What to look for if a transmission is out of the car

[HEMI]

If it doesn't require a clutch pedal,junk it!

[Stich496]

If it doesn't require a clutch pedal,junk it!

haven't found a stick that can take a beating behind 700-ft lb and be driven like you stole it.. yet.

[moparmaniac07]

If it doesn't require a clutch pedal,junk it!

Well, if the transmission is coming out anyway...

The guy that would be doing the rebuilding is an older guy that comes highly recommended from a few people. They all say he's worth it. I'm sure it'll last a lot longer if he does it than if I do. I have a tendency to overtighten things I shouldn't and get frustrated quickly. I didn't think there was a way to tell, but I thought I'd ask. Thanks for the offer ksj.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I'll add my opinion to the chorus. Used transmissions tend to stop working correctly the longer they sit. A good example, I got a t400 in trade for a 700r4. Neither of them worked when installed... I know the 700r4 worked when I pulled mine, and the kid I got the t400 from didn't seem like the shady type and was pretty shocked that his didn't work either. The problem with the 700r4 is the fluid had been drained, and it sat and got a bit of rust on the ball that rides on the gear selector - froze it up. The t400, same thing, but it wouldn't shift out of first because it had rust in the valve body... that one had fluid in it.

[BKBridges]

Smell it.
If it smells burnt, its burnt. Pull the pan and look for junk in it. If theres junk in the pan, its junk. If theres just smooth goo in the pan, its a matter of how much... Id rebuild it no matter what as servo seals dry up from sitting as well as bands delaminating. At any rate, its old...727s are easy to rebuild and dont take any special tools other than something to hold them with (I use an old speaker box that had a 15" woofer in it...) There are lots of books out there on how to do it (my mechanic buddy showed me how so I never read them...) go with the servo seal upgrades (Billet servo pistons are good too as Ive had cast ones shatter) GVOs are about 2500.00 these days, and well worth it! I love mine.
BKB