CK5
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'72 K5 - AJ's Gray Matter Build

Good God!...could you put some dirt or a piece of scrap paper on the floor to make us feel better! :doha :thumb:

Good luck on getting everything all fixed up!
 
Good God!...could you put some dirt or a piece of scrap paper on the floor to make us feel better! :doha :thumb:

Good luck on getting everything all fixed up!
no kidding! you can see reflections IN THE FLOOR! my god man! :bow:
 
Good God!...could you put some dirt or a piece of scrap paper on the floor to make us feel better! :doha :thumb:

Good luck on getting everything all fixed up!

no kidding! you can see reflections IN THE FLOOR! my god man! :bow:

Thanks guys. The epoxy coating sure is nice. What's really funny is that I need to mop :dunno:

AJ, what hose separators are you using on the middle of the lines?

They're tclamps by Made For You . Summit has them in a slew of sizes.
 
Finally got the tranny wrapped up and shipped off to @Greg Ducato. I owe him a phone call to talk thru the details since I'm doing a cam swap AND need a higher stall converter.

IMG_2285_zpsshjecnrg.jpg
 
UPDATE 10/23/15 : Transmission 2.0 -> 3.0

Somewhere around post 68, I replaced the TH350 that came with the truck due to a failure. At the recommendation of a mechanic friend who worked where I used to store the K5, I purchased an SS Mega Monster 700R4 from Monster Transmission. It's advertised to handle 650HP. :haha:

Fast forward 6 1/2 years and less than 1500 miles, and the transmission appeared to have lost the 3-4 clutch pack on the K5's maiden voyage road trip. :doah:

I placed a call to our resident transmission expert and he suggested I ship it to him. Plan was to see what was really inside the case, salvage anything worthwhile, replace and rebuild the rest. Upon teardown they found:

- The 1800-2000 stall converter I purchased from Monster, was really a bone stock, off the shelf 1500 stall converter and it only gets worse from there...
- "Looks like a good bit of parts were thrown at a worn out core in my observation"
- It had red clutch plates and Kolene steels, these are regarded as "race parts" in most circles, not very durable for extended street use.
- It had 4 pinion front and rear planets which is ok in my book but 5 pinion units would be more in line with a 650HP build.
- None of the bushings were replaced except the pump body and they were badly worn
- Clearances were way off
- Minimal valve body and pump mods were performed beyond those that just make the trans shift harder.
- Pump was out of alignment and had minimal prep
- Stator was worn on the bushing side
- Reverse drum was warped
- The 2-4 band was only making minimal contact.The 2-4 band was also a race type lining and is not a quality piece
- Input sprag race was badly worn on the contact surfaces (it was installed that way)
- Separator plate had been sanded with some kind of disc grinder and was warped
- The input drum and pistons were stock type
- No drum reinforcement at the shaft spline, stock cast pistons, modification of these items which is critical on a high HP unit in a heavy vehicle
- We also found the pump to have been damaged by some type of grinder used to clean up some pump pocket wear which creates huge internal leaks
- On the case itself, both dowel alignment points in the case are worn and there are a few stripped holes that will require heli coil inserts
With all of that said, I'm surprised the junk made it 1500 miles behind a BBC, much less a :burnout: or two. Monster can $uck it.

Got the call this week that the rebuilt tranny, built to the Phoenix ST spec, was ready to be shipped. Picked up a pallet crate today:

IMG_2303_zpsrrsep399.jpg


Transmission, 2500 stall converter, and the lockup controller. Heck, they even packed the ratchet straps that I used to ship the other one.
IMG_2304_zpsmzafgumv.jpg
 
Bummer about the crap that monster put together but at least you have a well documented, solid build from someone you trust now. Looking forward to seeing it moving again.
 
Nah. Not sure it's worth it after 6 years. Even with Greg's assessment, I'm sure they'd be full of excuses as to why it failed.

Exactly.

You get into a whole pissing match between them and the shop that finds the mistakes. They want to see it FIRST so that they can get a chance to fix it themselves (or coverup their previous mistakes).... Or blame the user for not properly setting up the TV cable!!!

Expensive lesson to be sure, but Dr. Ducato has taken good care of things now! :bow:


-G
 
I had a bad experience with Monster Trans also. Mine crapped out after six months. They told me over the phone they would replace or fix at no charge but wanted me to pay for the shipping there and back (TN to FL and back). Luck had it that I was going on vacation in Florida so I dropped it off in person...no call for a week till I called them and they said they wouldn't warranty it due to a part failing that they don't install. After some nasty phone calls, I went to pick up my "parts" as it was in pieces for their inspection, I threatened a social media backlash and repeated how upset I was after they said they would warranty it over the phone and how they went back on their word. In the end, I got my money back but I don't think I would have if I wasn't there in person. I will never recommend Monster Transmission to anyone and will gladly tell my story to anyone to keep business away from them. ALWAYS go to a local reputable tranny shop, especially one that has 20-30+ years experience. Find that old guy that's been doing tranny rebuilds his whole life.
 
1/2/16 - Getting back to work and a little build gore. I took a break for a couple of months from the truck to do some stuff around the house. But with the holidays done, it was time to hit the garage to tear down and reseal the leaky 241.

Tore it down...actually tore it down almost to bare case to replace all three seals...just forgot to take that pic
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I was a bit more organized this time than the last time I did this. My own garage and workbench made a huge difference. For reference, when I first did the SYE, I was working on a shipping pallet with packing foam holding it "steady".
IMG_3132_zpscs0ibwio.jpg


Tapped a new NPT breather nipple because the old one leaked where it inserted into the case.
IMG_2406_zpsut1fyruu.jpg


When I removed the pump, I stripped a couple of the phillips screws and had to drill them out. Wasn't able to find the correct length at Lowes (8-32 1/2") so I had to cut down a couple. And that's where the fun today started. Managed to catch the thumb webbing on my left hand with the grinder.

IMG_2401_zps5ulompmy.jpg


Would've taken forever to heal there and I could see inside my palm. So, three stitches later
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Hour and half later.....back in the garage to get it all buttoned back up
IMG_2405_zps8o85qd8x.jpg


Check that off the todo list. Fuel line heat shield is next.


For anyone searching for 241 seal #s, including the SYE rear seal (Napa part#s):
Input: NOS 19255
Front output: NOS 18771
SYE Rear output: NOS 18658
 
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That's the spirit! Right back to work. Sounds like you have the same thought process as me. If I think it will heal with it being used...forget the doctor! But you had no choice.

Nice progress!
 
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