WeakSauce6

I've been saving to rebuild for a while now and just about have the funds to do it, but have been doing a lot of reading the last couple of days and have seen where people are rebuilding these themselves. Now I have ZERO experience with transmissions other than removing, installing, and fluid changes, but am an experienced engine builder. I was planning on having my whole trans done, new bearings, viper 2nd gear, viper main shaft, exc...exc. Basically what I'm wondering is this worth risking doing myself, and how is the success rate for DIY'ers building their own trans? By the time I buy everything needed to do it am I looking at a difference of a couple hundred bucks or a good amount? I'd love to learn how to do this, but not at the expense of it costing me a lot more in the long run.

Aceshigh

You'd have to price out the components you want to buy to determine the savings.

I can tell you first hand I just built a $2500+ 2004R for less then $1000 with a $50 core.
I'm not too savvy with the T-56 yet but if that DIY write up is good, I'm going to rebuild mine as well.

A good snap ring plier set can be bought at Sears for $20.
Outside of that I'm not sure how many other specialized tools you'll need.
With the 200-4R I was able to save alot of dough on special tools with various tricks I learned

Zbinkley

I ruined a t56 about a month ago rebuilding it myself. Rear bearing shelled out after about 100 miles of driving. Granted it wasn't a new bearing, but it showed no signs of wear when I did the tear down. One shop I talked to figured I didn't use enough pre assembly lube on the bearing.

I'm a hardcore DIY'er, but after this experience I realized there's a good reason that tranny work is a specialty line of work, and should be left to the professionals. Just my 2 cents. Plus warranty is definitely FTW.

t5munoz

what kind of noise did it make when that bearing went out!!??

thesource

iTrader: (60)

Completely depends on your location and what kind of budget you are on. Bench labor ranges from about $200-$350 + shipping each way if you don't have a local builder. I know when I build the units, typically I will discount the parts I use since I am making a profit on the labor itself. If I am just selling the parts, the price is higher because I need to make some kind of profit on them to justify selling them versus keeping them in stock for a complete job I might get in.

TDP

iTrader: (23)

In your case, I'd let a good reputable builder so the work (preferably my shop ). Seriously, there is a LOT of important information that you'll never see in a book or manual. A truly good builder will have a "feel" for it, which can only be obtained by experience. There are a lot of small things to watch out for and pay attention to, which can easily be missed.
FWIW, I charge $275 labor, but then shipping would be roughly $100 each way.
I recommend using the stronger 31-spline mainshaft over the Viper 30-spline. Most others don't offer this, as the 31-spline shaft is not a direct "bolt-in" fit. It requires machine work that most machine shops are not equipped for. The "Viper" 2nd gear is no different than the 2000+ f-body one. The engagement teeth are twice as long as the earlier design. The old design had tiny engagement teeth which could easily break off completely.
We also use 4140 billet keys for 3-4. To my knowledge, we are the only shop using this type of alloy.
Do some searching on this site for "TDP T56", or the name of my shop. We also offer package discounts if you need a clutch. Check the websites listed in my sig.
If you decide to do the build yourself, I'd be glad to point you in the right direction, as I don't typically sell parts. There isn't really a "kit" that will fix all your issues. You really need to disassemble the unit, then order the parts to ensure you get everything necessary. Last time I sold parts to a DIY'er, I ended up shipping 3 separate orders to him and the process took several weeks.
Hope this helps!

Zbinkley

Sounded like when you drive through fresh pavement and all the asphalt flies up and hits the bottom of the car. That sound for like a second.