Ok...

Where was I?

This is "the build up" story, not "the experience" story, so I will return to my explanation of how we end up in over our heads year after year!

For most Drag Weekers, there is a certain amount of recovery, and decompression time after the event, financially, mentally, and spiritually, depending on how bad the event kicked you in the teeth! So its rare that someone takes on a new build or major upgrade with 359 days before the next one to complete it. It's more likely that those thoughts don't get put into motion until around the first of the new year. Then there is the SEMA show, and when will the new tracks be announced, and when will pre-registration be announced, then the next thing you know you commit to running Drag Week again, and it's late April!
It's around this time that guys walk out into their garage, and take inventory, asking themselves if they can truly get the bucket of bolts they just registered ready in four months. Many rookies totally underestimate this process, and despite great efforts, miss the event. Many grizzled veterans like my brothers and I totally overestimate our abilities to finish up in crunch time, and wait another 60 days to get started!

I started this thread right after my Wife, Grandson and I's seemingly annual trek back to Oklahoma for a week's visit of our respective families and part of my plan for that time was to have Boone rebuild the 904 out of the Valiant.
I already had the new input shaft and gears from A&A, but a discussion on this very board brought the whole front drum return spring upgrade to my attention, and since my last trans builder, a glide specialist, had never mentioned it, I figured mine still had the big single spring. In an effort to spread my support to the guys who support the board, I jumped on Cope's web sight, and ordered a full race rebuild kit, and the aluminum multi-spring return kit. Since this happened on May 20, and I intended to be in Oklahoma the 24-30th, I listed Dale's house as the shipping address.
I spent most of Monday visiting relatives, so Boone, Dad and I didn't really get into the trans until Tuesday. As expected, the front clutch pack was burnt to a crisp, including a couple that had welded themselves to the steels, everything else, including both bands and clutches looked brand new.