[jmbinion]

hello everyone. this is my first post on this forum, but ive been lurking for a few months.

in august i bought a 1994 rms with 160k after looking for a while.

last saturday at about 5 am while i was on my way to work my tranny went out. the week before i had done a tranny flush, new filter and such. everything worked fine and i know i used te right fluids.

i was able to limp it into work in first gear and then towed it to my co workers house after work. hes an avid car restorer and a car club member with many connections so i had him check it out. he had one of his buddies look into the transmission and he says that the clutch pack is fried and he said he cold fix it all for about $800 or he can get me a new one for 2k because i have a 1995 trans, as i was informed. my question: is there a cheaper way to fix this? i was going to look on craigslist and see what i could find and i wanted to know what upgrades for the 4l60e there are and what cars carry a 4l60e that will work in my car. might sound dumb but im trying to figure out my options and from what ive heard this is the best place to look. any info would be great.

thanks,
j

 

[96WhiteCloud]

Is the $800 going to cover a complete overhaul, or is he just going to patch the current issue?

 

[MrBuick (Magnum)]

Doesn't matter if it's a 94, 95, or 96 trans. They will all work. Only thig that has to be done, it stake the PWM in the trans for the 95/96 to work in a 94. I would be weary of a backyard rebuild, or even a local pro rebuild. Unless the shop REALLY knows what they are doing with these units, the builds just don't last that long. Maybe 20,000 miles, and then it needs another rebuild. My friend had a GM Tech rebuild his for $800, and it lasted less than 20,000 miles. I wanna say it only lasted around 10,000 miles. The builder claims user error... I fail to see how the 5000lbs load he towed a handful of times was user error.

Not to say there are not lots of shops out there that know how to build them and make them last. But there are FAR more that think they know what they are doing, and they just don't last.

Better off with getting a unit built from a place who specialize in 4L60E / 700R4's. Or you can find a used one for a few hundred, which is another good option.

 

[jmbinion]

Is the $800 going to cover a complete overhaul, or is he just going to patch the current issue?

its a complete overhaul/rebuild

 

[jmbinion]

Doesn't matter if it's a 94, 95, or 96 trans. They will all work. Only thig that has to be done, it stake the PWM in the trans for the 95/96 to work in a 94. I would be weary of a backyard rebuild, or even a local pro rebuild. Unless the shop REALLY knows what they are doing with these units, the builds just don't last that long. Maybe 20,000 miles, and then it needs another rebuild. My friend had a GM Tech rebuild his for $800, and it lasted less than 20,000 miles. I wanna say it only lasted around 10,000 miles. The builder claims user error... I fail to see how the 5000lbs load he towed a handful of times was user error.

Not to say there are not lots of shops out there that know how to build them and make them last. But there are FAR more that think they know what they are doing, and they just don't last.

Better off with getting a unit built from a place who specialize in 4L60E / 700R4's. Or you can find a used one for a few hundred, which is another good option.

ive been trying to look around the internet for a transmission but everyone wants 1600 and up. i want to pull one from the junkyard but im pretty weary because i dont want to have the same problem a couple of years down the road. from what i hear the guy who wants to work on it is a reliable person and has alot of transmission experience. damn the hunt continues...

 

[thebigbadWOLF]

ive been trying to look around the internet for a transmission but everyone wants 1600 and up. i want to pull one from the junkyard but im pretty weary because i dont want to have the same problem a couple of years down the road. from what i hear the guy who wants to work on it is a reliable person and has alot of transmission experience. damn the hunt continues...

i got a bad ass 15k miles tranny from a vett with the shift kit for 700$....keep looking


car-part.com

let me know where u stay if ur in calf , i can help find you one.

 

[Jim Rockford]

word to the wise..never ever flush a high mile trans. EVER.

 

[Buffman]

jim you should note, Power Flush. Home flushing (removing coolant lines and using trans to pump out fluid) is fine.

 

[RoadMonster 2.0]

word to the wise..never ever flush a high mile trans. EVER.

+1.

NEVER EVER!

 

[thebigbadWOLF]

+1.

NEVER EVER!

why? ?

 

[fbi9c1]

"word to the wise..never ever flush a high mile trans. EVER."

+2. No matter how many times we tell people this, there is always someone who insists we are wrong. As for "why?", it is not good to flush out all the fricition material. Read what happened to the OP - his trans failed. Believe it or don't.

