I went underneith to look at the ID plate to find out what year my trans was, but the ID plate is blank! what does that mean!?
I cleaned up the nameplate with solvent and didn't find any numbers or letters..

what other ways are there to determine what year my trans is?
I want to order a higher stall TC, so I need to know the year.

 

Without the trans ID number it will be just about impossible to determine the exact year. Some units came with a stick-on or painted aluminum placard that usually peels off and therfore becomes blank.
I found this web page with the location for a stamped ID.

http://www.netgearhead.com/700r4.asp#Identity

If you looked for this ID as described on that page and found nothing, then all you can do is determine a year range.
1982 to early 1987 used a non auxilary valve body transmission. Late 1987 to 1992 used the auxilary valve body.
Units with the auxilary valve body have a 30 spline input shaft and the non-aux units had 28 spline input shafts.
You would need to drop the pan to determine which you had. The Aux valve body is located to the rear of the main valvebody and has a long tube connecting it to the front pump.
Hope this helps a little for your TC ordering.

 

Thanks for the link.

Well I took off the pan and I'm pretty sure it's between 84 1/2- 87

I peiced it together using my shift kit instructions which shows variations between years.

So if I get a 28 spline TC for any year 84- 87 I should be good to go?

:lala:

 

Actually I made a minor error in the spline count. Instead of 28 it would be 27. I had a short memory lapse, sorry.
But anyway I think it would a safe call to make.

 

I'm 99% sure that's incorrect about the spline count. I believe spline count was increased in 1985. 'Course, if you see a trans with an aux valvebody, yeah, it'll have the higher spline count, but I think it started as early as '85.

I could've sworn there was a year stamped on the torque convertor...?

 

You may be correct. There were several changes between 85 and 87. And... if one wanted to gamble with the greater likelyhood of which type he had installed. I would go for the 28 spline.
The car is a 1982, and it has no Aux VB = 28 spline
If I were to research it more it would have to wait till tomorrow.
Of course there is a possibility that it may have been replaced at some time with a later design. The really best way without the trans ID numbers is to pull the unit.
I don't recall seeing any dates on torque coverters. (but I have not seen "every" TC either) There are ID codes labeled towards the center of the TC. One might possibly derive a date from the codes with the right referance. But to see them I believe you must remove it from the transmission.

 

Look for a circle stamped in the exterior of the case (1 centimeter diameter aprox.) near of the plate (probably with a lot of black grease, oil, dirt, etc. etc.). This circle has a central number (the year) and 12 small numbers in circular position (the month). Here you have the manufacture date for the case (and the complete transmission, I think).

Good luck.

Denis V.

 

I did some phoning around and found out that the car the trans came out of is a 1985. So I guess I will just have to run with that.
I'll check for that small circle on the casing also to verify.

but that makes sense with what my shift kit literature was saying also. According to that I should have something in the range from 84-87

the local trans shop guy says they switched to 30 spline in 84.

thx for the help

stupid nameplate bs!!