Story thread

silverado13 · May 5, 2014

i think everyone has a transmission story or two, lets hear them

02Beast · May 5, 2014

So here's minesis. After damn near three weeks of terrible weather and scheduling I get my lift kit on and roll heavy to say the least ignorant people on the interstate caused me to floor it about a week into my lift and such, well I shifted down and didn't shift back up, BRAAAAAHHHHHH all the way to work (15min away). Make it home and get settled in and called around. Family friend own a tranny shop. Well $2400 later I had a brand new completely rebuilt tranny I'm sure I'll miss something, actually I know I will but here some of the things done
Raybestos z-pak
New front rear planetaries
wider Kevlar bands
Corvette servo
Sonnex parts
New solenoids
"The beast" sunshell
shift kit
New 2500 stall torque converter
New 3-4
FIRM SHIFTS SON

silverado13 · May 5, 2014

how you liking the stall converter? i have a 2000 stall on my 1997 Z71 and its fun and all but not as practical for a DD

02Beast · May 5, 2014

It's just firmer I haven't had time to really gauge it because it's in the shop a week after fixing it hahaha that's all I ever get. A week. From what I got out of it blackbear mellowed it out for my new parts

silverado13 · May 5, 2014

my stall softened the shifts and i even have a shift kit too

02Beast · May 5, 2014

Well the vette servo firms the hell out of them

silverado13 · May 5, 2014

thats the cheapest and best upgrade you can do to these trannys. you can grab vette servos for like $20

bucket · May 6, 2014

I think the most important upgrade is a trans temp gauge. Then you can always avoid cooking it. Oh yeah, and a big external plate style cooler too.

2003tahoe · May 6, 2014

bucket said:
I think the most important upgrade is a trans temp gauge. Then you can always avoid cooking it. Oh yeah, and a big external plate style cooler too.

>.>

silverado13 · May 7, 2014

bucket said:
I think the most important upgrade is a trans temp gauge. Then you can always avoid cooking it. Oh yeah, and a big external plate style cooler too.

lol yeah, i agree, tranny coolers are a great insurace policy

962000chevy · May 8, 2014

My story doesn't concern my 800 but my 400 instead. Before I learned anything about trucks I lifted a 2wd and put 33/1250r15s with 15x10 steel wheels on a truck with 3.08 gears. Yes STUPID, spent 5 years like this age 16-21, before I learned. Well swap in 4.56s lockright and a blackbear tune and then add a few beers and trying to impress a female and my transmission went boom. I couldn't afford a performance build at that time but its one of many things coming to my 96.

silverado13 · May 8, 2014

ouch, that tranny had a hard 5 years

962000chevy · May 8, 2014

You ain't kidding that was 2 years of high school kid hard on it then 3 years of college kid beating on it, looking back that sucker was one tough SOB.

silverado13 · May 8, 2014

i cant say ive had any trannys like that, i went through 8 trannys in my 97 until i decided to learn how to build them, and i was hard as hell on it as well

Canadian · May 10, 2014

I own a 2001 C3. Seemed like a great truck on the test ride, lots of get up and go, no rattles or squeaks. Guy didn't seem to want me to put it up on the hoist I had access to without getting proof of insurance to drive it there. Otherwise, he seemed very friendly and accommodating, even to the point of just leaving the keys in a bar-b-Q so that I could come by and see it and take it for a drive. By myself. Anyway, he came down to my price and I bought it. Got in on the hoist checked all fluids and found the tranny to be very low. Filled it up and I thought I had made a good deal.

Next morning I saw fluid marks on the pavement from under the truck as backed up. Did I forget to tighten something? Got a kleenex and found the fluid to be red. Got it back on the hoist that night and saw tranny fluid everywhere. I was not too worried, knowing that a little oil makes a big mess, and the level wasn't down much. Cleaned up everything, checked every bolt, cap, plug and bearing that I could see - nothing. Started it up, put it in gear and could see fluid dripping. A mirror let me see better. A small pinhole - the infamous tranny rub. Thanks to the internet, while I was cleaning things a friend found a picture of where to look for this hole and what to do to fix it, without getting another casing. Again with the mirror and there it was. Cleaned it off, sanded it and put some metal epoxy on the hole and it's been fine ever since.

