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Do automatic trans go bad while not in use?

RingMaster4x4

RingMaster4x4

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How well do auto Transmissions last when not in use?

I am thinking about buying a 700R4 that is rebuild with the corvette upgrades for what I think is a killer price(500) but the only thing that I think might be a problem is the fact it may not go in to use for up to a year from now.

So do automatic trans go bad. like do the clutch get old and fall apart or loose thier ability to hold? Is there a correct way to store them?

Thanks for any help
 
They can if you ask me!

I have seen more than a few cars with perfectly operating tranny's go to the junkyard for other reasons,and the cars sit for 6 months or more before someone calls looking for one,then they buy it and install it and it has no "drive",or it has no reverse or shifts improperly or slips!!--I dont think the clutches go bad from sitting,its usually water from condensation that causes the tight fitting valves in the valve body to get rusty and pitted,among other things...and the rubber seals on the clutch pistons can get brittle with age and crack,all it takes is one "lip" seal to crack and presto,no reverse,or one of the forward gears wont work..I think its a crap shoot using a tranny thats been sitting idle a long time--as for trying to preserve one,all most places do is fill it to the top with fresh ATF and store in a place where it wont "sweat" and get water in the oil..not much else you can do..:crazy:
 
the key is fresh atf and a dry place. Although mine sat dry for a good 7 months it was at a tranny shop getting worked on then got stored.... i don't think they would do that if it would go bad. My bro got his license suspended for a year and didn't touch his jim with a 700r4 for the whole year and it drove fine after. I just put mine back in the blaze after it sat for a year while i had my license suspended and it shifts into drive ok. I haven't got it on the road to let if shift but it seems to be in the same condition it was before execpt with a new servo. My tranny has the corvette shift kit and servo and the higher valve pressure(not sure if that affects storage) also.

starting to get me worried........
 
My car has been sitting in a neighbors garage for about 2 years. Rebuilt the 2004R in it, and pushed it into the garage. 3 months ago my dad calls and says the transmission has dumped fluid all over the floor. Sure enough, it has. Haven't checked why yet, but that shouldn't happen, it wasn't started, and hasn't been moved. Which really isn't good for seals and stuff, but still.
 
I talked to Jet trannies about this because I was looking at a th400 that was sitting for about a year but was never installed or had fluid in it. Anyways the guy at Jet said that they are better off being stored without fluid, he said the only thing is the balls in the valve body might be a little stuck from sitting. He seemed pretty knowledgeable about their transmissions and although this is a th400 I dont see why they would be that different from a 700R4. I would have thought too that a tranny would be better off with some fresh fluid in it to keep the seals and what not soft but he said thats the way that they store them at their shop, even when they know they are going to be sitting a while. He mentioned some other reasons why it was better without fluid but my short term memory has the best of me right now.
 
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