I just read a copy of Tom Hand’s new book and if you do not have a copy you need to get one ASAP. I have been driving and restoring Mopars since I was 14 – and I am 64 now. I have rebuilt just about everything you can rebuild on these cars (even paint and body work), but I always left the transmission work to the experts.

I can remember seeing an A-727 completely apart on a work bench of a friend of mine who had a transmission shop growing up. The number of pieces and their complexity made me decide right then and there to walk away. Gears, bands, valve body, little tiny balls, where do they all go and what do they do? I have replaced seals, torque converters, filters and pan gaskets, but I never had the confidence to get into the transmission any further.

But after reading this book, I may have to tear into one of these bad boys. Even if you never completely build an A-904 or an A-727 you will gather an amazing understanding of the intricate workings and the technology that makes these automatic transmissions so popular. For the average Mopar guy the time spent reading this book is well worth it.

Tom covers everything from A-to-Z and does it with clarity. He explains each aspect of the transmission in terminology that relates to the seasoned veteran as well as the week end novice. Here is an excerpt from the Introduction chapter, page 7, that sums up the book better than I could possible say it.

“The original goal for this book was to cover just the rebuilding and modification of the TorqueFlite transmission but experience in the engineering field taught me that it is important to understand what’s inside and how and why things work before trying to repair them,” Hand states. So even if you never tear into one of these amazing transmissions you will come away with a new understanding and appreciation for Ma Mopar’s amazing TorqueFlites.

“Chapter 1 briefly covers the history and evolution. Chapter 2 details the parts inside and how and why they interact. Chapter 3 covers troubleshooting. Chapter 4 provides step-by-step A-727 disassembly procedures. Chapter 5 addresses subassemblies and their reuse or replacement. Because of it’s importance, the valve body is covered in chapter 6. Chapter 7 details the reassembly along with air checking and adjustment. The torque converter is covered in chapter 8. Chapter 9 is dedicated to parts and process to add strength and provide shift improvements”. Add on Appendix A, B, and C, and you have a book that every Mopar gearhead needs in his garage library.