articwhiteZ

iTrader: (56)

yes.what your saying is true, iv done a few, for other guys,who are into racing,and let them watch, it going back together,and all say the same thing,..how do you know what go's in what spot...there are a few good books you can get.. but not any one shows all the same mods..or all the mods, in a few years im sure one will pop out with the all the new killer parts and what to do. till then.most will have to shop and hope for a good 700R4 to hold up to what ya can put to it..

me i like
none lock up
automatic/manual valve body(all in one) for the days ya dont wana shift it..sweet!
and when it shifts...it hits solid kicking the tires over even at 10 mph...just me
and it will take 3 or 4 years of beating on..and more..
the only parts i brake in my 700r4 are the sprags... and thats only after the 7.5 explodes at 100mph+
have had a 9" for over 12 years..have not broke a 700r4 in that time.

Armyrick92

I know this thread is dead but I created an account of this forum to put my two cents in to defend a guy and his company that most of you are are bashing without having an experience. I also dont mean in any way to make anyone angry or upset just stating my experience.

I have purchased a stage 3 700r4 trans from Mad Dog transmissions before he changed the name to mad dog. The trans that i have had for a couple years now and beat the hell out of with my daily driven/drag car that has 504 HP and 512 Torque with no issues. The only issue i have ever had with the trans is when I first got it and the valve body was bad. This was determined but local trans guy i know and Mad Dogs Customer service. Mad dog said they would replace it and even offered to pay for shipping back to them fix it and ship it back to me. I ended up doing it myself due to the lack of time i had before a track day.
I still currently have the trans and still running strong. I have had the trans in and out of cars with one making 630 FT LB of torque.

Two of the guys i go racing with also have transmissions from Mad Dog and have nothing but good comments about them.

I did go through a break in cycle of heating it up by driving it a good distance and letting it cool down before I really beat on it.

Everyone has bad days and mess ups but as I can also say that some of the problems with his transmissions or any transmission to that matter could be from the installer of the trans and Operator of the vehicle.

Nothing but good words for him and his company.
Thanks Mad Dog Luo!

Armyrick92

If Proof is needed that I own a trans from Mad Dog Luo's company I will post pictures to back up what i am saying.

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

And your credibility is below 0 just because you registered to post in just this thread. You must think people are stupid and fall for your sales pitch

Oh, and 1 of my buddies has a mad dog tranny. There were some issues with it, small issues but apart from that..the trans works but that's about it. With the TV set correctly and everything checked this thing shifts as soft as a wet noodle. I'm going to cross my fingers on how long it lasts. It doesn't have a performance feel to it whatsoever. Just feels like a stock box w/ large stall. I wouldn't buy one ever. This is supposed to be a Level V or whatever... when it breaks I will open it up ... have a sneaky suspicion that what was paid for is not in there. Usually my gut is right.

Armyrick92

I understand that my post means nothing to everyone on her but just figured i would give my experience with this company. My issue was the valve body and Mad Dog did hold up to his side of the warranty and sent me a new one to replace it including all the gaskets and seals to do so.

31 cowboy

I bought a Mad dog 4l60E with a stage 2 shift kit, corvette servos, extra clutch packs,
2000 stall converter, took a gamble ordering a transmission from another country. Seemed to good to be true for the price, to get that transmission built up here in canada was going to cost over $3200.00, I paid 2600.00 dollars to get that built and shipped.

ahthurungnone

Quick Update: Ordered a Stage 2 700R4 transmission from MadDog. After ordering, they stated they needed a core fee even though their listing never mentioned such. It arrived 4 weeks after the order but only after I called them incessantly and reported it missing with Ebay. We installed the transmission and guess what, it was just a standard grade rebuild.

When I told them it did not have the stage 2 shift kit, they accused me of running some scam, yelling and making all kinds of accusations, and just buying their product to steal parts from them. Luckily, I bought it through Ebay so Ebay put a hold on their funds so I could get a refund.

It's been two months and I'm still waiting for Ebay to make a final decision to get my money back. Then I have to fight with Visa to get my core charge back.

Stay away from MadDog as far as possible. This company has no ethics and will do whatever it takes to make a quick buck. Leopards don't change their spots!

articwhiteZ

iTrader: (56)

if you buy a tranny and it feels stock..then it is!
thats the bottom line! with just $300 in parts into a stock 700r4 you should be kicking the tires over when ya shift it at just 2500 rpm..

why do some of the tranny shops make crummy units...ill never understand!
B&M makes a kit for the 700R4 for like $175. and it comes with the Valvebody mod ya can shift it your self.. or let it do all the work.. ya just need to do it your self.. todays hard parts. to get it to live with 600hp + is almost $2000+.. thats just aftermarket hard parts ontop of good parts..

