Anyone having any problems with BD-power or DTT transmission products?

[sdalton]

Its hard to get a ffair idea of the two companies products. they both claim to solve the same problems with our auto trannies. If anyone out their has anything negative to say about either, please chime in. I for one have looked over past posts and made up my mind about their products. Others out here are new and need some input. I will probably by one or the other in the next few years. Please, Pier and Bill K. , just sit back and grit your teeth.

 

[Gohon]

How do you get a Fair Comparsion of a product by asking for negative posts. Must already be some pretty good information on here about the subject to have already helped you make up your mind as to which one to buy. I've seen to many people complain about a product only to discover after a few questions from the manufacture of the product that the problem was not actually the product in question but how the item was installed, or another part or product that had failed so to ask these two guys not to defend or help out is a bit unfair and kind of like asking for a re-count.

Jerry

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1999, 2500 QC 4X4, Driftwood,Auto, Stock, Cab High Shell, Tow Package, Camper Package.

 

[sdalton]

What I was looking for was which products have more complaints and problems with them. This is a fair thing to ask. It is not for the maker to defend himself. It should be correct the first time, unless installed poorly. Read the post on torque converters, they have already begun to defend themselves.

 

[Sled Puller]

I think it is a good question, I would like to hear some feed back, as a may end up with an auto!
Gene

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1997 Cummins Dodge 4x4 Bombed & Amsoiled. Amsoil Premiere Direct Jobber, Member of: NRA Business Alliance, GLTDR, WANTED: Wrecked Dodges.
www.awdist.com

 

[Dak - BD Power]

Sdalton; fair is fair, dollar for dollar how many customers does Bill have compaired to BD? How many people have complained about a problem in the first 3-4 months. I think that's about how long Bill has had his torque convertor out there for. Not trying to start fights just stating facts. The more customers you have directly relates to the amount of problems you will have, this is a fact.
There will always be mechanical error. The only diffrence might be in how the problem is corrected. Does anyone disagree?Since some people enjoy things in laymans terms listen to this explaination. I have a 1972 RUPP snowmobile the best during it's time, I also have a 1970 Yamaha great sled during it's time. If you were me which one would you rather try to get parts for? I think the old saying goes THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS.

Yours Truly; Steve. T bd

 

[Bill Kondolay]

TD

Here's just a little something you may want to add to you little senario,
I have been building transmissions for over 18 YEARS. I was trained by Odell Brown. Guys that have been in the transmission business for a long time will recognize his name.

He was the guy the ATRA phoned when they couldnt solve problems and one of the first owners of a machine called the transalizer.

I was taught to find the problem, fix the problem not cover or mask the problem.
A lot of people wonder where my transmission background came from. This was its origin.

This man gave me something i am still trying
to repay to this day. I guess my point is when a customer buys a DTT product it comes with me,my experience and everything Odell taught me. The buck stops with me, no committes, no hassles, with me.

Bill Kondolay
Diesel Transmission Technology.




[This message has been edited by Bill Kondolay (edited 01-09-2001). ]

[This message has been edited by Bill Kondolay (edited 01-12-2001). ]

 

[Mopar-muscle]

Originally posted by TDCanuk:
fair is fair, dollar for dollar how many customers does Bill have compaired to BD? How many people have complained about a problem in the first 3-4 months. I think that's about how long Bill has had his torque convertor out there for. Not trying to start fights just stating facts. The more customers you have directly relates to the amount of problems you will have, this is a fact.

Yours Truly; Steve. T bd

now this is one confusing post , i edited out the unneeded part .

TD first time i read it , i thought you were saying that since BD has been in business longer than DTT , that BD is better . then i reread it and it sounds like BD is better because they have a larger customer base , again DTT hasn't been around that long . then i read it again and it sounds like the guy with more customers has more complaints ???? which is right ?

 

[Archive]

MM... I, too, reread the posts several times. My idea of what td was saying is that, percentage-wise, all else being equal, BD would have more complaints.

Example: Say BD has had 200 customers, with a 25 percent complaint rate. This would equal 50 complaints.

Say Bill has had 50 customers, with a 25 percent complaint rate. . same as BD. . this would equal 12. 5 complaints.

Without knowing all of the equation, this can be misleading.
Please note: I made up all of the figures above to simply show MY understanding of the post. I do not have an automatic, nor will I ever. It is no skin off my nose either way.

