PCline

My truck is currently in a tow lot 120 miles, and one mountain pass, away from my house with a TC that puked it's guts out last night. I think I've found a decent tranny shop in the area to pull everything out, give the tranny a once over and put it all back together (I've got my fingers crossed on that one).

I need some recommendations on a TC. Is ATS still a top recommendation? I don't think I've heard much about their Viskus setup. I think I want to go with a multiple disk TC this time. Oh yea... all the DTT fans can stand down. If you care to read on you'll see why I would prefer not to replace the DTT TC with another one (not bashing anyone's product, I just know what doesn't work for me).

The existing tranny was done by DTT in Abbotsford. Twice. Yea... the TC has ultimately been responsible for stranding my family on two separate occasions. I have two small boys and wife that does not like them to be in a broken down rig with tractor trailers flying by only inches away.

My truck is not a high horsepower truck. It's an '03 with the 250hp CTD, an AFE intake, a 4 inch MBRP exhaust, and TST. It's fully gauged and I never run more than 1100 deg F EGT or 220 on the tranny temp. TST was set at 5/3 when the TC puked yesterday. The overdrive was off and I was locked up in third gear pulling a long hill at 50 mph with a slide in camper. This should have been a walk in the park for a quality TC. The temp was just a touch over 180 and then within a few seconds it skyrocketed, I lost power to the wheels and fluid poured out of the bell housing.

I'm just looking for a RELIABLE tow rig. I'm not drag racing, street racing or so much as even trying to impress anyone but my wife (with a good trouble free camping weekend).

Recommendations for a good TC and any things to think about while getting work done by a tranny shop 2 hours away are greatly appreciated.

omaharam

Dave Goerend triple disc. Lifetime warranty. Best TC out there, IMO. Suncoast would be the runner up. I wouldn't buy anything other than those two. I have seen every other TC - aside from the ATS 5 star - cut open, and that is what I am basing my opinion on.

ptgarcia

Try Goerend Bros. Give him a call, tell him how you use your truck and he'll set you up with an approprite converter.

Good luck!

PCline

Well, I just found out that the shops where my truck is don't do tranny work. They only remove and replace. They work with Jasper transmissions. Anyone hear of them?

I think this trip is going to cost me an arm and a leg. I think I have two choices 1) two the whole rig home for $800 and go with a TC and tranny checkout or 2) order a whole new transmission/TC and have it shipped to my truck.

Anyone have experience with ordering a ready-to-go tranny from a high end shop and installing it in small town USA?

gsmopar

I think I'd get the truck home and make the decision after you've had time to think it through. $800 is cheaper than having to re-do someone else's mistakes. Also, if you're not familiar with the garage I wouldn't trust them to put in your high dollar aftermarket transmission. You might get it home to find a stocker in there and some guy at the garage has your new Goerend!

jrussell

If it was me I would have a rebuilt trans shipped from Goerend to the shop (or even to your house if you have a way to get it to the shop yourself). I would show up at the shop the day the tranny gets there and watch them do the install so no funny business happens.

Having a closer/local shop do the work would be preferable, but it's probably actually cheaper to have a rebuilt tranny from a reputable builder shipped in and installed. I think anyone who has swapped trannys before would have no problems doing the swap for you.

Take your options and calculate what each one will cost when all said and done. I think you'll find having one shipped from Goerend and swapped in will be cheaper and you'll obviously have a solid high quality trans without any doubts. I would want to get rid of that "unlucky" DTT core you have now and start fresh too.

ptgarcia

I think jrussell may be on to something. Unless you're totally abusing them, and it doesn't sound like you are, I find it hard to believe you're blowing DTT converters without having some unknown issue elsewhere in the trans. It may be a good idea to ditch that tranny core in favor of a new one.

PCline

You guys are thinking the same thing I am. Cars can be a lemon right? So I think I have a lemon transmission. Something just isn't quite right and it passes the limited shop tests but over time eats the TC.

Got a call into Goerand and ATS. Everybody must be busy getting ready for the summer tow season. Keep getting the answering machine or hold time at both places.

Looking at the Goerand website makes me believe those guys test their transmissions and are willing to stand behind them. I like the idea of a lifetime warranty and triple disc.

Mcmopar

Yup, good idea!!

omaharam

Also, and this is only based on the experience I've had with Dave so don't hold it as fact - only a thought, if you had Dave send you an already built tranny - assuming he's got a core - he might work with you crediting some $ back to you depending on the actual condition of your tranny when he tears into it. He always suggest rebuilding the one you have because it will cost less, but given your circumstances, he may be willing to work something out.

cquestad

I will give a vote to ATS VB/TC or Suncoast VB/TC.

