[fearsomefairmont]

Hi Folks,
This question is regarding the TH-375 behind the 455 in my '72 cutlass.

I had the trans rebuilt by a reputable shop with heavy duty clutches/steels, an upgraded center support (?), and shift kit (not sure which brand), allowing automatic as well as full manual shifting. The trans had been rebuilt 8 years before and had only 3K on it, but it sat for 7 years and the seals went bad, hence why I thought it was slipping and needed a hard parts rebuild.

Anyways, I installed it without too much trouble, had the shop flush the stock 1400 rpm converter, installed the whole mess, and it works great aside from a little hitch with a loose cooler line and pissing a couple quarts of tranny fluid, which was promptly refilled.

Here is the issue: I am running a Hurst Pistol grip quarter stick on the floor. Apparently the cable stretched a some and the detents on the shifter were misaligned with the detents on the trans shift lever. I never knew this, as the shifter worked great and the trans always shifted positively into whatever gear I selected, but I was concerned I did some damage if the trans shift lever was between detents. I corrected it today and there was no difference in shift quality or general driving feel.

I heard on Ford trannys that it will kill a tranny is SHORT order, hence why I am concerned.

Also, I have about 750 miles on the rebuild, is it time to change fluid? Should I flush it totally by disconnecting the cooler line and running 10 quarts of fluid through it? Should I expect to see some minor metal bits and black clutch material in the fluid?

Sorry about the long post, I am a self-taught 21 year old rodder trying to figure things out. Thanks for all your input!

Andy

[Chazmac]

If you corrected the shifter adjustment, leave it as it is.
Do not flush the trans. If you want to service it, drop the pan, replace the filter and gasket (NO SILICONE!!), and refill. I doubt that there will be any advantage to doing a trans service given the short mileage on the unit. I recommend service on cars about every 15000 miles. If the car sits alot, change it every two years.