You can change out the lever. It might help. As long as you adjust the band correctly it will work fine. It will make the band apply faster, but youre not drag racing it so it really doesnt matter.

The scoring most likely happened over time. Every time you let it idle in park it made the scoring worse and worse.

 

Is there any type of mod that can be done to stop the scoring from happening? I know that the TFOD JR shift kit suggests drilling a couple of holes in the main shaft in order to increase fluid flow to the overdrive section. Is there anything like this that can be done?

 

UHHHH!!!! Thats all I can say at this point. I got the trans back in and all hooked up, put the fluid in and decided it was time to test it out.

I started the truck and dropped it in neutral to check the fluid, its good. Ok. I put it back in park and started my way down the column (RND21) to get fluid flowing through the trans. I put it back into reverse, and nothing.

After realizing that I am an idiot and didn't put the 4wd back in gear after putting it in neutral to hook up the rear driveshaft, I do that and try again.

Shift into reverse, the truck start backing up... YaY!! Problem solved right...Wrong.

I went to shift it into neutral to check the fluid again and now it won't go into neutral. At this point I am thinking it is a linkage problem. I shut the truck off and jump back underneath. Disconnect the linkage and try again.
From park I hear *click* (reverse), then I can't move it anymore.

So now my truck still sits and I have to drop out the valve body to find out what the hell is binding it up now. It shifted fine on the bench before I put it in and it shifted once fine in the truck. I am thinking that the new manual valve that I put in with my shift kit might be whats hanging up. I guess I will find out tonight.

Wish me luck everyone!!!

 

***UPDATE***

I dropped the valve body out and sure enough, my manual valve was stuck. After some coaxing, I finally got it free and found a small piece of debris stuck in one of the passageways. I got that out of there and now it moves free and clear.

I am thinking the debris was from the rebuild and it wasn't cleaned well enough. I am going to tear the valve body all the way down and make sure that it is clean then throw it back in and I should be on my way.

 

Well, after dropping the trans again and pulling out the oil pump (I suspected the metal was from a broken seal ring in the pump), here's what I found. I guess when my cousin put it in, he used a bit too much force and broke the pump. So I went back to the trans shop and got another one and popped it in. Now that it is all back together, everything seems to be alright except for the fact that the trans pan now leaks thanks to the drain bolt I put in it. I can't get the damn thing to seal.

Therefore today I am putting in a new trans pan to take care of that and then I should be all done with the trans for quite a while.

If you wanna track my trans pan progress check out (Paint Opinions) thread in the forum.

 

If it was easy everyone would be doing it. Im sure you have alot more respect for transmission builders now that you have been through one yourself.

 

Ohh hell yeah. Plus, if I knew then what I know now, it would have been a lot easier. Much props to you MonteC and others like you that deal with that crap every day!