2002 2500HD - Solid Axle Tow Rig

If you're around & need help in mid January (or want to grab some grub/beer), I'll be working in New Bern 1/19-1/21...just sayin!
 
@Lurch830 I'm always down for beer and food. Just shoot me a text when you're in town!
 
After 8 months of sitting and a few work trips, I was finally able to order the transmission parts for this thing! Of course, prices have gone up...so it was 4900 bucks total. That's a build kit with a triple disc Goerend DK converter, a billet steel flexplate, shipping (plus return labels for a few cores), and a PayPal transaction fee.

A ready to go transmission would have been 5800 plus two way freight and a transaction fee. It'd probably wind up around 6800 all said and done. I don't particularly want to do it myself, but to hang on to an extra two grand, I certainly will!

Aint nothing to do now but get after it once the parts show up! :D

I think after this, the only untouched part on this truck will be the rear axle and the bottom end of the engine.
 
Well, I take that back...

I've done hub seals, brakes, and serviced it several times. Surprisingly, the G80 actually works like it's supposed to. I do have a full rebuild kit/master install kit sitting in a box for it though.

I still need to install the True Trac up front. If the G80 dies, I'll likely put one in the rear too...unless I decide to get fancy and go with an ARB.
 
So it begins! The first transmission parts have showed up. It's just Goerend PTO covers and the drill fixture. It's a shame nobody will be able to see their sexiness once they're installed.

The kit should ship by the end of this week or beginning of next week.

Also, as a machinist, I appreciate their work. Not a sharp edge on them and smooth as hell!

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Got a shipping notification that the Goerend DK torque converter drop-shipped from Goerend yesterday. The notification said package weight 83 POUNDS!

Holy balls. Never realized they were THAT hefty. Makes sense though, I suppose. Billet steel front half, probably 13" or better in diameter, and 3 converter clutches stacked up inside of it.

I'm starting to get more excited. The kit should ship Monday or Tuesday. Won't be long before I'm smoking some tires. A guy at work gave me a free set that came off his wife's 4runner. Now I just need to find some spare 17" 8 lug wheels for cheap and I'll see how far I can leave rubber down my road! Good thing I'm related to everyone I live near or they'd probably be concerned and call the law. When they see it's me, they're like "oh....it's just Jake." :D
 
Got a shipping notification that the Goerend DK torque converter drop-shipped from Goerend yesterday. The notification said package weight 83 POUNDS!

Holy balls. Never realized they were THAT hefty. Makes sense though, I suppose. Billet steel front half, probably 13" or better in diameter, and 3 converter clutches stacked up inside of it.

I changed one not too long ago and having a really long bolt threaded in the converter makes lifting/installing the heavy thing way easier.
 
I changed one not too long ago and having a really long bolt threaded in the converter makes lifting/installing the heavy thing way easier.

Yep. Gotta grab some 10mmx1.5 bolts. I'll turn the heads rounds and weld them in some small pieces of pipe to make some handles. You do NOT want to have your hands/finger wrapped around the converter when it slides in to the pump. If you do, a bloody mess follows soon after!
 
I want video of the smoky burnouts

You bet your sweet ass there will be video footage. Uhh...on the streets of...umm...Mexico? Yeah. Definitely Mexico. :D
 
Good news! The torque converter will be here Wednesday, which I knew from the tracking number. I also got a call this morning to confirm my address/order. The kit itself shipped out today and will also be here Wednesday. Looks like I need to get my mess together and get ready to do the damn thing!

I'm excited :D

I'll probably go in to work late Wednesday night. I want to be here to put the stuff inside in case it decides to rain. I'd be some kind of upset if all of my parts showed up and got ruined on my front porch because they got wet. Plus, Spectrum is sending someone out to (hopefully) fix my internet between 2 and 3 pm. It'll be nice to have interwebz again too.
 
Transmission kit showed up on Wednesday and the converter on Thursday.

The kit has a LOT of stuff. The converter is HEAVY as helllllll. The UPS guy put it around back, but sat it on the ground in front of the steps, so naturally the little bit of dew destroyed the bottom of the box. Not the end of the world, but it was a big surprise when trying to pick up a 1600 dollar torque converter and it starts to fall out of the box! I peed a little and then sharted a bit when I caught it :lol:

Not sure when I'll get around to doing the R&R&R on the transmission. I do still need to pick up a few things and, most importantly, decide what transmission fluid I'm going to run and get 20-24 quarts of that. It'll take about 20, but I'll need extra for soaking clutches and lubing stuff during installation. (Ha!)

I've finally caught up on mowing ALL the grass around here, but it's HOT. I've gotten way too hot a few too many times, if I'm being honest. However, I'd love to get it fixed so I can drive something with AC again. Damned if I do, damned if I don't!

Obligatory pictures to follow!
 
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In order: C1 clutches/steels, C2s, C3s with machined backing plate, C4s, and C5s.
 
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Almost forgot to mention the best part...Goerend sent a sweet decal and a coozie :D That makes it all worth it!

BTW, the converter is obviously a Goerend piece and the transmission kit came from Dmitri Millard at NoZone Transmissions. The only thing left to show up, parts wise, is a billet flexplate. It should be here Monday or Tuesday.

