I think I figured out why my transmisions don't last.....

[Texashorsepower]

http://videos.streetfire.net/player.aspx?fileid=45D4DDAB-9B2C-445E-A870-106BEC920C27

[JONGO8]

Man thats got to be hard on tires..........

[Sparky2263]

Excellent....

[T Man]

Ya think?

[Joker2040]

very nice

[indigo s10]

Very sweet.

[Texashorsepower]

Thanks a bunch guys! I have a set of 275/60/15 BFG's just for that purpose and they were **FREE** so I get to have lots of great fun and I don't cry over the pile of smoking rubber afterwards. The transmision failing comment was just a funny line -

ALTHOUGH, my tranny did just burn up 3rd & 4th gear due to another internal problem. It was a GM factory rebuilt unit and i've had it rebuilt under the warranty (3yr 50K mile)2 other times for the same problem.

So, i'm looking at getting either a Junior Raptor or Raptor transmission to replace this one. This is their website http://www.transmissioncenter.net/4L60E.htm I believe I read a post about someone buying their Billet Servos.... Have any of you dealt with their transmissions? I figure if i'm going to pay $1800 +/- for a GM SRTA trans. I might as well pay the $100 extra and have a trans. that's built to take some punishment... Any comments/ideas *cough*Sparky* ??? =-))

Thanks guys! Oh and the site that hosted my video is free so go sign up and upload your S10 video's!! =-))


THP

[Sparky2263]

Well, I build my own 700R's. BUT, they do things to their trans. that are very impressive. Far and above the GM SRTA. And honestly, above what I do to mine.

If I was buying one, it'd be theirs, for sure.

[Texashorsepower]

Thanks Sparky - I'm very mechanically inclined but have never dealt with an automatic transmission before so for me it all sounds impressive. I just don't know which one to get. The Junior Raptor or the Raptor. Can you help me out Sparky?

My motor is basically stock, 3.73 rear w/Eaton posi, I tow a 19' open bow Bayliner (don't know what the combo weighs though) and occasionally flat tow some vehicles to car shows. I'm running 31" tires and do go off road when I get the chance... In your opinion which one sounds like it would be plenty stout for what I do? I just don't want to have to pay the dealership to pull it out again to send it back for warranty work.

I've just been burned by all my tranny failures starting with the original factory trans. sending the reaction shell into orbit. =-))

On a side note - What stall speed am I looking at ordering if I want something just a tick above stock? I can't go crazy cause of gas prices and it's my daily driver but I don't even know where the stock converter is stalling now. If my truck wasn't at the dealership all taken apart i'd take it out and stall it right before the tires slip to find out but I can't do that now....... Any idea's?

Thanks for your input - I know I asked a lot =-)


THP

[Sparky2263]

For the difference in price, I'd go ahead and get the raptor.

Now, stall speed. Our 4.3's came with the same converter as the Corvette 350. In that car, it's rated at 2200. Put it behind a V6 and the stall rating comes down to 1600-1800.
Why? Insuffecient torque to stall it higher. My 3000 stall actually stalls around 2500. So, to gain a bit above stock, you're gonna want a 2600-2800 stall. That'll get you around 2200. You still have a lock-up converter so mileage doesn't suffer.

[BrianKS10]

How are the GM remaned Trannys? I am thinking about getting one for my Blazer.

[Sparky2263]

How are the GM remaned Trannys? I am thinking about getting one for my Blazer.

3 yr/50k coast to coast warranty, reasonable price, installed 50 or so and have yet to get a bad one.

By those standards, pretty good.

