There is a great write-up on this site somewhere of a 4t65 rebuild, the 440 is going to be very similar but there will be differences.
I have rebuilt a 440t4, it's not for beginners, but can be done if you have the manual and an appropriate work space and the appropriate amount of patience and attention to detail. You will also need some specialized tools, and may still need to find a trans shop that can replace sealing rings, bushings, or things like that. You wouldn't be looking for a trans service shop, you want to talk to the shop that supplies them with rebuilt parts, usually they have a machine shop attached where they can remove and press in new bushings and things like that.
The basics are take pictures of everything, multiple angles, before you take anything off. This makes for getting the camera messy if you're not careful. Bag or otherwise keep everything organized and separated. Inside the valve body are check balls, you need to be very careful when separating the valve body. Pick up the spacer plate with the valve body cover, get a picture of all the check ball locations. Then flip the valve body cover up, remove the spacer plate, and get another picture of those check balls. Be very attentive to detail, spring locations, orientation of the valves, etc.
Lip seals are directional, they must be installed in the correct direction or they will leak. There are 3 that are very difficult to install/remove. You won't be able to see them well enough to get a good picture, you will have to go by feel, and if the lip catches and goes into the groove while you're installing them they will be extremely difficult to get back out. The most important thing aside from getting them in the right direction...Don't force them in when re-installing hard parts, use a lip seal roller.
Replace any worn or broken hard parts, always replace every seal, replace all clutch plates (both steel and fiber), replace the bands, if there is a bushing that's worn out replace the bushing, replace the 3rd sprag, and replace the torque converter. Replace any thrust bearing that doesn't have a good free-spin or has any discoloration or wear marks to the mating component.
Always put the clutch pack hard parts on before trying to put the clutch pack back in place. Each clutch plate has to line up and be fully seated and installed to the splined mating piece, and getting that done in the trans is very difficult.
You will need a good way to clean all the parts, you will need assembly goo (get the green), you will need to soak all fibers in trans fluid, you will need to coat all seals with trans fluid, you will need snap ring pliers (the transmission kind), a clutch spring compressor, a set of picks to remove seals, a putty scraper to clean off gasket material, a lip seal roller, and a good workspace that has plenty of bench space and a chair, and of course a transmission stand as you have to be able to rotate it and keep it held upright at various points throughout the rebuild.
_________________ Boost addict The Fleet: '93 SSEi - Twincharged + manual Build thread '97 Camaro - Top swap '05 STS - V8, AWD, her DD '92 Trofeo - Fair weather DD '99 Montana - top swap 3800 '04 Sierra 2500HD - LLY Duramax
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