Vs ss trans reco

[ken007]

Hey guys,
Bought my beast a couple of months ago, had a slight trannie slip which has now become very noticeable and annoying. She slips when entering second & third gear under heavy load, more noticeable when kicking back. Been told its the drums.
Spoke to a couple of transmission specialists and they suggest a full reco. which i'm happy to do, however, i don't wanna get ripped off. At this stage quotes are at the $1800 mark and they claim to use 'top quality' parts.
Any good transmission places in the northern suburbs ?

BTW, how many revs should my car be sitting on when traveling @ 100km/h (freeway driving). ATM she sits on 2100rpm, been told it should be sitting on 1500rpm ?? can anyone confirm.
Cheers
Ken

[hako]

That price sound OK for a quality job - read the fine print on the warranty and make sure you are covered if you break down a long way away from whoever fixed it up.
At 100kph in a V6 commodore with standard diff you are doing 1900rpm....you have a V8 so this may be different....

[VZHSV]

That price sound OK for a quality job - read the fine print on the warranty and make sure you are covered if you break down a long way away from whoever fixed it up.
At 100kph in a V6 commodore with standard diff you are doing 1900rpm....you have a V8 so this may be different....

about the same man mine sits around 1800-1900 at 100kms
(4spd auto v8)

as for the rebuild should include few parts like
* stage 1 or 2 shift kit depending how firm u want it
*corvette servo
**heavy duty clutches
* kevlar bands

[Jorgo]

get a heavier duty drive cone put into it, mine sheared recently and its a royal PITA to get to and fix. Good auto places sell a replacement part called "the beast" which is much, much stronger than original. Also get "Z-pack" clutches, its a kit containing a pack of clutches, but more than standard. They wear less when you are stationary, causing less trans slip. The original clutches slip against each other when you are stopped and wear out quick, Z-pack doesn't. Longer lasting and firmer shifts.
Just my 2 cents

[Gus The Snail]

whats your diff ratio? this may be why its sitting on 2100 at 100 kph

$1800 is pretty good for a rebuild.. dont forget , they guarantee it , so find one with the longest warranty

[ken007]

whats your diff ratio? this may be why its sitting on 2100 at 100 kph

$1800 is pretty good for a rebuild.. dont forget , they guarantee it , so find one with the longest warranty

not too sure buddy, ill get the tranny man to check it out the gear ratios.
Spoke with the tranny man and told me he uses HEAVY DUTY parts. His workshop has a pretty good rep. and offers a 20,000km 12 month warranty. Really don't know much about transmissions, was told he replaces all of the guts, seals etc. bar the pump which he rebuilds.
This is going to be a bit of an investment so what else should I be asking/demanding ?
Cheers and thanks for the advice.

PS: 3rd gear went last night as I was driving to the footy had to drive in second gear!

[hako]

Ask the tranny man 'who pays for the tow if the transmission fails when you are 1000km from his workshop' - my warranty said it was my responsibility to get the vehicle to his workshop and I think you'll find most will say that. This makes the warranty a joke. Make sure you get either a new or reco torque converter and ask if they instal new solenoids - most don't and mine failed just before the warranty expired. Also you may want to upgrade to synthetic fluid which cost more but protects more and lasts longer.
Ask what parts will NOT be replaced - some tranny places simply replace worn or broken parts. Look at this link which shows you what can be involved - if the tranny shop realises you are interested and know a bit about what's involved in the reconditioning process you will get a better job done. Good Luck.
4L60E Transmission Rebuild pictures and exploded parts diagrams How to - MinnesotaMud.com Forums

[Gus The Snail]

I meant final drive.. as in diff ratio , the box has set gearing ratios.

12 months 20,000km is a good guarantee for a box rebuild.

[ken007]

yeah not sure Gus, couldn't tell you.. how do I find out ?
BTW, tranny man said he does replace the torque converter. Don't know if he replaces the drum, are these usually replaced with a tranny overhaul ? if not how much extra would a good drum kit cost ?
Doubt the solonoids are changed, how much extra for new ones or do i just leave as is ?
thanks
ken

thanks for the link HAKo!

[Gus The Snail]

yeah not sure Gus, couldn't tell you.. how do I find out ?

on the diff there should be a white sticker with what ratio is installed.. im going to guess and say yours is 3.36:1 , or 3.08:1 I think most commo's are 2.78:1

[VZHSV]

on the diff there should be a white sticker with what ratio is installed.. im going to guess and say yours is 3.36:1 , or 3.08:1 I think most commo's are 2.78:1

i know vn-vt series 1 are 3:08

[ken007]

cool thanks guys,
so can anyone suggest some reputable auto places in or around the northern suburbs of Melbourne ? i hear preston autos in Campbelfield are pretty good, don't know how much they charge, but been quoted $1600+GST from a reputable transmission specialist in Thomastown.
So from the research i've been doing, here are some questions I will be asking;
* Do you change or service the solonoids ?
* Warranty and towing terms & conditions ?
* Z-Pack or the beast parts ?
* Corvette servo ? (not into performance or firm gear changes so do i need this?)
* Do you change the drum ?
* Kevlar bands ?
* Heavy duty components ?
* Pump reco or change-over ?
* Torque converter change-over ?
What else should I be asking for ?? I don't wanna sound like an amateur ?

cheers
Ken

[Gus The Snail]

Also , when you get the reciept , get a breakdown of all the parts used.