 

[Piers]

Mopar Muscle, I think what Steve was trying to say is, that if you ask a business that has been out there a long time & have a large customer base verse asking a smaller company that has'nt been around that long who has the most compliants, obviously there will be more feed back regarding the bigger company, at least one would hope so.
Nobody here is questioning Bill's ability, he is one of the most knowlagable people I know regarding automatic transmissions.
I hope that clears things up as throwing rocks never solves anything. #ad


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Piers, BD engine R&D

 

[arlan]

Members,

I have had both B-D and DDT products. My first B-D torque convert had the clutch lining let loose and left me stranded 70 miles from anywhere, in Alaska. I called B-D and Steve told me it sounded as the transmission was toast and he could ship me a new one. With no better options that I knew of at the time I bought a new B-D built transmission with torque converter and valve body. I installed it and drove down to Abottsford and also had their torque lock and pressure lock install and was on my merry way. A few month later I got an email from HVAC that Bill Kondolay was holding a transmission seminar in San Jose. I decided to go and when I drove Bills truck I knew I had the wrong converter in my truck. I went home, order a DTT torque converter and valve body and made an appointment at the shop in Canada, eh. When Bill dropped the pad he found a bunch of crap in the bottom and the front bands had more that 1/2" of play. This was with approximately 10,000 mile on the new transmission. Piers came out and picked the transmission up, had it rebuilt and brought it back along with a check for the half the cost of the transmission they had shipped to Alaska. He said the reimbursement was because their torque converter had caused the original failure. I believe it was my added power and misuse of a mystery switch that contributed to the failure. I furthermore believe that the B-D torque lock was a contributing factor to the near failure of my second transmission. When I asked Steve at B-D if it was OK to drive the truck with the torque lock switch in the up, red position he said as long as it wasn't left on when stopping that the pressure lock would protect the clutch lining. It felt so much to have the transmission shift straight to lockup. Now with Bill's converter and valve body I now longer have any desire to force lock up for acceleration. I have removed the torque lock and pressure lock as they are no longer needed. I do use a mystery switch for my exhaust brake only. It is a foot operated, momentary switch that can not be accidentally left on.

I hold no ill feeling towards B-D. I believe they treated me more than fair, but the converters I purchased from them were of the milled stator design, in my opinion an extremely poor choice. They simply do not work as advertised.

I hope Bill is able to make that Texas seminar. Once you boys down there drive his truck you will have something else to brag about, what I mean is it's difficult to drive the DTT truck and not want to copy it. That's right, I'm not from Texas, does Texas want me anyway?

Arlan

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98. 5 ISB QC 3500 4X4 3. 54, PowerMax1, DTT TC & VB, TY303 225/70/19. 5's on Rickson Wheels, 275 Injectors, Mag-Hytec Transmission Pan/Differential Cover, 9000 LB Warn Winch, Ultra Board Running Boards, Westach Combo Boost/EGT Transmission Temperature & Fuel Pressure gauges, Pac Brake, 2-lo kit, CB, GPS, Rancho 9000's, ATS exhaust manifold, JRE 4" exhaust with muffler and resonator. Lifetime NRA Member

 

[Mopar-muscle]

thanks guys , i had a feeling what it meant , but wasn't sure , seems lately when i do cruise thru that bill and brian ( and sometimes steve) are involved in some kinfd of ******* contest , i find it humoruous as it could have been avoided had BD let Bill make the products he now sells on his own ... oops ...

 

[Herbie2]

Hot topic I can't resist getting into it. I have a Dunrite Tork Converter low stall speed, great improvement over original equipment. I'm not sure a slight improvement in efficiencywould make a big difference to me. This fall i added a DTT valve body. The primary reason for add the valve body was to gain the useof exhaust brake in second gear as I pull a large 5"er in the west. The valve body was advertised as allowing second gear lock-up of TC during decelleration for unprecidented engine braking capacity. It works great if youare going less than 1500 rpm or 30 mi. per hr. Anything above that and even with the transmission in manual second, it automatically shifts into 3rd gear with TC continuing to be locked. DTT advises another gadget required to allow second gear lock-up beyond this RPM/speed. I wish they could have told me that ahead of time & Iwould have rethought my purchase-everything seems to require a few hundred dollars more. I like the firm shifts of the valve body and receive prompt mailing and service from DTT.


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99-2500-auto-exbk-mswitch-14000+5er-DTTvalve body--dunrite converter-275inj. -ezpe

 

[Piers]

Actually I was in the meeting where Bill was given cart blanche to do whatever he felt was necessary to improve on the tc technoligy. For several reasons Bill decided to do his own thing again. Please remember there are always 2 sides to every story. I'm sure you've heard Bill's version. And that is all water under the bridge now. If you think we are sitting back taking it easy & not working on this situation, you're wrong. We are working very hard at making a better tc & when it comes out you can be sure it will be an original design, there is NO reverse engineering going on, nor while I'm employed here will there be.
Arlan had an old design tc that did not have the efficiency of the 6L series that we currently manufacture. He is also much more aware of what damage a mystery switch or improperly used torque loc can do & I'm sure is driving accordingly.

