Inspection of a 904 torqueflite

On the forward drum and direct drum. I’m pretty sure it’s good. The only problems I have found so far are the reverse drum that has all the wear around the band surface area.

Are you talking about the direct drum being a bigger diameter....the number 1 behind the pump?
The direct drum and forward drum look right. I’ll compare them with pictures of the different measurements on them.....length, width and race diameters......as well as stack clearances and thrust measurements. One of these drums might not be long enough. Having the 904 here disassembled helps a lot because it’s just a little worn out and had nothing wrong with it.

the 1/4” movement. When the transmission is standing up on its bell housing. I can move the reverse drum up 1/4” off the bottom of the sun shell.....this picture is the reverse drum and band. I can move that drum up so that line meets the band. So far that’s the only thing strange I see and it might be normal to do that.
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All the washers are present. It has a fiber washer on the pump and the one on the clutch hub. They haven’t been measured yet. I think this transmission is gonna need more measuring than the last.
I would have have done it last night for peace of mind..... but after driving 2 hours and taking that thing out in the hot sun....I was done.

The 999.....someone was in there and there’s no telling what they did. They messed something up I’m sure and that’s why there is metal in the filter like that. I think what they messed up is from the reverse drum back.....or maybe replaced 999 stuff with 904 stuff that looks right but isn’t. This is the mixing and matching Cuda is talking about.....they might have done that. I don’t think so but I won’t assume in this case.
When talking about the clutches and drum,you have to be sure of your terminology. The forward clutch or drum is the second
Drum from the pump. If i interpreted you correctly, you said that drum was bad(which it usually is not) and that you had a good one from the non lockup. If that's what you meant I am saying you cannot do that. In my opinion at this point you need to decide whether you want to build a lockup or the non lockup trans.
The only difference between the two is the valve body, the input shaft, the forward clutch, and the stator are unique to the lockup.
The first drum behind the pump is called a couple of names,high gear or direct. The forward drum only goes by the name forward.
The rearmost drum is usually called the low/reverse drum. It is not used in reverse only.
Everything from the sunshell and back is the same in the lockup and non lockup. The shape of the low gear sunshell is unique but it assembles the same way.