Does this trans. tag mean anything to anyone? I'm pretty sure it's in the location of the original factory tag that SHOULD have the GM ID #, right? I found out from the original owner (my uncle) that this car likely had a rebuilt trans. put in it sometime in the 70's. He thought he recalled having some trouble and they just swapped in a reconditioned one. It's not a big deal, because I won't be showing the car, but I've always thought it was a true "numbers matching" 442! The second picture is the old 455 almost ready to go!

 

dang it - I put the wrong picture the first time - try this one

THIS is the transmission tag I mentioned in my INCORRECT first post

 

the vin no is on the driver side of case right above the pan

 

That metal tag just shows the trans code, the model year, and the serial number of the trans itself. Here is an example of what you are looking for:

 

Yeah, I didn't get a picture of the trans. vin #, but this is the metal tag on the passenger side that I think is where the original factory "tag" was riveted

 

So the tag in the picture means that this is a 1967 transmission?

 

Yes, the transmission has been replaced. Not as big of a deal as a non-numbers matching engine however.

 

Even without seeing the VIN derivative stamping of the transmission, we can tell it is not the original one for a 1970 442. The tag says it's from a 1967 Buick. (I'm not sure what type of Buick the "BT" code was used on.) Even if this was the proper 1970 Olds TH400, the trailing sequence of digits will have nothing to do with your VIN; they are a serial number for the transmission, that's all.

By the way, it's not uncommon for the tag to lose all of its paint like that, especially if the transmission was rebuilt and put through the parts washer at one time.

 

The last 6 numbers off the engine you have in your post #1 picture, do they match the last 6 of your VIN plate by the windshield? If so, at least the engine is numbers matching.

 

The 67 trans will also not have a vin stamp.

 

Thanks folks. Yes, the engine # does match the VIN # on the car. My uncles owned this car from 1970 to 1980, then I bought it from them. I've owned it since then, but am just now doing a semi-major rebuild. Interesting that I'm still discovering stuff about it that I didn't know for all these years.

 

This just goes to show that back when these cars were everyday drivers no one really bothered to keep them all original, they just tried to keep them on the road and running.

 

Well, you're in the same boat as me (and many others) then. Original engine, non-original transmission. Get it out on the road and have fun with it!

 

A 1967 Buick TH400 SHOULD be a switch-pitch. Does the electrical connector on the trans have one or two terminals?

 

I'm pretty sure it has 2 terminals. This brings up another point. Apparently the "kick down switch" (if that's the correct term) has been unplugged for years, & my mechanic is looking for a correct wiring diagram to get it hooked back up properly. The wires coming out of the trans. end in a double plug in the engine bay with no obvious place to plug it into. Any help on that front?

 

Yeah, a Chassis Service Manual...

Also, find a mechanic who understands the difference between a switch pitch converter circuit and a Transmission Controlled Spark circuit. Your original trans also had a two wire connector, but the second wire was for a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT function. The 1970 cars had an early emissions control system called Transmission Controlled Spark. This used a pressure switch in the trans to prevent spark vacuum advance in any gear but third, to lower NOx emissions. The connector in your wire harness went to a solenoid valve on the intake manifold that controlled vacuum. This is unrelated to kickdown, which is the other (black with pink or orange stripe) wire in the connector to the trans.

The 67 trans used the second terminal in the connector to operate a solenoid valve INSIDE the trans to alter the angle of the stator vanes in the torque converter to change stall speed. A switch on the throttle linkage provided +12V to this second trans terminal.

Again, this is COMPLETELY different in function from how your car is wired. Do NOT connect the TCS wiring to the current 67 trans.

 

Wow - thanks for that Joe! I'll pass this on to my mechanic. I have a lot of trust that he knows what he's doing, but don't know how well he knows the subtle differences - AND I just determined this is a Buick TH400, so he may not know to watch for that.

 

Actually, a 1967 Olds trans would also have been a switch pitch.

All Buick/Olds TH400s from 1965-67 used the two terminal case connector for the switch pitch. All 1970-74(?) or possibly later used the same two terminal connector for the TCS. This is a subtlety that needs to be understood.

 

So, if I can keep buggin you for information; How do we reconnect it so that I have a functional kick down switch? leave one wire disconnected, and connect the other wire (the black with orange or pink stripe) to...where?

 

The kickdown is operated from a switch on top of the accelerator pedal under the dash. The switch closes at W.O.T. and provides +12V to that black wire to the trans.



By the way, there are over a dozen 1970 Chassis Service Manuals on ebay right now...

 

Thanks again Joe - I'll get right on that chassis service manual! Will likely need it again. **edit to say, I just ordered a service manual!