Does any body know if the bands on an early C4 can be replaced without pulling it all apart? With the valve body out and the apply and hold struts loose, is it possible to slip the old bands out from around the drums and slip the new ones in? I realize this can not be done with the clutches and steels. Next question is on a scale of 1 to 10 how hard is it to rebuild a C4? Ive done manuals in the long past, and i know there aint that much in a 3 speed , and I do have a book on it, but on this question I was just wondering about paying sombody (when the time comes) vs. My attempting it on my own, if its within my capabileties. Sorry if these are really lame questions.

 

In no way any lame questions.

I put a B&M stage 2 shift kit into my Ranchero's C4 back when i was 16 or 17. Somehow and for some reason, it shifted very violently! Needless to day a few days later I broke the forward band right in two! Being as I was a poor kid, i preceeded to get a replacement band and did it myself.
no, to my knowledge you cannot replace the band without going in through the front. I went into the C4 blindly and started unloading it chunk by chunk out the front paying attention to order until I could get to the band. Replaced the band and put it all back together. Didn't make any changes tothe shift kit, but this time around, it shifted like it should have. i did this in 1996 or '97. It's still in the tranny and the tranny is as it was back when I replacedthe band, still going strong. Maybe I got lucky? Who knows, I had no choice as i couldn't afford a rebuild or a replacement and it was my daily driver. Keep in mind, i had never tore into a tranny other then to install a shift kit or two at this time. Just depends on how brave you want to be. I think they are just a little more intimidating than other things because they are not as familiar to most people as the other components on cars and trucks.

I guess what i'm saying is, it's not impossible if you want to give it a try, but be prepared just incase it doesn't work. A couple years ago i had a C4 rebuilt for my '69 F100. Ended up with a $725 bill, but almost all of the guts were cooked! Runs like a dream now. I think a good C4 rebuild is probably in the realm of $500 if all the necessary internals are salvageable.

 

Thanks Dano thats exactly what i wanted to know, It shifts good no slipping just a chirp between 1st and 2nd . the only band for that shift is the intermediate band. I just got band adj. lock nuts today so ill adjust em, its been quite a while since they have been adjusted, Ill see if it takes care of it. If not, well $500 ist that bad for a pro. bench build. If or when it gets worse. Thank you for the reply.