PLEASE NOTE, THIS PAGE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION, DATA IS NOT COMPLETE!
A good manual (such as the one from Helm Publications) will be important in determining check ball locations once you have removed the valve body and separator plate. Also, the manual specifies where the different size valve body mounting bolts attach and the torque specifications. Lastly, will need the manual for the servo location if you decide to upgrade to the A servo. (If you do not want to purchase a manual at this time, I can send you some photocopies of the necessary pictures and data.)
Support the car with four jack stands; two in the front and two in the rear. The jack stands should be placed under the front and rear subframes at each end. Use a 1 1/2 ton jack to lift the front of the car from under the front crossmember. For the rear, do not lift the car from the differential, this can cause the tubes to bend and mis-align the rear wheels. Use the 1 1/2 ton jack on one side and the stock jack on the other. Have a person on both sides so the car can be lifted evenly without undue stress to the frame. Roll the windows down since once the car is up on the stands, it's not a good idea to open and close the doors. This will allow you get things in and out of the car and shift the transmission if necessary.
To drain the transmission oil, remove all bolts except for one in each corner of the pan. Some fluid might begin to drizzle out. Next take turns in backing out each of the bolts about one or two turns. After you do this a couple of times, the pan should start to drop down. If it has not, then pry the pan down but, be careful not to damage the transmission housing. Once most of the fluid has drained, remove two bolts from adjacent corners. This will drop the pan at an angle and allow for more fluid to drain. Then remove the last two bolts from the remaining corners. (Do worry, next time you drain the fluid it will be a breeze with the drain plug.) Places such as Autozone or Pep Boys will discard used oil. If you can, get a 5 gallon paint drum and empty the oil into it. This will allow you to use the bus tray again immediately and affords you the opportunity of disposing the oil at a later time or after several oil changes.
Next remove the transmission filter. (It's a good idea to get a new filter along with the gasket.) Clean the pan and housing along the gasket surface. Drill the hole for the plug bolt in the transmission pan. Insert the bolt and attach the nut using Red Loctite 271 to keep it from loosening. I did not use the white plastic washer supplied with the drain plug kit. Instead I used some blue silicon to keep it from leaking. The Loctite goes on the threads and the silicon on the flat side of the bolt. Once tightened, insert the brass plug very loosely into the bolt and set the pan aside.
Remove the valve body from the transmission and note the position of the shift linkage. When you remove the valve body, keep an eye out for a small screen filter (about 1/8" diameter and 1/2" long) to drop from the driver's side of the transmission. At reassembly, it should be inserted the same way it was before. Some AODs (pre 1991) do not have this filter but you will want to insert it the same way. Place the valve body in a clean dry place. (If you have cleaned the bus tray, you can place it in there.) Replace the pan with 2 bolts at opposite corners and just hand tighten them; this will keep dust from accumulating in the transmission while you work on the valve body. Do not use the transmission pan gasket at this time. Make sure there is no more fluid dripping since it will accumulate in the pan and affect the Loctite.
Follow the directions supplied with the kit to work on the valve body. Check everything two and three times before drilling holes or anything else. This is where your patience will pay off.
Once the vale body is ready, the next step would be to replace the servo, cover and spring should you decide to do so. Make sure the new pieces are coated with transmission oil before installing them. (This is probably the hardest step.) Again follow the instructions closely.
Lastly, install the vale body and replace the transmission pan and gasket. (Do not forget the small screen filter.) Torque the bolts to the specification supplied in the manual. Wrap some Teflon tape around the brass drain plug and tighten snugly. Add about 3 quarts of fluid. Lower the car and start. Depress and hold the brake while shifting the car into L, D, OD, and P several times. Keep the engine running and the check fluid while the car is in Park.