Anyone around maryland swap there 700r4 out and make your car a manual transmission. Just curious as to what shops around here do it, and around how much does it cost. Having transmission problems and the car is in the shop right now. If I have to get a new transmission, I would rather swap it to be a manual trans. I anyone has recommendations on shops and prices I would really appreciate it.

 

i'd say labor would prolly be about $1000

more if they have to hunt for all the parts themselves........


do it yourself

i did a few trannies in my own driveway and its not that bad...........

 

Army housing doesn't take to kindly to doing overhalls in the driveway. I actually have a very small garage on my house, but I have no knowledge of transmissions. I am sure it would take me a really long time, and I kinda need my car now.

 

Unfortunately, custom work like swapping in a 5 speed is something that is far and away better done by yourself. That other guy's guess of a $1 JUST for labor, not counting another $1500 or more they'd charge in parts doesn't sound unreasonable at all. Unless you get lucky, that kind of work isn't even close to being cheap.
And even if you pay them, they may screw it all up anyway. You'd be amazed at how little training a lot of guys in shops have. Converting trannies isn't swapping a waterpump, takes some skill and knowledge.

 

AGREED!


i'm a beginning c-tech and i have worked at a dealer or two.........9 out of 10 of the A-techs i have talked to dont do any hot rodding and couldnt really help me out with alot of questions i had..........they know how to correctly fix whats supposed to be there........not replace it with something thats not

 

That's why I was askin you guys on here if anyone around md has had it done. To see if any shops around here really know what they are doin. I surely don't want to take my car to a shop that will half @ss it. It's at AAMCO right now, but that is only for the diagnosis. Once I see what is wrong with it then I will determine what I am going to do with it. Just tryin to see how much more expensive it would be to go to a manual trans rather than just replace with another 700r4. Althought the only thing I don't care about with the 700r4 is the 1/2 throttle kick into drive. I want to have to give it full throttle to make it kick down into drive. Or even have a lock so if I don't want it to kick down it wont. It's a pain to be rollin 125 and give it a little too much gas and kick down into drive.

 

There is a guy I have taken two trannys to. He is in Newark DE though. PM me if you need more details.

 

Just an option... If you decide not to do the manual swap and are looking to replace the 700r4 with another unit, I can help. A built 700r4 would be a LOT easier to swap in, and cost a good deal less too. You DONT want a stock T5, and all the aftermarket manuals/T56 are upwards of $1500. Then you need the pedal, hydraulic setup, clutch and flywheel, and a few other misc items. I work for a dealership so I have a lift, tools, AND skills .

 

Man!! I wish you would have responded to this a couple of days earlier. My car is at aamco right now. They have already ordered the parts for it and should be starting work on it. I did not go with the t5, I am just having them rebuild my 700r4. They say I need a new valve body, because the person I bought the car off of had installed a shift kit. They said the shift kit that was in the car was built strictly for track use, and that lasting was not considered at all in building this transmission. Here is a list of stuff they are putting in it, can you tell me if this sounds right, and if this is a rediculous price. 1 rebuild kit, 1 filter, 1 reverse drum, 1 band, 1valve body, 1governer, 1 tc switch, torque converter, fluid 750.00 labor. Brings the grand total to $1840. 56 - a 10% military discount. So, that makes me paying 1701.87 after taxes. That is with a 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. I can get a 3yr 36,000 mile warranty for 248.00 more, or a lifetime warranty for $500.00. Tell me what you think.

 

$1800 for an aamco rebuild - HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

You can get a nicely built piece for less money than that. 12mo/12k nwarranty. Good thing. I bet you'll use it. Especiually since i am sure they are doing a stock rebuild on your tranny, and the 84 tranny has many weaknesses compared to later ones.

Sorry man, you are being robbed. If there is any way to back out, i suggest you do it NOW. Then again, you probably don't know anyone local to guide you to a decent tranny shop, and even buying one mail order is hit or miss.

