32RH transmission rebuild

U8MYDZT

U8MYDZT

Wrong guy to follow
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Sep 24, 2019
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740
Location
North San Jose
So after filling my my transmission with water and mud I think my trans is pretty much dead. After pulling myself out of the mud hole the trans started whining pretty bad. I limped her of the trail and just as I got on the pavement she started blowing trans fluid out everywhere and the trans was just completely slipping. I called AAA and after waiting an hour they called me back and said "Sorry we don't have any trucks in your area and we are not sure if/when I can be picked up". So I went for broke... I fired the jeep back up, poured the last bottle of trans fluid in and somehow got all the way back home (60 miles away). It was a super sketchy ride and the trans was not acting right at all. The next morning I flushed the trans and got all the pretty pink fluid out. The whine went away and it seemed as though it was engaging pretty well so I took it for a spin.
Now this is where things got a little odd. if I have the trans in Drive it slips terribly off the line and doesn't quite shift into the gears correctly. But if I put the shifter into 1st and then back to drive before leaving a stop everything works as it should, shifting and down shifting right, lock up engaging and disengaging as expected. But as soon as I stop and try to leave the light in Drive it slips really bad and shifts like crap.

At this point I really just want to rebuild the damn thing so I am not worried every time I go out, plus I .need to relocate the breather so I don't do this crap again. Anyone have advice on rebuilding a 32rh? Are there any upgrades I can do to make the trans a little tougher (not that it was the trans fault in the first place) Also I am looking for a rebuild guide of some kind. I did a bit of searching but these damn 32rh's are tough SOB's so not much information out there.

Adding resources as I find them:
https://www.wittrans.com/parts?type=A904 (30RH-32RH)&section=90_planethttps://www.allpar.com/threads/torq...sion-major-components.230004/#post-1085224102
This is actually a really good series. There are a lot of videos but the guy takes it nice and slow to really show every step. (This is an A904 from a mid 70's car but the internals are almost exactly the same.)

REBUILD KIT:
https://www.oregonperformancetransmission.com/product/OPT-A904-RBHP.htmlThis HP transmission overhaul kit comes with the following rebuild parts:

  • Raybestos HP Red friction clutch plates
  • Alto black Kolene steel plates
  • Kevlar intermediate kickdown band
  • Internal fluid filter
  • Pump bushing
  • Output shaft bushing
  • All rubber clutch piston seals
  • All paper gaskets
  • All O-rings
  • All metal clad seals
  • Teflon and steel sealing rings
  • Transgo TF-2 shift kit
FSM 30/32RH Transmission:
 

Attachments

  • 30RH-32RH-AUTOMATIC-TRANSMISSION.pdf
    6.2 MB · Views: 850
  • A727.pdf
    3.6 MB · Views: 253
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There's only one transmission shop I know to trust with a rebuild of that transmission, it's just a little far to drive. Westminster Transmission in Westminster CA, in Orange County. To me it'd be worth the drive, or the shipping cost... they are trustworthy and really know Jeep transmissions, especially the 32RH. If you call them, ask for Joe... hopefully he's still there. A really good guy.
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
There's only one transmission shop I know to trust with a rebuild of that transmission, it's just a little far to drive. Westminster Transmission in Westminster CA, in Orange County. To me it'd be worth the drive, or the shipping cost... they are trustworthy and really know Jeep transmissions, especially the 32RH. If you call them, ask for Joe... hopefully he's still there. A really good guy.
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I was really looking to rebuild this myself unless there is something super crazy about the process. I have built a lot of engines and manual transmissions in my day so I am pretty sure I can handle an auto.
 
U8MYDZT said:
I was really looking to rebuild this myself unless there is something super crazy about the process. I have built a lot of engines and manual transmissions in my day so I am pretty sure I can handle an auto.
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I'd dive into an engine or axle rebuild but an automatic transmission scares the bejesus out of me. That's after reading what a rebuild entails and the skills it requires to recognize what needs to be done.
 
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U8MYDZT said:
I was really looking to rebuild this myself unless there is something super crazy about the process. I have built a lot of engines and manual transmissions in my day so I am pretty sure I can handle an auto.
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Joe is still at Westminster. Give him a call and tell him you are going to rebuild the 32 and do what he says without fail. They are a very picky trans relative to what parts fit them by year and there are a lot of little variables like the piston in the governor that fit very narrow ranges of trans model. If you don't get that right, you will have wasted a bunch of time and money for nothing. Also, the main reason you are having issues now is a lot of stuff is held together with a water-based glue that isn't affected by oil and trans fluid, but water screws it right up and causes them to come loose.
 
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mrblaine said:
Joe is still at Westminster. Give him a call and tell him you are going to rebuild the 32 and do what he says without fail. They are a very picky trans relative to what parts fit them by year and there are a lot of little variables like the piston in the governor that fit very narrow ranges of trans model. If you don't get that right, you will have wasted a bunch of time and money for nothing. Also, the main reason you are having issues now is a lot of stuff is held together with a water-based glue that isn't affected by oil and trans fluid, but water screws it right up and causes them to come loose.
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Yeah I read about the glue thing. Thought it was a little strange it works fine if manually shifted into 1st but doesn't in drive. sounds like there is some tricky stuff going on inside this trans. Gonna have to do my homework before tackling it.
 
