Transgo stepped up big time..

Yay!Gurrr

Yay!Gurrr

Better Faster Stronger
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Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Location
N. N. Raleigh, NC
Just venting, don't need advice...

I paid a local guy who 'claimed' he knew how to rebuild transmissions. he had some of the specialty tools you'd expect to see someone have.. He had a few apart on his bench. I know RWD trannys aren't rocket science so he talked the good talk that he could do the 4L80e..

I wanted a basic rebuild with a transgo HD2 shift kit.. Even before I got it put back in all I heard about was how much extra 'work' the shift kit required etc.. So anyway.. I made the trip to NY and back np tranny ran cool so hickups etc.. except I have NO 2nd gear engine braking (manual 2). Thats a critical item to have for towing.. Bascially the only time the front band (aka 2nd band) is used is when the lever is manually in 2nd gear..

After the first comment of 'are you sure its soposed to do that' i knew things wouldn't end up well.. So fast forward to now. I pulled the valve body down and started looking at things..

1) It looks like the 2nd band was not centered up correctly and apply pin was not hitting the ramp on the band, but hitting a flat part where its likely it wouldn't be able to push it.. combined with...

2) 4th gear accumulator gasket completely not correct installed right. half of it was in the hole.. (see pic). Im not sure when fluid flows there but i know that any time something not in the right spot it can affect other stuff...

3) Valve body seperator plate - Very sloppy install of the shift kit. Where he drilled out holes in the plate to increase pressures there was still burrs on the plate, enough to cut your self.. He chamfered the wrong spot, not sure what feed that is, may not hurt anything but again in know enlarging the shift holes from .085-> .096 = hugh difference in shifts.. So if enlarging somthing else can bleed pressure maybe its also contributing to the 2nd apply issue..

I'm so sick of peoples BS, and lies... Are people so stupid that they can feed you BS and think your buying it... i know you get what you pay for is true, but I know I do decent work on the side (when i do it) and don't lie to people..

so im left with the decision of.. do I trust the rest of the build and redo it (myself) or just fix the valve body stuff and move on and hope it doesn't mess up down the road...



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I moved this to chit-chat so everyone could see the results..

I called TRANSGO (www.transgo.com) and 5min on the phone. They are sending me a new revised kit FREE. NO QUESTIONS asked, they didn't even ask for a receipt. I fully explained that the ass hat doing the install messed it up. He said he didn't care, he just wanted to make me happy...

Now, I hope the rest of the tranny holds together...


-mike
 
I called the idiot after i called transgo.. I pointed out every thing I found, wrong hole chamfered, plate was banged up, gasket in the hole.. Told him 'he messed it up and maybe he should stick to things he knows' he really had nothing to say, tried to say 'it got sucked in' but I explained that its under pressure not suction.. He shut up at that point.. I try not to be confrontational if i can help it..

Since transgo is taking care of me i see no point in dealing with him any more beyond this.. I will how ever request that when I post this guys craigslist ads that if everyone could flag it as spam it would keep him from harming anyone else. I will post my own ad stating the facts.
 
If you decide not to do it yerself...

There's a guy in Garner I know of that is very good with auto transmissions.. he built the one that's in my buggy, and he has been mentioned more than once i conversations amongst the racer crowd.
Big fawking A+ for Transgo..
 
Hey Rich, who's the man in Garner, I live in the area and need some tranny work done on my Z28
 
Rich,
I also would be interested in the name, I'm looking for options on someone else to rebuild my TH400 for the 3rd time......
 
not true about the 2nd band, its the kickdown band and there are certain circumstances when its on other that manual 2

But anyways, i actually have a 4l80e apart on the bench now and i'm installing the transgo revised shift kit. There is also a revised reaming tool for the valve body that cures the 4th burnup. and transgo has a no shrink ring kit that is highly recommended( and the seperator plate is new, should have came with kit, its a transgo plate. This kit is the BOMB(don't go extra firm or anything like that because it WILL slam really hard and break the diode or race), these transmissions shift unbeliveable when installed correctly, ANYTHING with a transgo kit shift 1000000x better than stock. I put one in every single rebuild i do (3-5 per week). Did you get new solenoids and speed sensors for the rebuild( i usually rebuild the pressure solenoid and replace the others)? they are a must on a 4l80e

Transgo kits do take a long time to install correctly, but as for the hackjob, welcome to the business.

There are a few other special tricks for the 4l80e(like don't touch the OD seal on the drum), and converter choice is critical as there is a few different versions. Let me know if i can help
 
Brendan thanks for taking the time to answer my questions..

This is the kit i bought today...

http://www.sonnax.com/part_summary.php?id=3623&pl=3

Install: http://www.sonnax.com/announcements/34989-02K.pdf


The make another kit that does the same thing, thats listed for 400/4L80e that more like a liner replacement, and is locktighted in etc.. here...
http://www.sonnax.com/part_summary.php?id=3425&pl=3


Ill measure what I came out from mine.. I know the kit I got will definitely 'solve' the problem. And in reality the tranny does have a lot of miles (370k) and the bore looks wore but not enough to account for that much gap.. I'm just curious as to what was in there to begin with... It does have a part# I should probably start with that..

again thanks
-mike
 
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