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Date:         Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:37:44 -0700
Reply-To:     RobT <tippos@SUDDENLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         RobT <tippos@SUDDENLINK.NET>
Subject:      Vanabog (help)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Thanks everyone for the great advice!

At this point we're hoping to get him back on the road as quickly and cheaply as possible as he has a very limited budget.

I will push for the TC and flush.

I believe this may have all started because of some advice I read on a popular vendors site where they recommend changing the tranny oil cooler every 10 years. Sounded reasonable and since I was going through the van, new brakes, wheel bearrings, belts, fluids including the tranny filter and the van is over 20 years old with 150k original miles I thought it would be a good idea to do this part as well. After buying and installing an aftermarket cooler (not cheap at just under $400) the thing failed in under 500 miles resulting in having to throw the new piece of junk cooler out and installing a used VW one and flushing the entire cooling system out after just changing out the coolant. GRRR. I will never again listen to anything this vendor has to say regarding recommended preventative measures!

Thanks again!

Rob

PS I should make a little correction...I should have said he received his Master's degree in English, not phD....Doh!

Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:19:45 -0700 From: Daryl Christensen <daryl@AATRANSAXLE.COM> Subject: Re: Vanablog (help)

I had a shop do my sons F250 auto trans (Eds)..we pulled it out and they rebuilt it..Didn't shift right afterwards..I took the whole truck to him and he flushed the system AND cooler, cleaned out the valve body and it has worked flawlessly since..Didn't charge me anything ... Yes the cooler has to be professionally flushed as the little cans you buy do not have the needed pressure to do the job correctly

Daryl of AA Transaxle 425-788-4070 "On the cutting edge of Old technology" 86 Syncro Westy with a Zetec in the trunk

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Andrew Martin Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 10:38 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Vanablog (help)

I concur. Plus the last auto tranny rebuilder I dealt with also wanted the aftermarket transmission fluid cooler removed and delivered to his shop with the transmission so he could personally flush it for possible debris. They had a machine of some kind to perform this task and pumped a predetermined amount of cleansing fluid through it.

Perhaps someone will site a case where they did not follow this advice and everything work out fine BUT the relative cost of a rebuilt torque converter and a thorough fluid flushing is miniscule compared to doing the job twice.

Also as a side note... This particular rebuilder's 3 year warrantee requires an in-shop service/inspection after driving 1000 miles with the rebuilt tranny.

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Schwaia Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 9:17 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Vanablog (help)

I would recommend against replacing just the automatic section. If he did fry the inners of the automatic, there will be plenty a crap circulating in the system, including inside the torque converter. A lot of that crap will end of inside the rebuilt transmission if he doesn't replace the torque converter as well. Additionally, I doubt if any reputable rebuilder would warranty the transmission without replacing the torque converter. Reminds me of a quote from my Father: "It's like washing your feet and then putting your dirty socks back on."

Cheers,

Jeff

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Robert Fisher Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 4:47 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Vanablog (help)

Classic symptoms of forward clutch failure, which will require a rebuild. In his position (given that he has/can get the money to do it), I'd get a rebuilt auto section from German Transaxle and try to find somebody locally to install it. The actual R&R of the auto section isn't that big of a deal; I'd think that finding somebody that could/would do a competent rebuild in that area would be much more difficult, and then you'd have the warranty issue.

German Transaxle is about 450 miles from where he is, so hopefully shipping wouldn't be that expensive. I'd think I could get back on the road for around a grand (rebuilt transmission, shipping two ways [for the core] and labor for the swap). Anybody have the book numbers for the labor?

Good luck, Robert


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