;)

[Texashorsepower]

Unfortunately I had my GM re-manufactured transmission fail 3 times.
It went just under 2 years and had a 3/4 clutch burn up, was rebuilt under warranty. Lasted just under a year, same 3/4 failure, was rebuilt under warranty again.
Went just under 7 months and failed a third time but this time with a complete 3rd & 4th gear failure.
The top Chevy Tech. at the dealership (I happen to know him) tore it down looking for the cause of all the consistent failures and found the accumulator bore to be heavily scored. He said it looks like the bore could have been scored already when I bought it new from GM and it just got worse with time and use.
By the third failure (right around this Thanksgiving) my 3yr/50k warranty had expired and the 12month/12k mile warranty the dealership has on any service it does (in this case the last rebuild it did under the transmission warranty) has just expired 300 miles ago.
I went through Chevrolet customer care/service whatever and tried to get some help on the grounds that the tech. found evidence that the transmission possibly had a defect from the factory.
Went round and round to no avail - I'm stuck with the bill to get me fixed up.

So after being burned and inconvenienced 3 times already I finally just said screw it -I'm going to have the truck till SUV's are outlawed and I don't want to go through all the same crap i've been going through so I looked at the Raptor Transmissions.
I was deciding between the the Level 2 Raptor Junior and the Level 3 Raptor.
After some talking with Sparky and the gentleman that actually would be building my transmission I decided the Level 3 Raptor transmission was more than plenty to stand up to what I deal out. Heck it's rated to 600HP/450LBS TQ. and rated to tow up to 6000 lbs. on overdrive!!
By all rights this trans. should be going in a built Tahoe with a supercharger but it's going in my S10 Blazer instead **evil grin**
It has a much shorter (6month/Unlimited mileage) warranty but i'm hoping that by spending a little more now i'll never have to deal with transmission failures again! =-)

So all told, PATC Transmission (http://www.transmissioncenter.net/4L60E.htm ) had a $100 off end of year sale and I got a couple hundred for X-mas so the price difference between the GM Reman. and the built Raptor Trans. was almost nothing AND they pay $110 towards the truck freight to get it to you. All I ended up paying for shipping was $40. Plus they give you your choice of stall speed with the new lockup converter that comes included in the price!
I really can't wait to get back on the road and try this thing out!! =-))

Sorry for the rant guys, but i've been waiting to do this for a while now - I just type slow and didn't have the patience!! =-))

Take care folks and have a great New Year!!!!



THP

[Sparky2263]

With all the 3/4 clutch failures, did you ever flow test the cooler? 'bout 1 in 10, I did trannys in, had stopped up coolers.

[BrianKS10]

I have an aftermarket cooler in My 89 from a local radiator shop it was about 500 bucks installed with the radiator and i have had no problems, I have towed a 2500LB boat at 65 in Drive down the freeway and i have had no problems. I wanted to put in a new tranny because it is the original with 180K on it and i know it is only a matter of time until it goes. I will look into the raptor 3's. thanks for the advice!

[Texashorsepower]

I haven't done a flow test myself but the last time it was rebuilt (7 months ago) they flushed both coolers (the one in the radiator and the auxiliary cooler I put on) at the dealership. I have them set up in series coming out of the transmission into the radiator cooler, out of the radiator to the aux. trans. cooler then returning to the transmission. On top of the aux. cooler, I also have a B&M finned aluminum deep transmission pan that holds an additional 3qts. of fluid to help keep things cool.

On an additional note - I believe it was around midyear 2005 that Chevrolet upped the warranty on their factory rebuilt transmissions from 3yr/50k miles to 3yr/100k miles.
That's great but in my situation it still wouldn't have helped even if I had the extra mileage allowance.
Plus I just didn't have a good feeling buying another factory transmission that was built nice and cushy like most street driving people expect them to be. I just use mine too hard... Weather some people would call some of my use "abuse" or just using a truck to it's fullest extent is up to opinion I suppose. Either way I can only hope I made the right choice - and only time will tell =-))

We live and learn -

Then we post it on the Planet!! :D

Let's all hope 2006 kicks ass and it's a fun safe one for us all!!


THP

[T Man]

The fact that you have them in series could be the root of your problem. Just like using dual oil filters, on street cars, the pressure drop is pretty high through them. Use just your aux. cooler, forget about the stock one in the radiator, if you are using a decent after market cooler, that will drop the temp of your trans fluid enough.