 

[thebigbadWOLF]

"word to the wise..never ever flush a high mile trans. EVER."

+2. No matter how many times we tell people this, there is always someone who insists we are wrong. As for "why?", it is not good to flush out all the fricition material. Read what happened to the OP - his trans failed. Believe it or don't.

i belive it i just want to know why, my wife said the same **** to my caprice i wanted to flush it. she told me dont it will break in the next few thousand miles if i do.

i just want to know why

 

[Jim Rockford]

jim you should note, Power Flush. Home flushing (removing coolant lines and using trans to pump out fluid) is fine.

sorry buff its the same thing, bad, mind you , your **** is prolly on the last leg anyway, but you are taking away the few thousand miles you could have left in it due to the friction material left floating around in the fluid. trans flush machines use the pressure from the trans pump to transfer the fluid, from and to the machine, so really there is no "Power flushing" machine just a holding tank for the new fluid and a catch can for the old fluid . just a fancy way of you doing it at home as you describe.

 

[Buffman]

sorry buff its the same thing, bad, mind you , your **** is prolly on the last leg anyway, but you are taking away the few thousand miles you could have left in it due to the friction material left floating around in the fluid. trans flush machines use the pressure from the trans pump to transfer the fluid, from and to the machine, so really there is no "Power flushing" machine just a holding tank for the new fluid and a catch can for the old fluid . just a fancy way of you doing it at home as you describe.

Most all trans flushing machines have their own source of power. Some of the newer units just have a tube that sucks out the fluid from the dipstick and replaces it with the same amount. Removing any of the "friction" material ATF would be accomplished the same by dropping the pan. I changed the fluid on a 215K 700r4, and guess what it was still fine.

 

[MrBuick (Magnum)]

Yea... NEVER flush the trans on high milage unit! You might clean all the gunk out, and stop smoking the clutches on every shift... like my 145k Fleetwood trans... that now has around 170l on it. cwm3

 

[Armada Master]

+ infinitely on the NOT flushing a B-body tranny

Went through two of them before I learned this lesson, now it's just filter and fluid change every 30K, no flush. Since I went to that schedule, no more tranny crashes.

 

[Jim Rockford]

Most all trans flushing machines have their own source of power. Some of the newer units just have a tube that sucks out the fluid from the dipstick and replaces it with the same amount. Removing any of the "friction" material ATF would be accomplished the same by dropping the pan. I changed the fluid on a 215K 700r4, and guess what it was still fine.

no , changing the fluid in the pan, still leaves alot of fluid in the trans and the converter, and that is why it still lives, sometimes you get lucky ..if the P.O. has taken care and maintained the trans prior to you flushing it, but if you can tell the pan has never been off and the fluid is black, bide your time and start saving your money for a rebuild and don't **** with it.

 

[95dggm]

I agree with the don't flush guys I replaced a trans on a clown vic that i had just "flushed" months prior. Best advice is trans fluid smells varnishy(really bad) leave it alone if there is gray matter in it(probably clutch material), really leave it alone. If you can find a reputable trans guy in your area they can tell you what is best for your situation

 

[SSer]

I agree with the don't flush guys I replaced a trans on a clown vic that i had just "flushed" months prior. Best advice is trans fluid smells varnishy(really bad) leave it alone if there is gray matter in it(probably clutch material), really leave it alone. If you can find a reputable trans guy in your area they can tell you what is best for your situation

So if i bought a tranny from a junkyard would it have technically been flushed? Should I not buy it?

 

[MrBuick (Magnum)]

no , changing the fluid in the pan, still leaves alot of fluid in the trans and the converter, and that is why it still lives, sometimes you get lucky ..if the P.O. has taken care and maintained the trans prior to you flushing it, but if you can tell the pan has never been off and the fluid is black, bide your time and start saving your money for a rebuild and don't **** with it.

the fluid in it was as black as oil.

I opened the cooler line, pumped 2 quarts into a bucket, then refilled with cleaners... drove around, did it again. and again, and again. It was pink, and I drove for a bit and it worked. Then I ran more cleaners in it, and the fluid came out dark again. So I kept flushing it. When it was all said and done, I had flushed a few gallons thru the trans. There was a ton of stuff in the pan when I dropped it. Now the fluid is bright pink, and the last batch of cleaner I ran thru it didn't loosen up any more gunk. Trans is still going.