When changing the filter and gasket on my AT a while back, I found a piece of metal in the bottom of the pan where one would expect to find a magnet. But this one showed no magnetism to speak of.

Unfortunately, the new gasket did not fix the leak so recently I took the pan down again to flatten the flange where someone had over torqued the bolts.

Lo and behold there were now two almost identical pieces in the pan. Looking at exploded parts photos, I believe they are parts of a broken "Low and reverse return spring". Could explain the occasional whining and slippage I get in reverse with a cold engine. I even found a replacement part for a whopping $4.53.

Question: Just how difficult is it to replace for a novice? I've even found a 1980 Z FSM that gives detailed tear down and assembly instructions.

You might want to ask datzenmike over at ratsun.net. He seems to be know alot about Jatco automatics.

Used automatics are sometimes free or very low priced but sometimes its a crap shoot. But they

do seem to last forever if treated well. I bought one off ebay for cheap. The shipping costed more than

it did.

You could use this opportunity to upgrade to a later zx auto with lockup torque converter or a turbo zx automatic

that has slightly different gear ratios and added clutch discs for higher performance.

Replacing that part no doubt will be quite a chore/adventure but if you want to learn then i say go for it.

If it were me, I would get an extra trans just in case something goes wrong.

check out this video on tearing down a ford c4 which is very similar to the jatco. Its not for the faint of heart

Edited August 17, 201410 yr by hr369

Hr369,

Thanks for the links. After watching the rebuild video, I have confirmed the parts did come from the return spring. I also learned I did not want to enjoy the experience. So I guess I will drive it til it won't.

The real question is how the parts escaped the clutch basket.