Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61



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RICKYMOPAR
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Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

Converting A-466 to A-727 push button 62 to 65. I performed this conversion many years ago, and are revisiting it now, helping a friend of ours resurrect a non-moving forward look convertible. after pricing front pumps and torque convertors as well as rebuild kits, We decided to up grade to a still serviceable A-727 push button operated transmission. I like this conversion being it works so well and still can push start the vehicle if necessary, and uses a starter that is easy to find.

Known problems in conversion;
Crank shaft length difference and number of flex plate bolts. Finding the 62 E brake tail housing some trucks used this also and later years.

Solutions;
Change out crank shaft with 62 or newer, take your old crank shaft to engine balance provider and have it indexed and match the old balance.
use an adapter kit.

We are using and adapter kit being retaining the long stroke A engine. Hot Heads on the left and R&D Power Engineering right Gold B&M 426 Hemi flex plate. Prefer the on on right for many reasons.


will continue as work progresses.
62 727 ebrake tail housing bushed 318 rods.jpg
62 727 W ebrake tail housing.jpg
63 727 with tailhousing removed.jpg
Early Hemi, A engine adapters.jpg
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Faulkner
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by Faulkner »

Way cool, Rick! Keep those cards and letters (and pix) coming!
"If it's new, Plymouth's got it!"
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

Sunny today but not warm. Decided I'd better continue this endeavor and not find my human remains on the couch. I found a huge mess of brown shoe polish coating everything and about 1/8 inch deep in transmission pan, and clogged filter screen. Disassembled everything including band servos. Scrapped off all the brown shoe polish I could get to trying, not to ruin my solvent tank. Found rear pump check valve also to be clogged, but the rear pump survived and is still useable. Yes I did spray off the valve body with brake clean before removal. Planning on changing second gear band apply lever to a better ratio, and installing a drain plug in the pan, an inline transmission cooler line filter not just a magnet as well as a Gil Younger shift kit, so we can select the RPM when the transmission shifts. Pictures below
clogged rear pump check valve.jpg
Removing second gear servo piston assembly.jpg
63 727-A combined messes.jpg
Scraping away a pound of oxidized yuck.jpg
solvent tank pre-cleaning internals.jpg
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

Continuing E brake repair and cleaning, found pieces to be missing, like adjuster wheel and pivot shaft and bad E brake shoes. Lots of cleaning to finish. More pictures below.

1 required puller to pull E brake drum.jpg
1 Oil digested brake shoes.jpg
1 Dirty and missing parts.jpg
1 54 part number on gasket.jpg
1 No park gear.jpg
1 rear seal part number.jpg
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

Finally a warm enough day to continue on the project, fun project. Just making sure everything is going to work, so far everything is great..
1 rear anulus clearance or end play check.jpg
1 sun shell and planet clearance check.jpg
2 thread chasing on questionable holes heli-coil if needed.jpg
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

A busy morning, chiropractor, physical therapy, pick up medication at Walgreens, 'not mine'. Finally at lunch time I was able to continue on this project. Missing E-brake parts located and delivered, the cleaning continues, broke into rebuild kit and no out put seal, found two at advance auto, also delivered. NAPA failed... Just mine. Soaking clutches in ATF will make things work smoothly on initial maiden voyage, also stops internal rusting if you store the transmission for future use. I found the old seals from 1963 to be mostly serviceable, but all seals are being replaced. Failed or cracked seals found; output shaft, kickdown link into case, low reverse servo piston, outer high and reverse drum outer and front pump was damaged in storage. All paper and rubber will be replaced as well as clutches and steels, with best quality available. picked up rebuilt torque-convertor, ouch prices went up.
3 The small a-466 clutches compaired to A-727 steels.jpg
3 A-727 clutch disc and hardened steel cross polui.jpg
3 pre-soaking forward clutch disc before assembly.jpg
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

Refurbished forward drum, new clutches rubber seals, clearances checked, installed new thrust bearing between input and output shafts with bronze, replacing fiber board original that was still serviceable just old. my preference of band apply lever ratios are 3.8 to 4.2 on this type build.
rebuilding front pump after cleaning, replaced front pump/torque convertor babbitt bushing and new oil seal, large o ring and paper gasket. lots of grease or assembly lube is okay.
band apply lever and front pump.jpg
front pump bushing install, staked in place front seal.jpg
front pump install, torque wrench.jpg
front pump new bushing and seals, gasket.jpg
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

