Date:         Thu, 17 Oct 2002 11:05:09 -0400
Reply-To:     "Spooner, Robert E." <bob.spooner@MIDDLETOWNPOWER.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Spooner, Robert E." <bob.spooner@MIDDLETOWNPOWER.COM>
Subject:      auto tranny rebuild
Comments: To: "TIICo List (E-mail)" <Tiicolist@vgonman.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

So, I have just got my van back from an auto tranny rebuild (the rebuild was necessary because my van quit going in reverse, and would hesitate between the 2-3 shift).  I really wanted to use this as a perfect excuse to replace the auto with a stick, but I had nowhere to do the job.  I'm selling my house and building a new one (with a *big*  garage).  But meantime, a Vanagon torn apart in the driveway doesn't add any attraction to the house: except, maybe for you nuts!

So I hemmed and hawed about the way to do this.  I finally decided to go with one of the few auto-tranny rebuilders in my area that would take the Vanagon.  He gave me some references, and everyone agreed that his work was the best around.  Also, he was the cheapest: $1200 parts and labor, including a new torque converter.

It actually took him 3 weeks to complete the job.  He rebuilt the tranny the first week, finding a piston seal torn (causing the reverse problem).  After test-driving, he wasn't happy with the 2-3 shift.  So, he took it apart again (didn't have to come all the way out this time: just drop the pan), to replace the valve body.  That still didn't help the 2-3 shift.  So, then he took it apart again to replace the governor (he found that someone had been in the tranny before, and had weld-repaired the governor housing).  That still didn't help the 2-3 shift.  

By this time he has a lot of hours into the job, but still is sticking to his price.  He says that sometimes something is wrong with the housing that can't be seen with the naked eye, and if I didn't want to just live with the 2-3 shift problem, he recommended getting a core and rebuilding it again.  I said ok, and he found a good core.

He rebuilt the core and installed that.  Now my van is shifting like a champ.  He did charge me for the core: $200.  So, including tax, I got out of there for $1484.  He said that he lost a ton of $$$ on the job, but stuck to his price quote (he said that for every job that turns out like this one there is 20 more that go really easily).

So, I would recommend Quality Auto Transmission in Rocky Hill, CT.  He might not take your Vanagon after this job though.

Bob