I add RTV over the rear band pin depression at the outside of the case. never had one leak. If the old rear band looks good use it. I like the hard Red band best. I'd use the Mopar one you have.

You can buy more Altos here, $6.80 each. In fact they carry near everything you might need.
https://www.transpartsonline.com/TRANS_P...nsPartsType=727

But I've found the greens to hold up at 700Hp with no issue. Cant beat the 518 OD truck pan. free ship from Amazon, $39
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PH4...d=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Doug

Thx everyone for the advice. I have one last dumb question -

IF, I run a Super Sprag and a LBA valve body, is there any chance of the drum still over-running and exploding? .....or will these two items fix the risk?

Yes

Tex

The only way to eliminate the risk is buy the good drum. About the same cost as a LBA valve body and Super Sprag anyway.
Doug

I think the separation of views is coming down to HOW a drum explosion may occur.

Ruling out the common cause of no LBA valve body causing an over-running clutch.....I think I’m right in assuming only some form of drivetrain breakage would cause similar trauma.

I’m prepared to bank on no major breakages at my power level - so hopefully the LBA VB and the Super Sprag will be enough fire proofing

F this thinking is flawed...have at it

You don’t have to have driveline breakage to fail the ORC.

As mentioned, the stock drum is the real issue, the part that can explode. The Super sprag and LBA are improvements to help prevent the overspeed condition.

Link to TCS Drum tests:
http://www.tcsproducts.com/media/uploads/user-files/Drum_Tests_Jan_2017.pdf

Wow! Page 3 and the “I been runnng the stock drum 4ever and if you do everything right it won’t fail” crowd hasn’t chimed in!

Having been around two of these failures over the years (both started with broken 8.75 gear), you REALLY don’t want this to happen. One occurrence was full tilt catastrophic with peices stuck in the door panels and wiped out all the gauges + dents in the roof (he limped away luckily). This was in the early 90’s and we had NO clue that this could even occur. Our stuff got the good drum in the 727, and we put blankets on both of our cars.... even the 904.

....and speaking of 904, much smaller mass and they don’t explode. Not saying it’s not impossible, but to date I’ve never heard of one that has.

On the race trans stuff, I though the TF-2 shift kit (or was it the B&M Trans pack?) used to include the HD front band strut? Was looking through the TF2 kit and no band strut, so ordered up one of the nice thick band struts this morning.

I've been using the TF-2 kits for over 25 years and never had one come with a HD band strut, so it must have been the B&M.

Who has ever bent a band strut?
Doug

Me. Never seen one in person either. (only pics)

Not personally in roughly 50 builds, for customers and myself since 1977. I'm not betting my reputation against it, though, for basically peanuts.

After all these years, there's just no reason for anyone to be exploding a transmission. But...people still do, just like they still stick their foot under a mower, touch a stove to see if it's hot and blow their fingers off with fireworks.

5500-6000 engine RPM with a broken roller clutch is all it takes. Lower horsepower applications can get by with a non-LBA valvebody, IF you drive the car correctly. At higher power levels, you have to apply that band to give the roller clutch some help. And you have to maintain the thing - take it apart once in a while and look at it - instead of running it till it quits. In any race style application, not putting a good drum in the thing is asinine.

Well I guess I'm insane.. been running the stock
drum since the 80s.. yeah I've tore it apart a
few times for worn parts but NEVER blew it up..
no LBA.. dont pedal it in LOW.. SHIFT
it.. they only blow in low gear so
get out of low as soon as you can

If I have an LBA valve body, AND a Super Sprag, how can the drum explode?

This is what I’m not getting

2 things here.. the LBA wont stop it fast enough
and the super sprag isnt a save all.. it helps
but it doesnt help all.. if you get on and off
the gas the rollers go back then slam forward
and tighten up to tight for the sprag and starts
to come apart
EDIT
there is 3 ways to not have a explosion.. 1
is dont pedal the car under load.. 2 is buy a
drum(alum or steel or 3.. put a 904 in it

4. Scattershield and put an 833 in it. Or a Jerico, a Lenco...

Chances are it won't, unless the rear band fails to apply due to broken parts (servo, band, etc.) AND the roller clutch has also failed due to driver error, parts failure, AND you have your foot in it causing the engine to free rev to 6000+. You have to decide if you want to trust that all of that won't happen at the same time.

Ok, thx for the explanation, I get it now.