A727 trans q's

[creative1]

not having ever dismantled a 727 with the intention of rebuilding it, or even saving it for parts, i have just done so with the ideas of 1] learning something about them so i can rebuild my BB tranny, and 2] saving some parts just in case i need them.

several things to note here, then on to the questions i have. i did this to a SB tranny, because i have no SB engines. i did not completely disassemble the trans, only down to the clutches. i DO have a service manual, it is a factory 1969 plymouth service manual. ok, now on to the Q's:

the manual says for a 318 (the engine this trans was behind) there should be 3 clutch disks in the front clutch pack and "until all plates are installed" in the rear clutch pack. the trans i dismantled had 4 clutches in each position. why?

the book also says that the 440 trans uses 4 clutches in the front clutch pack and the 426 uses 5, BUT, the plate clearance is different on the 440 apps... for the std 440, the clearance is .024" to .125", but for the HP 440, this is speced to be .068" to .125", and for the 426, this clearance is supposed to be .022" to .079". what happens if i put 5 clutches in my 440 trans, and what clearance would i use?

the manual also says that a 727 for a 318 should have 12 piston springs in a 225 application, 12 in a 318, 6 in a 340, 8 in a 383, 6 in both the HP 383 and 440, 10 in the HP 440, and 12 in the 426. the trans i dismembered had 9 springs. why? and what if i put my BB trans together with the 426 specs... 12 springs? would this be a good idea or not?

just for the record, the trans i dismantled was pretty well fubar... one of the bands (i think the smaller one) had no grooves in the friction material about 1/3 of the way around, and some of the front clutch friction discs were down to the metal... and the steels had blue spots in them... also, the steels had places that felt kinda like they had been so hot that the steel had kinda softened and sagged... if that is possible.

as i progress on this journey, i am sure i am going to have more silly questions, so please bear with me... lol. thanks for any and all help, it will be greatly appreciated.

[creative1]

wow... are my questions THAT annoying?... lol... or maybe the trans gurus are like me... all on vacation.

[Mister Fiberglass]

ALL of that data that you mention has to do with the shift timing.

Clutch plate design and kick-down lever ratio plays a part too.

[Frank R]

I've rebuilt 6 Trannies both types, I have yet to find two that were exactly the same. My rule of thumb is too replace whats there and ignore what is not. Adding the extra clutch disc I have heard is not that big of a deal, but I have not done it for myself. I am sure someone here will fill you in on the details. Everyone I have rebuilt I have installed a transgo shift kit of some sort and I would suggest this because the prformance increase is worth the money. Transgo kits come with a lot of information on how the tranny works and explain exactly what the modifications will do and how it affects performance. Call Cal Tech at (909) 988-9697 they have manuals for about 20 bones.

[nhdriver]

Many years ago I started dismantling my own trannys(just as you did) I just replaced parts (not knowing exactly what they did) and reassembled them. I had mixed results. I decided to take an adult Ed course at the local Vo-tech school This made all the difference. Instead of just replacing worn bands & clutches I now had the theory behind why they might have failed. Then I got great results and I knew enough to be able to do a complete rebuild on my trannys. I got into drag racing and have always built my own trannys and some for others too . Look into some trans courses in your area. you will be glad you did!