Think pink: Curtis Price strikes out on his own and has Liberty Transmission and Auto Care stand out from the crowd
In 2018, Curtis Price, at 43 years old, found himself at a crossroads in his career in the transmission industry: unsure whether he could move up in the family business where he had worked for 20 years, or whether he should start his own. At the time he was working at Price’s Transmission in Virginia
Hidden problems: Three tales of electrical issues
In this article, I will discuss some vehicles with electrical issues. These issues were previously addressed by a different shop/tech, but the improper or incomplete repair resulted in these hidden problems that would appear later. The first case was on an early 2004 Chevrolet Venture FWD, with a 4T70 transmission. This van was setting solenoid
Easy TH400, 4L80-E reverse servo setup: Craft your own tool
While not as sensitive as some shifting bands, the Reverse band adjustment on a TH400 or 4L80-E transmission is critical, and failure to get it right has tripped up even the best builders. There is nothing worse than getting the transmission installed, putting it in Reverse and then not going anywhere or having no engine
Outgrowing the walls: The story of EVT Transmission Parts
There’s an interesting business, one of our industry’s success stories, located in the greater Los Angeles area city of Compton, CA. Walter Quintanilla is the owner of EVT Transmission Parts, which supplies a full line of parts and supplies to rebuilders in the area and beyond. The company began as a Los Angeles transmission shop
Spotting different 68RFE designs through the years to avoid issues
The Chrysler 68RFE has had several changes through the years. Its four-speed predecessor began with a noisy solenoid pack identified by a black colored pass-through case connector (seen in Figure 1). In 2004, they changed to a quieter design assembly identified by a white pass-through connector (Figure 2). This is used in all 45RFE and
Valve body and component suppliers: A comprehensive list
Looking for a comprehensive list of the industry’s valve body and valve body component suppliers for 2024? TD has you covered. Below, find a list of suppliers including contact information, addresses, etc. For optimal viewing, right-click the images below to enlarge.
Shift Pointers: Failures caused by incorrect tire sizes
For years ATSG has produced a wide range of issues related to improper tire sizes on vehicles. Even under-inflated tires have been known to cause issues. Problems such as premature failure with an active 4WD transfer case will occur with incorrect tire sizes. Additional issues include the following: As a result of some of these
Understanding lube flow control valves in Toyota/Lexus UA/UB80 transmissions
The Toyota/Lexus UA80 and UB80 transmissions first came out in 2017 in Highlanders and Siennas. The UA80 is used in V6 applications, and the UB80 is paired with four-cylinder versions. They have been called Toyota New Global Architecture type transmissions, and alternately referred to as the “Direct Shift 8AT” eight-speed automatic transmission. This transmission was
How reading through service bulletins can turn a technician into the customer’s hero
Over the last 28 years of being a technician, I have developed the habit of checking for and reading technical service bulletins at the forefront of the diagnostic process, especially when an unfamiliar vehicle exhibiting blatant or straightforward concerns comes into the shop. I have found many valuable nuggets of information while reading over these
Sometimes, you should sweat the small stuff
It’s a common phrase: There may have been a time when you worried about something, and someone who knew what you are going through said, “Hey, don’t sweat the small stuff.” Sometimes, this may be good advice. But other times, it may be wise to handle the small stuff before it becomes bigger “stuff.” Fretting
Fabricating frictions: Keeping ahead of the curve at Raybestos Powertrain
While the transmission aftermarket is well familiar with Raybestos Powertrain branded friction elements for transmissions and torque converters, most would be impressed to learn the science and efforts that go into creating the product lines. Transmission Digest recently did just that, visiting the manufacturing plant and tech center facilities of the company in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
Shift Pointers: Focused DTCs
On occasions when a vehicle’s computer system detects an error, it can set an array of diagnostic trouble codes. The variety and quantity of them require the ability to diagnose diagnostic codes, so it’s nice when codes set that point directly to the problem. One interesting scenario that just recently came to us on the