 

BTW, i wouldn't be surprised if their talk about the 'shift kit' and needing to replace the valve body weren't just BS. Granted i'm not atranny man, but i'd think at worst you'd need a new seperator plate, not the whole valvebody. But in typical tranny shop fashion, they aren't going to tell you the truth about ANYTHING because they know you have no idea if they are right or not.


Perfect exampe of how tranny shops operate. Call up and tell them your car won't shift out of first gear, and reveerse workls fine too. I'd put money that they just tell you it's on it's way oiut and needs a rebuild. Nevermind that a 5 minute governor gear is the 99% likely culprit. If you leave yourself at the mercy of a tranny shop's diagnosis, they will simply worst case it and charge you from there.

 

Ed, don't you know that everything has to be fixed with a rebuild? LOL They don't make money on diagnosing the car. They will find out what was wrong when its apart on the table (if they even find it then... )

I also work for a dealership, but they discontinued my "side work" at the dealership. I eventually bought one of every tranny tool including a bench for the house, now if I could only afford a lift...

Doing conversions like that at a shop, and you are at the mercy of the shop. If they say it will take them 20 hours at $70 an hour, then you can either pay it, or leave. And if they are halfway through and want more money, you can either pay again, or they will be glad to call a wrecker for ya and ask where you want it dumped. Your better off doing it yourself. You'll come off way cheaper and you'll feel better about it when its all done.

And unlike other professions, the technician/mechanic trade requires NO SKILL or TRAINING to get a job. Shops will hire you as long as you can fog a mirror. Having skill/training will get you further in the field, but its not a requirment. You would not believe the people that some shops hire. You may just know more about the car then the guy getting it.

 

Well, like you were saying, it is too late to back out now. But believe me, I made them show me what was wrong. The governer gear was busted. The torque converter was kinda chewed up. THe valve body had holes drilled in it from the guy I got the car from. He put a very aggressive shift kit in it. The reverse drum and band were kinda fried. You could see where the reverse drum had heated up and had like the bluish black heated look to it. Clutches were fried. They do offer a LIFTETIME WARRANTY for and extra 500.00 dollars. I am thinking about gettinit, because if this shop is like the one you guys were taliking about I will need it. I plan on keeping the car for a long time, so 500.00 for a lifetime no deductable warranty, I think it will definatly pay off. The guy really seemed like he knew what he was talking about and said he had been doing it for 28 years.

 

Oh, and one more thing. It's not a bone stock rebuild. The torque converter is going to still be a stall, just a lower one. They are going to put the sleeve on it that prevents the 4-3 shift when you give it more than half throttle. Going to put the lockout on it which it did not have before. I explained to them how when you are going fast and give it more than 1/2 throttle that it kickes down into drive making the rpm's really high. Then you have to let up to 1/2 to get it to go any faster. They are putting the aftermarket sleeve in to fix that problem. Do you guys think the 500.00 for the lifetime warranty is worth it????

 

The "reverse drum" will have bluish heat marks on it from being built and is normal, the key is where the heat marks are. If a band burns up, there will usually be black "bands" around the outside of the drum where the band squeezes the drum. As long as the drum isn't warped, its usually OK. But since its already apart, and its inevitble that its going to get rebuilt, I guess it doesn't matter. My only concern is how the warranty is going to pan out. I have seen alot of people on this board complain because shops woudn't honor the warranty because they accused the driver of "hotrodding" the car. You need to explain to them your driving style, and get them to put it in writing that your "driving style" is covered under the warranty. They might not do it, but its worth a try...

 

I asked the guy if I brought my friend who owns a minivan that needs a transmission rebuild in if they would give me a discount. Said he would give me $50 bucks. I could have hit him. I bring him a 1500-2000 dollar job and he gives me 50 bucks. Wow, what a deal. He did say he would give me 100 off If I never drive the car above 70 again though. LOL They are well aware of my driving style, and if I buy this lifetime warranty I will be pissed and demand a refund if they do not honor it. I made sure and ask the manager, and he said no deductables, it would be fixed for free if it breaks. The stuff I listed above is replacing almost everything right . Does that leave anything to be replaced??? Do you think the 500.00 for a lifetime warranty is worth it???

