1985 transmission rebuild
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Did the shop check to see if the trans was full of fluid? Excessive leaking would be a culprit. Did they offer doing a flush/ refill and a filter? 96K should not be a big deal in terms of mileage assuming it was not abused.
I would not even consider AAMCO for trans work. Find a reputable shop that will sell and install a Jasper remanufactured trans. They offer a 3 year and 100K miles warranty. Takes about 24 hours for Jasper to deliver to the shop (maybe same day depending on where you are in relation to their warehouses) and figure 5-6 hours for R&R once the trans is at a shop.
I would not even consider AAMCO for trans work. Find a reputable shop that will sell and install a Jasper remanufactured trans. They offer a 3 year and 100K miles warranty. Takes about 24 hours for Jasper to deliver to the shop (maybe same day depending on where you are in relation to their warehouses) and figure 5-6 hours for R&R once the trans is at a shop.
Thread Starter
7th Gear
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Did the shop check to see if the trans was full of fluid? Excessive leaking would be a culprit. Did they offer doing a flush/ refill and a filter? 96K should not be a big deal in terms of mileage assuming it was not abused.
I would not even consider AAMCO for trans work. Find a reputable shop that will sell and install a Jasper remanufactured trans. They offer a 3 year and 100K miles warranty. Takes about 24 hours for Jasper to deliver to the shop (maybe same day depending on where you are in relation to their warehouses) and figure 5-6 hours for R&R once the trans is at a shop.
I would not even consider AAMCO for trans work. Find a reputable shop that will sell and install a Jasper remanufactured trans. They offer a 3 year and 100K miles warranty. Takes about 24 hours for Jasper to deliver to the shop (maybe same day depending on where you are in relation to their warehouses) and figure 5-6 hours for R&R once the trans is at a shop.
I am going to get a full quote from a local shop tomorrow and hopefully bring it in there for a second opinion / the work if needed. AAMCO even told me I had to move it by tonight since they "Didnt have enough space" yet he told me he was very slow he could do the work in less than two days....
Thread Starter
7th Gear
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Update
Just drove it back from the AAMCO dealership and it ran like a top, seemed to have no issues whatsoever. I am crossing my fingers that a full transmission fluid removal and re-fill may have helped the issue. I know there is a slow leak still - cardboard under the car to see how much is lost when sitting.
Just drove it back from the AAMCO dealership and it ran like a top, seemed to have no issues whatsoever. I am crossing my fingers that a full transmission fluid removal and re-fill may have helped the issue. I know there is a slow leak still - cardboard under the car to see how much is lost when sitting.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 416
Likes: 3
I wouldn't pull a 30 year old transmission with 96,000 miles on it and not rebuild it.
That trans came out in 1982, it had 3 years of upgrades. Wouldn't you rather have 30 years of upgrades? There are so many things to improve on that trans.
I wouldn't let aamco do it though. I build my own transmissions.
Parts to fully rebuild that and make most of the upgrades are only around $500 if that...retail.
That trans came out in 1982, it had 3 years of upgrades. Wouldn't you rather have 30 years of upgrades? There are so many things to improve on that trans.
I wouldn't let aamco do it though. I build my own transmissions.
Parts to fully rebuild that and make most of the upgrades are only around $500 if that...retail.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 706
Likes: 47
From: Denver Colorado
Didn't have a good experience with AAMCO on the transmission on my 1984 Corvette. They just couldn't get it to shift right AFTER rebuilding it. Finally had another transmission shop do the work again. 
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,704
Likes: 8
if you are planning a total overhaul of this old 85 th700r4, i would search a 4L60 post 87' case and rebuild it using some good parts.Later units are upgraded with new features you can't find in your TH700r4.Take it to a professional trans shop.They know your beast ,since a Corvette th700 OR 4l60 IT'S A DIFFERENT ANIMAL,this isn't a minivan transmission.You can put good stuff inside that case for about 500-600 bucks.If you wanna go deeper there are good hard parts to put inside for example the 4l65 original GM planetary assy uses 5 planetary instead of 4 and you can retrofit it into a 4l60....if you buy your own rebuild kit the shop can charge the labor,put a good shift kit and have a good trans ready for future engine upgrade,or thousands of miles of hard use....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Trutech-Level-3-Master-Builder-Raybestos-Blue-Plate-Rebuild-Kit-1987-1993-700R4-/251356818397?hash=item3a8608abdd&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Trutech-Level-3-Master-Builder-Raybestos-Blue-Plate-Rebuild-Kit-1987-1993-700R4-/251356818397?hash=item3a8608abdd&vxp=mtr
Last edited by tunedport85inject; May 6, 2015 at 02:09 PM.
