Finally got my V8 SHO !!!

[kvm101]

Scored from pump, need valve body. And parts in previous pic.

 

[kvm101]

Forward clutch. The dime that the sharpie is pointing to is 1 mm. Spec is 1.02-1.50 mm. So I'm right at minimum clearance. I'd love to take the pressure plate out and have it machined to add a 5th friction clutch and steel plate for more grip. It will probably break once 200psi is applied ? Still may try it. Removing the wave spring causes a clunk on down shift. I thought about it but nah

 

[kvm101]

The taller shaft, driven sprocket has teeth that are close to stripping (you can see a line about halfway down the spline from the top). I always had this like clunk slowly driving off. When I took the case cover off and turned the drive sprocket there it was clunk. A little room before engaging. Ford no longer sells it!

 

[kvm101]

Here's the used valve body, pump shaft and side pan. Thats how the pan looked when drained. Clean but the magnet is full fine metal hidden under the feed tubes. When you loose fluid out the tq seal, constantly adding will give you a clean pan. Next pic trans in the car give me 3 weeks. I hope!!!

 

[warmonger]

must be nice to know how to rebuild a atx! nice work

 

[kvm101]

Nice? more like necessity ! The luxury of toys comes at a cost. For me the cost means wrenching on my own stuff. Worked in collision shops for years, hung around mechanic shops, read my 2/4/2011 post.
Had to find my way through all those builds. With advice from others of course.
Searching this forum alone helped me identify SHO only valve body seperator plate.
You to can do this !
Just get a ATSG ax4n manual, get to know a trans shop by some snap on or mac tools and have a picnic.
Just watch out for the fire ants !

 

[kvm101]

:woo-hooarts are here ! I have to sand 600grit my valve body were the pump vanes go.The lkq driven sprocket came damaged. The piece was fine, the reluctor wheel with the 4 tabs that count off the turbine speed sensor was bent. Probably from UPS. I worked there once. 1000 boxes per hour, you dont care what flies off the belt. One trans shop L/Myles send it back not serviceable, I hoped to take my good one off. Another tranny shop Airport road trans, no problem just straighten it. Followed there advice. Matched it to mine, nice and true. Cant wait to get this thing done. People calling for me to work on there cars. Thats why I was hoping for jan but better now than a blown trans later!!!:hpoop: http://images3a.snapfish.com/232323232fp733;6>nu=3;56>779>253>WSNRCG=33774686<:344nu0mrj

 

[kvm101]

Pump shaft sleeve replaced. Check valves etc... I used the used plate to keep things in tack. once sleeve pressed in I put my valve plate back on unmarred. Filter in valve body clean course one was missing , same for the used valve body. Theres the stator to the left that the T/C rides on $78.00 You can find them as low as 19.00 online but they probably wont have the bearing. http://images3a.snapfish.com/232323232fp7339:>nu=3;56>779>253>WSNRCG=33775;523;344nu0mrj

 

[kvm101]

Checked steel plates for hot spots, kolenes in the intermediates. One shop yeah change them. Friction in the foward, friction and kolenes in the rest. Went to Airport road trans, to them they looked good, but sold me all the friction plates. He said even though I was in spec, if he mic'd the friction they would be thinner.
He told me how to (hot rod) add more friction plates in the foward clutch without removing the wave spring, or machining 2-3mm off my pressure plate.
I'll give details in a pic with the 5 friction in the foward clutch!!!http://images3a.snapfish.com/232323232fp733;6>nu=3;56>779>253>WSNRCG=33775;5242344nu0mrj

 

[1998v8sho]

Nice work!!!
Now I know who to ask for a rebuild when my time comes....lol

 

[kvm101]

Believe it or not, the 98-9 Ax4n have a bigger, beefier oil pump shaft bearing in the valve body. Of course searching the forum seems like the abs affects the trans or its electronically controlledby more than the 96-7 ax4n.
I got to play around for an hour plus with the foward clutch pack. Mesuring checking etc (time)
I got 5 1/2 frictions in. You have to remove oneside of the friction to give you a steel to lay on top of a friction. You still need clearance or you'll burn the unit up.
I ran out of time , as well as needed a tranny shop who has an assortment of steel plates at differant thicknesses. But I used the intermedite pressure plate in the foward and got good clearance with 5 1/2 friction 3 steel. You loose one (steel) to add the custom friction that has only friction on the top side and steel on the bottom. I was thrilled with the set up. I can just imagine the grab once pressure is applied ! I couldnt get good clearance naturally trying to add to the intermediate.
The car is way over due to be on the road. But I'm defenitly getting a comparable Ax4n and building it. Of course thats after I start my Cowl induction hood that V8 has to cool better than up against the firewall.

