On my list of parts for this project is a new (bigger) cooler that I will mount in front of the radiator.

Is there a way to check for valve body damage? I pulled the pan on the old tranny and didn't have any random parts falling out so it seems like I am off to a good start!

 

i'm no expert on these, but my habit is to look in the bottom of the tranny pan after pouring off all the fluid. fine black debris is normal, metal chunks mean bad things, and if present, some may have gotten into the valve body and damaged it.
other than that, check for warpage and for all moving parts being able to move.
also inspect with the intent of figuring out how the previous builder could have damaged what he did, so you can learn from his mistake.

as for a bigger tranny cooler, i put this monster on mine https://www.dropbox.com/s/hq58fhgmbb...2018.30.14.jpg
i'd give you a link where to get one, but the cooler came from the junkyard, and the fan was found in my back workshop with no clue where it came from.

 

Josh, no offense meant to you, but the only problem i have with this train of thought is this thing is supposed to be a fresh rebuild. if it was done correctly there should not be any problems with it.
since there was broken parts in the "fresh rebuilt" trans, i would be suspect if it was actually rebuilt or just "repaired" to make it work.

 

I found a guy locally (sort of) that has a diesel C6 that was rebuilt about 2 years ago but never installed. It has been stored indoors and includes a new torque converter. He is asking $400 for the package. Any thoughts on why I should avoid this or what to look for/check in the trans?

 

As long as it matches your truck as far as 2wd or 4x4, I'd jump on that.

 

i agree. that is a very good deal.

 

Thanks guys. I have to call him tomorrow to figure out a time to meet up as he is just shy of 2 hours from me. I must admit that I am somewhat leery though as I don't care to go through the exercise only to find out that it wasn't actually rebuilt!

On a separate note, I got some garage time today so decided to tear down the spare C6 I have in case I end up going the rebuild route. Upon opening it up I found that the downshift lever was bent and cracked...seems weird to me that the same piece would be failing here too! Is is a common failure point? Don't get me wrong, this trans definitely had burnt clutches which was its doom but still weird to see this.
image-1.jpg Photo by jefhuf | Photobucket
image.jpg Photo by jefhuf | Photobucket

 

i would guess it would have to be a symptom of the kickdown rod being severely misadjusted. otherwise there would never be that much force on it

 

Any idea where to purchase a new one? I checked on most of the recommended rebuilt kit places and they don't show a listing online but haven't called yet. Along with that, a lot of folks recommend talking to Jay at Broader Performance but it seems like their website is down. Are they still in business?

 

i've never looked into it, but when i need something like that, i walk into my local tranny shop, the independent shop thats been there for over 20 years and is run by an old guy - yeah that one. they have tons of used parts laying around, and plenty of experience to know exactly what piece you're after.
a lot of places like that never post their stock of odd parts online, but are more than fair when you walk in looking for something

 

Makes sense and thanks again for all the advice. Hopefully I will get to meet up with the guy who is selling the rebuilt unit on Wednesday but I still plan to rebuild at least one of my C6's both for the experience and as a spare!

 

Quick update, picked up the rebuilt C6 from the local guy tonight. Pulled the pan and it looks clean inside and has definitely never seen oil beyond the amount used to build the transmission. Excited to get this thing in this weekend...keep your fingers crossed and thanks again for all the advice!

 

Most people think that's a good thing. A tranny really should be stored full of fluid. Keeps all the seals and clutches wet, keeps them from deteriorating. Also keeps hard parts from rusting since ATF has anti-rust inhibitors. Rubber (lip seals and o-rings) breaks down over time and I've seen my fair share of "stored dry" transmissions not work or poorly work due to seals going bad from sitting dry.

I do hope it works out for you, though.

 

I had actually wondered about that but will see how it goes this weekend and report back!

 

As a follow up to this, it turns out that the transmission I picked up is setup for floor shift, or at least I assume so as its range of motion is more 12:00-3:00 while my old one was 6:00-9:00. For whatever reason I didn't notice this until after I got the trans in the truck so my question is how hard is it to change this around now or am I better off trying to convert the truck to floor shift?

I read in another forum that some folks recommended this part but I am not totally sure how it would solve my problem...
TCI 418400 TCI Shifter Bracket & Lever Kit