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A bad thermostat put me in the “transmissions for sale” market..

Thermostat replacement is generally done if a car is overheating. Another possibility is that the car is no longer heating up correctly due to the thermostat sticking. The best choice is to replace the thermostat when you service your radiator and cooling system before it acts up.

FYI: Over heating an engine is the second fastest was to enter the for transmissions for sale What is the fastest way? Read this post….# 1 Cause of Automatic transmission failure market.

Before changing the thermostat verify that the engine coolant is full and that the cooling fan clutch is working and not loose or wobbling….A defective fan clutch contributes heavily to engine overheating problems. You will also need to find out the recommended temperature of your cars thermostat when you purchase it.  Another possibility is that the water pump is bad. I would advise you to have a competent mechanic perform your cooling system procedures.

The success of your cooling system depends largely on you the owner (if you are mechanically inclined) or trusting a qualified transmission repair shop to carefully and strategically make sure all of the elements of your cooling system are in good shape. The shop will have some specialized tools to accurately check each system. One weak link in the system can cause a serious overheating problems and perhaps damage your transmission beyond repair, necessitating looking for an automatic “transmission for sale” on the internet.

The key is that it is a cooling system. A system has to have all of it’s ‘team’ members in good shape and working together in order to achieve maximum capacity. This is not a good system to neglect. Unless you enjoy sitting on the side of the road on a hot day..

This is the sort of information is not discussed very often which puts the average automobile owner at a disadvantage when it comes to certain items that need maintenance, such as thermostats, cooling systems and other important systems that don’t seem to show on the radar very much for care. Unless they fail, of course.

Being in a spot where you have to look for a transmission for sale is not a comfortable spot, particularly for the uneducated consumer. We hope our GotTransmissions.com blog gives the information you need to be a very qualified consumer of transmissions for sale.

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A/W or Aisian/Warner Toyota transmissions…

Toyota uses the family of automatic FWD/RWD/4WD transmissions built by Aisin-Warner. They share much in common with Volvo’s AW7 and Aisin-Warner’s 03-71 transmissions, which are found in Suzukis, Mitsubishisi, and other Asian vehicles. Based on certain production dates, meaning the older units produced, buying a rebuilt transmission is by far the most affordable and reliable way to go.

Terminology: A = Aisin Automatic Second last digit denotes number of gears Last digit is the Toyota series number -E=Electronic control -F=Four wheel drive -H=AWD Transverse mount engine -L=Lock-up torque converter

A/W is the primary supplier of transmissions for Toyota and several other foreign cars. There was a period of time Dodge used the Toyota automatic and standard transmissions in the Jeep lineup, adapted to the Dodge engines.

That particular combination of engine and transmission setup was way more reliable than the later setups which used Dodge transmissions. FYI, the standard transmissions bolted to Toyota, Jeep and several other brands of cars were made by A/W. Producing a well built and reliable standard transmission too.

Remembering, of course that standard transmissions need regular maintenance as do automatic transmissions. And if you read my posts, you know I’m a big fan of synthetic lubricants.

Needless to say, the Aisian Warner Transmission Company makes a very reliable and affordable transmission. By and large, you won’t find a lot of low mileage used units around because these transmissions kept running, like the Timex watch commercial, and kept on ticking until they simply flat wore out.

Rarely did we, at my transmission shop, have an A/W transmission that was blown up. Low mileage used units can be found by the most competent transmission supply companies, however the preponderance of units come as transmissions..

With that being said, it is not such a bad omen to purchase a rebuilt transmission in this case. I say this because the facts are simple, in order to rebuild a worn out transmission, there is a good chance the rebuilt transmission will have lots of new hard parts. As we have established in earlier posts concerning rebuilding a transmission, soft parts are not even looked at, they are thrown into the trash. Period.

I want to mention that TransGo Shift Improvement kit company, makes terrific upgrade kits for A/W transmissions. I would like to add that items such as springs and certain valves in the valve body get tired from stroking back an forth constantly, therefore taking the ‘spring’ out of the springs. Effectively reducing or changing the ‘weight’ or amount of pressure exerted on the valve, by the spring, allowing it to operate by the proper pressures inside the transmission.

This is really important to address in well worn transmissions. Without making this even more complicated, it is an effort in futility and a form of fraud to rebuild a transmission with quality parts and not put a well engineered upgrade package in it. Simply put, even the new  quality parts will wear out faster and in most cases the rebuilt transmission may not even work properly without being upgraded.

