Help ..904 has died 4 times !

[big block scott]

I sure hope someone can offer some insight with this problem.
I put a 1975-360 from an rv into my sons car with the 1968 -904 from the original 273 engine . i used the special flexplate for the 360 app and a lokar kickdown cable for the throttle valve.
since then the forward clutch hub has welded up 4 times leaving us with only reverse gear. twice the tranny was built by a friend of a friend that suposedly built trannys for 20 years and talked a good game. i bought the oh kits and convertors myself and each time it lasted about 100-200 miles before it died. Next i took it to the local aamco dealer for a rebuild again it lasted 140 miles , now the trans shop working under warranty is telling me the trans should have never been behind that engine , the tranny had the wrong output shaft ( coarse thead nut vs fine thread nut) without enough spline in the hub it was stripping the male splines off of the shaft. then it had the wrong input shaft and the convertor didnt fit right against the front pump , also the pilot of the convertor didnt fit the crankshaft correctly, they changed the convertor to fit the 360 crank pilot hole and now the new nippendenso mini starter i just bought doesn't touch the ring gear to start the motor. I an so confused by all the stories aamco has told me I don't know what to believe . it has been over 3 weeks since i took the car back the second time and i'm wondering if i'm ever going to see it again. every day i call i'm told they're trying to straighted this mess out. I know i have read of others using a 904 behind a 360 , but i'm not having any success with this combo. can anyone offer any suggestions that i can offer to aamco ? personally i'm not a transmission mechanic so i feel frustrated not knowing what the real issue is. Thanks

 

[66cuda]

it is likely that AAMCO has no idea what to do with an early mopar trans 904 727 or otherwise.......unless they have a really old guy OR a super gear head working there. YOU need to find a guy that KNOWS mopars...and get your car the hell away from those AAMCO guys ...that is just asking for trouble...tow it tug it push it drag it the hell out of there...my guess is the oldest person in there is maybe 20...your car is older than him LOL

there are plenty of people on here who can tell you the correct config for what you runnin...and likely WHERE to get your trans done right....

sounds like you have tried to let them direct you and then BUY them into a success...but they have no idea what to tell you to buy!!! so before you purchase the entire JEGS or SUMMIT catalogue trying to bail their dumbasses out...jerk it out and talk to the pro's here...it may take a lil longer but you will not be told ...buy this NO buy that NO buy this...etc etc

good luck someone will jump in

 

[66cuda]

PS...tons of guys swear by the 904's cuz they are lighter......I dont drag race my vehicle...I spent 6 years building it...not really into beating the crap out of it...but I will say this...I went with a big block innerds with a small block bell housing 727.....and I have driven well over 200 miles and not a burp....it also has a trans go 2 kit in it and it squaks em from 1st to 2nd and from 2nd to 3rd. I have heard that if you do not have your kickdown set correctly that can seriously hose your tranny....good luck

 

[fishy68]

I totally agree with 66Cuda. If they knew anything about the easiest transmission ever invented they would have figured it out the first day. There are numerous guys all across the nation racing 360's and even big horsepower strokers using a 904 and if there's lasts yours will.

One thing that throws up a red flag is how they told you there was a nut on the output shaft. There is no nut on the output shaft of a 904. You should ask them if it had the wrong threaded nut on it why they didn't catch it the first time. Wrong threads don't just screw right together. You'd have to force it together.

Another thing is if it is truly a 68 transmission the converter pilot will fit a 360 just fine. 67 and before were different but 68 and up are all the same.

Like 66 said you need to get it away from them idiots cause they don't have a clue what their doing.

 

[abodyjoe]

sounds like to me you have had two guys that are clueless doing work on your trans. also sounds like there is a mis match of parts all over that thing.. for me the best thing to do is to find another 904 ( preferably) 70-up so you know it will work on your 360 and start over.

the guy that says a 904 doesn't belong behind a 360 is an idiot.

 

[crackedback]

I'll bet the throttle position arm was not adjusted properly = low line pressure in high gear = no fluid to cool = welded plates/clutches.

Aamco is bleeding you IMHO.

1968 and up, all the 904 transmission/converter combos are the same, sans the internal/external balance deal. You have the balance deal covered with your flexplate.

Find someone that races 904's, local drag racers, etc. and see who build their stuff. These are simple transmissions to rebuild. If you can build an engine, you can do a 904 or 727.