904 Transmission Valve Body Romoval

[bambam]

Due to some strange happenings in my transmission (sometimes slipping in 3rd and sometimes not going into Rev.) I want inspect my valve body.

My question is can I remove the valve body with the transmission still mounted in the car (1970 Challenger 318 plane jane) or should I pull the transmission, turn it upside down, then remove the valve body?

Thanks for your suggestions.

Chris

[mopars1]

You need to take the shift and kickdown levers off the valve body post that sticks through the case on the driver's side where your linkage hooks up to the valve body. Remove the filter and then remove the ten bolts that hold the valve body to the case. There is the park rod that goes into the extension housing. You need to turn the drive shaft while pulling on the valve body until you get to a park notch so the park paul will move into the park position and then you can remove the valve body. I doubt your problem is in the valve body but it might be good to check first anyway. The front clutch pack is used for third and reverse so you might have a lot of wear in the clutch pack or the apply piston seal is worn. If you have a lot of clutch material in the pan when you remove it you might as well remove the trans completely.

[John Kunkel]

From the symptoms described, there's no need to check the valve body, the front clutch is failing. The front clutch is used only in 3rd and reverse.
Either the clutch discs themselves are fried or the seals/sealing rings are shot, in any case the trans needs to be removed.