We have established a lot of usefull facts here. I want like to add emphatically, that no matter who installs a rebuilt transmission, there are several standard guidelines to follow. The common procedures don’t need repeating, however, it is vitally important to Flush the transmission cooler of all contaminants in an appropriate manner to insure these contaminants don’t go right back into your Toyota rebuilt transmission the minute it is fired up, causing a nearly immediate problem with the fresh unit.

In fact, any component, such as the driveshaft yoke, dipstick tube and anything that makes contact with the automatic transmission fluid needs to be ‘operating room’ clean. Don’t even think of cheating here. Literally speaking, ‘operating room clean’ is one quality any competent shop and re-builder practices. As a matter of fact, a transmission is way more sensitive to contaminants than an engine.

Does the Toyota-A/W line of transmissions warrant this much attention. Perhaps not, but we included a little bit of rebuilding theory in this post and some upgrade suggestions since it was convenient and pertinant to this tranmsission. This post is courtesy of the GotTransmissions.com Blog. Enjoy..

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ZF-4HP20 “T”ransverse mounted transmission..1995–present

When I was asked about used transmissions for foreign cars the other day, it was obvious that the questioner had no idea that the list of cars provided below, all use a ZF 4HP20 transmission. In other words these manufacturers don’t make there own transmissions, they trust ZF to do the job.

  • 1995–2001 Peugeot 406 V6 3.0L
  • 1996– Mercedes-Benz Vito
  • 1996– Mercedes-Benz V-Class
  • 1997–2001 Citroën Xantia V6 3.0L
  • 1997–2001 Citroën XM V6 3.0L
  • 1997–1999 Peugeot 605 V6 3.0L
  • 1998–2002 Alfa Romeo 166 V6 2.5L, V6 3.0L
  • 1998– Lancia Kappa,Phedra V6 3.0L
  • 1998– Renault Laguna 3.0L
  • 1998–2002 Renault Espace V6 3.0L

The Zf 4HP20 is a transverse mounted or front wheel drive transmission. You can see by looking at the chart how many car manufacturers have chosen to use ZF transmissions, which is a testimonial in itself.

The ZF is a 4-speed automatic transmission for passenger cars from ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Introduced in 1995, it remains in production, and is still used in the list of cars mentioned, from Citroën, Lancia, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, and Renault.

Considering the complex engineering and precision tolerances built into this unit, a lot of transmission specialists have trouble repairing and rebuilding them to work correct the first time. This is the main reason to consider buying a used transmission in this case.

Any reputable transmission supply company supplies, #1. The lowest mileage used transmissions available, and #2. All used transmissions go through a rigorous pre-testing program to insure you won’t buy a dud. Another unique and wonderful luxury of a good used transmission is the warranty.

In order to come full circle on transmissions, it is important to discuss some unusual and perhaps limited subjects. While this particular transmission may be limited in the American cars. It is important to cover lesser known subjects to allow every different brand of car and transmission some presence and expression on our GotTransmissions.com blog. Enjoy.

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Using the “M” on the Chevy Allison Transmission…

The M is used when pulling a trailer.  When is the the most appropriate time to use this feature. Try going to Colorado in June and cross over Cinnamon Pass that drops into Lake City. No person wants to or needs to be inconvenienced by needing to have a rebuilt transmission on the road. Most folks say that once you go down this pass you will not want to go down it again. Is this purpose for this feature?

We can use all use help concerning the useage of the “M” and towing a 5th wheel trailer through the mountains and how this feature can help.

Most of the time Tow/Haul mode will do everything that you want it to do with the grade braking feature. If you wanting to put it in M mode to hold a gear longer then it wouldn’t hurt a thing. The allison is a very smart tranny and will take care of itself, if you put it in M4 it won’t let it over rev it will shift to 5 before it hurts anything, so i would say put it in tow/haul and take it easy at the top.

Most of the time, when towing a large trailer, the Tow/Haul mode takes care of everything. Other drivers  tow in “M” mode, restricting upshifts. … by using this mode in windy hilly roads where we know the shifts would be changing quite often…In this situation many folks feel there was is no reason for the tranny to shift into 5th or 6th gear during this time creating a lot of unnecessary up and down shifting which can only add premature wear…leading to the need for a rebuilt transmission.

