Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Do it yourself Performance transmission?

[BWagnaar]

Does any one get highperformance rebuild kits and hard parts from anywhere else than Transmissioncenter.net or the other 50 website they go by?? I just sold my other car and i'm ready to do the transmission in my truck but i'm trying to find the stuff i need?



thanks

 

[Diesel Nut]

I get all those parts from Suncoast. Built a few transmissions here with Suncoast parts. Good parts. Not bad prices, either.

 

[RMcGrath]

I am interested in this too, I am leaning towards the Suncoast Exterme Duty kit and a Goerend TC. ETR has the same rebuild kit for slightly less, or at least it appears to be the same kit, has the same PN.



Have you had a bad experience w/ PATC (transmissioncenter.net)? They seem to have good deals on some of the components (lowest price on a billet input shaft, for example), but if the parts are junk, doesn't make it worth it.



Best of luck, I'll let you know if I find anything else out there! Kudos to thinking about a DIY, seems to be frowned upon for some reason around here- I wish I could to visit GB and have them do the whole thing for me, but unfortunately, it's not in the cards at the moment!

 

[BWagnaar]

I haven't had any bad experience with PATC, though i called them and ask them what the diff was between two kits and all he could tell me was one had more stuff than the other...
The only thing i haven't built for myself yet is a computer, other than that i'm all about the DIY projects. I have some money for a transmission, i want to pump my truck up to 400-500 RWHP but i dont want to hand over my right leg to someone to do the same thing i can do.
I'm just wondering if shops really do everything that PATC has to offer or is it just a hype? I also noticed that one kit from PATC is X amount but than another kit with less and different parts is all of the sudden almost $4,000... just for PARTS!!!
So yeah, if anyone is going through the same deal i would like to hear what they are doing, i'll post what i can find.

 

[SnoKing]

The thing about shops like DTT is that they profile the truck and your usage, and then build your transmission to those spec's based on years for experience. There is a lot more to it in my book than just slapping parts into it. JMHO! SNOKING

 

[Allnew2Me]

The internals of the transmissions are all about the same I found out with the one exception being the valve body. I bought the Suncoast extreme kit and all the parts are made by someone else, Alto clutches and steels and the seal kit was also a well-known brand. I don't know of any trans builder that builds their own snaprings, thrust washers, clutch packs, seals, etc. Even the billet band and strut, accumulator piston and anchor might be a stock item. The diesel is a different animal and I would be sure that you get parts that are up to the stresses that we put on them. That is what is nice about buying a kit from one of the big 3 builders because it is what they use in their rebuilds so you know they are going to be the right parts.

The valve body is another story. all the builders have their "secrets" and this is where the major differences occur in the way the truck shifts. There are several things that can be done to change the way the transmission shifts, holds, and downshifts that can make it a joy to drive or a nightmare. they don't just throw a shift kit in the VB, they have proprietary seperator plates made to control things, and change the valving and ports, a very complicated part they are.

I took my trans out myself and took it to a local builder I know that is a wizard at the rebuild process and had him do all the critical work inside and then installed it myself. Even going with Suncoast I had a very minor glitch that bothered me with the VB. I called them up and they sent me a new one, problem solved. I saved the shipping costs on a full transmission and also I wanted to keep my case and other parts because I know the history, rather than sending it back in exchange for another one. You can save a few bucks by doing the grunt work yourself, but leave the important things to the pros.

 

[BTowler]

Unless you are a very very good mechanic I would leave the rebuild to someone who is trained. Auto's are not an easy, d. i. y. rebuild.

 

[BWagnaar]

I ordered the overhaul book and video off ebay for $30 and have watched it a couple of times and made note in the book. Any one with a decent amount off automotive knowlegde could do a simple overhaul. When it comes to figuring out how to improving the hydrulic systems and performace of the valve bodies, converters and what not, that is for someone with a R&D department and transmission dyno. But taking 4 clutches out and putting 5 back in, that is cake.

 

[Allnew2Me]

Taking out parts and replacing them seems easy enough but I still would not attempt it unless you are really sure of the finer points involved. My transmission guy has over 30 years experience in the trade and still called Suncoast to verify clutch pack clearances to make sure it was all going to be done right. Longevity and durability are in the details. That is not to say that a home mechanic couldn't do it, I just felt more comfortable having all the internals done by a pro. Since I provided the parts and brought him the transmission it really didn't cost much to have it done right. In fact is was the least expensive part.

 

[BTowler]

My brother builds and tunes race cars (his car is putting around 1300 hp to the rear wheels), rebuilds manual transmissions in shop, and he prefers to let a trans tech do all his auto work or buy prebuilt units. If it was cake more people would be doing it. Beware of things you buy off Ebay, there are a lot of scammers out there. It may say all you have to do is remove and replace, but does it tell you about clearances?

 

[DCreed]

agreed . from what i read about these trans before there are ALOT of special consideration for the diesel also 4 diff gen of the 47re and some stuff isnt interchangeable there is also a warning about an 800 lb press spring in the overdrive unit. i think we all agree at least on one thing, a reputable rebuilder is key no matter who makes the parts . i got mine installed and it blew up in only 20 mi#@$%! ! thank gosh a shop did it!( for warr reasons !!)