Here's a full parts breakdown for anyone interested.

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Got myself 6 gallons of transmission fluid on the way and secured a spot at a buddy's house/shop who has a lift. I think we're going to get started on it on the 16th. I'm excited!

Stay tuned for more shenanigan. I also need to do the rear brakes on my CUCV and change out the busted NP241 in my 99 Silverado. Hopefully it'll calm down with being 183 degrees and I can get some work done.

I'm hoping to ride shotgun on a few wheeling trips this fall with a buddy. He's shaking down a fresh build on a '21 392 JK Rubicon. Has some DynaTrac tons under it, beadlocks, 40" Coopers, some PSC goodies, etc. I'm not much of a Jeep guy, but that thing is pretty sweet. So, I may offer to haul it to wherever as my contribution and to see how the truck does with a fresh transmission and converter :D
 
I hopped in the truck and drove about 45 mph down the highway and then hopped from one side of the highway to the other on all the available service roads. Had to hit the highway twice for probably 5 miles total, but strategically picked around 9 am and only had maybe 8 or 10 people pass me. Only took me about 15 minutes.

Got everything done today that I planned to as well.

The transmissionary valve unit is out and on the stand with the fancy adapter I made. I'll probably do some cleaning and disassembly tomorrow and carry on without any rush and keep moving forward. I'd like to think I'll be working on putting it back in on Friday, but we'll see how it goes!

Two driveshafts, a transfer case, a crossmember, and about 25 bolts. Then I lowered it down on the jack, lifted the truck up, rolled it out from under the truck, and got it hung on the stand. It was a good day.

As you can see, the fluid is still nice and red. It doesn't smell burnt, but there is absolutely a smoked clutch pack up in there.

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Lot's of tear down today and even got the C3, C4, C5 clutches and their corresponding planetary sets are back in the case. The tailshaft housing is also back on and torqued down. New apply pistons, return springs, thrust bearings, etc.

The adapter to hang these things on an engine stand is invaluable. Couldn't imagine doing it without one!

The case is now bell housing up and ready for me to drop in the C1/C2 input drum and then the bell housing/pump/stator assembly. I still need to disassemble, clean, and rebuild the drum. Same with the pump and stator. Those are both set aside as sub-assemblies because they have a lot going on all up in there. The stator gets a new shaft bushing and a more better converter lockup valve and spring.

The last and most tedious bit will be the valve body. It gets a handful of new springs, valves, and electronics.

Too tired to post pictures tonight. I also have to run in to work for a few hours in the morning, so it'll be a half day, but I'll post pictures soon. I should be stabbing the transmission back in it on Friday...Saturday at the latest.
 
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Had to go in to work for a bit. Got back at it around 11 this morning. Just getting home now.

The C1/C2 input drum took a hot minute. Gotta compress two return springs to get C clips out. All in all, wasn't too bad. Did have to make a call to make sure I was stacking the clutches right and after that I was golden.

Pulled the rear housing back off to check that I got all of the Torrington bearings installed (which I had), but I found I had somehow put the P2 sun gear in upside down. So, definitely glad I caught that. Buttoned that back up, dropped the drum down in the front, and got to work on the stator.

Knocked out the stator tube bushing and installed a new one. Pulled all of the spring and valves out, cleaned the bores, swapped out the main pressure valve spring, converter lockup valve/spring, main lube spring, and converter relief spring for ones included in the TransGo stuff. Drilled one .047" hole in the stator plate. Everything got lubed and reassembled. The kit comes with a new pump and wear plate too. All that got bolted together with new sealing rings, seals, etc, and dropped in the front of the case with the bellhousing.

All I have left for tomorrow is the valve body and a few mods in there, the pressure manifold switch, wiring harness, NSBU switch, shifter arm, internal filter, and the pan. Probably a few more hours and it'll be wrapped up. I'd have finished it up today if it weren't for having to go in to work and a few setbacks with the input drum.

I just need the billet flexplate to show up and I can get the transmission back in. If it's not here tomorrow, I'll just tell him to send me the money back for that. I have to leave Tuesday for PA and need to mow grass and do a few other things before I leave.

By the way, the C2 clutches were definitely smoked, just as I suspected. Everything else actually looked pretty decent considering it had 336,800 miles on it.

Next post for pics!
 
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Here's the pics I took of the teardown. Not exactly a step-by-step, just snagged some as I remembered to.

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And here's reassembly. I cleaned as I went. Had a bit of spacial constraints in my buddy's garage, but he has a lift...so...kinda worth it.

If I do another one, I'll take the transmission somewhere with more room and a few tables.

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As you can see, there's a LOT going on in that input drum. The drive flange also had quite a bit of wear in the teeth as the gear is MUCH harder than the flange. Luckily, the kit comes with a new one.
 
C3s go in from the front. The new apply pistons and return springs are all updated to LML style. Then you flip it over and install the ring gear, C4s, P1/P2 planetaries, sun gears, intermediate shaft, then C5 stack, return springs, and P3 planetary. Next is the parking pawl and all that jazz, a case gasket, and finally the tailshaft housing (cleaned up and new seals in the apply piston). Then throw the bolts back in and torque them down.

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