Opinions on what to do with an Auto Trans that has been sitting

[m_w]

Looking for options on what to do with an Auto Trans that has been sitting for quite some time. It 'ran when parked,' if that matters. The fluid is still red. The transmission is currently out of the car and sitting on the floor.

I assume at a minimum, a new torque converter, an updated governor, and new seals.

I'm looking for what other people have done, should I ship it off for a full inspection and/or rebuild. What have you done?

[WelmoedJ]

Looking for options on what to do with an Auto Trans that has been sitting for quite some time. It 'ran when parked,' if that matters. The fluid is still red. The transmission is currently out of the car and sitting on the floor.

I assume at a minimum, a new torque converter, an updated governor, and new seals.

I'm looking for what other people have done, should I ship it off for a full inspection and/or rebuild. What have you done?

If it worked before as intended, only service the unit (perhaps cleaning the filter, new gasket).
Why throw good money to something that's doing wha't it is supposed to do?
No torque converter needed, they seldom fail.

If it shifts correctly and doesn't slip, leave it be.
You can however update the governor yourself, provided you know how to and can use a soldering iron.
Parts money is peanuts.

[David T]

Looking for options on what to do with an Auto Trans that has been sitting for quite some time. It 'ran when parked,' if that matters. The fluid is still red. The transmission is currently out of the car and sitting on the floor.

I assume at a minimum, a new torque converter, an updated governor, and new seals.

I'm looking for what other people have done, should I ship it off for a full inspection and/or rebuild. What have you done?

I would replace the convertor seal and put it all back together. Get it running and warmed up and then change the fluid and clean the filter. Do all of the external, on-car adjustments and checks. If it shifts well and there is not much debris in the pan, and you don't have a lot of mileage on it, you should be OK except maybe for the shift computer.

[Ron]

+1

I would at least change all non-internal seals and the filter (you will probably not be able to find one -- search the site to find the cleaning procedure...)

[David T]

+1

I would at least change all non-internal seals and the filter (you will probably not be able to find one -- search the site to find the cleaning procedure...)

The only one you really can't reach is the convertor seal. Just about all of the other external seals you would need to get to can be done with the transmission in the car.

[m_w]

Those reactions surprise me a bit. But maybe that's the right avenue. I suppose if its together and it fails later, I'll know exactly how to take it out. and everything should come apart easier the second time.

[David T]

Those reactions surprise me a bit. But maybe that's the right avenue. I suppose if its together and it fails later, I'll know exactly how to take it out. and everything should come apart easier the second time.

Unless you KNOW the box has a problem or you see a LOT of debris in the pan (including metal) there is no reason to take it all apart. Taking it all apart and reassembly requires the use of some special tools. The auto trans doesn't break or wear out unless you either have a LOT of miles on it or the car was driven with a bad shift computer. If the old fluid doesn't smell burnt or look bad or feel gritty it is probably safe to just put the transmission back in. It does beg the question, "Why was it removed in the first place"! Maybe the car didn't run so good and the transmission IS bad.

[m_w]

Unless you KNOW the box has a problem or you see a LOT of debris in the pan (including metal) there is no reason to take it all apart. Taking it all apart and reassembly requires the use of some special tools. The auto trans doesn't break or wear out unless you either have a LOT of miles on it or the car was driven with a bad shift computer. If the old fluid doesn't smell burnt or look bad or feel gritty it is probably safe to just put the transmission back in. It does beg the question, "Why was it removed in the first place"! Maybe the car didn't run so good and the transmission IS bad.

Its out of the car because it was bolted to an engine that needed rebuilt.

Thanks for the input!