4R44E band anchor is missing. The 'Phantom Menace'.

[HiSpeedDirt]

After closer inspection of forward clutch old seals i fond it visually matches with "12, 13" seals from rebuild kit. These seals is flat cut, but outer looking slightly beveled.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

I setup clutch pack free play clearance. For the coast and direct clutches ATSG 4R44E manual call within 1.3-2.0mm(.051 -.079inch), and for the forward clutch require 1.4-2.1mm(.055 -.083inch). Interesting is this measurement with rubber cushion ring installed, or without it? I have to replace "smoked" forward clutch pressure plate. Inspection with micrometer shows uneven thickness of heat discolored areas, and it's inner diameter is hight temp "goggle" out. Also it cost me new retaining ring to setup target clutch pack clearance with new rubber cushion ring.
I replace inner and outer clutch piston rubber lip seals of direct and forward clutches. I decide to keep old OEM lip seal of coast clutch, because aftemarket piston lip seals from rebuild kit has rough surface in contrast with OEM which condition is just fine. I used to be extremely carefull then install them back to cylinders without special lip seal installer. I apply layer of assembly lube on lip seal and cylinders. I used 0.2mm fillet gauge with blunted edges to help install forward, but coast and direct slide in without. Be carefull don't hurry, push the piston very slowly(it takes time) and even to prevent lip seal twisting.
I checked all three previously "reloaded" clutch pistons for free movement with 20 PSI compressed air. To check forward clutch cylinder piston with central support i apply assembly lube on the central support sealing rings to minimize air leakage. Fortunately all clutches works as expected.
Then i "reloaded" clutch springs back to piston pins i noticed that tension on spring retainer distributes more evenly if load them not in random pores, but lower spring cut point facing inward(to inner lip seal). Spring cut points have tendency to slide out to the edge, and it may affect spring tension on one side under retainer.


According to ATSG 5R55E manual directional friction plates with grooves(splines) on the coast and direct clutch must be installed "clockwise", and "counterclockwise" on the forward clutch. Hope it is right for 4R44E transmission.
I discovered strange picture from 4R55E complete it shows two "counterclockwise", and two "clockwise" friction plates in one direct clutch pack. I decide to install all directional Alto friction plates of coast&direct clutch pack in "clockwise" spline direction, and "counterclockwise" for the forward clutch, with "TOP" marking facing up.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Finally i can start transmission reassembly. I just flushed my cooler and lines with Kooler Kleen. After rubber hose connection i secure them with hose clamps, then spray half of the can to feed and half to return line. And blow with 20 PSI moisture free compressed air.
I'm riveted home made heat shild from two scrap pieces of 0.8mm aluminium sheets, with two layers of aluminium adhesive tape in between which i used for TIG purge.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Before placing the case to "upward" position fixture i applyed assembly lube on outer and inner output shaft thrust washers and tack it's tabs inside the case bores as shown on 4R44E ATSG manual picture. Insert output shaft with park gear inside the case, then strung from opposite side of the case reverse planet carrier with planetary gear, reverse brake drum, reverse one-way clutch assembly, and previously lubricated reverse planet carrier thrust washers. Secure output shaft inside the case with old retaining ring (my bad could'nt find it), manual advises discard old and install new one.

 

[JK080]

I wouldn't worry about the used snap ring, I have never seen one break and I always reuse it.

The manual may also say to replace the pump bolts too, I never have had to do this either, just reuse the bolts.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Next is placing previously "presoaked" low reverse band and alignment with two anchor pins in the case. I replaced low and reverse piston rubber o-rings, lube them up with piston shaft, and gently push the piston in to previously lubricated bore. I temporally secured piston with cover plate without new gasket to hold it's shaft aligned with pin point on the band to prevent sliding out of position.
Before reinstalling OD and IM servos back to it's place i brushed out rusted snap rings then bathe them in the rust converter and paint primer one by one. I replaced old cover o-rings on both, and lubricated them with piston lip seals, shafts, and bores. I had no cover holding special tool, but trick with hummer between my "stomach" and cover during snap rings installation works great. But don't push in cover too far, it may cause o-rings demage. I aligned piston shaft holes in vertical position (as they been before) with the case fluid canals, but maybe it wasn't necessary.

 

[shucker1]

HiSpeedDirt,

Nice write up.

Excellent attention to detail with the pictures attached.

I enjoyed reading it.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

HiSpeedDirt,

Nice write up.

Excellent attention to detail with the pictures attached.

