AOD DIY Rebuild?

[Mastercarpentry]

It's been awhile since I visited here for my Buick and I hope I can get equally good help with my old van.

1984 E-150 with a slipping AOD tranny. I'm a pretty experienced mechanic and I've rebuilt some old "010" VW/Audi automatics long ago as well as changed valve bodies and repaired manual gearboxes. I think I can handle this one, I know it will be more complex but whatever.. Some questions I have are:

1- Are any special tools an absolute must? I've found places which say I can remove the pump body with m\y slide-hammer and I can usually figure things out in a DIY manner so I can make tools if they're simple enough.

2- I see references to steel and cast iron drums. I can get the rebuild kit for cast from Rock Auto, but steel will take some more looking. What is the difference here as far as parts I will need and is there a way to determine what I have before I go into it?

3- I know the kickdown adjustment is supposed to require a pressure gauge. When I installed the rebuilt one in mine long ago I simply matched the speed and kickdown characteristics to the factory job I took out and it's worked well for about 135K miles. Was I just very lucky or is it worth risking again

4- Is there anything which requires special care to install or special inspection? If something is cheesy and not in the rebuild kit I'd rather buy it and do this once.

Thanks in advance!
Phil

[rhandwor]

The big thing is to have a parts washer with clean fluid. The parts need cleaned throughly.