How can I check to see if a used transmission is still good?

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Andre68

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I purchased a used 727 from someone to put into my barracuda. The guy I purchased it from told me it was in good shape, and rebuilt a few years ago.

When I took it home it looked real clean and the torque converter had a sticker on it from 2013.

I was wondering if there was any way to be able to inspect the transmission to get an idea of how many miles are on it and what condition it's in.

Not saying the guy was trying to pull a fast one but, it is craigslist hahah the guy could have totally just gave it a good cleaning and got a new torque converter a few years back.

Anyways does anyone know if its possible to check this thing out?
 
I think you need to take it to a tranny shop and they can hook it to a motor which spins it on a bench and lets it go through the gears.
 
You can at least drop the pan and check it for any metal shavings (and check the fluid color clearness/smell). Next would be dropping the valve body so you can inspect it further. If the pan has been cleaned out, I would really think about giving it a complete checkup.
 
Why spend money when you can just put it in the car and see? What is it like 20-25 bolts? How long can it possibly take?
 
Yeah, I wouldn't pay anyone to look at it. I would just throw it in and I bet you got a good tranny. Personally, I've had good experiences with craigslist. Not everybody on there are fly by night scammers... LOL
 
I'd certainly drop the pan, and make sure to change the filter. If the old fluid looks brown and/or smells burnt, you may be looking at a rebuild. It depends, how brown, how burnt. Look for debris, broken pieces, make sure the bands and anchors are in place and not broken. While the pan is off, you can adjust the low/reverse band. if you fell confident and have an inch/pound torque wrench. I'd also replace the front seal, now, because if you have to pull the trans again, just because it's leaking, you'll be kicking yourself. 10 mins and $10 vs at least several hours labor, your call.
 
As I was saying before, at least pull the pan and inspect/adjust. If there are bad signs from the git-go, no need wasting time installing it until your comfort level is up there.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Why spend money when you can just put it in the car and see? What is it like 20-25 bolts? How long can it possibly take?
Click to expand...

This.....It might take longer,Andre... It's worth the effort.. Ask me ,how I know....
 
most you can do is grab the input shaft and turn it and then the output, see if they atleast turn, then go from there, and or learn how to rebuild it, its actually easier than an engine rebuild, use manuals for referance, take pics and vids as you disassemble.
 
they COULD be rebuilt by an amateur, using reference materials, shop manuals, etc. But there are some somewhat specialized tools required for complete disassembly and reassembly. Maybe with some ingenuity, you can overcome those hurdles. Read the manuals, view some utube videos, and decide if you think you can do it.
 
Well, since you asked, an air pressure test is pretty easy, but it takes almost as long to do as installing the beast,lol.
I for one would still do it, cuz there is almost nothing I dislike as much as installing a tranny. Unless it is doing twice.....
 
Thanks for all the responses. I've decided on going ahead and installing it. So let's say I install it and it works fine, anyway to tell around how many miles or so are on it?
 
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