I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you. Hope that my "sad" experience could be useful for someone. But i'm just a desperate rookie, and i guess professional transmission rebuilders could find a lot of mistakes in my attempt to fix it.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

I'm fastened the case in upward position to my home made fixture using extension housing to case screws with thick shim on each. Before placing forward sun gear, input shell, forward planet assembly in the case as one piece, i tacked in place, and lubricate forward planet thrust bearing, forward ring gear hub thrust thrust bearing, along with brass forward clutch thrust washer, and applyed thin layer of assembly lube on reverse planet carrier thrust washer, which is been attached with lube on reverse planet carrier before. Just before lowering i'd made the measurements of this assembly with forward clutch cylinder and direct drum on it, to make sure the point of full engagement of all clutch friction plates and overall assembly length. Also i had to degrease input shell "crown" to get sure grip on it, because earlier it nearly sliped out of my hands in rubber gloves. And then it eventually reached the reverse planet gears i wiggled it a little, and all assembly smoothly slide into it's place. I positioned forward clutch cylinder sealing rings gaps 180 degrees apart, and lubricated them with assembly lube. I used my dental picks (very useful tools) to align clutch frictions "teeth" and make it easier to install. And after this facultative procedure just placed forward clutch cylinder, with previously "presoaked"(at least 30 minutes in mercon V) friction plates on the forward ring gear, and gently wiggled till it's complete seat, and all frictions engagement. And then i checked my previous measurements.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Next is direct clutch drum assembly, but before put it down on the forward clutch cylinder splines i tack in the forward clutch cylinder thrust washer with assembly lube to hold it in place, and align it's tabs inside direct drum. And then i aligned previously "presoaked" direct clutch friction plates "teeth" as i did before with the forward clutch. Put it down on the forward clutch cylinder splines, wiggled it to engage all frictions and checked measurements.
To hold in place IM drum band during intallation i bent home made "fork" fixture from the bicycle spoke wire, which has it's own springiness. I wrapped it's "handle" to blood red heat shrink tube just to remind my self pull it out afterward. Actually it is aren't my "know-how", i seen similar thing on eBay before, and found it handy for band installation procedure.
I'm locked previously "presoaked" IM band bracket hooks with "fork special tool" and attached the band anchor to band bracket hook with assembly lube. I'm put IM band actuating lever with shaft (which is shorter then OD) in it's place. I'm put the apply strut with a small amount of assembly lube, just to hold it in place, and temporally tilted out to the case. And then put the band, "fork", and anchor assembly on the IM drum. Fortunately it expand to fit the drum and snug enough to hold on in place, but not too stiff to scratch the drum, or band onlay demage during installation. I'm screw in IM band adjusting stud with new lockind nut on it's top and align it with the band anchor notch. I keep screwing till the band bracket hook approach apply strut head, and then just tilt the strut into the band bracket hook. I'm hand tighten all assembly with the band adjusting stud, without the locking nut tightening. I could reuse my old locking nuts using the gasket forming compound for automatic transmission, but since i had new nuts from rebuild kit it was unnecessary.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Next is central support with attached IM drum thrust bearing. I lubricated IM drum sealing rings along with the forward clutch internal seal grooves with assembly lube. I put the central support into the case without rough force usage, and make sure it fully seated. It slides into the case much easier than i expect. I hand tighten the cental support cap screw with caged nut, and then align case fluid passage holes with the same on the central support. I insert the central support retaining ring in the case groove, flat side to the central support, beveled side facing up. These retaining rings has notch openings, which should not obstruct TSS wires space. Then i'm tightened central support cap screw to 115 in-lb, installed TSS and tightened it's screw to 97 in-lb.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Next is OD planet gear carrier, ring gear, one-way clutch, center shaft assembly, with lube attached center shaft thrust bearing, and tacked in place needle bearing inside the planetary gear carrier. Be careful the center shaft with ring gear may pop out instantly if hold this assembly onto exciter wheel. I'm firmly grab it under the ring gear and carefully put into it's place. Just before inserting the OD sun gear and coast clutch adapter i cheked the sun gear needle bearing race alignment, and put the sun gear with adapter into it's place.
Next is OD drum with previously "presoaked" coast clutch friction plates. This step was exactly the same as with the IM drum, but in this case i hadn't attached the band anchor to the bracket hook, and simply paste it with the pliers. There is much less friction plates to align, so i just wiggled till it's engagement and complete seat on the coast clutch adapter. I apply assembly lube on OD drum mating surface.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Next is input shaft and pump to case gasket. I'm inserted the input shaft long splines facing up. Spread assembly lube with the brush to hold pump gasket on the case mating surface. Actually manual suggest to place it on the pump adapter plate. I'm inserted the alignment pins and align the pump gasket with the case fluid passage holes. And then lubricated OD drum sealing rings, and place their gaps 180 degrees apart, tack in place the fluid pump thrust washer with it's tabs to the pump body. I'm lubricated square cut pump seal ring the "big one", and tack it on the converter housing groove surface. And finally placed converter housing pump assembly straight on the top, lower it on the alignment pins. And then tightened 8 converter housing to case screws to 38 ft-lb, with rubber o-rings under each shim. These o-rings i managed to recognize in the "puzzle" of rebuild kit under numbers "20-23"&"28-31".
Unfortunately i didn't performed the front end free play, along with fluid pump inspection, because i had no pump alignment tool.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Next is the drum bands tightening. Before tighten the band studs i rotated output shaft to ensure the bands in their future working position. And then i tighten OD drum band stud to 120 in-lb(10 ft-lb), turn it back on two full turns, and tighten the lock nut, while holding the stud in position. I repeated this procedure with IM drum band stud, and cheked the output shaft for free rotation.

