Glacier's "How Good Is An Ebay *Rebuilt* A4LD Transmission" ?

[Glacier991]

Alternate title: Why you should never buy an A4LD or any transmission from someone named SILVERISMONEY1 on E-Bay.


PRELUDE


This post is a little prelude to this next diary. I get a lot of PM's asking this question, "How good is an E-Bay rebuilt tranny? and should I buy one? (Well I should say lots of PM's asking that question, or the sister question - "should I get a junkyard tranny?" (NO is my answer). So in the interest of "science" I decided to be a guinea pig and buy an E-bay tranny and tear it down for you. This is what this Diary will be all about. The things I do for you guys!

Here is what the ad said about it....

THIS IS A 1992 A4LD OUT OF A EXPLORER.IT,S A USE REBUILD AND COME WITH A REBUILD CONVERTER.WITH A 30 WARRANTY.FROM DATE INSTALLED. (cut and pasted directly from E-Bay, so typos and grammar are from the original) The ad also listed the condition as "Remanufactured".

And, it was local so I wasn't going to pay shipping. I had seen this guy sell other A4LD's and I figured what the heck... I'll buy this one and tear it down and see what passes for a "remanufactured" transmission.

First off, I had trouble getting the transmission. No returned phone calls etc, and after a week (I mean the trans was about 5 miles from me) I started a dispute procedure with E-Bay. This morning I found the trans and a convertor in front of my garage. Go figure.

So, tonight I bring it in the garage. First things I notice.... the case looks clean.... the governor looked a little dirty... the Modulator appears reasonably new, but not brand new... the Servo covers were grimy....the input shaft is absent, and the dipstick tube is missing (ok this last is not uncommon and not a gripe, just an observation).

I stand it on the bellhousing to get it on a dolly and bring it in the garage. In doing so I have 2 revelations... The pan is missing about 80% of the pan bolts (!) and out of the fill hole where the dipstick goes, out pours what looks like old dirty motor oil.... I am sure it is ATF but WHY would dirty OLD ATF be coming out of a "remanufactured" transmission?

The convertor appears clean, I haven't checked it for spec yet, but a reman TC has been cut open along the equator of the casing, and once rebuilt it is re-welded... no sign this convertor was EVER opened and rebuilt. I do think I may recognize some printing on it as being that used by a local TC rebuilding company though... not sure. ( I no longer buy from them based on an out-of-spec reman, and advice from a tranny shop here in Sacto.)

Stay tuned, this should be an eye opener. Oh, and, in the end it will be a state of the art rebuild to 94 standards in case anyone wants to buy a Glacier "Remanufactured" A4LD. I can already tell you my standards are higher.

 

[Glacier991]

I will add this disclaimer and beat someone to it. This is NOT a scientific survey, nor is it intended to be. There *may* be perfectly good rebuilders out there selling their products on E-Bay. I just kind of picked at "random" when I had a chance to get one locally and save the shipping costs (usually around $200).

I am NOT saying ALL E-Bay tranny sellers and rebuilders are crooks or even disparaging their products. I just wanted you to follow me along in MY journey.

Your mileage may vary.

(besides what's a dozen or more pan bolts amongst friends?)

 

[DeRocha]

Thank you sir for another great thread! You just seem to keep coming up with winners.

 

[Glacier991]

The seller was kind enough to email me as he had noticed the input shaft was still in his possession. He offered to drop it by (which is ok I have several). He also said he wanted the A4LD I "removed" (in order to replace with this one) as a core. I have a couple issues there. The ad said nothing about a core or core charge, and I obviously am not pulling one to put this in its place. So I politely declined, noting in passing that this one was, for all intents and purposes exactly that, a junkyard tranny core. Pics coming soon.

 

[fobrnno]

 

[410Fortune]

Glacier you truly go above and beyond and it is appriciated u should know that

 

[BrooklynBay]

Is this the core you wanted to make a Frankentranny out of? Just out of curiosity, how much did it cost? Did the seller say anything in his defense when you told him about the condition of it not being rebuilt, or ramanufactured (if he responded at all)? Was this for a 2X4 or 4X4 4.0L?

 

[Glacier991]

I paid $375 for this "remanufactured" A4LD 4x4 transmission. And so far I have not had a response to my reply, but he does not seem to get to a computer very often, maybe once a week, in spite of being an E-Bay seller.

At this point I am fearing that my entire idea of this thread may be blown. I was hoping to find a REAL rebuild and critique it on teardown. This tranny is clearly NOT a rebuild (AT ALL) and as such my teardown won't tell us much we already do not expect (eg. such as possibly servo seals hardened like rocks, etc).

Maybe I should call this the world's shortest diary and get my money back.

