Just got my used 727....now what?

[shadango]

Picked up the used 727 tranny that the guy I bought my car from owed me.....

So now what?

He said he opened up the pan and that it looked great inside......

I had been planning on having someone go over it.....so now I am looking for someone good in the Pgh area that can do this and not require me to take a second mortgage on the house....LOL

Or should I just try bolting it in and seeing what happens?

Externally the tranny looks decent....no dipstick tube, though it has a red plastic plug where that would be....which struck me as odd.....why would someone stick a plug in there unless it was a) just redone  or b) a piece of junk thatsomeone was storing and just didnt want to get crap in there etc....

I guess its a roll of the dice......I know nothing about this tranny.

And here is a real newbie question --- there is about a 1 inch hole in the top of the tranny, in the torque convertor area, top of the unit.....like a vent or something......is there a plug missing here or something?  Hadnt noticed the hole on other 727s I had looked at......other than that, the shifter seems to work ok, and the kickdown moves free.....the torque convertor is in place........

What would you guys do?

[71chally416]

If you have a small block I'd sell it and get a 904 with a 2.74 low gear set. 

[shadango]

I know the 727 is heavier and eats a few extra ponies.....

But I am thinking I may go a little crazy at some point and go for a larger engine......would have it at that point.

AFter sleeping on it, I realized that the cheapest way to go would be to install it and see if it works I suppose...nothing lost there besides some tranny fluid and some time....

Need to track down some flexplate/convertor bolts and a tranny mount and bolts.....(I have the crossmember).

This would at least enable me to get the thing running to see if the 318 I have runs at all like it is supposed to.

[tactransman]

Have some one go through it,put a Transgo shift kit in it and a billet rear servo piston. The hole means it was out of a van,they used it for engine timing purposes. You took the "dog house" cover off on the inside of the van,the converter had a slot in the cover and you hooked a timing light up like normal.

[bb71challenger]

Just for peace of mind I would much rather have a 727 tranny than a 904. I know someone was saying you could get a 904 with a 340 but all the data tags I have ever read say E55 then D32 right beside it. I know they build them to drag race but to me they are just not beefy enough for strong street duty.

[shadango]

Have some one go through it,put a Transgo shift kit in it and a billet rear servo piston. The hole means it was out of a van,they used it for engine timing purposes. You took the "dog house" cover off on the inside of the van,the converter had a slot in the cover and you hooked a timing light up like normal.

Out of a van?

Think that is an issue?

Wish you were closer...you seem to have a good rep here.....

What should I expect, price wise, for doing what you suggest?

[shadango]

Just for peace of mind I would much rather have a 727 tranny than a 904. I know someone was saying you could get a 904 with a 340 but all the data tags I have ever read say E55 then D32 right beside it. I know they build them to drag race but to me they are just not beefy enough for strong street duty.

That is kind of what I was thinking.

Anyways, I have it now and the Lokar kit for it.....for now at least, full steam ahead with the 727.

Just have to decide what to do with it at this point.

Also, anyone know where I can get a set of tranny bolts and starter bolts?

[tactransman]

They never put a 904 behind a 340 from the factory.

Price wise should be $500 to $600 with a shift kit and a billet rear servo. The factory cast rear servo's break,that is why I recommend a billet one. The servo "piston plug" is not necessary.

Info:
http://www.sonnax.com/part_summary.php?id=3496&pl=3

[shadango]

Thanks...I guess that sounds reasonable...still cheaper than a recond. from autozone I figure....plus the extra hop up parts.....

Any chance you can recommend anyone good in MY area, tactransman?

I live near Pittsburgh......

I was gonna check with the guy down the street to see who he has used for the barracudas he has built.

I opened up the pan and true to his word, looks like the seller had opened it up to check it.

Just one very small piece of metal in the bottom of the pan... in general looked ok in there....I removed the filter to look at the back side and no metal....the fluid that remained looked a little dirty but didnt smell burnt to me....

Seemed to be a little water that came out....I think the seller had tried washing this thing down before he got it to me....

The pan looks like the tranny had been slid around alot on the it.....I think I will probably replace the pan...maybe a deep one?

I pulled the numbers and took lots of pictures...at this link....

http://s349.photobucket.com/albums/q391/shadango_bucket/cuda%20tranny/?action=view&current=6cd6df42.pbw

......all in all, nothing seems out of the ordinary...........

[dodge freak 2]

Those 727 built right are really tough..me being cheap would bolt it in and run it, you never know, surely its been rebuilt in the past. Being from a van it might have some heavy duty parts.

A shift kit could be install at a trans shop while in the car--if it doesn't have one now or its set up soft.

I have a 904 built by a guy who raced 340's back in the day...he pushed me in to getting a manual valve body for it.said those throttle linkages cause many problems, a good running motor has much power at half throttle opening and the linkage can not be set up right-best to get rid of it...been a good 5 years now..it has  the 2.74 1st gear and 3.91 gears in back..1st gear is awesome from a stop. Trans guy didn't like those deep pans either, said those filter spacers get loose after a while.

My motor is a 318 with MP 360 308 heads with 2.02 intakes, makes good power and I beat on it.

But trans guy said 727 are "bullet proof" and he would have went with a 727 for his ride. I wanted every bit of HP and took the chance..he did much work to it thou..something about cutting drums deeper for more clutches. 

[71chally416]

I have nothing against the 727 except for it's bulk and that it's total overkill for some applications. I wouldn't use a TH400 behind a 350 Chevy either, or a C-6 behind a 351 Ford unless I was going to tow a trailer or had a work truck.

The jury has been in for a long time on the 904. Ed Hamburger, Herb McCandless, Jack McCormick, the SMR Dakota, Wes Leopold, take you pick of any NHRA racer that uses or has used them. But forget the almost 1,000hp cars that run them, a good stock rebuild on a 904 is adequate for the normal 340/360.

Did I ever tell you guys about the time I put mine in reverse in the traps at Atco in my old 68 Cuda? Scared the crap out of me but it didn't hurt the tranny 

[shadango]

Just so no one misinterprets --- I am not debating the worth of a 904. I am sure a 904 would be fine for my application right now. I am sure that many racers use them.  For my street car I am sure it would be fine.

However, it is what I have and I am going with it.  The way I see it, it wont hurt to go a little overkill on the tranny.....plus, it is what came with the car.

Probably don't need the 8 3/4" rear end I have either, with a 318 --- but it is in the car so itswhat I am using.

So now I am trying to decide what and where to go with it.

[tactransman]

If you have any Mopar car clubs in your area,ask them who is good on Torqueflites.

The 904/727 debate can go on forever.

It cost the same to rebuild a 727 as it does a 904 in stock form (which is all you need).

In stock form,the 727 is ALOT stronger than a 904,that's why 904's weren't put behind big blocks and Hemi's from the factory.

The small converter hubs like to crack on the 904's also.

8 3/4 is the rearend you want also,your good to go! 

[shadango]

Speaking of that rear end, its a 741 case, 2.76 gears (open) with a small yoke....I have a line on a complete 727 driveshaft with a small rear end yoke....it should bolt right up.

But should I instead look for a large rear-end ended shaft and use a "convertor" ujoint for now, and then I will already have the larger shaft end when I got to a different case/gears?

Or does it even matter?

[tactransman]

The small rearend yoke is fine.