 

[transman304]

Just a quick question. Great job first of all on the rebuild and documenting the process. How did you align the pump stator to the bell housing?

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Just a quick question. Great job first of all on the rebuild and documenting the process. How did you align the pump stator to the bell housing?

Actually i didn't aligned fluid pump with the bell housing because i had no pump alignment tool. I could use the torque converter and input shaft alignment method, but i decided not to risk, and keep old pump and bell housing assembly without disassembling.

 

[transman304]

Ok, Great job. Good luck!

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Thank you.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Before starting valve body to case tightening i cleaned and degreased the case, valve body, screws, and separating plate mating surfaces out of oil and old gaskets remains.
Meanwhile, i seems to found solution for worn cooler limit valve retainer plug, which is been deeply "eated" by "L" pin. I'm performed the plug measurements, and found both sides of this plug is the same length and diameter. So, i decide just swap worn side of this plug away of "L" pin point and place not affected side under "L" pin lock. And i'm smoothed the "notch" on worned side with the dremel felt buffing burr. Hope that this "substitution" wouldn't affect cooler limit valve perfomance.

 

[HiSpeedDirt]

Next is placing valve body separating gasket. I place valve body on the table it's fluid pasages facin up, and checked all small parts are on it's places including check balls, "L" pins, EPC limit circuit screen, extension housing lube orifice, converter relief valve, EPC limit relief valve and it's spings. Inserted the alignment pins in and spread assembly lube with the brush on both sides of the separating plate, gasket, valve body mating surface to hold gasket in place, and simplify it's alignment. And then just placed and align the separating plate gasket on valve body surface, lowered the separating plate on the gasket, and press it down with the palm of my hand spreaded as far as i can (sorry can't take a pic of this "torture"). I kept holding this plate while i put three torx screws in, hand tightened them with screwdriver adapter(central screw goes in first), and align the converter relief valve, and EPC limit relief valve with it's separating plate holes. And then i tightened these screws in two stages, 1st to 74 in-lb, and 2nd to 97 in-lb, starting on central, then right(low&reverse piston side) and left.
Next is placing valve body to case, and low&reverse cover gaskets, and screws tightening. To simplify and organize valve body to case sequence tightening i put valve body screws in the cardboard, as i seen before in gsbarry 5R55E rebuild thread, which i also recommend as excellent process organization example 5R55E Diagnosis Help
Before this delicate procedure i secured transmission with valve body facing up to the table with my home made fixture plate, which is been screwed to transmission body by the extension housing to case bolts. I spread assembly lube with the brush on both sides of gaskets and steel cover surfaces, and inserted alignment pins. And then lowered valve body on the case with gasket, align it, and check the manual valve inner lever pin is between the manual valve notch. I'm align low&reverse cover gasket under steel cover, insert and hand tightened all valve body screws. I'm placed and align low&reverse cover gasket under steel cover. And eventually tightened the screws in two stages, 1st to 74 in-lb, and 2nd to 97 in-lb, and to 84 in-lb and 115 in-lb for four low&reverse piston cover screws. To split 1st and 2nd stages i used small marked stickers on each screws. These stickers is for 'smart kids' only! Hope they'll never comprehend who stole it. Fortunately these stickers won't left it's glue base on the screw heads and unstick completely, without leaving glue remains, which may instantly clog all valve body valves(so don't try this at home).
In the end i put back wiring loom protector, and solenoid connectors. Lubricated the filter(screen) rubber o-rings, and it's valve body inlets, push the filter in, and retightened it's screw to 97 in-lb ones again.