Tootie Pang

iTrader: (2)

I've looked online and can't find any reason I should. My instructions from Pro-Built Autos says grinding four "notches" in the outer edge of the steel servo plate is for oil drainage but its optional. I'm not into extra work but there must be something it does.

https://www.700r4l60e.com/store/prod...&cat=84&page=1

Edit: I just spoke with the shop. He said the oil notches won't hurt, they can only help. He said in a few situations, there can be a 3-2 downshift clunk that this helps relieve. They should be shallow but enough to allow fluid to drain past.

Edit: I finished the job yesterday. I did do the drain notches. I have a grinder and a wire wheel so it was easy.

Some take aways:

This is not a hard job but it is quite different for the casual but experienced mechanic. Going slow and using your street smarts will get you through it. It is messy. I hate "fluid" jobs. And cleanliness is important. Blow off the area and clean it first. I would estimate a seasoned but unfamiliar mechanic with decent clearance can do this job in 2-4 hours without hurrying. If you've done one before, 1.5 hours tops.

1. The Corvette servo is shorter so it is easier to install than the stock one is to remove.
2. When starting on getting it out, the cover retaining ring is fairly easy- then use channel locks on the cover "nub" to rotate and break free the cover. The cover is spring loaded so it will pop outwards but then stop. Then the blue-ish o-ring will now be exposed. Get a hook/pliers under it and pull it out a bit. Then cut it and grab one end with a needle nose and pull it out (The cover will spin like a pulley). Works like a charm.
3. I needed to remove the transmission cross support, let the trans hang, and still pry (hard) the transmission sideways with a 24" 2x4 piece of wood, to clear the trans tunnel to get the servo out.
4. When assembling the servo on the bench MAKE SURE the o-rings are NOT TWISTED. They are not round, they have a FLAT side that is supposed to go "down" in the slots. It took me a good while with a bright light and squinting to feel confident I did not have any twists in any of them. Lube them with trans oil and try to work it underneath too.
5. When reassembling, apply trans fluid on the metal slip fits and seals/o-rings etc.
5a. My original setup did not have the "gold shim" under the cover shown in the diagram that was provided. I noticed the Camaro Service Manual did not show one either. So I ignored it.
5b. I did grind the oil drain notches in the steel spring retaining plate. They should be ground down enough to clear the retaining ring but not so far as to get into the curved part of the plate. Use a wire wheel/brush to remove any burrs.
6. Clean out and line the servo housing with a good coat of vaseline. This makes installation much easier.
7. Make sure the spring that sits deep in the housing is around its seat at the very bottom. I was able to put the spring in first and then carefully insert the servo assembly through it, into the transmission.
8. The assembly fit is very precise. Once you have it lubed up and lined up, it will "drop in" with very little effort. DO NOT PRESS HARD. It will be "springy" and move smoothly when in correctly.
9. Clean and lube up the cover slot and new blue o-ring with vaseline.
10. Press it in by hand and then I used a wood shim and a socket of the right length, wedged against the tunnel to press and nicely hold the servo cover in far enough to get the snap ring in. It will "snap" when it is seated properly. I used a small allen wrench (with the 90 deg bend) to press around and make sure the ring was seated all around before I removed the shim and socket.
11. The servo seems to take a little use to fill with fluid and work properly. In my case no more than a five minutes of driving.