This is a really smart transmission. It has many programs in the TCM for different driving styles built into the main computer. Personally I find the extra buttons and options employed leave people confused. After rebuilding transmissions for over 30 years, it is my opinion and recommendation to leave the shifter in drive and let the transmission decide when to shift.

I have seen many people struggle with using the “M” button or the likes and forget to disengage it at highway speed, thus killing gas mileage and adding much further wear and tear to your engine and transmission.

Br a smart consumer. Always read your owners manual, and include reading Gottransmissions.com blog for information such as this. Enjoy.

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Want a heavy duty rebuilt transmission with upgrades?

I practice what I preach. I am going to do a complete maintenance and look-over of my 1995 Buick Grand Road Master Station Wagon. It is actually my dads car, but is on permanent loan until he officially signs it over to me. The Focus is on the rebuilt transmission today.

Before I start my verbiage, lets become acquainted with this particular Buick. It had a rebuilt transmission put in it 5 some years ago.

It has the Chevrolet or General Motors transmission designated 4L60E. Which is a rear wheel drive, 4 speed automatic overdrive transmission with a lock up torque converter.

It has a General Motors 5.7 liter cop car engine. Simply put, it has Vortec fuel injection, a spicier camshaft, more compression than stock and the hi performance heads, just like the cop cars. It will outrun a new GTO and give a new Hemi owner an inferiority complex. It also gets 20 MPG on the highway at 80 MPH..

A true American classic, however it is not at all exempt from breakdown problems. About five or six years ago when I still owned my transmission shop, and my parents were here on vacation the transmission failed. He had a very comprehensive extended warranty policy, it payed me in full to put a full updated rebuild transmission in the car. Of course I had to prove there was no nepotism involved since we have the same last name!!

Other wise, the Buick engine is running great. It is one of the 100,000 mile spark plug change models. It has the original spark plugs in it at 68,000 miles. As I mentioned in my post on changing the spark plugs is an involved job for a specialist. Which I will do at 100,000 miles.

For the 25 years I owned my own business, one might say I was spoiled. I had 8 lifts available to me almost anytime I wanted to use a lift. Inevitably, I had my 1988 GMC on a lift just checking and making sure, or my 1970 Porsche 911 on a lift to look at it’s raw beauty in engineering. So now, since selling my shop three and a half years ago I don’t have lifts and scanners and oodles of tools at my convenience. I do have 3 giant Snap On tool boxes loaded with sets ans sets of wrenches and sockets and a Snap on truck full of specialty and general tools.

I don’t have a car lift now, so I use a 2.5 ton floor jack (see the article on Safety) that can be purchased at any parts place or Lowes, Home Depot or the like for about 100 bucks.

Once it is safely jacked up this is what I’m going to do to the bottom side of the car.

1. Change the rear differential fluid

2. maintain your transmission fluid and filter with a new pan gasket.

3. change the engine oil and filter.

4. Lubricate the front end, driveshaft u-joints (if equipped with Zerk fittings).

5. Spray the chassis, inner fenders, parking brake cables and body bushings with WD-40 or the like.

6. Look for leaks of any kind.

7. Take a look at the brakes when I rotate the tires.

Everything on the list will be examined and maintained. Questionable issues will be handled. FYI: The reason for a rebuilt transmission is that the ‘sun shell‘, which is a hard part, was a known defective part in these units. Although Chevy never admitted it, they redesigned the shell so it won’t break. The original shells would shear off causing an immediate lack of reverse. The redesigned, upgraded sun shells were installed in every rebuilt transmission we did.

Reputable transmission suppliers always sell transmissions with the upgraded shell. When one runs into a situation that requires a rebuilt transmission, it is a good thing to be an educated consumer. Our Blog is full of tips and recommendations on how to make your car last longer. Please enjoy.

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Why are Used transmissions inventories is increasing…

One theory I personally hold true on the abundance of used transmissions is the usage of cell phones while driving. Not paying 100% attention to your driving and having an accident. It is my contention that there are way more wrecked cars in the transmission and engine salvage yards due to the distraction talking on a cell phone causes. Understanding we are not talking about the main causes of transmission failure..

I can’t understand why it is legal in the majority of states to drive a car, talk on a cell phone, put on your makeup, eat a double cheese burger, insert a disc in the CD player, light a cigarette all while driving to slow in the left lane, or running over a couple of kids on a bicycle, as you are leaving the car wash and not stopping…as the article in our paper that I read yesterday was explaining… I’ll go on record as someone who thinks cellphone usage while driving a car should be hands free or illegal..

