A Dozen Rules for Prospering in a Recession
Welcome to “Recession 2008.” It’s been a long time coming, but now it’s here. Should we be happy or sad about it? I guess that depends on a number of factors, so let’s take a look at them.
First, some definitions:
Recession – When your neighbor loses his job
Depression – When you lose yours
Are You Shooting in the Dark?
Knowing how an electronic component is supposed to work is very important when you are troubleshooting it for a problem. It can make the difference between replacing parts because you know they are bad and replacing them because you think they are bad. Half the battle in troubleshooting a device is knowing how it’s supposed to work, what to expect from it, what is normal and what is not.
Getting to the ‘Core’ of the Problem
Cores and core charges have been part of our industry since the beginning. What is a core? There can be many definitions, but for the purpose of this discussion we will label it as a used or worn/damaged component or assembly being replaced by a remanufactured component or assembly that is identical to the one being replaced.
A Disappointing Reality
One recent week, Luis was having a problem with an 01M in a 2002 VW Jetta (see Figure 1). It had a slight bind-up on the 3-4 shift. It didn’t make a harsh shift; it was more like a dragging shift that lasted for about 1 second and then suddenly released when it finally went to fourth. Typically, what we see on the tech lines is more of a 3-4 shift flare rather than a dragging shift. This flared-shift complaint is usually due to either an incorrectly assembled K1 or B2 clutch pack or a leak in the K1 pre-fill pressure circuit causing the clutch to release too soon. However, a dragging shift also could be due to an incorrectly assembled K1 or B2 clutch, or a valve-body problem.
March 2008 Issue
Issue Summary:
After overhaul, a 5R55W transmission has delayed engagements on garage shifts and possibly a flared 2-3 shift.
Explorer and Mountaineer models equipped with the 5R55W/S may exhibit a ticking or rattling noise coming from the bellhousing.
After overhaul, vehicles equipped with the 5R55W/S may exhibit a metallic ticking noise coming from the bellhousing, similar to the sound of a cracked flex plate or flywheel.
Vehicles equipped with the 4R44E transmission may exhibit a flare on the 2-3 upshift before or after overhaul.
On 2000-and-up Ford vehicles equipped with AX4S, AX4N or 4F50N transmissions, filling the transmission with fluid may be difficult.
A 2004-and-up vehicle equipped with the 4F50N transaxle may exhibit no movement in either forward or reverse range.
Serviceability Report: Saab
Remember them? What has happened since GM took over Saab?
So far, we have reviewed Japanese, Korean, English, German and domestic vehicles – vans, trucks and cars. Are the Swedish better at serviceability? Many of us remember the old Saab two-strokes, mixing the oil in the gas. Today’s commercials explain the Saab story with jets flying overhead. General Motors Corp. bought Saab in 1990, and sales haven’t been all that good since the new owner took over. I went on a mission to discover more about this somewhat-forgotten brand. What did I find out? I used the Saab 9-3 for my study.
Tips for Quality Rebuilding
Have you ever wondered why some rebuilders never seem to have a comeback? Their units are installed, test driven and delivered time after time without any problems. Their success is the result of a combination of things that any transmission rebuilder with motivation and good skills can do.
Adapting to the AW55-50SN Valve Body
Some things are less intimidating if you’re not the first to do it. That statement applies to both crossing a frozen lake and working on a problematic AW55-50SN. On the lake, heavy snow cover can prevent you from telling whether the ice is sufficient for support, and what you can’t see may end in a sink-or-swim experience. On the 55-50SN valve body, a clean core does not mean the valve body is functioning correctly.
Tremec’s New 6060 Six-Speed
The T56 six-speed transmission has been around for many years now. Originally designed by BorgWarner for the GM F-bodies (Camaro/Firebird), the design has been refined since Tremec bought the BorgWarner manual-transmission business. The T56 is now the six-speed of choice for the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet C5 and C6 Corvettes, Pontiac GTO, Cadillac CTS-V, Dodge Viper and Sidewinder, and Aston Martin Vanquish.
It’s All in the Details
If you want to rebuild a torque converter and do a good job, you need to pay attention to many details. Unfortunately, in today’s business environment that critical attention to detail is often sacrificed in the race to just get the job done and get it done quickly. If you were fortunate enough to have a good mentor when you were learning about torque converters, you learned that there’s a right way and a wrong way to perform most tasks. In some cases there’s a right way and several wrong ways to do the same job.
Ring-a-Ding-Ding
The 6T75 has been on the road for a little more than a year now, and we’re beginning to see some problems with this unit. The first problem we ran into was at a Miami shop that was doing factory-warranty work for a local GMC dealer. The problem vehicle was a 2007 GMC Acadia, and there were some problems with the two-wire Hall-effect speed sensors.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind; What a Waste of Time
In the world of transmission diagnostics, from time to time there is a scenario in which the diagnostics performed ends up being a waste of time. In some situations it can be partially attributed to the “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome, as is the case with a 4L30-E transmission in Isuzu Trooper and Rodeo vehicles. The problem occurs mostly after the transmission has been re-installed.