PM me if you would like to hear my opinion in full...without the potential bs that will happen on this thread.

jrussell

Yeah, it sounds like something is slightly off and it's causing them to go out. I had a similar issue with an '81 Toyota FJ40 T-case. Had it rebuit twice by two of the best 4wd shops in town and it still kept going out after a certain amount of time/miles.

We know that DTT TC's and trannys hold up to plenty of power and abuse, so I don't think it's something they're doing wrong with the TC's. IMO though they should realize something isn't right with that tranny and attempt to make it right for you. I have a feeling most of the other guys with good repuations [cough] Goerend, HTS [/cough] would try to make it right.

Whichever route you choose to go, good luck and I hope you end up with the reliable tranny you're after!

raychem

PCline, please call DTT and tell them what it is. It sounds like something else is wrong or going bad and it is what is causing your problem. You paid for the tranny and before you spend anymore money talk to them.

Richard

Stefan

Paul had work done with us originally in Jan of 2004. 3 years later he came in and we looked at the unit for him again. Getting into an argument for anyone of us in not necessary.When the truck came in this time we had to take it out. Once we did so the parts indicated the unit was run low on fluid. Paul said he had not done so . We did not argue then and we do not intend to do so now. All we can go by is what the parts tell us. They indicated that the transmission had been run low on fluid. At any rate he wanted it repaired re using what we could. Bill only charged him $300 bucks and re and re labour and very little else. We do not know what happened this time so we cannot comment. We are reading this just like you guys are right now. We are not offended if Paul wants to get help elsewhere that is totally fine .

PCline

Thanks for the input Stefan. And you're right, getting into an argument is not necessary so please take the following as constructive feedback from the customer's viewpoint along with a couple of factual corrections.

The original work was done in Jan of 2005. I still have the invoice, number 6666. That invoice number should have been my first warning I guess.

I'll agree that Bill only charged me $300 for "build bench labor" and I greatly appreciate that. But that "little else" added up to a total price tag, out the door, of $2420 (cdn). That will hurt anyone's wallet. Especially after spending $4261 only 2 years and 40,000 miles earlier. At the time I happily paid, painful as it was, thinking that I had done something wrong.

My above comments were factual, the following comments are my opinion and I can only say they are based on my truck experience, Engineering background and aerospace experience designing hydraulic control systems. You're free to disagree with them but realize up front that you're probably not going to be able to change my mind.

I don't agree the unit was run low on fluid. However I will agree that the pump was starved for fluid. Big difference and one I didn't fully appreciate until I had some time to think about it after leaving your shop. You see... Bill discovered that the first gear clutches had seen some heat. He concluded that the unit was run low on fluid and that was that.

Here's what I believe happened. The TC clutch material, for one reason or another, was shedding off the disc at a terrible rate (Bill even mentioned the glue bond as a possible source of the problem when I first called, but I'm sure there is a denial coming my way). This lead to the slipping I noticed but more importantly it lead to the contamination and eventual restriction of the filter. This prevented the pump from getting adequate fluid flow and therefore it could not maintain proper line pressure. This led to clutch disengagement and the lack of power to the wheels that I experienced.

My first mistake was probably trying to limp the truck home 1.5 miles by starting it, driving until the wheels lost power, turning it off and waiting 2-3 minutes and then starting all over again.

My second mistake was not saving the restricted filter, all of the fluid, and all of the contaminants from the pan, some of which were metal pieces that had no corresponding damage on the 1st gear clutches (I looked very closely at the clutch pack). I'm sure if I would have had these on hand during the tear down Bill's conclusion would have been different.

I 100% agree with examining the parts to see what they'll tell you but I find it interesting that the TC was never examined. I realize it would have to be cut open but it was deemed as "destroyed" due to the level of extensive contamination so cutting it open wouldn't have ruined any usable parts.

My conclusion is that "collateral damage" was identified as the root cause. In other words, the TC failure ultimately led to the burning of other clutches.

What happened this time? I don't know either, the truck won't be at my house until tomorrow thanks to my wife convincing the insurance company to pay the towing fees. All I know is that within a matter of seconds, no kidding, everything went from fine to 280 deg and fluid pouring out of the bell housing. Obviously a seal failed, but why?

Once again let me state that I am not bashing your product. I'm stating my experience. Some of it you may not agree with but that's OK. At this point I really don't know how I'm going to get my truck running again. I'm taking the input I got above, along with others, and I'm doing some research for a couple of days to see what I can come up with.