Dont worry about sounding like an amateur , your asking legitimate questions.

The cheapest quote isnt always the best quote , keep that in mind.

$1800 is pretty good for a rebuild , most up here in brisvegas are around the $2200 mark

[hako]

Just had a look on Ebay for "4l60e" and it's interesting what is for sale....trouble is the cost of freight.

[ken007]

yeh hako, there is one im looking at on ebay located in Tassie. Bit of a risk as there is no warranty.

I was also quoted around $300 for a trans cooler. Is it worth getting one of these ? car will only be used to drive to and from work and the occasional cruise, do i really need one ?

[Gus The Snail]

trans coolers are good and , well , needed if you are towing. If they needed them , holden would've fitted them. Some DID come factory with them , but these also came factory with towbars ( hence towing pack )

unless your towing.. dont waste your money.

[ken007]

Made some phone calls this morning;
1st quote - $2300 full rebuild with quality parts, very hesitant to offer a warranty
2nd quote - $2150 change over to a ready built stage 2 strengthened trans with 12 month 25000km warranty
3rd quote - $1850 rebuild with quality parts - shift kit & trans cooler included but very limited warranty, will supply parts but not labor (claims nothing will go wrong) & this mob have one of the best, if not, the best rep in the northern suburbs
4th quote - $1700 rebuild with all parts listed below, 12 month, 20000km warranty, no shift kit claims it puts pressure on trannie and don't need it for everyday use

All include the following which i asked about;
* Heavy duty components
* corvette servo
* zpak clutches
* beast SUN shell & gear
* kevlar band
* Solonoids replaced/valve kit upgraded (i think)
* Pump rebuild ? reco or change-over
* Torque converter change-over

I wasn't too keen on getting a shift kit. Will a shift kit lengthen or shorten the life of the tranny ?
i've heard different stories.
Cheers
Ken

[hako]

Looks like you've got a few choices there - last quote seems the best as it's the cheapest (that always appeals to me!). Shift kits make changes more positive which means they are less 'mushy' - the factory builds in the 'mushy' feel to reduce shocks on the transmission and make it last longer (thats the theory).
Re coolers I'm with Gus the Snail - unless towing or pushing the trans the factory setup will be OK...if yours is a series 2 VS you will already have an external cooler fitted....
In the end the life of the trans depends 90% on the driver so it's up to you.
Hope it all goes well.

[ken007]

Just dropped the car off at tranny place ($1700 quote), spoke to tranny man again(getting frustrated by my questions) and was told that he doesn't use z-pack clutches because they are high-performance racing clutches that I wont need. Mentioned something about z-pack being used for the rear clutches and front ones are some other heavy duty stuff.
Kevlar band and the beast sun shell to be used. Car already has a tiny shift kit in it so it may already have corvette servos in there.
Is it standard procedure to re-use existing drum or should they change it ?
Should be ready in the next 2 days! (fingers crossed) hope they do a good job.

[ken007]

got her back this morning, drives nicely. 1st to 2nd is a firm change, shift kit is very noticable now, more so when accelrating harder. 3rd & 4th clutches were destroyed, water found in transmission, pistons were cracked and so on. All replaced with heavy duty parts.
My latest concern is the oil leak from engine hope its not the rear seal, oil sump is saturated with oil and so is the oil filter... what could it be ?

[hako]

Re oil leak - should not be the rear seal as they would have checked that when fitting the transmission...probably either a loose oil filter or a leaking oil pressure switch (above the filter). Both can and will leak....I've had 3 Ryco oil filters loosen on me lately....the new ones are made in China.
It would be nice to know how water got in the trans - cooler in radiator leaking?

[crewsy]

Looks like you've got a few choices there - last quote seems the best as it's the cheapest (that always appeals to me!). Shift kits make changes more positive which means they are less 'mushy' - the factory builds in the 'mushy' feel to reduce shocks on the transmission and make it last longer (thats the theory).
Re coolers I'm with Gus the Snail - unless towing or pushing the trans the factory setup will be OK...if yours is a series 2 VS you will already have an external cooler fitted....
In the end the life of the trans depends 90% on the driver so it's up to you.
Hope it all goes well.

yeh i think they kept it with soft shifts for a smoother ride as well for all the older nanna drivers and so forth. spose they are family cars!