Thread: got my tranny in the mail

wel i havent seen it yet, but i got a call from my mother that it came in on the pallet that the seller shipped it on. its sitting in my garage now still wrapped up. im awaiting from another seller that i bought a new ZZP tranny filter that i'll swap into the tranny as well as drain the fluid in there so the shop that im getting it done can put in new Dextron 3. the tranny has 4K-5K miles on it and the previous owner said he went 12.4@114mph. heres the specs on the tranny:

Dynotech level III (750hp) 1997 4t65E-HD
Complete Overhaul Kit - Includes all new paper, rubber, Teflon, metal clad seals, and all necessary bushings.
Borg Warner Bands & Clutches

Dynotech Custom Clutch Packs - Custom stacking and configuration for the forward, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th clutch packs
4th Gear hardened clutch hub
All new Solenoids
Modified Torque Converter Clutch circuit - eliminates problem with converter locking and unlocking during cruise
Late Style Valve Bodies - Rebuilt and utilize reinforced boost sleeve
Shift Kit
300M Input Shaft
Diode Sprags
Raybestos 3rd Gear Clutch Pack
GM 1" Drive Chain ratio (3.29)
ZZP 2750 Stall w/L36 Flexplate
Stock Reluctor Wheel

What do u think? I already have my bin file updated for the gear ratios as well as the min tcc apply thanks very much to eddie and his expertise. Also thanks to dave n. for helping me through with my answers on what to look and what not. Only thing waiting is the tranny filter, then I’ll do the filter swap and then schedule a time to take it to the local reputable tranny shop down the street. The mechanic quote 300-400 for the swap, that’s about right correct? He said he’ll drive the car once its complete just to get it out of the garage when its done so I can go and set the pcm for the gearing. Is it alright if he drives it a few feet or is that bad?

Onto the pics:

im jealous,sounds like a really nice trans.that price seems like a damn good deal for the swap.how much did ya pay for trans itself?

a bit under $2K...my only paranoia now is if the tranny performs in real life as what was given to me and what's on paper, but i spoke back and forth with the seller/previous owner and he seems like a good guy.

the problem that i cannot justify with built transmission is that they are meant to be rebuilt a lot more often. yeah, the parts are tougher, but they still wear out. im just going to keep dropping in stock junkyard non-HDs in mine until i cant keep one together for more than a couple weeks.

the problem that i cannot justify with built transmission is that they are meant to be rebuilt a lot more often.

?????? Where did you get this idea? If it needs rebuilt more often then it wasnt built right. Stock transmissions were designed for smooth shifts and stock power, not modded cars. Any car with more power than stock is going to make shorter life of a transmission. RACE transmissions will require being gone through more often because of how they are built, not all performance transmissions. Dynotech uses Borg Warner frictions other than 3rd gear which I assume is a Zpack but it doesnt say so I cant verify, but the BW friction plates are OE clutches and last a very long time. Hardparts are hardparts, there is nothing that needs serviced with them as they last or they break and that is just part of adding more power and the acceptance you take when adding more power.

Originally Posted by Bio248

the problem that i cannot justify with built transmission is that they are meant to be rebuilt a lot more often. yeah, the parts are tougher, but they still wear out. im just going to keep dropping in stock junkyard non-HDs in mine until i cant keep one together for more than a couple weeks.

Im not sure where you got this but I'll have to concur with Trannyman. Why would you build a performance transmission that was 'meant' to be rebuilt more often? That seems not only counter intuitive but also counter productive. The whole point of rebuilding a transmission other than some type of catastrophic failure would be to address and correct known weak points and design issues. And even in the rebuild of a failed tranny this would still be the case if the builder is a reputable one such as Trannyman.

By that logic anyone buying a transmission from Dave should expect more frequent rebuilds and if that were the case what would be the point? Why spend that money on something you are just going to have to take back out and redo in short order.

The only time I could think of in which a built transmission would result in more frequent rebuilds is if a sub-par job was done to begin with. Other than that, the only other reason I can think of would be a dedicated race team in which having a failure on the track is not an option and the team may pull the transmission on a regular basis to inspect it and ensure all is well or to identify potential problem areas, in which case they would probably be addressed and corrected.

If rebuilding a transmission resulted in even more frequent rebuilds then after market parts vendors like Sonnax would not be in business providing improved parts that address known weaknesses.

Im not bashing on you but that logic just doesnt register to well.

i also agree with SyntheticShield and dave, which is why i went out of the way to get this type of tranny build. If I just went ahead and just installed a stock tranny with just a mild shift kit and run with the amount of power and modification as I’m currently running on the street and/or on the road, the tranny wouldn’t last very long. With a built tranny with the necessary hardened components, it is able to take the amount of power its put out. Like SyntheticShield, if there is a failure in a performance built tranny then it goes back to the builder or shop that screwed something up, not the parts or the mods on the motor that caused the tranny to fail. Im not bashing either, just spreading the logic and experience.

