5R55E Rebuild - Too much?

[5R55E_Trans]

Hi all!

I recently had my '98 Explorer transmission rebuilt and was wondering how much I overpaid. I brought the truck down to my local shop and was expecting to pay about $1800. It comes with an 18k mi /18 month warranty. The bill came out to $2500 plus tax => $2700. Originally the shop said a rebuilt tranny for my truck would be about $1800, so not sure where the extra charges came in and the technician who performed the rebuild wasn't there when I went to pick up the car, so I'm not sure what, if anything, was done in addition to a "standard" rebuild that would have added so much to the bill. Maybe the $1800 is just a sales gimmick to get you to give the OK for them to drop the tranny and begin work.

The charges are listed as:

1 assembly set - $296.20
1 filter - $21.69
1 2 ND speed band - $45.08
1 Overdrive band - 45.08
1 Torque Converter - $289.90
11 Qts FLuid - $38.50
4 shift solenoid - $259.56
1 EPC solenoid - $151.00
1 Case Update - $150.00
1 Oil Change - $29.95
Other Supplies - $48.78
-------------------------------
Total Parts - $1326.96

Labor is listed as:
Remove/install transmission - $475.00
Transmission Rebuilding - $637.50
-------------------------------------
Total Labor - $1112.50

NYS Sales Tax - $214.61

Grand Total - $2702.85


Tranny seems OK so far, but I probably could have ordered a rebuilt transmission on line and had someone install it for less. Any thoughts/feedback on these charges would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Glacier991]

Well, let'sremember that a shop has to stay in business, and so a parts markup is to be expected. That said, here is ballpark pricing for the parts... although I do not know what an "assembly set" is...see below

Bands... OD and intermediate are the same, about $10-15 each.
Torque convertor - rebuilt, about $125 to $150
Shift solenoids, about $25 each ($100 for four)
EPC about $110-$120

IF the assembly set is the gaskets, sealing rings, etc... about $125.

Hope that answers your questions.

 

[CDW6212R]

Well just those labor rates would make me faint. For a day of work $1100 is ridiculous, even a shop rate would not be that high for eight hours of work. I don't like to hear about the itemized charges of car repairs, they are always ridiculous. Regards,

 

[5R55E_Trans]

Thanks for the replies!

Most places mark up their parts, and I expected that. Labor rates around here range from $65 - $95 per hour and they had my car for two and a half days, but who knows how many actual hours they spent on it. Could it have taken 12-16 man hours to do the work?

I was just curious if there was anything on the list that is not typically considered part of a tranny rebuild. If you buy a completely rebuilt transmission on line and have it shipped to you, does it include a torque conveter? Would most transmission shops include a torque converter in their quote? How about the EPC solenoid? Thanks!

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! You could cross reference the parts list on WWW.TransmissionPartsUSA.Com. Other than the high price, did the job come out OK? That is the most important part. What symptoms were you having prior to the rebuild? Find out if he used Mercon V ATF. You could check WWW.ATRA.Com to see if his shop is listed.

 

[5R55E_Trans]

The shop is not listed on the ATRA website...I wish I knew about this site before I had the work done, maybe I could have gotten a few recommendations for reputable shops in my area. There's a shop listed within a few miles of my house - All Tech Car Care & Transmissions (Approximately 2.7 miles).


Prior to having the tranny rebuilt, I had a check engine light on with a transmission related error code. I don't remember the specifics, but it was also having shifting problems (no 2nd gear?) so I figured I'd bring it in and get it fixed. If you're not a tranny expert, how do you know when they tell you you need a complete rebuild, that you really don't, and how do you what a reasonable charge is and what it includes? Once they have the tranny down to get a better look at the issue, you're already committed to a $475 labor charge.

Anyway, it seems to be running fine now...no error codes and smooth shifting.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Everything in life is a learning experience. If you want to get to know more about transmissions, there are a lot of threads here which discuss specific issues. For example, if you want to do research on the shift flare issue of the 5R55E, you could do a search on shift flare in the search box above. There are many threads related to this. You will see other things which are common to this problem, such as EPC solenoid, valve body, DTC codes, sensors, etc come up in each thread. Once you are familiar with the terms, you will get a better understanding of what is going on, and what to look for when making a diagnosis. Some problems could have similar symptoms, but a "doctor" will know how to make a diagnosis. Good luck!