Rebuild lasted 30miles.................

[andy123]

Just had my 01 explorer tranny rebuilt and installed by tranny shop. The problem was a slip at 25mph, 3rd gear. I asked 2 different tranny mechanics if the problem could of been electronic...both said it needed to be pulled apart.

Most tranny shops wanted 3000-3500 for the job. Tranny shop in town that has been there 30years did it for 2000.

It felt good for 30miles...then...same slip in same 25mph range, 3rd gear. Now O/D off light is flashing again.

 

[IZwack]

Transmission rebuilds usually have some sort of a warranty -- take it back.

 

[esmarts]

Yea no doubt.... even though more than likely it is going to be going back to the shop I am curious on what type of rebuild they have done to it the first time?

 

[andy123]

He told me he replaced all solenoids and seals + put on new torque convertor.

But my question is....could my old tranny maybe have not needed to be rebuilt at all...could it have just been something electronic the whole time?
Could 2 tranny mechanics be wrong?

 

[35Remmy]

I HATE transmission shops...no doubt about it. They NEVER want to diagnose a problem...it's always "the transmission needs a rebuild".

Sometimes I wonder if they even know HOW to diagnose a transmission problem.

What I hate the MOST is that it seems as though rebuilds DON'T LAST. I've NEVER heard of someone getting over 100,000 miles on a rebuild. Never.

 

[Cobraguy]

He told me he replaced all solenoids and seals + put on new torque convertor.

For 2 grand??? Are you kidding me? Let's see, the kit cost him $150. The converter cost him $100. That leaves $1750 for solenoids and labor. Did they at least have some vaseline for you??? My God.

What I hate the MOST is that it seems as though rebuilds DON'T LAST. I've NEVER heard of someone getting over 100,000 miles on a rebuild. Never.

I would consider 100,000 miles excellent service for a rebuild. Go buy the transmission brand new and see how much it costs. I'm not talking a factory rebuild...I'm talking a brand new unit. The cost will stagger you. Makes that 100,000 mile rebuild look really good. But there are some places that only know how to slap in seals, gaskets, and frictions. They have no idea how to properly rebuild a transmission. Look at some of Glacier's threads to see some of the issues that should be addressed.

 

[35Remmy]

But WHAT is the difference between a NEW unit and one that has been rebuilt? There's STILL an error-prone human-being assembling the transmission. Right? This is what I'm thinking...please enlighten me!!! It's not like Ford has their transmission being built by robots. I just don't get it.

 

[andy123]

This was a friend of a friend that has been rebuilding transmissions for 40 years. There is no way that price is a rip-off, I was quoted 40% higher by all other places. I know he will stand behind it and get perfect eventually.

 

[calmac06]

Honestly, anything for $2000 that didn't include any friction materials is a rip, I think. Why the new torque converter? If it worked in every other gear than it wasn't a problem, a torque converter either works or doesn't work... right?

 

[andy123]

Yes...I believe he put clutch-packs in. He did a full rebuild....but....was it actually needed is what worries me....he did all this and still same slip at same speed. Could it be just something electronic that was misdiagnosed?

 

[Mbrooks420]

Friend of a friend or not, that price is a ripoff, and he obviously didn't fix it. Take it back, pick it up when it's fixed.

 

[CDW6212R]

Rebuilds do poorly mainly because of debris left from the last failure. Any debris in the lines, radiator, torque converter, or other cooler will kill the next trans.

Don't run a vehicle until it fails to move. When it begins to have any symptom, immediately find the problem and fix it. It's the additional driving after the symptom starts that ruins the next transmission, whether it's rebuilt, or new.

I will not build a burned up trans, those are why the prices are so high. They have to charge far more than needed to cover the many failures/returns.

The valve body functioning is a big issue in failures, and almost all Ford automatics can be improved with VB kits. Install a VB kit into every vehicle you have, do it as normal required maintenance. Good luck,

 

[35Remmy]

Soooooo....CDW, I'm guessing this is one of the reasons why a secondary tranny filter could be so vital to the life of a transmission?

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, many trans shops install them as a requirement, often because the radiator isn't replaced. No one wants to buy new lines, cooler etc. with the trans. In my mind a novel trans service would be to deal with those much more and charge less for the rebuild.

 

[andy123]

Tranny shop looked at it today and some different codes came up. He is thinking it is electronic. Will know more tomorrow. He said the tranny before the rebuild the clutches were slighty burned and had some debris in fluid. Should I ask him if he did install VB kit? If no, should I ask for it to be done?

 

[CDW6212R]

There were TSB updates from Ford for the 5R55E transmissions of these Explorers. It would be wise to see that that has been done, or you get it done. The Ford method includes changing the separator plate, different for each year model, plus a small kit of parts for the VB.

 

[andy123]

Just got vehicle back again. The mechanic said he dropped the pan and fixed something with the electrical wiring. I think if this was fixed the 1st time before the rebuild, the tranny would be just as good. I guess I should of stuck with my instints and got a 3rd or 4th opinion from a mechanic who can troubleshoot these problems rather than just opting for a rebuild cure all.

Was a $2000 lesson....I play poker everyday so it's only the equivalent of a couple pots.