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

There's plenty of reputable tranny builders. It rarely pays to save a few bucks up front.

I just ordered a TH400 from BTE.

31 cowboy

1

31 cowboy

The rest of the story. As I mentioned earlier I paid $2600.00 for a mad dog transmission.
I decided to do a complete Rebuild on my 2001 Chevy silverado with 356,000kms on it. I bought it back in 2002 with 20,000kms on it. I did not want to buy a new truck so instead I wanted to bring mine back to life. My Dad`s a licensed Mechanic and i`m a second year Apprentice and we have worked on lots of vehicles. This all started off with my old transmission slipping when pulling a trailer. Instead of just replacing the Transmission I went through the whole truck. Pulled the motor and sourced it out to a race shop in Calgary, In the mean time I ordered A transmission here in Canada but got talked out of it by a friend who come across Mad dog. I sent the transmission I ordered back and ordered one from Mad dog. (Big Mistake). While I was waiting for the 5.3 short block to be done with new bearings, rods, Pistons, over sized intake valves, machined heads, and a cam, . I put a 6 inch suspension lift on the truck myself with 18 inch Rims and 35 inch Tires, while the Front Differential was out I rebuilt it as well. Dad was impressed with this cause I Had to make my own pullers to get the Bearings off. The transfer case had some play in it, instead of rebuilding I bought one from the dealership with 160,000Km warranty on it, changed all the U-Joints and both front wheel Bearings, When the Transmission showed up I should of sent it back right away, The quality of the workmanship on the outside should of been my first Red flag, The bolt on the upper driver`s side of the housing that holds the bracket for the wiring harness in place was cut flush with a angle grinder. you can see the Disc mark cut into the housing, I drilled and used a tap on this bolt but it was seized, zip ties work to I guess for securing wires. After bolting the transmission in place I went to put the 30 pin connector in place and the Dam plug in dropped into the transmission with no effort, and yes the tab was lined up I did not even get to put any pressure on it to snap it in place. I showed my Dad and we decided to Use Mechanics wire and silicone to anchor the plug in place and hold the tabs out so it does not fall back in. After installing the rest of Drive line I installed long tube headers with Corvette heated O2 sensors Dual exhaust, no cats and H pipe. I did not want to drive it yet until the engine tune was Complete. I trailed the truck about 70 miles to the tune shop, and then even brought it home on a trailer. The first drive I made it roughly 30km`s and then the truck was acting up, I lost all the gears in the transmission except 2nd and reverse. Limp mode its called. checked all electrical double checked everything, it was all good. Pulled the pan off the transmission only to find Metal shrapnel every where, the transmission looked like it exploded like a grenade. Phoned mad Dog and they wanted me to ship the Transmission back to them so they could take a look at it. To ship this P.O.S. back to them was going to cost $900.00 dollars of my money not theirs, and with no guarantee it will be fixed under warranty. $300 dollars for trucking and $600 dollars for Duty at the border. It only Cost $100 dollars at the border to bring it in to Canada but it changes when you try and get it back into the states, even if the product is defective. I Phoned the First transmission Shop back and He Built me A transmission for $ 2500 dollars that is Bullet proof. Needless to say I have a Mad dog transmission taking up space in my garage that I paid $2600.00 dollars for and was the biggest waste of time and money in my life. The bottom driver side Bell housing hole was cracked to the outside as well, I had to use my old bell housing after sand blasting and painting it, no big deal but added to the Bull ****.
The only thing I can think of doing with this pile of junk is taking it to the range and making a you tube video out it
unless somebody out there wants to buy a good solid boat anchor!
I phoned Mad Dog Transmission 7 times after this Happened and LOU was never around to take my phone calls and even though I left messages for him to Phone me Back I never got a single Phone call or voice mail. Apparently when A customer stops calling the problem goes away as well, BUYER BEWARE!!!!!

