Hi guys, about eight years ago I bought a freshly rebuilt 700R4 for my '88 Trans-Am on this site. Well because of medical issues the trans along with the rest of the car has sat in the garage during that time. My question is, do you guys think I should take it to a trans. shop to be checked out and possibly resealed before I install it? Thanks for any opinions, Ron.

 

Not unless you think something might have happened to it along the way, like, if it was improperly stored, such as where water could get into it.

There's not really any such thing.

 

Being it was stored in the garage. I think it should be ok, at least no worse than it was when you bought it. But if you stored it with the torque converter installed, then you should at-least replace the front seal. The last time I asked a local shop to re-seal a trans, I got the deer-in-the-headlights-look and they did that same job about 10 years earlier on another car of mine. I think it may be hard to find a shop willing to do a re-seal without charging you for a complete re-build. The reason for this I believe is because for both jobs the trans has to be removed. As a minimum, the trans has to be removed to replace the front seal. I think the other seals can be replaced with the trans in the car.

Good Luck,
Fred

 

In general, a transmission shop won't TOUCH a transmission without rebuilding it, because if they do, then ANYTHING that happens afterwards, FOREVER, becomes automatically their fault, according to the customer. They're gonna get their pound of flesh outta ya before taking that on.

Seals don't go bad from sitting around, either before they're installed, or after. Butt hay, if you want to futz around with it for whyever, it's yours, go on ahead. I think you'd be wasting your time and risking making it worse than however it is now butt that's just MO.

 

Seals can go bad from sitting around, depending largely on the quality of the seal and a few other factors. I would put in a new front seal and install the transmission. Anything else that might turn out to be leaking can be replaced pretty easy while in the car if needed.

 

Hi guys, thanks for the opinions. The converter has been off the trans. since I bought it, with the opening sealed up with duct tape. I'll take a close look at the front and rear seals, if they look good I'll probably take a chance and put the trans. in. On the other hand it wouldn't hurt to call a local trans. shop and see if they will change just those two seals. Thanks again, Ron.

 

Some shops have a policy that they will not let you drop off your trans already removed from the car for a re-build or seal replacement. You have to bring the car and let them remove/replace the trans.

Good Luck,
Fred

 

If you are capable of installing the transmission yourself, you are certainly capable of changing the input and output seals yourself. As was previously said, new unused seals don't really go back from sitting, but if you want peace of mind, go ahead and change them. They are relatively cheap and easy to change.

 

A trans shop experienced in working on these transmission could replace the front seals, pump seals & rear seals
I that done on a TH350 during restoration of my 1972 Buick GS.