HottestZ28

Ok here is the deal. My father in law gave me and my wife a 350 nicely rebuilt and vertually zero miles complete and a Th350 trans. I know about everthing about the engine from tearing it down. It should make atleast 320 to the wheels. Now to the question- he knows nothing about the trans other then it was bolted to the engine when he bought a nova roller. I am very tight right now and on the final turn of the swap i am doing. What should I do about the trans, anything I can see to tell me it's bad or what. keep in mind a out of the car stock rebuild here costs over $1000. I am a mechanic and hear they really are not bad to rebuild but should i just throw her in and see if she is good. I was planning only spending money on a pan and a converter to get it tight before I was told he "f-in law" knew nothing about it.

Pat Hall

iTrader: (31)

Yeah, if I was in your position, I'd just put it in and see what it does. A new converter, preferably an aftermarket one with a higher stall speed than stock, and a fresh filter wouldn't hurt. If you do have to rebuild it, the TH350's are pretty straightforward to rebuild, provided you have adequate mechanical skills. A buddy of mine had never rebuilt one before, and he managed to do it successfully. He had to borrow a couple of special tools from a local trans shop, but that's about it. He just took his time and paid close attention, and it came out just fine. If you do end up having to rebuild it, make sure to get the ATSG manual for a TH350. That book will tell you everything you need to know for doing it properly. You can grab that book off ebay for about $15.

Twilightoptics

Good trans but would suck right now with the gas crunch. Used to have one. Opted for the 6 speed manual to replace it. If it's the 9" tailshaft you wont have to change your driveline length. You need a $100 kit from B&M to mount the torque arm. Make sure you have a smaller style torque converter or you'll need a 168 tooth flexplate to bolt it. Which means different starter.

Can't really tell it's bad until you drive it. Unless the fluid that might still be in it is the typical burnt darkness. Then you know it's bad.