How to know you're buying a real and good brf tranny?

[Awesome T]

I'm looking into buying a tranny/hurt motor combo, and trying not to buy junk. Considering the tranny, I was told it had been rebuilt at a cost of $2200, but without paperwork it's hard to know what to look for or believe. To tell if it is a brf tranny, I assume I have to pull the pan and try to see the markings on the valve body. I haven't pulled a tranny pan, and would like some other details to see to verify authenticity. I searched the archives, but don't know pumps and exhaust ports from a widget. Any help is appreciated. Price of the tranny would be $4-500. TIA. John.
PS If it has had a shift kit installed, does this negate the value of the brf valve body usefullness and lessen the value?

 

[oehm]

My tranny has a tag on it that says BRF. Not sure if there is any other way to tell without opening it up.

 

[chris718]

86/87 will have a yellow or blue tag at the right rear that is painted w/brf.also if you look above the pan rail in this area it is stamped into the case.BRF and other numbers.vbody will have ink stamp over tha manual valve w/br and a purple paint stripe .also will have 2 pressure switches on the body.

 

[racemybuick]

tin tag

Just like oehm stated, there should be a tin tag on the rear of the tranny near the shaft either blue or yellow (chris1718) which will say BR____F, the numbers/letters in between are production numbers, but the first two, and the last letter are the code for 86-86 GN/T-Type factory. IF you pay for a rebuilt transmission, the only way you can tell without going back to the seller, is pulling the tranny apart. ANyone can put anything in the trans, so it is best to know who what and when the work was done. Good luck. I am in the process myself, and boy is it a mess!

John

 

[Awesome T]

Thanks for the help, guys. I will get over there and check for the tag, and I will pull the pan to look at the VB. Assuming that all checks out and it is a brf, if something has been done to the valve body, like a shift kit, can it be reversed? I know there are differnt shift kits, but not sure what each does. I'm not usually so cautious, but I have thrown good money after bad, and have learned my lesson. John.

 

[chris718]

if you read old posts regarding shift kits youll find you wont be throwing your money away on poorly engineered products sold by the advertisers here at turbo buick .com