and removed the rear drum cover. The rear drum (second gear, overdrive) is removed as well as the third gear and overdrive drum (input shaft) and the flex plate. I have yet to remove the differential and planetary gears. Its hard to believe how simplistic everything is. I expected it to be a huge complicated thing, and it isnt. The hardest part is going to be getting the differential out to get it thouroughly cleaned. If I were just doing a basic overhaul I would already have it done because all I would need to take out is the rear drum assembly and the input shaft which is where the clutch packs are.
Im going to clean everything up and get it looking new. Once that is done I'm going to see if I can find a deeper pan so I can hold more fluid or put in a spacer so that can be done, paint the pan red or have it anodized or something like that then I will order the performance valve body once I have the funds. Then I'll work on getting the Alto Redlined clutches. After that is all done I'll work on getting the beefed up torque converter and billet input shaft and then hopefully put it all back together and get it installed.
I'll do my best to come back to this thread and keep everything updated on the progress, just dont expect quick updates because Im only going to be able to do this as the funds are available. Im going to try and take pictures of everything tomorrow and post them us so everyone can see what the inside of an ATX looks like. Its extremely interesting to me. Ive been told by many that a MTX is much easier to rebuild than an ATX. If so than I can only imagine the ATX being a piece of cake because so far based on what Ive seen and done so far this doesnt look to be a hugh ordeal. If I had all the money I needed right now Im certain I could get this done in just a couple of days working on it after work. I feel that if I had a full day I could get everything but installation of the whole tranny done, but Im leaving the install of the tranny itself to the people with the tools to do so.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
At this point, no. Everything seems to be in really good shape for the mileage (dont mean anything bad by that, just that ATX's with that mileage tend to show signs of wear). I dont see any indications of overheating on the drum or the band even though the fluid left in the tranny was definately worn out.
Other than that, all is good. If I had the clutch packs and seals I could pop them in right now and put it all back together and have a 4F27E that was in pretty near new condition. But I want it strip ready. I want something that is going to shift very crisply and handle some power. I got some of it cleaned up, but I still need to pull out the planetary gears and clean them up and pull out the other drum.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
damn dude. If you gut and rebuild this ATX, you need to take the ASE test for automagics. Thats one of the hardest certs out there. Most techs who dont get master cert dont get it because of THAT one. you got some big ones man, I think Id have just replaced the valve body and sent the rest off to performance automatics.
Sounds like your learning this thing pretty well. Let me know if you get stuck. I can't say I will have or get an answor but I can ask my cousin (he's the tranny king and did nothing but trannies for about 5 years if not more).
Thank you TXFO for the kind words. To be honest I first started with the valve body and decided if I ran into anything tricky there that was going to be the finish line. But that was easy, so I took off the front half and when I saw the insides and how everything is grouped I stood in awe kinda. I was terrified to go inside the tranny, but I wanted to learn and Im glad I did cause the only difficult part I see in doing now is getting the final drive section separated from where the drive shaft connects. Im going to try and get the planetary gears out this evening and get them cleaned up. Once I get the final drive section out Ill clean that up, the shell and then put those two sections back in. I dont mean to sound condensending, but if I get those two sections out and back in, the rest is quite simply a piece of cake. At least in this particular case the ATX is not as difficults as it has been made out to me over the years. Now I cant speak to a rear wheel drive ATX or a MTX for that matter, but this has certainly given me the inspiration to perhaps dig up a bad one at the junkyard and see what I can do if for nothing else, then for the learning experience.
Believe it or not, before I went into telecommunications, I was about THAT <visualize fingers close togther> close to going and getting my ASE certification. I wanted to take my electronics training and get into the automotive industry. I still do in a VERY MAJOR way. So who knows, if I get the guts one day, maybe I will follow up on that.
FX3, I'll keep your offer in mind, and I appreciate you extending the offer too. I feel confident at this point all will go well, but Im not an expert and it doesnt take but just one small mistake to blow the whole deal.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
Hey, FX3. I may take you up on your help offer. I have two things. First, do you think it would be possible that your cousin has an exploded view of the 4F27E? I dont see it being that hard getting back together, but I sure would feel much better if I had one of those around.
Second, I do have a question. I went out to pull out the planetary gears and I ran into a dilema. It appears that there is a hub that the half shaft sits in connected to the planetary gear set that is pressed on. I did not see any other way to get it off so I want to make sure Im going to half to use a gear puller to get that off. I checked it high and low and I have all the retaining clips off and I have one part of the planetary gear off but I do not see any other way to get that part off. It looks like it is pressed on and would need to be pulled off with a gear puller. Again I just want to be sure. Im about 80% certain that is the case but it doesnt hurt to double check and Id hate to ruin perfectly good progress by doing something stupid.
I can take some pictures if necessary if it will help make it any clearer. Thanks in advance.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
