bench testing a tranny.

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leadtrombone
I finally get the smurf thing
Posts: 172
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 2:36 am

bench testing a tranny.

Post by leadtrombone »

I know there is only so much you can check without running it on the road in the car (or on a dyno)

But i am curious as to what test's and/or method you would recommend for bench testing a transmission. And what to check for before putting in and driving.


Reason being.... I have found a used 4l60e from jimmy. The car was wrecked. Front end smashed in. I can get this tranny for 60$. I think I will swap it in and then rebuild my current tranny slowly (maybe with a few upgrades)..

I just want to make sure that i do as much checking on the bench before putting in and driving. My hope is that it is in good enough shape to go for a while.

Any advice on what to do would be appreciated.
1999 Safari SLE. Stock. Proud owner since May 2010. So far I love it..

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P1050479 by leadtrombone, on Flickr

The old cars - my progression to here (most recent first)

1996 Honda Passport
1988 BMW 320i touring
1989 BMW 520
2005 Chrysler Sebring Convertible
2002 Dodge 1500 Quad Cab
1989 BMW 320i
1990 Toyota Tercel EZ
1991 Mitshubishi Mirage
1970 Mercedes Benz 250 Saloon

kc5gxl
I get chills without my van.
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 6:40 pm
Location: Orange Texas

Re: bench testing a tranny.

Post by kc5gxl »

leadtrombone wrote:I know there is only so much you can check without running it on the road in the car (or on a dyno)

But i am curious as to what test's and/or method you would recommend for bench testing a transmission. And what to check for before putting in and driving.


Reason being.... I have found a used 4l60e from jimmy. The car was wrecked. Front end smashed in. I can get this tranny for 60$. I think I will swap it in and then rebuild my current tranny slowly (maybe with a few upgrades)..

I just want to make sure that i do as much checking on the bench before putting in and driving. My hope is that it is in good enough shape to go for a while.

Any advice on what to do would be appreciated.
Howdy;

Most you can really do is air check the clutch/band apply circuits to see if they work. You should also check the fluid color/smell/condition to see if anything inside is falling apart...such as clutch or bearing/bushing material etc. You should also check the length of the tranny. I would do that before I bought it. They come in different lengths to fit different models and years.

You also need to be sure the trans are from similar years. Some have more wiring than others.

Good luck,

Dan Harriman 91 Safari Shorty V8 R.I.P.
Orange Texas
If at first you don't succeed, maybe you shouldn't try sky diving!
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