U8MYDZT said:
Yeah I read about the glue thing. Thought it was a little strange it works fine if manually shifted into 1st but doesn't in drive. sounds like there is some tricky stuff going on inside this trans. Gonna have to do my homework before tackling it.
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That is the typical response if the governor piston is screwed.
 
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I could be totally wrong because I'm no expert on this...as far as I understand it... Putting it in L activates the low/reverse drum in additon to the rear clutch. In D, it's just the rear clutch. Putting it in L would give you a little extra holding power for breakaway. So you might have smoked the rear clutch pack or related parts that operate it (piston seals, check balls, passageways, etc).

There is a book called Chrysler Torqueflite A-904 and A-727 by Tom Hand. It details operation, troubleshooting, rebuilding. Maybe it could help you rebuild it or help you decide not to do it yourself.

Good luck to you. I had this happen with my Jeep when it was almost new and I was lucky they covered it under warranty. Pretty much all the inside parts were destroyed!
U8MYDZT said:
Yeah I read about the glue thing. Thought it was a little strange it works fine if manually shifted into 1st but doesn't in drive. sounds like there is some tricky stuff going on inside this trans. Gonna have to do my homework before tackling it.
Click to expand...
 
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Vtx531 said:
I could be totally wrong because I'm no expert on this...as far as I understand it... Putting it in L activates the low/reverse drum in additon to the rear clutch. In D, it's just the rear clutch. Putting it in L would give you a little extra holding power for breakaway. So you might have smoked the rear clutch pack or related parts that operate it (piston seals, check balls, passageways, etc).

There is a book called Chrysler Torqueflite A-904 and A-727 by Tom Hand. It details operation, troubleshooting, rebuilding. Maybe it could help you rebuild it or help you decide not to do it yourself.

Good luck to you. I had this happen with my Jeep when it was almost new and I was lucky they covered it under warranty. Pretty much all the inside parts were destroyed!
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Good info man, thanks! I guess the moral of the story here is my trans is toast. lol I planned on pulling it out anyways BC I just wouldn't trust it on a long 4x4 trip (i.e. the Dusy I am planning later this year) I will probably end up getting that book. I have been poking around and found a couple tf 999 break downs and exploded view diagrams, from what I have seen so far it doesn't look too bad. But there is nothing better than reading through the instructions to get a really good idea. I am 90% sure I am going to take this on myself and I will keep this post updated as I go.
 
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If you do decide to tackle it, take pics & notes and share with the rest of us. I really want to find a blown 32RH and attempt to rebuild it. Why? I can't say. I just do.
 
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Alright after a ton of research and watching through a few videos about rebuilding these trans I have decided I am going to tackle this on my own. I am not great at doing guides but I will document as much as I can and will be sure to hit any pain points in detail. I will keep the first post updated with all the build information just so people don't have to dig through the entire thread for answers.
 
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Quick update: After moving the Jeep around to work on my other projects I noticed the transmission seemed to be engaging correctly, so I decided to take her for a spin around the block and everything worked as normal. The next day I took the Jeep out for breakfast a couple miles down the road. On the way there the trans didn't want to fully grab first gear a couple times, but on the way back there was no problems at all. Took it on a couple other errands that day without issue and a freeway trip today about 15 miles from home and she ran perfectly, fully grabbing first on take-off and shifting super smooth. Kick down and lock up are all good. This is great news!! Now I am still going to pull the trans out to add the vent and replace all the "soft" parts (clutches, steels and seals) but at least I know I didn't screw anything up too bad!

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P.S. I plan on pulling the trans this upcoming weekend, I will post some pics once I get it on the bench.
 
Isn’t clutches & seals the crux of a rebuild? Maybe that’s why I need to see you do it!
 
hear said:
Isn’t clutches & seals the crux of a rebuild? Maybe that’s why I need to see you do it!
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Yes. I just expect that my hard parts are still ok and a simple rebuild is all I really need. I will be doing some upgrades to it as well. I am getting the Transgo TF-2 shift kit, (it's supposed to help improve the longevity and crisp up the shifts some), the vent mod and a deep pan. I already have a trans cooler, so I am covered there. Oh and replacing my TC just to be sure.
 
U8MYDZT said:
Yes. I just expect that my hard parts are still ok and a simple rebuild is all I really need. I will be doing some upgrades to it as well. I am getting the Transgo TF-2 shift kit, (it's supposed to help improve the longevity and crisp up the shifts some), the vent mod and a deep pan. I already have a trans cooler, so I am covered there. Oh and replacing my TC just to be sure.
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I would also find out about seeing if you can use different clutches? On some autos you can use thinner clutches for more.
And see what different RPM's of torque converters you can get.
 
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In reading experiences of those who experimented with different rpm torque converters for their TJs I never read any that ended up liking anything different from what the factory installed.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
In reading experiences of those who experimented with different rpm torque converters for their TJs I never read any that ended up liking anything different from what the factory installed.
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OK, l haven't seen enough information either way.
 
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