 

[kvm101]

Here's my ax4n 2 bolt valve body repaired with parts form the ax4n 3bolt valve body. This is the underside with the check balls. I pressed in the new pump sleeve. There's the stator that the torque converter rides on I forgot in earlier pic. Notice the white cone shaped filter standing up on the valve body. Theres supposed to be two. Even the LKQ valve body only had one filter, both were free of metal partcles.http://images3a.snapfish.com/232323232fp7339:>nu=3;56>779>253>WSNRCG=33775;523;344nu0mrj

 

[lowc]

how much hp/tq are you hopeing this "new" rerbuild will hold up to? I ask because you sound like you are going out of your way to get things tighter and way above spec to get some life out of an atx. also sounds like you have done a lot of checking into different combos and ways to improve just for a stock trans rebuild. me thinkin you got something up your sleeve your not shearing

 

[kvm101]

Nothing fancy, jsut a guy that been around cars to much, more like to long. My Dad had a P/T mechanic business growing up, tow truck, but he never wrenched much.
I worked in Collision for years, estimater, now field inventory rep. 1000 cars every other week. To bad I cant test drive some of them !!! Mainly the Pont GTO's, and G8's, and a few BMW's X5's and Alpines, X6 rare
Its possible if you search the threads to add more friction and steel. You dont want to take the wave spring out of foward it bangs hard when put in gear. I googled wave spring and came acroos a guy with a 96 S/C thunderbird. 5 frictions instead of 4 but slams into gear through the driveshft, to the rear. He pulled it out and put the spring back in, lost the added grab though.
If you machine the pressure plates 1mm -2mm not to thin) and add custom frictions, I'll post tonight pics, it should work!!!
Remember speed comes at a cost, or something breaking.:hdance:

 

[kvm101]

Here's what started the leak at the T/C . The pump shaft on the left in the pic has a section missing looking from the top at the splines down about an inch. You can also see the wobble ate one of the pump seals. The lkq shaft on the left has the material thats missing on the bad pump shaft.
Below the shafts is the foward friction and intermediate. If you look close, rather than both sides with friction,clean oneside so it acts as a steel. The friction is laid on top of a friction so the steel side acts as a plate. Then the steel plate goes on top. Now you have 3 frictions between steel plates. As I mentioned I only got 3 in making a total of 5 1/2 total in the foward clutch. I had to remove one steel plate totalling 3 and use the intermediate pressure plate which is thinner then the foward. I ran out of time and I didnt do the math but I'm sure I'm over budget.
You still have too make sure you have clearance. Custom pressure plates ?
I had one machined awhile ago and the shop said it smoke like crazy. he felt for my 93 SHO atx, that had the upgraded triple clutch pac was powder metal ?http://images3a.snapfish.com/232323232fp733;6>nu=3;56>779>253>WSNRCG=3377983658344nu0mrj

 

[kvm101]

Pretty much back together. Just a little over due to get this in. Besides the left ball joint is shot. So thats got to be addressed. I damaged the cv boot on the right side hammering at the control arm to release the ball joint (oops) So even when I get the trans back in I have a few loose ends to wrap up. Lets just hope I didnt tweak a seal in the trans. ie the foward clutch snapped back onto the intermediate. The driven socket support being lowered back into the sun shell etc. Theres ways to check with air gun but hopefully I should be okay.
If not its wil be alooong Summer!!!http://images2.snapfish.com/232323232fp538::>nu=3;56>779>253>WSNRCG=337798365;344nu0mrj

 

[kvm101]

So far things that went wrong, purchased frictions that I didnt need because everything was in spec. Yet the cost 83.00 plus tx and advice on modifying frictions was well worth it. I found out that the 38 teeth driven sprocket is hard to get. Ordered one from S&K muscle shoal Alabama. 38 teeth the right width but it would not fully allow the chain to wrap around it.
I zipped bagged every part and marked it for the trans so it went back together smoothly. I'm not sure what I was thinking about removing the trans from the car. I'm looking at bolts in bags not marked. Probably in a rush to get it out!!
It's ready to go back in so stay tuned. Work week though so early morning or late night.

 

[warmonger]

would've been an ideal time to do the duratec fdr upgrade!

 

[kvm101]

Do you mean welding the differential ?
Listen there's alot I wanted to do. Needs verses wants. I defenitly want to get pressure plates machined to add the custom, modified frictions.
The trans shop, guy that likes to tinker told me it's a combo of extra clutches and tweaking the valve body.
To do it right I hope, and that's a big hope to get a 2nd unit to take my time on. I got people calling me to work on there cars now so times up.

 

[warmonger]

no. the duratec has a higher(numerically) final drive ratio. makes for better acceleration in the sho