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I've notice lately that when I put my truck in reverse it sometimes takes about 5 seconds for it to engage. Thought maybe the linkeage was out of wack but it wasn't so I dropped the pan and found alot a crap in it no metal but probably clutch parts. How hard is it to rebuild a 350 tranny?
the bands might be out of adjustment, like there not catching right away. there like 700 new so a rebuild shouldn't be more than 5 or 600.
The clutch pack is worn and the piston has to travel a long distance before the clutches engage, this is what is causing the slow engage in reverse. It isn't very difficult to put new clutches in a TH350. If you decide to be more thorough and do new bushings and piston seals, it becomes a fairly difficult job. I do suggest you buy a book on the subject and I do suggest you replace the converter support bushing in the front pump, even if you don't replace the others. It's a fairly easy one to change and is usually the first to go.
As for the bands, there is only one band in a 350 and it provides engine braking when in the 2nd gear detent. It serves no other function.
Cost wise, I just rebuilt my transmission. It cost $270 for a Huges rebuild kit with bushings, $24 for oil, $60 for a mess of parts on ebay that had a front planetary that turned out to be bad as well, $25 for a front planetary set, and $140 for a Hughes Tow Master converter.
Aint worth doin yourself. And if it does quit working after a rebuild they get do do it over for you.
Well I thank you all for the advice and since I've never rebuilt one before and want to learn how to do it right, I'm going to do it myself. Probably put it into drive and it will go into reverse. Did that once on a 3 speed tranny from a 41 ford. Broke the teeth off on second gear and thought I had replaced everything ok until I found reverse was where 2nd was suspose to be and just the opposite for 2nd.:o
Get the $270 Hughes kit from Summit. It has everything you need for a standard rebuild, including bushings. I used a chisel to remove the old bushings as per the instructions in the book I bought. They recommended a cape chisel http://www.stanleyproto.com/default....3B+Cape+Chisel which I used for a few of the smaller bushings, but this kind seemed to work best for the big ones: http://www.stanleyproto.com/default....d+Point+Chisel
Probably not what your problem was, but FYI a 350 that's a bit low on fluid will hesitate to engage Rewind. Saves a lot of time reading dipsticks, just hit "R" and see how quick it hits!