Dave, I also don’t know if the 3rd gear is a ZPack or not, but I’m also gonna safely assume as it was built by dynotech and they have standard items that gets installed in a tranny core.

also if anyone can answer my question(s) above, can it be driven in a short distance with the 3.29s when the PCM’s not flashed yet?

You really need to flash the pcm before driving it. The pcm will throw an incorrect gear ratio code and max out line pressure which is overly extreme for a built trans and is going to make the front of the car feel like it wants to fall apart at light throttle. You can usually make 1-2 shift cycles before it throws the code, but it will throw the code and is going to be very hard on everything shifting that hard at light throttle.

okay, i'll emphasize to the mechanic to not drive it out of the shop to park it until the pcm's reflashed but can he just start it up to check for leaks and/or issues? i talked to the mechanic on the phone this morning and he said it would be alright to drive it slow and a distance of across the street and it would throw a few codes, however I’d take your advice and opinion over his as u are the trannyman. How else would I be able to convince him not to drive it after its all buttoned up, hold him at gunpoint?<------sarcasm

I think I would put the new PCM data on at the shop with the old transmission before I would leave the old data on for the new transmission...at least that way the worst damage is resale value of an already well-used part.

Originally Posted by JoshMcMadMac

I think I would put the new PCM data on at the shop with the old transmission before I would leave the old data on for the new transmission...at least that way the worst damage is resale value of an already well-used part.

actually, that doesnt sound lika bad idea. Right b4 I’d leave the car in their hands, reflash the PCM for the new gearing and have them drive it into their bay and do the swap. I can let the mechanic know and expect when he drives it into the bay as I imagine it’d also throw codes and have stiff line pressures and hard shifts. the one in my car right now is slowly dying anyways(possible worn output clutch piston?).

thanks, i will. since the tranny's already broken in, i can do a few WOT runs from a dig and not worry about the strain on the tranny compared to a stock tranny :-)....o and im never gonna run slicks/drags when i go to the track, just summer tires and light burnouts thats all.

Originally Posted by fst

wel i havent seen it yet, but i got a call from my mother that it came in on the pallet that the seller shipped it on. its sitting in my garage now still wrapped up. im awaiting from another seller that i bought a new ZZP tranny filter that i'll swap into the tranny as well as drain the fluid in there so the shop that im getting it done can put in new Dextron 3. the tranny has 4K-5K miles on it and the previous owner said he went 12.4@114mph. heres the specs on the tranny:

Congrats on the new tranny. Hope it holds up well for ya.

But why Dex III? Why not the newer, better Dex VI? And is there anything special about ZZP's tranny filter vs a NAPA filter? I always assumed a lot of parts like this, ZZP just bought local and resold. As long as it is US filter, I wouldn't think twice about using it.

will, in the other forum someone asked which would be est from a dynotech tranny and the majority of those with one used dex 3 since erik seemed to had urged only dex 3. the shop im going to can do both, and has dex 6 on hand. the zzp filter i actually bought off a seller for $20shipped, plus it kinda has me at ease that its most likely its "Made in the USA" and not china if i get it from NAPA or also from the mechanics' shop stock. i duno, maybe i'll use the dex 6 since its fully synthetic and the tranny only has 4K-5K miles on it. i havent set a date yet to finalize everything so i can always change my request when i bring the tranny and car in for the mechanic.

I don't think Dex VI is synthetic, but it is still far superior to Dex III in terms of resisting shear and degrading viscosity over time.

well i dropped the pan and noticed there were small thin greyish metal pieces on the magnet. everywhere else on the pan was clear. i asked the original owner and he said that b4 he stopped driving the car, the half shaft snapped when he took it to the track on his first pass. he noticed something wasnt right and put it back on the trailer and headed home. he then took the tranny out and found that indeed the haf shaft snapped(i have it in my e-mail anyone interested please let me know and i'll try to upload pics tomorrow at work). he put in a new half shaft and was planning on taking it to erik at dynotech but during that time was when erik passed away, so the owner decided to call it quits and demod and sell the tranny which brings it to th present with me as the new owner.

i replaced the tranny filter with a new one, but am i looking at an already FUBAR'ed tranny? im thinking/planning on having the tranny shop im taking it to, to have them do a tranny flush, then after everything's done and when i drive the car, put like 500-1000 miles-assuming the car drives 100% fine-drop the pan and do another tranny filter and fluid change. trannyman, this is where i need your opinion on this :-\


edit-heres what he sent me in the e-mail minus pics for the moment:

the metal shaft that goes from the drivers side CV shaft to the diff broke on me the piece was changed, some pics too show which piece, didn't know it was that dirty in the tranny, I would suggest having the tranny cleaned b/c those metal pieces could give u more problems later on by plugging solenoids and sticking in the valve body, if any of those pieces get into your torque converter even more issues.

Half shafts are the axles outside the tranny. Is he talking about the output shaft?

pics added:

That's an output shaft.