Given the budgetary restraints, I get it. How many miles are on the trans anyway, I meant to ask that earlier.

 

Assuming it's original to the car, around 125k miles. Here's some pics with a white back ground.

 

You may not be feeling any harsh shifting or slipping, but there would be some slipping going on to burn the fluid so quickly. Under the circumstances, you might be at the "got nothing to lose" point. For the record, Lucas Stops Slip additive does work to prevent slipping, if nothing else to buy you some more time. Whether you use it now as a preventative, or later when you start feeling it slip, is up to you.
Something else for you to explore. B&M Trick Shift fluid has friction modifiers that makes the clutches grab better (prevents slip), which is how it gives firmer shifts. Adding some Ford Type F was another old trick back in the day for worn transmissions because it too has friction modifiers. Wouldn't surprise me if the two are formulated similarly (I've heard they are). Back to the B&M, they say you can use it in the 700R4, which is what you have.

 

oh boy now your cleaning it,,,, with new fluid. sometimes can not help with a trans on its way out. better baby it.

 

I'll baby it some when the cars back together, but I don't expect the trans to last forever. But I think the Dex VI will help as well as the additional trans cooler. Worst case, I'll run it till it slips then swap for the other one I have sitting at my uncles. Best case, it just got a little too overheated and everything will be fine with new fluid and trans cooler.

I've heard about Type F being used, but heard that while it helps a trans shift much firmer, but I've heard it can't take the heat as well as the newer fluids, which doesn't surprise me as Type F was used and the 80s and earlier and the newer fluids were developed in the late 90s and mid 00s.

 

Got some parts in from Summit; Proportianing valve, Primer Sealer, reducer, flex additive and finally my valve springs! Only took a month on those...too bad someone forgot he needed new retainers.

Any ways, I redid the lines for my front brakes since I was deleting the ABS module that didn't work and was just taking up space. Cost wasn't too bad but wasn't cheap either since I splurged and got the Copper-Nickel line, which after using that, I will probably never use standard steel line again. Now for pics:

Sealed part of the car




Up close on the line


The lines are no where near perfectly bent, but they are bent nice enough it won't look like a hack under the hood. All the lines are single piece except one and it has a union, not a compression fitting, installed to make it long enough.

 

Got first coat of sealer on the other night.


Got the engine mostly buttoned up



Things left to do off the top of my head:
Order a tune
New valve covers
New radiator
New alternator
New plugs
New fluids
Alignment
Different rear with different gears
160 thermostat
Seal and Paint

 

why the 160 thermo?

If it ever gets chilly you'll appreciate a 180

Nice to see copious amounts of RTV were used on the intake manifold

 

"Chilly" for me is 40 and below and the car won't be for that kind of weather any more. Either way, I wear a fur hoodie 275 days of the year, so I'm always warm. Haha. I figured the 160 degree would be better since the car will see mostly summer months, the knock sensor will be desensitized a bit. I'll be running 93 or better octane as usual, but the cooler temp should help prevent any knock or pinging from happening.

And yes. I do not want this thing leaking a drop when it's done. Pulling the engine isn't as bad as people make it out to be, but it's still not something I want to do again for a while.

 

Did the u-joints while the drive shaft was out. Needless to say, they refused to come out. I couldn't use our arbor press since it's down, so I put sockets in a vice and tried pressing them out that way. Nope. Bent the handle for the vice. Tried wacking them out with a hammer. Nope. Tried an air hammer and some map gas heat. Still didn't budge so I decided the u joints would meet my friend the oxy-acetylene torch.




Meanwhile, the door jambs and underneath the hood have been painted.





UPS dropped off my new torque converter. I went milder than others have had using the same cam. I went with a 2800 stall as anything higher was out of my budget right now.


Bad pic, but I modified my rear control arms. If they were flexing at all before, they certainly won't now.