And BB, One frankentranny is ready to go with a BRAND NEW CASE (!) and a BRAND NEW Valve Body! I am trying to assemble new 5R parts for the guts, I want it to be the perfect Frankentranny, as if FORD made them on them on the assembly line. The other one will be built comparing specs to the other, and using more or less excellent condition used parts. The Diary tranny may already be sold.

 

[BrooklynBay]

The other guys on EBay selling "real" remanufactured A4LD transmissions are about $700, then add a core charge (or use this junk one as a core), and shipping charges (2 ways). By the time you calculate everything up it will be about $1,400 or possibly more.

 

[Glacier991]

Yeah I know. I guess the starting bid and "buy it now" price should have been a tip off. I am not sure I agree that they all want a core though. A4LD cores run about $100-150 and shipping is more. Still this is not MY fault. His ad was blatantly deceptive and dishonest, in my opinion, and our "contract" did not require a core. I have 2 5R55E cores in my garage I have previously bought, delivered, for about $200 apiece. I have 2 4R70W cores and the Diary rebuild 4R70W in my garage as well (The 4R70W's were (1) free and (2) $550 shipped from Denver. Both are excellent... especially compared to this POS.)

(And lessee I have a BW4405, and 2 BW1534 TC's too... I will be busy this year. Oh plus 3 A4LD cases (one brand new) and 4 A4ld VB's (one new) 2 5R55E VB's, 4 4r70W VB's and a number of other parts and rebuild kits.... I should open a transmission shop and quit my day job!)

 

[BrooklynBay]

It sounds like you have a lot invested in this stuff (time, money, effort, storage space, etc). I hope that you could sell it all eventually. Maybe you should list everything in the parts for sale section? I have some brand new, and used AXOD parts, and tools if you are interested for your 93.

 

[Glacier991]

Thanks BB. I managed to acquire all the tools I might need. I have a huge quantity of red blow mold boxes it seems.....

 

[DeRocha]

When my transmission goes I will most definitely be in line to have the :notworthy "Tranny Guru" re-build an A4LD for me... I don't trust anyone else, as It appears many rebuilds are questionable.

 

[410Fortune]

wow return this sucker and notify Ebay

 

[jrgaylor]

I bought a rebuilt trans from these guys http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/A4LD...160081065742QQihZ006QQitemZ160081065742QQrdZ1 I was hoping the diary was going to be on them, it would be nice to find out if it had a decent rebuild on mine. So far I have had mine for 4 years with out problems. I had some upgrades added to mine when I ordered

 

[Glacier991]

POSTSCRIPT

Well, this IS going to be the world's shortest diary. I had written the seller the following:

"I noticed many things about the tranny you dropped off. It was NOT remanufactured, but is a junkyard tranny. I also noticed the lack of a center shaft, and pan bolts. [Note - I erred, it is not a center shaft but an input shaft. I know better was probably just a ittle p*ssed off when I wrote that.]
The ad said nothing about a core. I do not plan to install this rather rebuild it and sell it, so there will be NO core... this tranny is for all intents itself just a core.

Your ad was very misleading, and the transaction very disappointing.

You might enjoy this thread I am doing about it:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178841 "

I was out today and when I got home I found a paypal refund of my $375 and he wrote me this:

"I SAID IT IS A LOW MILEAGE REBUILD AND I TOLD I WOULD DROP OFF CENTER SHIFT,IF YOU WOULDN'T ME TOO."


(now mind you I have never spoken to this gentleman.... So I guess somewhere from the E-Bay info I posted above at the beginning of this thread I was supposed to divine that somehow.)

I assume he came here and read this mini-diary, since I gave him a link.

So I will write him back, put the tranny out by my garbage cans where he had dropped it off and he can sell it to someone else.

(Thinking to self... hmmm, out by garbage cans, seems somehow fitting.)

Word to the wise - Caveat Emptor on used transmissions and parts. (for the non-latin inclined that means BUYER BEWARE !!)

 

[BrooklynBay]

I would contact him before throwing it out. Somebody else could come by, and take it. It might be used as a core, scrap metal, or spare parts if any of them are good. Do you have a picture of it? Consider yourself extremely lucky to have gotten a full refund. Unfortunately, a lot of other people have not.

 

[EMG7895]

Thats pretty disappointing about the trans. I have decided that when mine goes I'll either switch to a 5 speed or get one from you, any plans for a 5 speed build up? 135k hard miles on the original tranny and it shows no signs of slowing down yet.

 

[KaiserM715]

I was really looking forward to a good thread. Glacier, are you going to try and get another one from eBay?

 

[Glacier991]

BB I am not throwing it away, just putting out where he can come retrieve it.

EMG I would like eventually to do a 5 speed rebuild diary, but not even on the drawing boards right now.

Kaiser... I had a few hundred bucks of mad money so went for it. I cannot afford to pop a grand for one to tear down right now.