Unfortunately there was no snow on the ground when I bought this truck. When it did snow, the first corner I powered through, showed me quite quickly that I didn't have 4 wheel drive. The C3 is supposed to be AWD and definitely wasn't acting like it. I've had 4 wheel drive many times before, but not AWD. So I'm guessing that the low fluid must have been very low and the viscous coupler got toasted. So plans are to get a new transfer case as the rest of the truck is worth it.

In the mean time, it now seems like I might need CV joints or hubs or both. One front tire (left) has got some bad inside wear going on. And I'm hearing noise like I got in my 92 Sierra ST just before the hub let go. Not upset as I haven't put any money into the truck for almost a year, not counting little trim pieces and stuff from the local wrecking yard. So now I'm looking at almost $2000 to be happy with my truck (parts only as I/we do 98% of our own work) and not to sure to continue.

I bought the truck when I was really looking for something to tow my big trailer. he C3 specs out to be able to tow 8000 pounds so I thought I would be good. Now I'm leaning towards a Yukon XL or similar so that I can have more warm inside space for me (won't say why) and/or my large dog. I like the 6.0 motor and the extra creature comforts that I didn't have in my 92. So I'm looking at full load Yukon XL or Denali XL. My favorite would be an Escalade ESV but pricing is keeping those out of reach. I would like to park the C3 and fix it later as I would love to finish it as a somewhat lowered AWD truck as I've done the raised truck already - a lot with a 79 Dodge Ramcharger full time 4X4 and a little with my 92. But I doubt I can afford to keep it.

silverado13 · May 10, 2014

Canadian said:
I own a 2001 C3. Seemed like a great truck on the test ride, lots of get up and go, no rattles or squeaks. Guy didn't seem to want me to put it up on the hoist I had access to without getting proof of insurance to drive it there. Otherwise, he seemed very friendly and accommodating, even to the point of just leaving the keys in a bar-b-Q so that I could come by and see it and take it for a drive. By myself. Anyway, he came down to my price and I bought it. Got in on the hoist checked all fluids and found the tranny to be very low. Filled it up and I thought I had made a good deal.

Next morning I saw fluid marks on the pavement from under the truck as backed up. Did I forget to tighten something? Got a kleenex and found the fluid to be red. Got it back on the hoist that night and saw tranny fluid everywhere. I was not too worried, knowing that a little oil makes a big mess, and the level wasn't down much. Cleaned up everything, checked every bolt, cap, plug and bearing that I could see - nothing. Started it up, put it in gear and could see fluid dripping. A mirror let me see better. A small pinhole - the infamous tranny rub. Thanks to the internet, while I was cleaning things a friend found a picture of where to look for this hole and what to do to fix it, without getting another casing. Again with the mirror and there it was. Cleaned it off, sanded it and put some metal epoxy on the hole and it's been fine ever since.

Unfortunately there was no snow on the ground when I bought this truck. When it did snow, the first corner I powered through, showed me quite quickly that I didn't have 4 wheel drive. The C3 is supposed to be AWD and definitely wasn't acting like it. I've had 4 wheel drive many times before, but not AWD. So I'm guessing that the low fluid must have been very low and the viscous coupler got toasted. So plans are to get a new transfer case as the rest of the truck is worth it.

In the mean time, it now seems like I might need CV joints or hubs or both. One front tire (left) has got some bad inside wear going on. And I'm hearing noise like I got in my 92 Sierra ST just before the hub let go. Not upset as I haven't put any money into the truck for almost a year, not counting little trim pieces and stuff from the local wrecking yard. So now I'm looking at almost $2000 to be happy with my truck (parts only as I/we do 98% of our own work) and not to sure to continue.

I bought the truck when I was really looking for something to tow my big trailer. he C3 specs out to be able to tow 8000 pounds so I thought I would be good. Now I'm leaning towards a Yukon XL or similar so that I can have more warm inside space for me (won't say why) and/or my large dog. I like the 6.0 motor and the extra creature comforts that I didn't have in my 92. So I'm looking at full load Yukon XL or Denali XL. My favorite would be an Escalade ESV but pricing is keeping those out of reach. I would like to park the C3 and fix it later as I would love to finish it as a somewhat lowered AWD truck as I've done the raised truck already - a lot with a 79 Dodge Ramcharger full time 4X4 and a little with my 92. But I doubt I can afford to keep it.

awesome story man, you should post pictures of your truck