To Rebuild or not to Rebuild TH400

[K45]

I know if I get an m1009. I am going to put a 700r4 behind it and put my 1 tons that are geared 4:10 with 37" tires. it should make for a nice set up.

It really depends on what you are wanting from this vehicle. Keep it at its curent height run it then keep the 400 but if you are going to lift it bigger tires and different gearing in the axle then 700r4 is an option.

 

[jj]

I paid $954 cash in apr or may 2006 to rebuild a 400 in a two wheel one ton. A local independent rebuilder. The truck is a 350 gasser, but he put a NEW diesel torque convertor, along with all of his "tricks". Stuff he does to make them durable. I pulled it out and re-installed it myself. Cold, hard concrete driveway. Works good.

 

[Bobert]

It looks like I will attempt to do it myself. I don't have big plans on lifting it or big tire right now. So it should be fine.

Now I'm trying to figure out what I need. Would you guys reccomend a new torque converter? I see somekits have clutches and steels some don't have steels.

Also Do i need to do the servos? any advice on what you need in a kit to rebuild a th400?

 

[corelokt]

Yes, stay clear of the 700R4. Not that their bad tranny's, but if the throttle capbe is installed at all wrong you have a fried trans. The OD gearing with M1009 gearing is way off, and everything that bolts to it is wrong in the 400 set-up, so you need to replace tailshaft or driveshaft, transfercase, and maybe the mounting bracket.

 

[jag7720]

This is an older thread but something I have been considering... my truck only has 30k but having sat most of its life I'd like to rebuild everything in the tranny so I know its current state...

Plus when I changed the fluid last week the old fluid had a slight gold flake in it and was almost cloudy... hard to describe.

I have never rebuilt a tranny but I would like to try and learn...

So, does anyone in the KC area have a th400 builder (cheap) so i can rebuild and still drive... and when asking for a "rebuild kit" are there different levels? I'd like to replace everything that I can.

thanks

 

[mangus580]

Yes, stay clear of the 700R4. Not that their bad tranny's, but if the throttle capbe is installed at all wrong you have a fried trans. The OD gearing with M1009 gearing is way off, and everything that bolts to it is wrong in the 400 set-up, so you need to replace tailshaft or driveshaft, transfercase, and maybe the mounting bracket.

Yes... do stay away. It will NEVER work in a 1009.....

The throttle cable has NOTHING to do with the tranny. Maybe the Throttle Valve cable... which controls valving in the transmission. Its not very hard at all to setup.

As for the gearing in a 1009 is 'fine' according to GM. All the stock Civvy Blazers with the 6.2 had the 700R4 with the 3.08 gears.

As for bolt in accessories... The transmission will bolt right up, with a change of the flex plate, and transfercase pedastal/input shaft. Driveshafts are all the same.

Its really an easy swap to do.

 

[Bobert]

I ended up taking mine out and having a shop do it for $650. They gave me a different th400 but it works alright.

I wanted to do it myself but it came down to me not knowing what I was doing and I didn't want it to sit in the garage for a long time.

Here are some good pictures and stuff I found on rebuilding it yourself.
TH400 Rebuild - a set on Flickr
http://forums.minnesotamud.com/showthread.php?t=4210

 

[jag7720]

I am feeling that way too but money is tight and I have more time than money.

Yeah, I found that link on some searches... very nice.

 

[twright]

The tranfercase bolt up to the 700R and the 400 are not the same the 700R has only 4 bolts the 400 has 6 and the flang is biger I found this when I sold a M1009 to a buddy that was in the Navy with me his body was rusted out . he pulled the gas engine and trans out of his old civi Blazer did not want the diesel but wanted the 400 would not work. It will work if you use the transfercase and the thansmission out of a civi truck

 

[mangus580]

The transfercase WILL bolt up to the Pedestal... If you read what I said above.

 

[Amtracker]

I thought I'd bring this thread back up instead of starting anew... I put my 1009 in gear one morning this past weekend and it wasn't moving much, so I called up a couple of transmission shops. I brought it into one here in the east end of Richmond and they found some metal shavings in the pan. They want about $1700 for a rebuild including parts and labor, and that comes with a 2 year 24,000 mile warranty.

A Jasper reman transmission would be about $2200-$2300 and come with a 3 year warranty.

I want my truck back, and there's no doubt I want to fix the transmission, but to me these prices seem a little excessive. I don't think it should be costing this much for a transmission that evidently is quite common.

Is there something special about the "military version" of the TH400 that would jack the prices up so much or is this shop just taking advantage of the situation?

 

[jag7720]

OUCH! My guy charged $600 w(with R&R) and I supplied the parts... the rebuild kit is only about $130 with the steel parts

i had another local shop quot $950 (with R&R)

I have seen rebuilt TH400s for sale from $1100 on the net.

 

[jag7720]

I almost bought from these guys

Turbo 400, TH400 Transmission, Remanufactured, 4x4, Heavy Duty, 4WD, - Rebuilt Transmission GM Transmissions Turbo 400, TH400 Heavy Duty - Monster Transmission & Performance | 800-708-0087 | Fast FREE Shipping!

 

[Bobert]

That is very high for a th400. I had 2 rebuilt in the last year. For 650 and 550. I think AAMCO quoted me $1200.

 

[akonitony]

I used to work for an AAMCO shop in Florida many moons ago, and they were the biggest rip-off artists I have seen. I knew I needed to quit when they charged a guy $70 for a trans service on his Honda 4-spd automatic. That equates to about $35 per quart of fluid, and since the only way you would be able to get to the filter in that unit was to pull it out and open the whole thing up, which they did not do, I did not want to be part of that karma - or is it dogma...

 

[danochamp]

Check the junkyards first, the trucks are pretty common. You might even fing one from a civilian truck for less than 400 that works great, since its from a junkyard though i'd still recommend either rebuilding it yourself or draining everything and checking it out.

 

[davo727]

One guy I work with used to work at a transmission shop and he said most of those places run it like its a license to steal.

They might use $200-$400 in parts and 4 hours total and charge $2300. Or they find a easy fix and use $ 0 in parts and still charge $2300.

Hmm maybe I will start a trans shop

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Call your local police force and ask to speak to whoever is in charge of their cruisers. Then ask that person who rebuilds their transmissions. If it's a shop that does everything transmission then they're usually pretty good. Cop cars see a lot of trans abuse so the shops that do their work usually know their stuff.

 

[davo727]

Well maybe that sounds good but I bet anywhere within a hundred miles of where i live calling the cops and trying to chitchat about anything will end up unpleasant for you.

Call your local police force and ask to speak to whoever is in charge of their cruisers. Then ask that person who rebuilds their transmissions. If it's a shop that does everything transmission then they're usually pretty good. Cop cars see a lot of trans abuse so the shops that do their work usually know their stuff.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Ummm...okay.