Diary of a Dying Transmission

298hp , 370 ft-lbs + 151k miles is the automotive equivalent of doing cocaine every day and living to 90.. ya just can't complain.

INTENSE quoted me $2300 for a basic rebuild with a 6-month warranty. If I want to add race parts it's extra, and it's still warrantied the same 6-months. I assume ZZP has a similar deal. Since they're in MI, I would need to worry about the expense of getting the car to and from. Same with WBS. Also there is the time factor. It would take days to get the car out and back. Even INTENSE can't get you in the same day.

Aamco quoted me $1500 for the basic rebuild with 12-month warranty. If I need parts, it adds up, but not as much (I also have a $100 off coupon). They took my car in today and they're working on it today/tomorrow. I need the car back asap, otherwise I'm paying for a rental. That adds up quick. No race parts from Aamco, but I really don't need that kind of thing. I believe the transaxle failed from use (some abuse), not so much stress.

For me, this really came down to price and time. The 3800 vendors may know our cars, but I have to think Aamco knows transmissions pretty well. The owner has been working in the same shop since 1964. It's right down the street from me (I walked home). There's something to be said for the convenience, price, and turnaround time. I'm not up for doing the install myself right now. It just wasn't a good time for it to go out all at once.

I think you certainly made the right and well thought out choice, Aaron(that's why you da Boss)............

NO MORE NEUTRAL DROPS AARON.................

Hmmm I was going to start my own thread when I just noticed this.

Aaron, here's step 1!




Oh yeah, and ask me why this was on my floor?

Holy dropped cradles, Derek... did your transaxle die on you too?

Today I talked with Aamco. They needed to replace a few parts, not sure which ones yet. The unit is apart, will be finished Wed or Thurs. I was told the bill will be closer to $2k, and I expected this would be the case after hearing metal parts grinding.. and finding pieces of them on the magnet.

One thing that surprised me, the Aamco guy asked if I had reprogrammed the transmission TCC engage settings. I didn't lie, and explained that I could set them back. He said if I set them back he would honor the 12-month warranty. Apparently, having mine eager to disengage the TCC worries him a bit. He didn't say anything about the increase trans pressure, shift points, or shifting times. I can handle that. If I must use the lazy OEM TCC settings, I will have to put up with it. I want this transmission rebuild to last just as long as the original unit.

Hey guys..



BTW.. if you want to hear funny trans stories.. talk to Oldsman.. he's got a 3 gear trans.

Sorry to hear if finally died Aaron.. good news is once you get it back, treat it well and it should take care of you.

^That fluid still looks good.

That fluid was new on Oct 3.

BillBoost37 wrote:

OUCH
I WILL NEVER go Wide Open Throttle again







































i almost fooled you

I didn't actually see mine, but have a feeling it looked as bad or worse than that. They said they saw "parts of gear teeth".

Crunching up hard parts is never good.

I forget..did you say you considered a gear change while things were apart or Aamco wouldn't do anything modded at all?

I really doubt Aamco would consider any mods. They want the unit to last a long time, so i doubt they would do anything that would encourage me to race or otherwise abuse it.

They did not finish yesterday as planned, so I called them and was told they put her back together, but something didn't feel right on the test drive, so now they have it back out. Apparently it was something minor, because they still think it will be finished today.

Sorry to hear about your problems Aaron. If you dont mind, post a tally when all is done and paid for. I have gone back and forth from a built race trans, to a aamco rebuild, to dropping in a low miles trans from a junker.

I would never attempt a rebuild on my own, but I think after my engine pulling experience, I wouldnt be afraid to swap in a used one.

I am leery of the race built ones, it seems like a crap shoot...

Anyway, Ive been lucky and havent needed a trans after putting many many miles on multiple rivys...

Got the car back finally!

Talked to the guy who did the rebuild. His words were, in the 25 years he's been rebuilding automatic transmissions, mine was the most severely damaged that was actually rebuildable. They were very close to using a remanufactured unit, which would cost more. He said the gears were okay, but one piece, I think he called it a "sprag", was totally destroyed. He said the torque converter was blue from the heat.

So here's a list of parts and prices (it's hard to read, so pardon any errors):

Rebuild Kit: $298
Torque Converter: $340
Solenoids & Sensors: $348
Channel Plate: $128
Pump & Stator Shafts: $96
Chain(?): $74
Filter: $16
Fluid: $34
Labor: $734

Subtotal: $2068

Discount: -$100

New Subtotal: $1968

Tax: $132.84

Total: $2100.84

As far as the 12 month / 12k mile warranty, it will be a 6 month warranty for me, as I put lots of miles on the car. They agreed to honor the warranty as long as I set my PCM's transmission settings to stock. So, I agreed to leave it stock for 12k miles, then I'll set it back. The settings affected were TTC disengage, trans fluid pressure, and shift time. He also removed the INTENSE shift pak, but I still have it, and may put it back in after 12k miles.

Drove about 15 miles the Friday I got the car back. At first everything felt right. That night the transmission started acting funny. It was having trouble shifting, and it bucked a few times. Acceleration was sluggish, like it was holding on to TCC lock. Before I got home I had an SES light. Hooked up the scanner: P0472 TCC lock-up solenoid stuck on.

Back to the shop this morning... new rental car review coming soon.

sorry to hear that, that sucks. Those damn solenoids just suck in these things.

Sucks for them. I've already paid the bill. Only thing I don't like is driving a rental.

AA wrote:

Sucks for them. I've already paid the bill. Only thing I don't like is driving a rental.

im thinking i wanna see a ferrari review............ you just get on that

Hey Aaron - Maybe they can get and install for you an improved shift kit, or you can get someone else to install it for you. see http://www.transmissioncenter.net/HPIM1448.JPG for the kit picture and go to the main transmissioncenter.net for details.

Just a solenoid? Link

In keeping with this thread - the following may be instructive:

http://www.tripleedgeperformance.com/4T65E_Transmission_Info.php

happy new year

Albertj

AA wrote:

Drove about 15 miles the Friday I got the car back. At first everything felt right. That night the transmission started acting funny. It was having trouble shifting, and it bucked a few times. Acceleration was sluggish, like it was holding on to TCC lock. Before I got home I had an SES light. Hooked up the scanner: P0472 TCC lock-up solenoid stuck on.

Back to the shop this morning... new rental car review coming soon.

ok, maybe its "normal", but for 2 grand dont you think they could get it right the first time?

I realize transmissions are technical, but if its ALL you work on....

First time around, they had it out 2 or 3 times over the course of a week. I think this TCC thing was a problem they already know about. There wasn't any hesitation to take the car back in. No call yesterday, so I'm guessing they have it back out again. I think they know what they need to do. I just need them to do it and give me back the car.

I wonder if it was an oversight, like they forgot to flush tranny lines in the radiator and then when they put your tranny back in it filled with shrapnel that had been sitting in the radiator??

Albertj

Very good point. I never thought of that.

The sprag is IIRC the third gear sprag that commonly goes. I upgraded when doing my trans at INTENSE.

On the soleniods, I've heard of people having trouble when they weren't swapped, but it sounds like they charged you for it.