Transmission trouble

[Billy-O]

So.... What happens if you followed your guts and demand an exchange the pump before you even try it? I wouldn't be surprised if the remanufacturer suggest that you give it a go and if there is any problems they'll take care of it. Kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by Sam Mac

Jon you need to stop using the 3 LB hammer when your assembling the little parts.

Someone else told me that one other time......
I used to work with a guy who would say, "Don't force it Jon! Get a bigger hammer!!"



So.... I had a bad experience today. I have a very good friend (or so I thought) that owns a trans shop about 50 miles from me. He and I started doing business back and forth about 15 years ago at least. We both bought trans parts from the same supplier, WIT (Whatever It Takes) Transmission parts. I got a good deal, but he (Brian, my friend) was a transmission only shop, so he bought more parts and got a better deal. After I closed up my shop, I just bought all my parts from him when I did trans work. He cut me a deal, and it wasn't bad. So, when I bought all the part for this job, I got them from him. Well, I didn't think he gave me too good of a deal on the part for my trans, so when I went to do the t-case, I decided to call my old sales guy at WIT (different sales guy than he deals with) and see if they would set me back up and let me buy from them. He said, "No problem!", so I bought the t-case parts from them. Brian had already quoted me the price for the parts, but I got a much better deal buying direct from WIT. (Just so we are clear, Brian and I got our parts from different warehouses, so no way did he know I didn't buy from him.) So, I called Brain today to tell him what I needed to fix the trans again. I had called him yesterday and let him know what was up, and he said to let him know if he could help. So, today, I give him the list, and he calls me back to tell me he ordered all the stuff and proceeds to tell me the price of the parts. I said, "Oh..... I thought this would be a warranty deal?" He got audibly irritated and said, "Well, what do you mean?" "Well, I mean.... the pump was bad. It wasn't an installation error, I have the parts here and they show no signs of misalignment, or scoring on the stator shaft side of the pump. If it was an alignment issue, it would have galded the pump." That's when it got ugly..... He proceeded to tell me how I installed the T/C wrong and it was my fault and did I think he was needed to warranty the parts? Then he started yelling at me saying I was trying to get something for nothing and he didn't assemble it, so why should he have to eat the parts. Now, mind you he bought this pump and sold it to me... he didn't rebuild it. He just sold it to me. I never asked him to "eat" anything, I just asked why it wouldn't be under warranty. Then before I could say anymore he tells me he will eat the parts, but that he never wanted to do business with me again.
Soooo.... I call WIT, because that's where he bought the pump. I tell my sales guy what's up and ask if they would warranty it. Well.... that's the problem. I didn't buy it. They can't warranty something I didn't buy, plus something that didn't come from that distributor. He understood the issue, and we went over what a "crunched" pump would look like if I indeed hadn't aligned the T/C with the pump before bolting the trans to the motor. We agreed it was indeed a pump failure, but he just couldn't help me. So, I had him quote me the parts. I'll be GD if he didn't quote me nearly $100 less than Brian quoted me!!! So not only did my "friend" not want to help me get the parts warrantied, he marked up the parts he was going to sell me on the deal! I'm still pissed off..... I don't know what to do. Brian did say he ordered all the parts in and he would pay for them, but this was our last deal. So.... what now? Pay for something I shouldn't have to? Or piss off an old friend. I really would like to think he was just having a bad day, or has some other issue.... but I'm not sure it's worth the hassle. Brain does have a temper, so I'm told by his employees and kids. (Yeah, I'm even friends with his kids!) I'd also like to get the parts warrantied, and I really, really think if he pushed WIT, they would be. Only real issue is that the parts are 120 days old, and WIT's warranty on parts is 90 days.... but lets get real. He probably buys in excess of $100K a year from them. I'm sure they aren't going to balk about $350 worth of parts. I just can't get over his reaction. It would be different if I called him screaming and blaming him. I even told WIT I would send them the pump and let them inspect it before they warrantied it. (Still doesn't matter, as they can't warranty something they didn't sell me..... my sales guy must have said that like 5 times.) Only would take a couple days for that to happen. I've been without a truck this long, what's a couple more days.

