Transmission Headaches

[carpeonnel]

Just had a local shop here where I live rebuild my 700-r4. They were supposedly a reputable shop. Got my truck back from them fairly quickly and was pleased, except it didn't want to shift out any gear really at all (you'd have to peg it out almost and finally it might shift). Adjusted the detint cable in and out, no luck. Took it back them and they called me back and said they fixed it. Said the valve body was messed up. They replaced it free of charge and said it was ready. Drove it home and it felt like it was skipping a gear or something, just bogging down like hell! Took it back told them it wasn't right, also told them that it's not the de-tint cable, I'd tried it again. Called me and told me that it was something with the lockup on the torque converter. Got it back it seemed to be driving beautiful, so I put it up to start putting my d44 and 14bff in it. Then I discovered something. Noticed the plug-in on the drivers side of transmission was not plugged in. I happened to see a friend of mine who works at the shop and asked him about the plug-in. He thought about it and said he realized what they did to fix the lockup on the torque converter. They unplugged it so it can't lock up. Is this right? I also learned that I don't think that they replaced the torque converter on it, just flushed the old one out. They you had to replace them everytime and also I believed I was charged for one. Well, I've also been told some other stuff now and tomorrow afternoon me and the owner are gonna have a come to jesus meeting, but I'm more concerned with what that unplugged plug will do and basically what it all can mean as I know not that much about trannys. Any help I would greatly appreciated.

 

[longbedder]

Nope, that's not right. You'll heat the tranny up more than necessary in 4th gear and lose all the advantages of lockup. It wouldn't hurt much in town and at low speed, but will shorten the life of the tranny.

It sounds like they didn't install any pressure switches (or they're hooked up incorrectly or faulty) and so if your electrical connector is hooked up you're always locked up (hence the bogging). There should be some high gear pressure switches that only allow lockup in 3rd and 4th gears (or only 4th - they're all different and you can tailor them to your desires). These switches usually have a delay on them, too.

I've got mine with a 4th gear pressure switch, so it's locked up only in 4th, plus a manual circuit so I can manually force lockup at any time. That way it's like having the clutch engaged on a manual trans.

Re-using a flushed converter is shady...

They should know how to set the TV cable properly according to pressure.

Sounds like you may be dealing with hacks.

 

[carpeonnel]

that's what it feels like now. After finding this out I really don't feeling like f*&king with them anymore, but I guess I'm "invested" with them now

 

[guz71]

Wow I had the same crap happen to me but I did not catch till after a 500 mile road trip and smoked up transmission. I pulled over and noticed that my TC lock up plug in was just hanging there and I could hear ATF boiling in my pan. Long story short I couldnt get it back and the assholes wouldnt help me out so I had to pay for another rebuild. I do not know a whole lot about trannys but something is wrong, it sounds like the TC was locking up in the other gears or under acceleration. I would definately demand a whole new rebuild and want to have the old TC handed to me. If you cant tell I am still furious about my similiar experience, I hope they make it right for ya... I dont know if id want to drive it around too much but it should be fine if you dont get up to highways speeds, the torque converter just wont lock up for now

 

[carpeonnel]

Well I've only drove it bout 50 miles since it was rebuilt all together and then I've got it took apart right now as I putting my d44 and 14bff in and doing my crossover steering, so I won't be driving it for a little while til I can finish it. But I'm definitely pissed and like you said I don't think I could even trust them to fix it considering they haven't fixed it right yet, so I don't know. Me and the owner are gonna have a talk

 

[slyguy_22]

If the owner gives you problems just tell him your taking it to another tranny shop and having it gone over and that your gona report him to the better buisness bureau.

 

[guz71]

All I have to say is goodluck brotha, I met with the manager at the tranny shop a few times and it flat out got ugly. As pissed as I was it would been ok if I would not have been 500 miles away because they would have rebuilt it again but they left my ass out to dry and I didnt have any choice. If you doubt their ability to do it correctly, I would see if they are an ATRA member. If so you could probably drive it down the road to another ATRA member and have them rebuild it. The second time I had it rebuilt, the shop was an ATRA member and the tranny was perfect but I had issue when I was over 9 hours away. I drug it to an ATRA member and they fixed it no questions asked and no money out of my pocket. If you think they didnt replace the TC then I would demand to see the old one. I would stand there and watch them rebuild it if it goes that route, its excessive but my ordeal cost me a huge chunk of money and time, I would hate to see that happen to someone else. It never ceases to amaze me what people try to pull

 

[carpeonnel]

Well I would have had a very trusted rebuilder 3 hrs away in atlanta, where my father lives (he drags his 82 short wheel base), rebuild it but my k5 was my daily driver at the time. He rebuilds alot, very professional, and damn good as he did my fathers, but I went ahead and went local cuz I didn't feel like dealing with the headache of pulling it myself. Wish I would have now, cuz I have an even bigger headache.

 

[sweetk30]

i hate 700s but sound like line press valve is stuck full pressure in the pump.

then thay fu$%^&ed up the whole job to start. and cant fix crap to begin with.

flushed convertor in the non lockup days would prob be fine. but how the he!! do you replace the clutch in a burnt convertor ??????

unpluged unit will heat up atf in non lockup 4th and burn it up in time like the others 500 mile trip. but its not the fix at all. thay dont know crap and dont need to fix your stuff anymore.

we have no good tranny shops in town here. the one i figured was good screwed me over. i had him do a c4 for a 73 stang of my moms. i go to install on a weekend. wont fit tourqe converter on input shaft. he gave me a converter also . well the point that set me off was he said he dynoed it and was perfect. bu!! sh!t as the convertor didnt fit. then i swaped in a bigger finned aluminum pan for stock. no fluid in it except for a few drops. never run at al.

then i tak it down on lunch from work monday. ask him what the fu$k is up. he said i peened over the input splined in the drum from slaming the convertor on the shaft. i about knocked his a$$ out on the spot with my auto shop mechanics shirt on. not some billy bob dumb a$$ of the street moron.

its hard to find good work these days. and if you do it dont last.