The abundance of late model low mileage used transmissions is increasing at this time. Obviously other problems and lack of concentration issues causes accidents. But is it an accident when a person is blatantly talking on a cell phone and clearly not paying attention to driving, or anything else, for that matter?

What I have noticed is that the vast majority of used transmissions come from newer cars with low mileage. Meaning less than 40,000 miles. Heck, that is almost new, a transmission is barely broken in..Especially if optimal maintenance was performed by the owner, unless it was overheated badly, these are prime transmissions to grab if you need a replacement transmission and a used one is in the cards.

The vast majority of these pre-tested low mileage used transmissions come from SUV’s and Foreign cars and trucks. Realistically speaking, if you have an transmission failure and are stranded on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck, use that coveted cell phone for it’s intended purpose, an emergency. Call 866-320-1182 and talk to the experts on engines at GotTransmissions.com for a free consultation on what used transmission is in your best interest.

While your at it ask the tow driver who the most competent engine shop in town is. This shop should also employ highly trained transmission specialty mechanics. Again, you can make good use of your cell phone to call the BBB and check the transmission specialty shop out..ask about any unfulfilled complaints and how long they have been in business.

It would be a lie to say in our GotTransmissions.com Blog that having the volume of used transmissions available at affordable prices is not good for us. We sincerely hope that you do not drive with a lack of concentration, and that you don’t have  a bonafide accident. Stay safe, don’t allow your car to be a casualty unnecessarily..

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Transmissions for sale..know what to ask for…longitudinal or transverse

With so many different transmissions for sale, you may run into a term or acronym that makes no sense..

The one that creeps up all the time is what is the difference between a 4L60E and a 4T60E? What does the “L” stand for and what oes the “T” stand for.

I choose the General motors brand of transmissions for sale to demonstrate.

Plain and simple. The “T” stands for transverse mounted. Or it is a front wheel drive transmission. The “L” stands for longitudinal mounted. Or, it is a rear wheel drive transmission.

Why not use latitudinal for the “L” in the rear wheel drives? Obviously two “L’s” would be confusing, so the word transverse was chosen instead so as not to confuse..

In essence, we use longitudinal because the transmission runs north to south, or front to back-AKA a rear wheel drive. Nice to know when you are looking for transmissions for sale..And the useage of transverse is another term for running east to west, or side ways to the axis of the car. Same thing as latitudinal in meaning.

Realistically speaking, it is not that complicated. If you run into a situation where you are trying to locate transmissions for sale, at least the person on the other end of the phone line knows you are an educated consumer.

By reading the GotTransmissions.com blog, expect to learn undisclosed and misunderstood terms and equations such as the ones in this article, and many more. Enjoy sifting through our pages and feel free to comment, ask questions or sign up for a free subscription today..

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Part-4: CVT transmissions- continuously variable transmission

Another transmission article on another version of the CVT transmission — the toroidal CVT system — replaces the belts and pulleys with discs and power rollers.

Although such a system seems drastically different, all of the components are analogous to a belt-and-pulley system and lead to the same results — a continuously variable transmission. Here’s how it works:

One disc connects to the engine. This is equivalent to the driving pulley.
Another disc connects to the drive shaft. This is equivalent to the driven pulley.
Rollers, or wheels, located between the discs act like the belt, transmitting power from one disc to the other.

The wheels can rotate along two axes. They spin around the horizontal axis and tilt in or out around the vertical axis, which allows the wheels to touch the discs in different areas. When the wheels are in contact with the driving disc near the center, they must contact the driven disc near the rim, resulting in a reduction in speed and an increase in torque (i.e., low gear). When the wheels touch the driving disc near the rim, they must contact the driven disc near the center, resulting in an increase in speed and a decrease in torque (i.e., overdrive gear). A simple tilt of the wheels, then, incrementally changes the gear ratio, providing for smooth, nearly instantaneous ratio changes.

Both the pulley-and-V-belt CVT and the toroidal CVT are examples of frictional CVTs, which work by varying the radius of the contact point between two rotating objects. There is another type of CVT, known as a hydrostatic CVT, that uses variable-displacement pumps to vary the fluid flow into hydrostatic motors. In this type of transmission, the rotational motion of the engine operates a hydrostatic pump on the driving side. The pump converts rotational motion into fluid flow. Then, with a hydrostatic motor located on the driven side, the fluid flow is converted back into rotational motion.

