727 TCI Streetfighter question

[aussiewannabee69]

Hi have a 727 street fighter that’s out of my 69 Coronet with a 440 6 pack. I have a owned the car for about 5 years but have never driven it. I recently pulled the sump pan and have found a few small metal fragments and a fair bit of black sludge. I imagine the black sludge is the clutch packs.
From the pictures is it worth rebuilding just due to that? I think I will anyway just because I don’t want to have to pull it out at a later date. Just want to know if the are the same to tear down as a standard 727 or do TCI differ in anyway. I see quite a bit of info on 727s online but didn’t see anything specific on TCI.
Is there anything to watch out for when rebuilding? Or anything in particular I should do?

 

[zyzzyx]

Yes, it needs to come apart and all of the parts checked. The transmission probably has worn clutches and plates,
and they need to be replaced and the clearances brought back to spec's. The torque convertor also needs to be
flushed out and cleaned. There is no big difference between a TCI transmission and a stock 727. Just a few parts
and the modifications to the valve body. If you are not farmiliar with doing this work, have someone with experience
go through it for you. You have a nice unit there, so don't experiment!

 

[justcruisin]

Overhaul on a 727 ain't that hard, with some reading and good advice along the way it is within the reach of most. It is a good idea to have some info regardless, I would advise Carl munroe's book on the 727 and the FSM.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

Time for freshening. Youtube is also a good resource. 727s are not hard to work on. They are usually easier to freshen before something fails.

 

[aussiewannabee69]

Yes, it needs to come apart and all of the parts checked. The transmission probably has worn clutches and plates,
and they need to be replaced and the clearances brought back to spec's. The torque convertor also needs to be
flushed out and cleaned. There is no big difference between a TCI transmission and a stock 727. Just a few parts
and the modifications to the valve body. If you are not farmiliar with doing this work, have someone with experience
go through it for you. You have a nice unit there, so don't experiment!

Ok no worries. I am comfortable at doing repairs like this. I’m a diesel mechanic by trade but the machines I work on aren’t nearly as cool as these haha.

 

[aussiewannabee69]

Overhaul on a 727 ain't that hard, with some reading and good advice along the way it is within the reach of most. It is a good idea to have some info regardless, I would advise Carl munroe's book on the 727 and the FSM.

Ok no worries I will grab that book. I’d rather have a book handy then having to get on the net to look at videos.

 

[dvw]

Don't know that what I see in the pic means it needs a freshening. However its 15 minutes to pop it apart and look.
Doug

 

[66Satellite47]

I have no idea what TCI put in those 727's. I'd pull it apart and take a look. 727's are very easy to work on. I'm not a pro, but I've been building them for nearly 50 years. That could be torque convertor material. It needs a close look and check the convertor. If you drain all the fluid out of the convertor, then shake it hard, and it sounds like marbles, the convertor is broken.
You need look deep.

 

[zyzzyx]

Get the book that was mentioned earlier and read it through and try to understand what you're reading
as you take everything apart. The trickiest thing you'll have is setting the clutch clearances and the end
play. There are selective thrust washers you can buy for a few bucks to get the numbers right. Clean,
clean, clean!

 

[aussiewannabee69]

I have started stripping it down before work this morning from watching an old you tube video.
Found more clutch pack material and some small metal shavings.
also in the video it says there is a spring under the valve body under a cap but in mine there was no spring just a shaft. I have attached pictures of the tear down so far and where the spring is meant to be. I’ve ordered that book so maybe that might tell me.

 

[zyzzyx]

That rod is a mod to block the accumulator, which you are holding in your last picture. Put it back in just the way you found it.
With all of the chips, you may have to replace the convertor. It may not be able to be cleaned. Take lots of pictures!

 

[aussiewannabee69]

That rod is a mod to block the accumulator, which you are holding in your last picture. Put it back in just the way you found it.
With all of the chips, you may have to replace the convertor. It may not be able to be cleaned. Take lots of pictures!

Ah ok no worries. Yeah I’ve taken and will continue to photo and document what I remove.
Is there a definitive way to determine whether a Converter is toast.

 

[aussiewannabee69]

Anyone know what converter it is?

 

[aussiewannabee69]

I just found this on another forum. Is there any truth to this? Is it better to have the spring in? this is only a street driven car FYI

 

[zyzzyx]

How's about a bigger finer pic? Can't read it!

 

[zyzzyx]

Here are some pic's of mine.

 

[zyzzyx]

Notice the selective thrust washers in pic #2 and #4. These are used to set your end play as in the first pic.

 

[dvw]

Don't get all wound up on endplay. Unless it's excessive it's not that big a deal. Thrust washers seldom wear more than a few thousandths. By the looks of the metal it's aluminum. Not all that uncommon. Convertor stator is most likely aluminum and has some wear. Could also be from the rollers against the case in the low roller clutch. I've had about 30 727's apart in the last year or so. All race or hot rod stuff. Some were blown up pretty good, but most didn't need much at all. Get it apart before the doomsday reports flow in. Worked on one today with a complaint of whing and metal in the pan. Got it on the bench and gutted. It had rolled the sprag and twisted it in the case. The centrifugal force caused by excessive drum speed popped the high gear clutch snap ring off and deformed it. Fortunately the drum didn't come apart. However even though it had a bolt in sprag the outer race tried to rotate and cracked the case. The sprag parts went everywhere and seized the output shaft in the governor support. New drum, case, governor support, super sprag, high clutch fibers and steels, KD band. You never know what your going to get until you look. Ready for pick up tomorrow.
Doug

 

[Dave6T4]

I have no idea what TCI put in those 727's. I'd pull it apart and take a look. 727's are very easy to work on. I'm not a pro, but I've been building them for nearly 50 years. That could be torque convertor material. It needs a close look and check the convertor. If you drain all the fluid out of the convertor, then shake it hard, and it sounds like marbles, the convertor is broken.
You need look deep.

If there is steel in your oil or pan, it is likely from your torque converter. Any wear surfaces in the trans itself are bronze or aluminum. Some small amount of clutch or band mud is normal. As Doug said, it does not take long to pop it apart and have a look, since trans is already out of car.

 

[aussiewannabee69]

So I done some digging on the part numbers on the TC and it matches a TCI Streetfighter TC. Doesn’t indicate what stall RPM it is. Is there any way to tell if the TC is toast? Or just pull it and give it a shake?