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  • flight-o-matic

    how hard is it to rebuild a flight-o-matic tranny
    Kevin Phillips
    Jacksonville,AR

    53 commander

  • #2
    Just about any qualified tranny-shop can do it. Try to find one that's been in business awhile... not a "franchise" place.
    It should NOT be expensive either.(I get mine rebuilt @$350 including converter...**note- I take mine to their shop already cleaned/degreased with a pressure washer)
    The rebuild kit is NOT rare or unobtainable... That transmission was used for YEARS... in Fords, AMC's, etc... so the Kit is readily available and cheap (under $100).


    The biggest problem is if the front-drum is worn beyond re-use. On mine, it's been about a 50% chance that the drum will need replaced.

    Ray


    Specializing in Studebaker Restoration
    Ray

    www.raylinrestoration.com
    Specializing in Studebaker Restoration

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    • #3
      I've rebuilt several of them, plus many more that were similar. IT's a little tricky removing the servos from the bottom. You have to loosen and remove them as a unit and see how the tubes are connected. And reinstalling all of the bottom components is very frustrating the first time. Use a lot of grease to hold servo to band linkage in place and even some wire sometimes. The rest is just everything going out the back instead of the conventional front loading automatics. You will need to find different size cylindrical components to compress the return springs to remove the piston from the drum. The forward clutch drum is a little easier. Have a large work area, take pictures and keep everything in order.

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      • #4
        To get a better idea if you don't have a shop manual with the flightomatic section in it get one !! Look it over carefully see if not too large a challenge first. The manuals will show you spring.valve orientation in the valve body too. Hint take manual down to copy center, copy off needed pages,will keep greasy fingerprints off your good copy. Stude vendors or Faxon Literature- they're on E Bay [$ 60.00] should have what you need. Lou Cote [8D]

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        • #5
          I wouldn't start taking valve bodies apart. They're usually not the culprit anyway. Not in those old trannys. The newer aluminum overdrive valve bodies are a different story. One of the most common mistakes the novice makes is failure to replace worn hard parts, and only installing kit components. You must check every bushing, bearing, thrust washer, and their adjoining surfaces. Also check surfaces that come into contact with sealing rings. Spinning rings can do severe damage, and wobbling drums can self destruct.

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          • #6
            Not taking valve bodys apart has bitten moe than one rebuilder specially if there has been a major part failure - that screen only filters out so much. If the unit is working correctly but has only hard o rings and lip seals you might get away with it. But it won't tell you if you had a broken valve body spring. Happy Holidays Lou Cote

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            • #7
              The chances of the valve body being contaminated are about one in a hundred. The chances of the thing flying apart and being assembled incorrectly is about 10 in a hundred. Making a bigger job out of this than necessary will only discourage would be do-it-yourselfers. Bottom line: the valve body is easily accessible anyway, and where are you going to get one spring? I've rebuilt probably three thousand transmissions, and very very seldom came across a broken or even weak spring. Probably have to replace the whole thing anyway at that point, especially if it is contaminated with steel filings. The steel particles damage an aluminum valve body by causing minute scratches in the aluminum bores, raising the metal on both sides of the scratch, actually making the bore smaller. That's what sticks the valve. You got a big job ahead of you as it is, with lots of learning. so keep it simple, studebakerer.

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