I am replacing the transaxle in my '95 SLE. The old trans is out. The "new" trans was delivered this morning and I am concerned that it may not be from a 95 Bonneville. This is a big problem because no other trans is supposed to swap in and work properly. It does not match up in several ways with the trans I removed. Problem is, I am not sure the trans I removed was original because the infamous backwards bolt was missing when I went to undo it. If the trans was changed, it was not done recently because of how solidly rusted the driver'* side driveshaft was in the hub. So, even if the trans that was in it wasn't the original, it must have worked OK for some time, judging by the time it would take for that shaft to rust in.
Also, before I dropped the trans, it would under certain conditions shift smoothly and normally including TCC lockup.

If this tranny will work, I'm happy, but if it won't, I don't want to install it.

Can any of you guys help me identify what cars and years fit these transaxle numbers and features?

Old trans: Dipstick has red ring handle
New trans: Dipstick has black T handle

Old trans: Big Casting number 725
New trans: Big casting number 727

Old trans: Electrical fitting at shift lever has no disconnect
New trans: Electrical fitting at shift lever has flat 7 pin connector

Old trans: Identification tag: Model - BX; Julian date - 139; Year - 5; Type - W; Plant - W; Serial no. - 40T4
New trans: Identification tag missing (uh oh)

Old trans number cast on side of case: CFD 725 24202287
New trans number cast on side of case: CFD 727 24200113

Old trans number stamped on top of case 139 2 302 / 139 2 402 / 24
New trans number stamped on top of case 285 131 304

Old trans torque converter tag: FL9B 867 4218
New trans torque converter tag: FJ9B 867 6646

The missing ID tag makes me wonder if the salvage yard removed it trying to sell me apples for oranges.

I have a bad feeling that I am in for a fight with the salvage yard over this.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

i would imagine it is a 4t60e

I'm pretty sure it is a 4T60E - but that'* not the problem. The 4T60E was used in a lot of years and a lot of GM models, and according to the GM dealer, and any swap engine you look at, the only correct swap for a 95 Bonneville n/a FW2 is a 95 Bonneville n/a FW2, and, unless Bonneville changed its wiring harness, and dipstick in mid year of '95, this replacement trans is NOT the same as the old one.

Now if I can just unbolt the plastic electrical fitting from under the shift lever and swap it with my old one, and use my old torque converter and everything were to work OK, that would be fine with me. But I don't even know if I have an FW2 trans without the 5BXW on the aluminum tag, cause I ain't got no tag!

and I hope that it is a 3.06

OK, the dealer confirms that the old trans is correct: year 5 model BX type W. All match fine. The transmission shop says the old torque converter is correct, for the 3800, but the new torque converter has a stall speed of 2060 rpm, and he can find no listings for its use with the 3800 engine. Says it was used on 3.4'* and 3.1'*

Called the junkyard to tell them they sent me the wrong trans. The guy says all 4T60E'* are the same and that it should work fine. (!) I reminded him that he sold it as a trans from a 95 bonneville w FW2. He'* gonna go check the RPO codes in the car. ("the car" is probably a 96 lumina 3.1!)

I got a feelin' this is not gonna go easily.

boy this could get ugly

They both have steel side pans. The only number the trans rebuilder could make sense of was the code for the torque converter. Looking in his Dayco (sp?) book he said the replacement TC fit 3.4 Cutlass, 3.1 lumina, and a bunch of other stuff, but no 3800s, while my TC fit a bucketload of 3800s.

The Pontiac garage parts man could make nothing of the numbers either but said he might be able to make a call for me to some engineers at GM somewhere and it would take them a day to get back to him.

I'll try him again tomorrow. The small casting number should be a GM part no for the trans. The numbers are obviously changed frequently as they don't align very well, but they are raised, not stamped.

That "raised" number you are looking at has nothing to do with interchangeability, it is some sort of production line casting #. I know the transmissions coupled to Series II engines had a metal tag on the back, riveted to the trans. This tag will have a 4 digit code in large letters, among all kinds of other letters and numbers. Mine was "7ASW". 7 being the model year, AS being a 2.84 ratio 4T60E. I got a transmission from a 1997 Olds 88, with the same 7ASW on it. This trans was correctly shown in the Hollander interchange as being identical to my Lesabre trans. The raised cast numbers on the top of the bellhousing for my original trans and the replacement trans are different. These guys you are going to must not be very good if they can't decode a transmission.

The trans I received this morning has no ID tag. My Chilton'* tells me how to decode using the tag. My problem is to try to decode the gear ratio, model no, etc. without that tag. That'* why I listed every other number I could find on the trans.

I just did some checking, and sure enough, the part number for the 'new' torque convertor is one that was *never* mated to a 3.06 final drive. lots of other ones though... from 2.53 to 2.84 to 3.18 to 3.33...