 

Would you guys pay an extra 500.00 for the lifetime warranty. I am thinking since it is already 1700.00, and I plan on keeping the car. If I get the warranty I will not having to worry about paying to rebuild it again. What do you think???

 

Anybody???? 500.00 for a liftetime warranty. What do you think. Ed, gm tech, marc what do you think??

 

yeah they even hired me j/k


first dealer i worked at, we were allowed to bring our own cars in and work on them after hours

where i am at now, i am told we cant, which sucks cuz i have a new converter for my Z28 and i dont feel like pulling another tranny in my driveway


hey GMTech, where you work, does your dealer try to fight the warranty if the customer blows something and the dealer knows its because of racing/ beating on the car?

where i was at, we had somebody put a rod thru the block on an LS1 (and we all knew the guy was running Nitrous), didnt even bother to fight it, cuz then the customer will hem and haw and bitch and moan until we give them the warrany

i saw a few cases of this and it got me worried, that if the moron keeps beating on the car after a major repair/ replacement was done and they repeat the problem, whether the technician who originally repaired the problem is going to eat the job or not

 

That really is alot of money to put into a tranny, but if they stand behind it, and you keep the car for a long time, then its probably worth it. Most places like that (lifetime brakes, mufflers, etc...) rely on the fact that most people get rid of there car after a few years. "lifetime" warranties are only good to the original purchaser of the warranty. If your going to keep the car for a real long time, then I guess go for it. Make sure you get it all in writing and read the fine print.






-1991tealRSt-topGuy
My dealership just rolls over and "takes it". Its all about the CSI. Sometimes I get p1ssed about the repairs they just give away. I had a 2000 "H" body w/ the plastic fuel tank that obviously hit something. The underbody was tore up and a huge scratch across the bottom of the fuel tank, right where the Fuel Pump modular assembly sits. Well of course it came in for a "no-start" and suprise suprise, the modular assembly was in a million peices at the bottom of the tank. Didn't cost the customer a dime
Or the 1999 GMC Jimmy 4X4 with 60,000 miles. Guess who pulled the transmission and put a Reaction Sun Shell in it "under warranty"
Or how about... Need I go on????

We can work on our car and only our car anymore. I guess thats just fine, because fixing everbodies peice of crap that was to cheap otherwise gets real old. You know what I mean

 

Dude, I hate to say it but you got ripped! I bought my Darrell Young 700r4 with his 2400 stall unit shipped to my job for $1600. The trans has a 2 year unconditional guarantee, and was built to withstand at least 550 lb/ft.

Also, a rebuilt 84 is worthless. Most rebuild kits come with an instruction sheet stating it is essentially a waste to rebuild anything pre-87.

But since you have the option of the lifetime guarantee - go for it! Essentially you don't have to worry about breaking it.

Oh, well. I hope all goes well.

 

yeah i agree, thats alot of moolah for a mild performance rebuild


TCI sells 700's for what $1500?

 

i say go for the liftetime warranty, then you dont have to worry about another tranny as long as you have the car..

good luck

 

get them to put in a corvette servo! to my way of thinking, they should throw in some goodies for that OUTRAGOUSLY OVERPRICED stock rebuild, because I know people who have gotten a performance rebuild for less. or bought a good used 700r4, from a 93 z28 for a little over half of what you are paying.

 

Got them to put the corvette servo in. Got the car back out of the shop this weekend. The top end difference is unbelievable. The fastest I had ever hit before was about 120, because of the od down to drive downshift. I tried it out this mornin just to see what the sleeve would do. All I can say is, my car is registered for 145, and I saw every bit of that this morning, and it was still pickin up good. It was 4 in the morning, and almost no cars on the road before you guys flame me for goin that fast. Just wanted to see what it would do, I don't drive like that that often. Just wanted to see if I got my moneys worth.

 

You'll know if you got your money's worth when you put a Blown 406 in front of that tranny and launch it on a ford 9" with 15" mickey thompsons and a Trans-brake.

How long was that warranty good for again?

 

LIFE TIME WARRANTY WITH NO DEDUCTABLE.