Quote Originally Posted by 58fairlane500 View Post
I just picked up a 63 390 with a cruis-o-matic bolted to it. The tranny in my 58 ford is leaking fluid terribly. I am thinking about putting the trans I just got into it. Is there anything I can do to find out if it is a good tranny before installing it. Sorry if this is a dumb question. I can take one out and put one in but other than that I am tranny illiterate. Anybody have any suggestions?
Pull the pan and see how much sludge is there, the color of it and if there is any sign of metal particles. Any oil should be fairly clear, tho pinkish in color and not smell like burned insulation(drain the torque converter for a sample if the trans is empty otherwise - needs to be done anyhow). If everything is ok, put a new filter in it along with the CORRECT oil, which, I believe is Type F or FA. There are other ATF's that will work, but someone with more experience needs to recommend what (I only use the recommended ATF - Valvoline usually - in my C4 trannys ). Other then taking it apart, not much else can be done - tho a shift kit could be considered if you can find one.