Cold and windy still, sunny though. Starting on valve body cleaning, repair and modification. Found some water damage and will require attention. Note the reverse lock out safety check, exclusive to push button or cable shifted transmissions, and the dual pump check valves, for front and rear pumps. I try not to expose my lungs to solvents if possible, working outside helps the most. you would be surprised how well paper towels clean, just by rubbing yuck off of the parts. Cloth rags forbidden, on valve body work. Nitrile gloves are the best. As you can see we have a small amount of rust damage, lucky we can steal parts from the 62 valve body.
5 Filter screen debris, pressure regulator springs and regulated spool valve.jpg
5 Pump check valve.jpg
5 removing screen for breaking down valve body For clean up.jpg
5 Reverse safety lock out.jpg
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Faulkner
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by Faulkner »

Cool to see this going down, Rick!
RICKYMOPAR wrote: Sun Dec 27, 2020 3:30 pm Cloth rags forbidden, on valve body work.
'Splain this to me. Do they leave fibers behind, nothing that can be cleaned up with a little isopropyl?
"If it's new, Plymouth's got it!"
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

Paper towels do not leave behind large loose fibers. Large fibers say like shop rags, that can get stuck in the valves/spools stopping their action until removed. Isopropyl, Ethanol and methanol co-solvents work great for flushing and cleaning, but are very flammable. I do use these in a well ventilated area, and carefully.
Solvents that smell like paint thinner and of dry cleaning fluid or chlorinated solvents are more toxic.
Charles Mervine, the Chrysler engineer that designed the Power-Flite automatic transmission died from carbon-tetrachloride poisoning.
5 Denatured ethano the bestl (2).jpg
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

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Celebrated New Years Eve and Day in Sheridan Wyoming and southern Montana. Arrived back yesterday evening, driving through a horrible wind storm for hundreds of miles on the return trip. This morning I went to John Quinn's to see what was happening and we went to check on vehicle storage and to repair a gate there. John wanted to check out the transmission project, so we retuned to my place and John supervised the operation being we had a nice warm day. Valve body modification and spring changes started, with separator plate drilling and filing required to illuminate any burrs and repair check ball seats, as the pictures show note valve body drill guide plate. John noted the forward look emblem cast into the valve body. I like the Gil Younger kits for the early A-727 transmissions.
7a John Quinn supervising operations.jpg
7a modified valve body showing drill guide tool installed.jpg
7 modified separator plate showing filing marks.jpg
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

replacing 1 2 shift governor valve.jpg

Completing valve body modification, New pressure regulator spring, 1-2 shift governor valve can be down shifted at high speed, I do not recommend this on push button transmissions it's too easy to have a surprise, if you select the wrong button. Cut down 3/16 Allen wrench for in case pressure adjustments, if needed. Note the Forward look and DPCD cast into valve body. cardboard adjustment help keeping everything square on pressure regulator and torque convertor switch valve. Dacron with two hole filter replacing rusted screen, I still used the cooling line filters a $45 dollar insurance policy, worth every penny. I will post breakdown of all cost parts and labor at the end.
2 hole dacron filter for rear pump feed.jpg
DPCD Forward look parts hoard.jpg
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

Warmer today but windy, some mock up work and air testing of clutches and servos. I had some difficulty removing rear oil seal, installed new replacment easily. Mock up installation of emergency brake parts.

Rear oil seal and brake mock up.jpg
Rear oil seal at Auto Zone or others.jpg
valve body test fitting .jpg
Last edited by RICKYMOPAR on Thu Jan 21, 2021 9:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

Today, I found another 62 A-727, Guessing I will be doing a couple of these changeover transmission conversions.
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RICKYMOPAR
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Re: Cast iron A-466 to A-727 conversion Forward Look 56 to 61

Post by RICKYMOPAR »

Another nice afternoon... So I finished cleaning and the emergency brake rebuild continues. Check the pictures and note the Snap-On e-brake adjuster tool hanging on the e-brake drum. Also installed a new larger drain plug into transmission pan. NOTE: Relined brake shoes.
Emergency brake rebuild 1.jpg
Emergency brake rebuild 2 adjuster tool.jpg
Emergency brake adjusting tool.jpg
Last edited by RICKYMOPAR on Sun Jan 31, 2021 4:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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