opinions on chevy transmission

S

SeaSpray

Active member
I have a 2001 half ton Silverado with about 155000 miles on it. It has been a good tow vehicle so far but is showing its age.

I have not had any problems with the transmission but I do notice it is not a tight as it used to be. A couple of times when I put it in reverse it has not shifted before I start giving it gas and there is a bump as it shifts.

I am wondering if I should consider rebuilding of replacing now before going on a trip with the boat this spring. I had it serviced last year and they said everything looked fine then.

Any experienced opinions out there?
 
SeaSpray":38lj0m7y said:
I have a 2001 half ton Silverado with about 155000 miles on it. It has been a good tow vehicle so far but is showing its age.

I have not had any problems with the transmission but I do notice it is not a tight as it used to be. A couple of times when I put it in reverse it has not shifted before I start giving it gas and there is a bump as it shifts.

I am wondering if I should consider rebuilding of replacing now before going on a trip with the boat this spring. I had it serviced last year and they said everything looked fine then.

Any experienced opinions out there?
Click to expand...

Yeah. The pump is worn, the o-rings are worn, the clutch packs are worn, and the electric motor that puts it into gear is growing tired and is starting to operate slowly. One of those is why it lagged a couple of times going into gear. It does have 155,000 miles on it for goodness sake. The bump may not even be the tranny at all; it could be a u-joint going out, a rear end with a pinion shaft (the one in the pinion gears and side gears) could be getting loose, or a mount is wearing out. It is hard to say. Would I rebuild it just to rebuilt it? Nope.....
 
Well, if you're thinking about a rebuild and it's a Chevvie trans here's the best place to get a good rebuild: BowTie Trans. They offer them in several sturdy grades. I got the level above stock and it's been great to pull the boat.

I don't know if they do Borg-Warner trans. I do know they ship (or used to, anyway.)

Boris
 
Thanks for the informations guys.

T.R., sounds like you have some experience. I have not had an automatic transmission fail on any of my cars and would prefer it not happen when towing the boat on a trip.

I have checked the u-joints and changed the fluid in the rear end but I did not pull off the rear end cover. I will do these before the next long trip. I don't expect it to work like new but I think I will wait for more definite signs that it is going to fail.

Boris, thanks for the link. If it does fail on the road at least I can have a reference price for a rebuilt.
 
Back in the late 90s I started an automotive shop that specialized in things with gears...But, since that didn't pan out, I now teach Mathematics again at a local school and fish when I can in the summer. I wouldn't bother pulling the cover off the rear end; you won't see anything obvious. Even if it is the side and pinion gear "clunk" that comes with high mile "c" clip rear ends will go on for decades without a failure. If your clunk is coming from that, I wouldn't sweat it. If the rear isn't howling, banging, whining, or talking to you in an agressive tone - it aint it....

Assuming you have clean fluid in the tranny, if the lag gets worse over time it will be time to replace the electronic controls in the valve body of the transmission - if not rebuild it the entire thing. If the fluid is dirty at all, or has high miles on it, or got burned from towing, then I'd change it really soon as often new fluid will get rid of all of your troubles and prevent future ones from occuring.

It wouldn't hurt to take it to a good shop and have a tech drive it, check that the electronics work, and a do a line pressure test for peace of mind. If those things all check out good, it is probably going to be around for a good time longer.
 
My high school friend, john, worked at a AAMCO transmission shop in Placerville California. He said that AAMCO stood for " all automatics must come out" They did more rebuilds then any other shop because no matter the problem "all automatics must come out" and be rebuilt. never took my car there.
 
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