So here's a quick little update on the transmission. I'll give a more detailed update when I get back in the States.
It's back up in the car and running as it should be. Line pressres checked out better this time than the initial installation. (Reverse was the only questionable line pressure during the initial install two years ago. Never did determine the cause. Possibly a goofy trans from BTO. Don't know and probably never will.)
The front pump failed likely due to initial manufacturing fault, which is what I initially suspected. It broke where the vanes slide in/out. I have pictures that I can post when I get home. This is the weakest point on these transmissions / front pumps. I am 100% positive it wasn't an installation issue that caused the failure even though every shop/mechanic/whoever will say it was. Even my mechanic said that, but we know it was 100% correct during our install.
The runout on both th flexplate and tq converter was within .020 all the way around, which is well within the tolerances allowed. Thus, it had to be a mfg issue. Those things happen.
The rest of the transmission appeared not to sustain any other damage. So the casing and everything was reused. The entire trans was flushed and I put another magnetic filter in-line just in case. I also replaced the rear seal since it could possibly have been scratched by the tail shaft when it was pushed up in to the trans while being emptied.
wishyouwerehere82, the 13 vane pump is not recommended for my year transmission (the model used up through 1992, I believe). Additionally, increasing the vanes is only going to introduce more points of failure.
I guess it's snowing back home in Ohio, so I won't be having the car out quite yet. However, before I left, the day I got the trans reinstalled everything seemed to check out good.
Oh yeah, I also replaced the Tq convertor because the original one from BTO appeared to sustain a little damage as well and my mechanic wasn't about to put a questionable tq converter back on the car. I ended up going with a B&M Holeshot with a 2400 or 3000 rpm stall. I can't fully recall right now. Either way, it seems to give a little more oomph off the line when I release the brakes. But again, I really didn't have the chance to hammer on it since 1) I didn't have the time before leaving and 2) the car isn't back to being insured for driving yet.
So that's the quick & dirty. I'll post up the pictures later this month when I get home and try to remember anything else that we did.
Cheers from Buenos Aires, Argentina!
