Picked up a 32RH transmission today for $100

hardtailpan

hardtailpan

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I've been keeping track of the thread @U8MYDZT has (https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/32rh-transmission-rebuild.59697/) about rebuilding the 32RH because I have to pull the motor in my Apex, and the transmission is POURING transmission fluid out, though it seems to function ok. Both the motor and transmission have 200k miles on them

I scored a motor a while back with about 120k on it, and today I picked up a 32RH that has 128k on it. It came out of a rolled over 2001 TJ that the guy got at on auction, so he doesn't know much about it. He did say he drove it around his yard and it did hit second gear. Transmission fluid looks ok and doesn't smell funny.

So, the question is, do I rebuild it or do I take a chance on it and throw it in as is? I'm thinking I might roll the dice on it. If it turns out to be no good, I'll rebuild the one I pull out and swap em' later.

What ya'll think:

trans1.jpg


trans2.jpg
 
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Irun said:
How much does peace of mind matter to you?
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I think the big risk is that there is something wrong with it and I have to turn around and pull it back out. If it works well after installation, I wouldn't be too worried about its longevity, if that's what you mean. This jeep won't see any hard service at all, and will most likely be driven primarily by the wife, only on nice days in the summer.

Also, 128k or whatever, doesn't seem too terrible for a 3 speed auto.
 
Check the end play of the input shaft for clearance issues and if you can pull the Valve Body and give it a good once over with some carb cleaner it would do it justice. Don't use any rags to dry the valve body as the lint is no good for it, use compressed air to blow it off. Take note of the little checkballs if you remove the backing plate.
There are also a couple seals that are worth replacing while its not all bolted up. The one around the gear selector is notorious for leaking and is much easier to replace if you remove the valve body. The rear main and the front pump seal if you have a way to drive them in straight.
After doing my vent mod I would be super nervous about doing this mod while the transmission is all together. This is how many shavings I collected just from adding the hole in the case.
20220409_122804.jpg
 
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U8MYDZT said:
Check the end play of the input shaft for clearance issues and if you can pull the Valve Body and give it a good once over with some carb cleaner it would do it justice. Don't use any rags to dry the valve body as the lint is no good for it, use compressed air to blow it off. Take note of the little checkballs if you remove the backing plate.
There are also a couple seals that are worth replacing while its not all bolted up. The one around the gear selector is notorious for leaking and is much easier to replace if you remove the valve body. The rear main and the front pump seal if you have a way to drive them in straight.
After doing my vent mod I would be super nervous about doing this mod while the transmission is all together. This is how many shavings I collected just from adding the hole in the case. View attachment 323825
Click to expand...



Thanks for chiming in!
I'll definitely do the front pump and output shaft seals, dipstick tube seal, and now the shifter shaft seal (forgot about that one)
In your research, did you find a place to source these specific seals separately?

I'll check the input shaft clearance as well hadn't thought about that.

I hadn't thought about pulling the valve body, but its simple enough and no reason not to especially if it makes getting the shifter seal out easier, so yeah, I'll do that as well.

I don't plan on doing the vent mod, this rig will never get swamped to the point where that will be an issue.
 
hardtailpan said:
I think the big risk is that there is something wrong with it and I have to turn around and pull it back out. If it works well after installation, I wouldn't be too worried about its longevity, if that's what you mean. This jeep won't see any hard service at all, and will most likely be driven primarily by the wife, only on nice days in the summer.

Also, 128k or whatever, doesn't seem too terrible for a 3 speed auto.
Click to expand...
What does it hurt to get an estimate for a rebuild? If I were putting my wife in it I'd at least do that. There's a good thread on the 32RH from back in February. Here's a link to the manual and the thread.

https://wranglertjforum.com/attachments/30rh-32rh-automatic-transmission-pdf.312621/
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/32rh-transmission-rebuild.59697/
 
hardtailpan said:
Thanks for chiming in!
I'll definitely do the front pump and output shaft seals, dipstick tube seal, and now the shifter shaft seal (forgot about that one)
In your research, did you find a place to source these specific seals separately?

I'll check the input shaft clearance as well hadn't thought about that.

I hadn't thought about pulling the valve body, but its simple enough and no reason hnot to especially if it makes getting the shifter seal out easier, so yeah, I'll do that as well.

I don't plan on doing the vent mod, this rig will never get swamped to the point where that will be an issue.
Click to expand...
Transparts Warehouse has them all listed individually. They're just listed mostly by size so you would need to measure yours first to make sure you get the right stuff. I forgot to mention this little guy that seals the kickdown lever https://transpartswarehouse.com/123...flite-throttle-lever-shaft-kickdown-seal.html , i think there was 2 of them.
 
Irun said:
What does it hurt to get an estimate for a rebuild? If I were putting my wife in it I'd at least do that. There's a good thread on the 32RH from back in February. Here's a link to the manual and the thread.

https://wranglertjforum.com/attachments/30rh-32rh-automatic-transmission-pdf.312621/
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/32rh-transmission-rebuild.59697/
Click to expand...
Thanks for the links.
I got an estimate on a rebuild, it is about $1000. I would just do it myself. I've done TH350s/400s, as well as a 727 torqueflite which is basically the same tranny as the 32Rh (904 family). I'm trying to determine whether I will bother or not.

As I said, if it works once installed, it'll probably be ok for a while. This thing will maybe get 10k miles a year on it.
I understand your points, and they are well taken. I'd be going in eyes wide open with an understanding of the ramifications.
That being said, this wouldn't be much different than buying a jeep with 128k on the clock, assuming the transmission works well. You still wouldn't have much history on it.
 
hardtailpan said:
Thanks for the links.
I got an estimate on a rebuild, it is about $1000. I would just do it myself. I've done TH350s/400s, as well as a 727 torqueflite which is basically the same tranny as the 32Rh (904 family). I'm trying to determine whether I will bother or not.

As I said, if it works once installed, it'll probably be ok for a while. This thing will maybe get 10k miles a year on it.
I understand your points, and they are well taken. I'd be going in eyes wide open with an understanding of the ramifications.
That being said, this wouldn't be much different than buying a jeep with 128k on the clock, assuming the transmission works well. You still wouldn't have much history on it.
Click to expand...
As long as there is no Jasper stickers on it you should be fine.
 
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U8MYDZT said:
As long as there is no Jasper stickers on it you should be fine.
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Hah!
Yeah, i've heard their quality has gone to shit as well.
There's a guy local to me who is about to retire but has been the go-to for heavy duty street and racing transmissions for decades. He was the one who quoted me $1000 to rebuild.

And no, there are no Jasper stickers or any signs that anybody has even been inside it before, so hopefully that's a good thing!
 
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