Well.... tomorrow is another day. We'll see how Brain is in tomorrow. Maybe he will be more reasonable.

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by Billy-O

So.... What happens if you followed your guts and demand an exchange the pump before you even try it? I wouldn't be surprised if the remanufacturer suggest that you give it a go and if there is any problems they'll take care of it. Kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.

That's what I should have done. And they might have told me that.

Read my post above.... I am stuck between a rock and a hard place now.

[bllwnkl]

Sounds like something else happened with Brian and this pushed him over the top. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day. Hope so.

[DieselDoctor]

Yeah, you both had a bad day. Be the bigger man, buy a bottle of bourbon, go see your friend, shake his hand, give him the bottle and see if you can work things out. Believe me I understand your side and I feel for you, but good friends are hard to find.
Oh, and no more big hammers!

[zippy1]

I'd be honest with him. Tell him after our discussion, heated it was, I called WIT to see about reopening an account, and asked them for prices to see if there was much of a difference between my price and yours.
Seems yours (Brian) was more than mine. WTF? Leave it at that, put the ball in his corner, see where it goes...
Oh, was this what you were looking for earlier?

[green 4 acres]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

I'm glad your good at taking tests. That's all ASE proves, you can take a test and read a book. You have rebuilt 35-50 transmissions and you are saying you were offered a job as a trainer? Give me a break. If you are an "ASE Master Tech" then why would you ask this question.... on a Cub Cadet site of all places..... and expect to get help? Makes no sense. Also, if you are so good, how come you never answer any questions on here?

I would never agree that a "factory" built trans is better than a bench built one. Know why? Because I've never rebuilt anything BUT "factory" transmissions! How many "factory" transmissions have you replaced? And when you did build them, weren't you just a guy doing it on a "bench"?? I've never had a trans come back to me from failure. NEVER. I've had instances like this one before.... a defective part, but not an installation or "build" error. Not once it left my shop. I built this 4L80 with several upgraded parts that GM would never put in any of theirs. You know how GM builds a tranny to sell? Go/No go and never upgrades the parts. In other words, if it is within tolerable spec, even if its close.... it goes in. They never use any Sonnax upgrade parts, never put in any component updates, and this 4L80 of mine is proof! Had the "factory" bad aluminum piston on the forward drum. A WELL KNOWN issue of the 4L80 that there has been an upgraded steel one piece piston available to replace it for YEARS. Not a "newly" found problem. I put in a Sonnax Sure Cure kit. Eliminates all the issues of the actually weak "factory" trans. While I'm on the subject, everyone says the Dodge 48RE was a bad tranny and fails all the time. Not after I build one. I've rebuilt loads of those that were on the back of Cummins motors that didn't make it to 100K. After I built them.... no more issues. Why? Because of companies like Sonnax that take the time to figure out where they went wrong mass producing a transmission for as cheap as they can. That's why stock trannies are junk. They are just barely good enough to make it out of warranty.

Yeah. You sound like just another book smart ASE tech who attended all the classes and thinks that the factory trained techs are the only ones smart enough to fix cars. You are so ignorant, it's pathetic.

This thread better not get closed over this......
Go play golf G4A! The issue I have in this thread is over your head, obviously. And I don't need any help resolving it.

I'm too busy to send a reply now , will get to it soon though

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by green 4 acres

I'm too busy to send a reply now , will get to it soon though

Don't bother. I couldn't care less what you have to say.

[J-Mech]

Well..... my "friend" was a little easier to deal with on Friday, but still don't know what I'm getting. He said the parts he ordered didn't come in, and was going to reorder and have them drop shipped to me. But since they are closing shop all next week for vacation, they were also closing at 3 on Friday. I was going to go up there, but couldn't get there before they closed. He called back later in the day and said the parts did show up and he UPS'd them to me. Should have them Monday or Tuesday. We'll see what shows up. Have a feeling I will be buying at least some of the parts. Maybe after his vacation, he will be in a better mood. Until the parts show, I'm waiting.

[cooperino]

Hey, At least ya got some parts coming.. That's good news. I now how it feels to want to get something done that's been a pain and not have parts.
Hope it all goes together more smoothly this time!