New vs rebuilt Transmission
 

Whats up guys?! ok so other then the slight tranny slippage/slamming issue (fine when cold, gets worse as it warms up) on my 03 ss there is absolutely nothing else wrong with it, recently got a raise at work and in the coming months ill have a few extra bucks to use. I know they recommend a trany rebuild vs. buy new transmission, but its hard to find a 03 tranny with low miles, so if i can find/afford a new one id prefer to. not 100% yet on doing it but if it just so happens that the trany goes before i get a new vehicle ill at least have the knowledge. i did some research but couldnt find much info but i know you guys can help cause iv never done anything related to a transmission before..so here it goes

1. what size/specs is the stock one in an 03 ss 3800?

2. and what size can fit/will work properly with everything under hood with out having to upgrade other components ?

and im sure theres more stuff i need to know so please flood me with your knowledge! thanks guys!

Whens the last time u did a fluid and filter change on the trans? :eek:

How many miles are on it?:confused:

I would probably consider a "soft" rebuild.. VS a new trans...

If it's still running decently add a bottle of the Lucas transmission fix to your transmission. I did to my S-10 and it still runs after about 2 bottles a year for almost 4 years now. It thickens the viscosity of your worn fluid and prevents slippage.
Also I have a tranny from my 02 Monte with about 65,000 on it, been in my garage on a pallet for about 5 years now. $100 plus shipping and it's yours.

Lucas Transmission Fix

Lucas Transmission Fix is a non-solvent formula that stops slip, hesitation and rough shifting in worn transmissions and completely eliminates most seal leaks. Use in any transmission for preventative maintenance. Use also in light duty manual transmissions to increase shifting ease and transmission life.

Key Benefits
•Contains no solvents
•Lowers operating temperatures and stops foaming
•Can be added to existing fluid without draining any out
•Effective in an extremely high percentage of cases

I just purchased it a few months ago at 116K and I didn't get much info from previous owner about service records. iv always been weary about trany fluid changes because I heard it can cause more harm then good after a certain point in its life. (not sure how true or untrue that is)
I just hit 120k last week, it shifts nice/better when its cold and in the process of warming up. But once hot it progressively gets worse, its not horrible by any means but when I'm in stop and go traffic it gets kinda annoying and it makes me feel like im abusing her =(

Sounds like the perfect candidate for the Lucas Transmission Fix... Checker Auto, K-Mart etc. has it.

Iv been looking at a few different additives and they all say they do the same thing. if you've had good luck with the Lucas then im probably going to pick up a bottle later today

Most times the solenoids can go bad, the fluid could be burned, etc. I would try a filter/half fluid change (put Dexron 6 in).

Fix in a can? Never a real option in my opinion. That stuff probably just tries to thicken the fluid to prevent it from slipping.

That 02 transmission wouldn't work for your 03. There are internal electronics that changed in 2003 and your PCM won't talk to the 02 properly.

Pull the trans dipstick, see if the fluid is burnt. If it is, do a filter / 8 qt swap and see if that helped. If it didn't, then you can look into having it rebuilt/new/etc.

Oh yee of little faith. The Lucas does what it says it can do. I'm master of jerry rigging things when you need to get by and this works good for me. One can suck out a couple quarts and drop in new fluid and 1 bottle of Lucas and away you go for awhile. Cheap miles...:)

I've got a thread asking almost the same thing about my transmission. I thought about getting Lucas and doing a soft rebuild. Filter and fluid. I need the Trans to last until Feb., unless I am lucky enough to get a Nice raise. Until then I think I will do both a soft rebuild with a quart of Lucas in the mix. Then in Feb I can go to Triple Edge Transmissions and get a Rebuilt 4T65e from them. :thumbsup:

I'm all for using something to get you by, but I won't swear by anything lol.

If you plan on fixing the problem correctly, just need to save money, then by all means try the lucas first. But if it bandaids the problem and you don't save up to fix it eventually, it could be trouble.