LSBoost

On (2- -14) I purchased a 4L60E on Ebay from a company called Maddog Transmissions. I paid instantly through PayPal and the transmission arrived at my shop approximately 10 days later. MDT claimed on the site that all transmissions were tested and put on a dyno before leaving their shop. When the transmission was pulled off the carrier (R&L Carriers) we immediately noticed the sound of something rolling around in the transmission. Before taking the Trans off the pallet I placed a call to MDT and was transferred to Elliot. Elliot told me there was no way that could happen unless it was the carriers mishandling of the unit, he said all units are tested before they leave the shop. I told him I was not going to install this unit with the sound of parts moving around in the pan. Elliot pleaded with me to remove the pan and assured me this would not void the warranty. I proceeded to remove the pan and I found two bolts that were never screwed in place. When I removed the pan I found something else that bothered me, a dry transmission. All parts appeared to be replaced and new seals, gaskets and everything was clean, but how do you dyno a transmission and keep it dry? I sent pictures to Elliot and Lou of the bolts and dry Trans and Lou confirmed the Transmission was never tested due to a problem with the dyno. I was asked to install the bolts, pan and the Trans and test it. I was hesitant to install the 60 given this is a labor intensive job, but none the less I thought everyone deserves a shot. I installed the Trans the very next day and filled the fluids and started the engine. After letting the fluid warm to temp and capping off the fluids I ran the selector through the gears to find I had no first and no drive. I pulled out the scanner and found some codes and called MDT. Lou told me given the code info he felt it was the wiring harness in the Trans had a short and could send me one at no cost if I could install it. At this time I’m very frustrated, but keep my composure and refused to work on a guaranteed/ warrantied item. Call MDT again and they said I needed to arrange shipment back to their shop @ Cummings Ga. After about a week R & L carriers arrived at my shop to pick up the transmission. I called MDT and talked with the owner Lou about the issues and wanted to make sure I got a quality Trans and did not want to go through this again. I told Lou I would pay extra for their top 4L60E if he would assure me it would not have any issues. I ended up upgrading on the phone and sending more cash through PayPal. Several days later I received their Level 4 4L60E that was rated at 800 hp. Installed the trans and it seemed to shift good and felt fine for about 15 hard runs then it started over shifting. The tune was set to shift at 5800 RPM in all gears and was hitting as high as 7200RPM on some runs do to slippage. I called MDT and was transferred to Elliot. Elliot told me I need to check out all the wiring that I may have a problem on my end. I assured him I didn’t have an issue on my end and the Transmission wasn’t doing this on every run. Elliot wanted me to change the Trans filter and fluid so I reluctantly did with no change. After another week of revving to the moon during shifts I decided to call again, Elliot wanted me to check to make sure my Trans cooler was not stopped up, so I did this and flow was fine. I then emailed my concerns to MDT wanting an acknowledgment and a written copy saying they would fix this issue. After about a week I finally got it in writing, they said they had been moving to a new shop in Cummings GA and this was the reason for no email replies. I then pulled the Trans and contacted R& L carriers to put another $166 bucks in their pockets to take the Trans back to MDT. I waited several days to get the repaired Trans back form MDT with Elliot’s word that it would be tested and ready to roll. I received the Trans on a Thursday and installed it that night (getting rather good at the install at this point). The truck was still sitting on the stand where I removed the other over shifting 60, no changes to anything. After warming the motor and Trans with fluids capped off I proceed to go through the gears, guess what?? I have no first gear and no drive, transmission number three is just like transmission number one. I rechecked everything, no codes this time, just missing these gears. Friday morning I called MDT and was transferred to Elliot again. Elliot got really loud and stated that I have an electrical issue and need to take my truck somewhere and get it checked out. I proceeded to tell him I’m not some young kid that you need to yell at, I’m 48 and have been building hotrods for 25+ years. He continued to tell me that the trans was tested so if there is a problem it’s mine and he’s pretty much done with me. I continued to try to talk sensible to him as he yelled. I asked him if I could ship this back and just have him send me a TH400, provided it would shift correctly I would no longer contact MDT. He said if I would put it in writing he would agree to that. I later received an email from their secretary stating I have had three transmissions with the same problem and all three were tested by MDT and wanted me to agree to that. I told them I would not agree to that as it was untrue and I have every email exchange that’s ever transpired between us and can prove all that I say. The following day Lou sent an email stating the transmission was not tested this time as well (he was truthful concerning the testing of his transmissions). After we worked out the exchange we shipped the Trans back to Cummings Ga through R&L carriers (Driver knows me by name as well as MDT if you know what I mean). The day I took the Trans out and put it in the bed of my personal vehicle it was raining, I had no way to cover the Trans and knew water would get in the Trans but had no choice. When the transmission arrived at MDT Elliot called me yelling at the top of his lungs stating he knew what had happened the transmission, that I had ruined it because my radiator was leaking into it. I assured him the fluid that came from Trans was perfect and the converter fluid was perfect and had only been driven a mile or less. This conversation went on for a while trying to place blame on me. After a few hours I received another irate call from Elliot telling me his builder said there was no way the water could have gotten in some of the areas by being in a rain storm. I assured him I drove 9 miles in some of the hardest rain I’ve been in for a while and I did not have any coolant leaks. I told them to test for ethylene glycol and he found any I’d eat the complete expense; his comeback was I was probably running straight water. I assured him this is my personal vehicle and I drive it everywhere and am very picky and do not run plane water ever. We agreed to proceed with the deal. After a week of calling I can only reach the secretary. Asked for Lou…..(not here) Asked for Elliot……..(not here) As for Dale…….(not here) and a few days later I finally reach Elliot. He assures me my new TH400 transmission is being built to replace the 60 and it will be sent out soon. I received an email from Jenifer saying the Trans will be sent out the following day finally on June 30th and then on another day 9 days later saying it will ship out. It’s 7/10/14 and I still don’t have a th400 to replace the 60. I’ve had 4 transmissions from MDT and only one has worked and that was for very few runs. I have been dealing with MDT and shipping transmissions for almost the complete year of 2014. I finally received the TH400 that Elliot was bragging about, the first lie was the converter was another stock 12” (every converter I ever got from them was stock dia and stock stall) Elliot had promised me a 10” ABP converter. I took the trans to a local shop to see if the parts fit the description of Lou’s add and guess what, it was a worn out piece of junk painted up to look real nice. If I had ran the Trans it would have broken just like the other 4. Anyone who continues to sell junk to a customer, who has been through this kind of trauma, does not classify as stand up guy. If Lou needs money this bad maybe he should get a real job. I know Lou will have his side of the story as I see his post on every forum, but I just wanted all my fellow builders and racers to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you don’t purchase a Trans from this company. He has been reported to the BBB and has moved from state to state under different company names and still his reputation follows him. Thousands of dollars and many hrs wrenching on my truck and I should have a good Trans soon. It will have a Mad Dog case, but that’s about all.