 

[rubberneck]

You guys crack me up. The guy asks a few simple questions and all you do is get on here to tell him he shouldn't do it himself. How do you know what his mechanical abilities are?? You guys talk about these "professional" (i use that term lightly) trans builders like they are gods. I agree that the magic is in the valve body, and their time and R&D is what pays off. But if the guy is buying the parts from a supplier along with that suppliers valve body, they should be able to tell him how to set it up to work with their parts. (clearances pressures etc) If you buy all the parts from a supplier they should provide you with the hints and tips they use when building to make sure that you your unit works successfully. If not buy your parts from somebody who will. Trannys are just mechanical pieces. If you are competent, buy good parts and pay attention to what the heck you are doing, there is no reason that a mechanical person can not rebuild it properly.

 

[Detroitiron]

I gotta agree with rubberneck!

You guys crack me up. The guy asks a few simple questions and all you do is get on here to tell him he shouldn't do it himself. How do you know what his mechanical abilities are?? You guys talk about these "professional" (i use that term lightly) trans builders like they are gods. I agree that the magic is in the valve body, and their time and R&D is what pays off. But if the guy is buying the parts from a supplier along with that suppliers valve body, they should be able to tell him how to set it up to work with their parts. (clearances pressures etc) If you buy all the parts from a supplier they should provide you with the hints and tips they use when building to make sure that you your unit works successfully. If not buy your parts from somebody who will. Trannys are just mechanical pieces. If you are competent, buy good parts and pay attention to what the heck you are doing, there is no reason that a mechanical person can not rebuild it properly.

There ain't no magic there! Buy the books and tapes, make sure you have ALL the right tools and measuring devices, pressure testing gauges, etc. , kiss any warrant bye-bye, take a deep breath, and make sure you realize it might take twice as long as you planned. Then roll up your sleeves, use all safety precautions, and have at it.



Having done more than one, in cars admittedly, I can say from experience, they aren't just 'bolt it together'. The truck units are just beefier. Lots beefier. And a lot heavier. So rent a quality trans jack for the r-n-r part.



The separator plate is critical, along with the whole valve body. Gather all the information you can get your hands on before you turn the first bolt. Talk to people everywhere you find them, even those you disagree with. They all have a nugget of information you can take away from the conversation.



And don't worry if you do something 'dumb' or 'wrong'... the guys here will tell you about it... LOL...



Sometimes it's worth it to DIY... sometimes it's not... But, don't let someone tell you that just because they don't have the heart or tools or ability to do it, that you can't or shouldn't.



JMHO



DaveOo.

 

[BWagnaar]

Finally some positive support!! I was almost going to post somthing about that but figured it wasn't worth my time. It seems like if some poeple dont know how to do something they feel other shouldn't able to do either.

I only posted the question to look for help and get support, not to get nagged at by poeple who pay other poeple to work on their trucks.

 

[Allnew2Me]

I don't see anyone as being nagging, only trying to share personal experience, which is what this site is all about. I appreciate any suggestions and am perfectly willing and able to sort them out and use what I see fit to use. I would much rather have too much info than not enough.

With that said, yes, you can do all the work yourself, I usually do that also but have chosen my path and only shared it with you. I saw it simply as not being worth the trouble to wonder if I got it right. I actually did consider doing it myself but I only paid my transmission guy $350 for all of his work which I see as a bargain and not worth trying to do it myself considering the cost of a failure due to my not understanding tolerances or clearance issues. Plus, I don't want to have to pull that thing again. I think I did the hardest part with the R&R, his job was easy.

By all means go for it, rebuild it yourself and let us know how it all comes out, including long term reliability. Perhaps we are all making more of this than there really is. It is just a part like any other part and if it doesn't work you can always pull it out and do it again, It is only an auto, it ain't brain surgery, right?

 

[BTowler]

Sorry, I was only passing on what I have found in my experiences, and yes I do alot of wrenching on my truck myself. I have known people who tried doing a transmission themselves and everyone of them ended up regretting it. These guys all had very good mechanical skills as well, so I don't know if it is just a case of tolerances having to be exact, Haitian Voodoo, or what, but as Allnew said, for $350. 00 it is better to be on the safe side.



On edit: I too have a dead transmission, but I am having it replaced with a Suncoast. Wanted to go ATS but it was a little higher and the shipping was over $100. 00 more (can't figure that out, Colorado to S. A. should be cheaper than Florida to S. A. ). When prices are that high, a few hundred becomes more of an issue.

 

[BWagnaar]

I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes either. I was just hopeing that there would be more transmission builders or suppliers on this forum that could shed some light on some things. In Santa Cruz we dont have many transmission shops and of the 4 shops i've asked the average price is between $950 and $1500 to just rebuild a transmission that i bring to them. I figured that is the cost of the convertor right there and i would much rather save the money and do a bit more research. I understand that the transmission is sensative to tolerances and what not. I'm building a nitrous motor for my dart where the only thing stock is the block and i can only hope that all the aftermarket crap wont need too much work. Its taken me almost two days just to make sure i have every piston ring gap to spec and to not brake them during install.



I dont know about other people but i would want to know the transmission builder or the shop a while before i trust a $350 rebuild. It just seems like a deal too good to be true. It brings back the impression that if they only want $350 than it can't be too hard?



I dont know... . and dont really care. If it works then hey, you got a hell of a deal.

 

[BWagnaar]

It also seemed that a lot of people worked on their own trucks and so i had thought more people did their own transmission builds. I'm not made of money and a built transmission these days are like a freak'n golden egg.

 

[BTowler]

Divide $350. 00 by $78. 00 (average labor here) and that comes to 4. 48 hours. That is probably a reasonable amount of time for someone who knows what they are doing and is good at it.

 

[Allnew2Me]

I sent you a PM. I'm in San Jose and can hook you up with a really good builder, or if you only need advice, he is very willing to talk to you.