Often, a hydrostatic transmission is combined with a planetary gearset and clutches to create a hybrid system known as a hydromechanical transmission. Hydro-mechanical transmissions transfer power from the engine to the wheels in three different modes. At a low speed, power is transmitted hydraulically, and at a high speed, power is transmitted mechanically. Between these extremes, the transmission uses both hydraulic and mechanical means to transfer power. Hydro-mechanical transmissions are ideal for heavy-duty applications, which is why they are common in agricultural tractors and all-terrain vehicles.

That being said, you are not likely to find a CVT of this ‘ilk’ in a car or truck. It would not stop me from calling 866-320-1182 to find a good used transmission for a commercial vehicle of some sort. Now, we have concluded our four part series on CVT transmissions, brought ti you by GotTransmissions.com Blog.

Part-1: CVT

Part-2: CVT

Part-3:CVT

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Aftermarket auto parts sales hit a new high…

I’m a curious guy. When I need car parts, as I will next week when I start servicing up my Buick Roadmaster Wagon, I will stop by one or both of my favorite automotive parts places. Bennett’s auto parts is close to me and they know I want the best replacement parts available. Experienced parts men are a real pleasure to deal with. They are a Florida franchise, not a national franchise.

I ask the boys behind the counter lots of questions. We talk, I ask questions like, how is business? Are you busier since cars are expensive and more folks seem to be keeping cars longer now? Whew, he said “we get busier every day it seems. Everyone is a mechanic now, and the shops are starting to bristle with folks who are fixing their cars, instead of buying new ones”.

So, the other day I found this email in my box from Brian, who owns a highly reputable transmission replacement company, It pretty much says it all. Click here to read the article on car parts. Full of statistics, but very telling about the direction we are going in.

For a variety of reasons, people are committed to keeping cars longer. I like that idea for a few reasons too. It is good for the auto shops and mechanics to stay busy. It also provides an excellent opportunity in a field where we need more young people to enter and pursue.

Something I don’t hear much about, but think about, is all the waste products we produce with the ‘buy a new car every 3 years’ attitude. Same thing with electronic devices. The ‘new breed’ of electronic devices last about three to five years, then they need to be disposed of properly. (not many people take the time and effort to call the proper recyclers for what ever toxic product they are getting rid of..computers, fluorescent lights, etc..) Cars are the same way, when you ‘junk’ a car that could be repaired, you are creating more toxic waste that goes into the environment.

Simply put, by replacing the transmission in your old Nissan, instead of junking it, you are reducing your carbon footprint. I don’t like to play favorites too much, but we own Mac computers. Just  the fact that a Mac computer will outlast a Windows based P.C. by 2 to 5 times, slows down the amount of toxic computers going into the land-fill. BYW, Mac computers work better too!!

I could go on and on about where is the good old fashioned craftsmanship of the old days? When your dishwasher lasted 30 years or you still have your 1948 Singer Super Featherweight sewing machine (I have my moms). Times when old-world craftsmanship meant something.

GotTransmissions.com blog knows that their company will stand to flourish if more folks replace their transmission with a rebuilt ansmission or or used one. We also care about the environment. Enjoy..

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Anti-freeze or engine coolant is a poison..be resposible..

Anti-freeze, summer coolant, whatever you call it, is very poisonous. It happens to have a desirable taste to some animals, such as your dog. Dogs will lap a spill of anti-freeze up in a heart beat. then, if your dog does not die, you will spend a fortune on vet bills and put your loyal best friend through a difficult time..

Anti freeze can be spilled if you put an auxiliary transmission cooler on your car, or if you change out your radiator. Obviously servicing the cooling system can leave a big mess of antifreeze on the ground. The point is to capture it and dispose of it properly, like you do with your waste engine oil.

Read this article on The Humane Society of The United States website about anti-freeze. It is very well written and informative, convincing..to say the least.

Realistically speaking, a qualified repair shop and competent ethical minded mechanics all believe in this paradigm and follow the rules. FYI, you, or a shop who just dumps oil illegally can be served up quite a fine for breaking the law. Ask the shop owner to show you his waste oil and coolant tank…

Whether you are simply doing the right thing by serving up or maintaining your radiator and thermastat during a cooling system sevice or putting a good used transmission in your car. Take our advise or Warning in this case, delivered to you by GotTransmissions.com Blog.

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