cuisinartvette

x2 if he spent 20k on a motor and didnt pay for a top notch if not custom converter with all the bells and whistles thats his fault for being cheap

Lots of times thats what people dont post they are being a cheapass cant install it right then want to blame the part or shop etc. Not defending Maddog neverused them but weve seen this too many times
Now on the flip side This describes the majority of trans shops if parts are good they arent going to replace them. Want the full monte sure they can do it but it costs a lot more.

Theres a large scale motor rebuilder nearby after talking to them same thing. They only replace what needs it. So valvesprings all kinds of fun stuff gets reused. They are cheapo rebuilds with a hold your breath warranty get what you pay for kind of thing.
Dont think the OP is a troll just a guy who needed a trans and would give his feedback.

articwhiteZ

iTrader: (56)

dont buy a tranny on line from anybody if they have any bad feedback at all. bottom line..

it's not hard to get a good tranny in any city USA.
just know what you want..

LSBoost

I know its length, simply read my letter. I paid for the best Level 4. The last trans was to be a th400 Godfather,their best. I always am up front withmy power level and never tried to hide anything. I have a list of the inferior parts that are in the th400 theyclaim to build to hold 900 hp. The ratchetstrap that holds the transmission to the pallet is the best item I’ve receivedfrom them. If you buy Mad Dog then don’tsay you didn’t know cause I’m telling you to not waste your time.

cuisinartvette

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience

Personally Ill find someone in town somewhere to do it.
That way they know if its not right you ARE coming back face to face that helps sometimes. I know some who live in remote areas dont have that option. Dont let bad experiences sour you on the hobby. Almost parted my car out a few times due to 2 sorry azz body shops back to back. 13k worth....and my paint is blistering for the 2nd time. Another topic all together.

cuisinartvette

Dont click on that link

Strick1

Two maybe 3 years ago, we bought a Mad dog tranny(4L60E) level 2 and put it in our 95 Blazer. My son drives it like he stole it and this tranny seems to be bullet proof. Lou even gave me a military discount and didn't charge me a core. I'm getting ready to replace the tranny in my 93 Jimmy which was the first year of the 4L60E in the Jimmy. I find it hard to believe the problems experienced in this thread. Could some of these problems be from the shipping? When and if I buy from Lou again, I will drive down to pick up the tranny as it's only 100 miles down I85 from me. Gas would be cheaper than shipping.

Strick1

BTW, has anyone bought from AME Transmissions out of FL?

RyanJB

Well for any of you who care/are interested, my Mad Dog trans began slipping 3-4 shift after about 3 years and 30-35k miles. Should have rebuilt it myself in the first place.

