Shift Pointers
- Subject: Damage to case during installation
- Unit: VT25 CVT
- Vehicle Application: Saturn Vue
- Essential Reading: Shop Owner, Center Manager, R & R
- Author: Pete Luban, ATSG, Transmission Digest Contributing Editor
Most of the magazine articles that I write are directed to the builder or diagnostician. Once in a while I write one for the installers, and this is one such article.
Obviously, articles like these are meant to prevent a very costly mistake from being made during the installation of a freshly rebuilt transmission (builder very, very unhappy).
The transmission in this scenario is the VT25 CVT in the Saturn Vue. Figure 1 shows the location of the top transmission mount. The bolt holes and the bolts that secure the mount to the transmission case are different lengths, which means the bolts can be installed in the wrong holes.
Figures 2 and 3 show the end result of installing a slightly longer bolt in a slightly shorter hole. When the longer bolt bottoms out in the shorter hole, it pushes up the case casting in that area and cracks it just enough to cause transmission fluid to leak out of the case (shop owner very, very unhappy).
Other than having to remove the transmission again and looking at the possibility of a case-half replacement, there is another reason why you want to avoid the problem.
Ever since GM decided to end the Saturn division, parts are becoming more difficult to obtain. It’s almost impossible at this point to get new parts from GM for these or any other Saturn vehicle. Some of the transmission-parts distributors still have some new and good used parts, which means that for as long as those parts supplies last you may still be able to get what you need to repair Saturn transmissions.
Once that parts supply has been exhausted – well, who knows? Perhaps some company either here in the U.S. or overseas will start manufacturing them. In the meantime you may want to stock up on the high-failure items. To all who read this article, please make your installers aware of this potential hazard.
