[MeligN]

I'm rebuilding a '57 Pontiac Hydra-matic. I'm working on the valve body and according to the book I'm using, some of the components in it seem to be from a 58. I was having issues trying to put it back together using the book until I extended my view to the '58 segments in the book. Now there still is one thing I can't figure out regardless of which year I look at, the check ball. The '57 is supposed to have one along with a spring and the 58 doesn't have one at all. My transmission has one, a very very small one, smaller than the size of a BB, but has no spring. Does any body know anything about this or where I can get help?

[Crosley]

IF the check ball was in the valve body when you disassembled it, I would put it back in.

Or did this fall out when you disassembled the Vb and now are attempting to reassemble the parts?

[MeligN]

Actually I figured out where it goes by taking another close look at the book. However I also figured out that it is supposed to have another check ball, one with a spring. The second check ball with the spring was not anywhere in the plate when I pulled it apart and I didn't drop anything, I was very careful. Allot of the things in the valve body seem to be inconsistent. It has spools and springs from a '57 in some places and from a '58 in others, but the tag on the transmission clearly identifies it as a '57 and it came out of a '57. Was there some sort of hybrid

[Crosley]

You are dealing with a 40+ year old tranny.

Vehicle manufacturers often change things as the year progresses. There may have been updates from GM or early shift mods performed by a trany guy during a rebuild for a better operating tranny.

Check balls leave witness marks where they ride/sit. Either on the steel separtor plate or the cast iron of the v-body. These marks are shiney spots or smooth cast iron which is never smooth.

A spring loaded check ball may have been a check valve for avoiding drain back in the tranny. Later it may have been found to be un-needed. GM did this in the T-400. they had several check valves in the pump for drain back form the converter. These valves were eliminated in later years.

I could also point out a similar deal in the 700/4L60 pump