Strick1

Well, it's been 4 or more years and the Mad Dog tranny is still running very well.

sweettooty59

No reply!

Strick1

Well, the tranny is still running just fine. Lots of hard miles on it now.

Think_I_Brok_it

I would like to post my recent experience with Mad Dog Transmissions. I purchased a 91 Camaro about 5 weeks ago. I fixed a few minor issues with the car and finally got to driving it around town. On the 2nd day the trans stopped shifting past 2nd. I started looking around for a new transmission and found a few used transmissions. I figured this was a project car and I did not want to sink a whole lot of money into getting my transmission rebuilt. The order on the first transmission fell through so I started looking around and found Mad Dog's video on youtube. After seeing everything they supposedly put in their transmissions I thought to myself I might as well go ahead and pony up the extra 500 bucks and get a level 2 700r4 from them. I called and placed the order immediately. That was a huge mistake. I should have done my research first but I did not. After doing some research and seeing all the bad reviews I decided to cancel my order. I called back first thing Monday morning, order was placed Friday afternoon, and told them I wanted to cancel the order. Elliott did everything to keep me as a customer. Offered to add an extra year on the warranty for free (normally cost 250.00) and offered to knock 200.00 off the price. I still decided to cancel the order. He said I was under no obligation to them and that was ok. I never received a contract, never received a receipt of my payment, and when I asked for a receipt for my refund I got it the next day. They decided they were keeping 25% for a restocking fee. It was not until I called back and raised a stink about the 25% fee that they decided to reduce it to 3% "because that is what they credit card company charges them for processing the card". I agreed because 3% was better than 25% but after doing some research, I found that when a refund is processed through apps such as Square or Stripe, then the merchant is refunded the processing fee. So if Square and Stripe can do that, it must be common practice among all credit card processing companies. If big box stores can refund my credit card without losing money, how can this shop claim they are getting charged 3%. I emailed back and let them know what I found and they told me that "Our credit card company charges us at least 3% for every transaction. So that means technically, this is going to be the third transaction, so we will be charged a total of 9%. I will refund you the balance so you are refunded in full". Now they are trying to tell me it cost them 6% to process my refunds. I will get my money back but I would avoid doing business with this company at all cost. If this is how they treat a customer whose money they have no right to, I can only imagine how they treat a customer after they have built and shipped the product.

Strick1

It's surprising that some guys get good results and others get terrible results. If I were the owner of Mad Dog Trans, I'd step up the quality control and customer service departments. I guess I'm the only one who is still satisfied with my tranny from Mad Dog. But most people who are satisfied don't go out of their way to compliment. For Think_I_Brok_It, I think you have learned your lesson; do your research before you order. It's only reasonable to realize that once they start on an order, it is costing them money.

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

My buddy has one in his 82 gta. I gotta say it moves but thats about it. Shifts soft and seems to slip already. My tci shifts a lot harder

Cowboyupmd

I purchased a Mad Dog Transmission 2 years ago and immediately had issues with it. I purchased a 700R4 Stage 2 and about 1,500 miles into the run, I lost the 3-4 gear shift and had absolutely no acceleration in the power band. I had an entirely new power train from Engine to rear and it dogged bad. I contacted Mad Dog and they had me take out the trans and send back to them. Once they received it the sent me a new trans. So far I have about 5,000 on this one and it seems to be holding up OK. Time will tell I guess. While the customer service was excellent, the quality of the work is of concern, but they do stand behind their product so far. Just my two cents.

IROCZ1989

iTrader: (1)

Youd think with all the bad experiences not just here but on other boards they would be out of buisness. Same story. Buy a transmission from MD. Have issues. End up rebuilding it locally. What is it? The cheap price? I guess buying cheap has one advantage. Youll have money left over to buy the right parts the second time. For god sakes dont buy a transmission from Mad Dog.

nickpe

DONT ORDER FROM MAD DOG...THEY BURNED ME AND MANY OTHERS...100 PERCENT RIP OFF..

nickpe

DONT ORDER FROM MAD DOG...THEY BURNED ME AND MANY OTHERS...100 PERCENT RIP OFF..

Strick1

I just happened to see this thread today. For what it is worth, my Mad Dog Tranny is going on 8 years old in our 95 Blazer. It still shifts with authority and my son is not easy on it at all. I hope Lou is still there as he really did a nice job for me. Now if I could only get a strong tranny for my 2001 Dodge Durango R/T. Everything about my Durango is bullet proof, but the tranny is like "glass"; too fragile.