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Piers, BD engine R&D

 

[rich m]

I like my BD valvebody and pressure-loc. that install was an "only" when it was done, and I could tell the difference in lockup firmness --still would not snap yer neck, but also was at "stock" power. .
on a different day, their brake, and their auto-loc was installed. I prefer to run it in "green-lite" mode, with a separate "clicker" switch attached to the gear-shift lever, that energizes/kills the brake circuit and the lock-box circuit simultaneously. the only part that I disliked, was the location of the big toggles being down thru the knee-bolster. (way inconvenient!)... now, I have them set the way i like and just click-on/click-off as i drive.

the VB, at first, had a bad transducer, and would not come out of "limp mode"... that was resolved the next day, when my installer/therapist was able to call BD on the phone with diagnostic details... . email me for a couple of details there... . rm

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mildly BOMBed 98. 4 1B7KF23D4WJxxxxxx-- BD's #5 plate and 210HP injectors--BD Brake and the associated transmission bomb goodies (except for TC,currently), 4" open exhaust (short),Psychotty, camper shell, Warn front receiver, G159Unisteels on Rickson 19. 5's. . CD player is bone stock, so are the seats. PrimeLoc, also remote spin-on filter for the auto trans... Pyro,Boost and Trans temp from Isspro,
Westin nerf rails(black),
bent welding rod to hang celphone on dashboard...
240HP on Dynojet from 75-105mph drumspeed.

 

[Bill Kondolay]

Herbie2,

1994-95 Dodge rams have a mechanical governor circuit.

1996-later Dodge rams have an electronically controlled governor circuit that dictate shift points based on vehicle speed and throttle position . (line pressure)

You can achieve 2nd grear lock up mechanically by modifying the governor valves to over come this as is currently being done in this industry.

I myself do this type of mod for my race vehicles. However i will not do this for the Dodge Cummins Diesel.

There are 2 hazards that we are not willing to risk by using the mechanically system.

1 is the ability to accidentally over rev the engine and destroy it.
2nd)It has the potential to literally stall the vehicle if you forget to dis-engage lock up.

With the mechanical setup and the Dodge Ram I personally have tested panic stops with combined truck and trailer weight of 18000lbs.

Out of the 10 tests i ran, i stalled the vehicle 4 times. That was and is not acceptable.

We have designed a system to over come a lot of the problems associated with the the tc forcing the clutch to stay locked up at the wrong time.

All of our valve bodies have 2nd gear lock up capabilities. How we control the system has not yet been released to the public and wont be until after Jan. 15

I will privately email you and arrange for a road test if you wish .

My offer stands , please feel free to contact me to rectify this as it appears we were unclear at your time of purchase on how our system works.

I guarantee you will get a full refund for your valve body and shipping charges.

Bill
Diesel Transmission Technology

 

[John]

Herbie, how can you beat that offer?

I will tell you one thing, Bill's word is gold!

 

[BlueKnight]

I have found this thread and the torque-converter thread very informative. These two individuals are very competitive with developing a great product for their costomers. As long as we have this kind of competition, we the consumer, will benefit. I will be upgrading my TQ and VB very soon, and this (these) threads have helped me make up my mind.

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99 CC 4X4 LWB Leather 3:55 Loaded w/every possible option except HD T/case. No more Prime-Loc or ring. K&N, 275's, Guages, 4in exhaust.

 

[Deezal Man]

I'd like to propose an idea,
Since it appears we are in a grid lock of sorts. At the next TDR rally, sign up 10-20 taste "testers" who own bone stock trucks. . Including guys brave enough to drive Chevy's/Fords. Summon two identical trucks with the variable being the TC and VB. NOTHING ELSE. No switches/gizmo's, etc.
Except the owners, and the organizers. NO-ONE should know which truck has what TC/VB. Each of the 10-20 people should drive each truck back to back through a pre-determined road coarse. Offering hills, traffic lights etc. REAL world stuff.
People who have taken the test, should not interface with people who are still waiting.
From there, each person will complete a survey, using the "1-5 rating scale" Asking opinions about each truck in different conditions and such.
Tally up the responses. and I think you'll have a decent idea of what people want and like. Regardless of the outcome in a chart or graph.

What do you guys think??

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98. 5' 24v 2500 Auto/3. 54 4x4 SB QC 285-75-16's on Alcoa's. Everything but leather. PIAA 1200's, AMSOIL dual filter relocation system, Smittybuilt Stainless Steel Nerfs, Rhino Liner(Junk), K&N air filter(For Sale)15 year AMSOIL dealer. Time permitting, Soon to include Ultra-lite Pyro,0-50lbs boost, Trans temp in the pillar. Rancho 9000's with in cab adjustment.

 

[Bill Kondolay]

Deezal Man,

I like your idea. And guys running DTT converters so you know if after going through this test, you feel the milled stator converter's are more efficient than your steel stator convertor you can have your tc money back.

Bill Kondolay
Diesel Transmission Technology

[This message has been edited by Bill Kondolay (edited 01-10-2001). ]

 

[John]

Deezel Man, I'll do ya one better... I currently have a BD V10/Cummins hybrid TC (unmilled stator) and VB along with a BD TorqLoc and PressureLoc installed in my Ram. By Monday morning I will have a DTT 91% or 93% TC and VB in my Ram. I will let you know what my opinion is having owned and driven both.

I'm sure my findings will mirror Arlan's. I have deep respect for his opinions... we, along with others on this BB go way back, at least three years, all the way back when we were on the Happy Campers BB together. Arlan has ALWAYS been a straight shooter.

Is Arlan the only other Rammer on this BB that has owned or driven both? If not, where the he!! are the rest of you guys????

[This message has been edited by John (edited 01-10-2001). ]