Hey there,

Just got my trans rebuilt by a local trans guy in the Detroit area (Craigslist advertiser - probably my first mistake) and after about 60-70 miles or so I now have a 3600 pound paperweight on my hands.

The trans didn't seem right from the getgo after the rebuild. I pulled it and re-installed it and initially it was banging into reverse and drive when I put the first 4-5 quarts of fluid in it on jackstands and added fluid after that to fill it up. I took it for a road test and drove it probably 25 miles or the first day, topped off the trans fluid, and thought I was good to go. Took it on the freeway for the first time for about 20 miles and when I got off the car was shuddering as I pulled into a parking spot. I got back in after about an hour, started to drive back to work and then got stranded on the freeway. The trans was slipping and the RPMs went way up and the car would not go anywhere with no drive or reverse. I let the car cool down 10 mins and was able to nurse it to the next exit. Now the car has DTCs P0741 and P0757. P0741 is TCC system stuck off and P0757 is 2-3 shift solenoid valve performance = no.

GM has 2 TSBs about P0741 that has you check the valve body for worn-out shift passages, check for debris in the valve body, and check various valves and one of the fixes is to replace the valve body.

I did install a rebuilt Daaco converter when installing the trans. Any ideas on this? I'm e-mailing all of this to the guy that rebuilt the trans to see what he thinks. I don't want to do this trans-pull/reinstall job again. Without a hoist it took too much out of me!


Thanks,

F-whupper

 

Ugh sounds like it's gotta come out of the car again. I have heard of a brake switch causing the P0741 before, but it sounds like you got jipped to be brutally honest.

 

It's funny you mention the brake switch possibly causing trans issues. Ever since I had to pull out the engine/trans from the top and remove the master cylinder for room and put it all back the "low brake fluid" switch light is on in the dash. I took a quick look at the GM service info and it's just a 2-wire circuit so I could just connect the wires with a paper clip for now to bypass the actual switch and see if that does anything with the trans.

It can't hurt to try. Still haven't heard back from the trans "rebuilder" as of yet. Next might be an unpleasant visit to his residence...

F-whupper

P.S. I'm not doing this job again in my garage (too much of a PIA without a hoist.) If it's a valve body it sounds as if you can replace it from the side cover but still looks like way too much work for an ex-tech like me that knows how to R+R transmissions but never rebuilt one. If I don't hear back from him there are local shops in the area that will do rebuilds for $1200 (including R+R) but I'm sure that doesn't include a valve body replacement if it needs it. I've got $850 into the initial rebuild now it looks like it may be up around $2000 or so. I shoudl check to see what a GM re-man costs. I think I checked way back and it was $1800 maybe or $2000. Oh well...

 

Well here we are a few days later and my trans rebuilder is now telling me because I started out with 4-5 quarts of fluid instead of dumping the whole 13.5 quarts in at once (before I started the car) that would be enough to screw the trans up and cause the issues I've been having. Sounds like BS to me.. I've dumped 4-5 quarts of fluid in a new or rebuilt trans and added the remaining fluid immediately after that on every trans I've ever installed (probably 4-5 or so over the years) and never had an issue. I also told him I flushed the trans cooler with brake clean (3 cans) and blew it out with compressed air. He says that's not a proper flush. He's offering to take a look at it but I truly doubt his competence. It's gonna cost $300 for a shop to R&R the trans and I don't want to have to pay another $300 because who knows if this guy's trans is going to need rebuilding again or not.

I guess I'm out the $850 for the rebuild and the rebuilt converter. Expensive lesson. I think I'm going to go with a GM reman trans. Summit racing has them for $1700 with free shipping and then another $300 to install it so I'll be out a total of $2850 and end up with a GM trans with the 3 years/100K warranty with labor included. (probably about what it would cost to get one put in at a dealer.)

You guys know if there are any other sources for a better deal for a reman GM transmissions?

F-whupper

 

For a better quality build on a transmission, you may want to look into Triple Edge Performance. That's who I'm going with when this transmission craps out on me.

Triple Edge Performance - Home Page

 

I hear a lot of talk about the 2004 Trans problem, a friend of mine is have one redone on an 04 Monte SS and My son in law has been talking about some issues on an 03 he owns.
I found a nice 04 SS a few months back when I was working in Missouri. I test drove the Car and it was a nice one only had 48k on it. But during the test drive I could feel something was wrong with the Trans. just a feeling, I have tons of miles and can just feel it in the Car if there is something that maybe a problem??? Who knows! Anyway I am getting some good info, Sorry to hear about this, It stinks when this happens, to bad we can't go back to manual trans much more fun. Plus a Clutch should cost less.

 

Yeah, I was seriously thinking about going with Triple Edge due to the good press they get here and the cost isn't too bad. I went the cheap route though and am now paying the price. Triple Edge is only about 3 hours from my house too. There is a trans shop in the Detroit area that will rebuild a Monte trans for $1200 including labor with a 18 month, 18K mile warranty. I was going to have my car towed to him but I think my valve body may be screwed-up (especially with the trans codes I'm now pulling from the car) so by the time that trans shop sold me a valve body, I'd be right around what a GM reman trans would cost. I don't pound on the car so much so a stock rebuild would work for me.

I think I'm still going to go with the GM $1700 reman trans because of the warranty and I trust GM with these. I've bought the GM reman engines before and never had any issues. Plus the labor is included which is cool. I don't have a hoist yet at home so getting these FWD transmissions in and out SUCK!!

It would be bad-*** if they had a stick-shift option for our cars. I'm sure someone somewhere has fabricated a stick shift setup. I've put tons of clutches in cars over the years and only blew up 2 manual trans so for the most part it's a cheaper way to go than an auto.

Yeah they say the seals in the Monte transmissions go bad around 60K or so and you get what I had for about 40K miles where when the trans is cold and it won't go into drive or reverse for about 10 seconds. Some of the trans kits give different types of seals to fix this now I heard. My original trans made it to 170K so I guess I shouldn't bitch (except for getting screwed fromt my trans rebuild!!)

F-whupper