MA61 Automatic Transmission

[Bitsa]

Sounds like its not the best place to deal with if they are like that as far as not being able to talk to the mechanic, is it a tranny place or just a work shop ...

An Automatic Transmission Specialist in Newcastle lexsmaz. Been there a long long time.

4.5 hours is a pretty quick turn around but they could have had 2 guys working on it or at least that is what they will tell you they did !!

4.5 hours is my estimation on the facts in front of me. I could be wrong though. In any case I'm over the money bit, sorta. I hope they spend it wisely.

I think you said they mentioned remove & refit gear shift, if that was the case unless MA61 Automatics are different from other cars to me that's Bullshit ..

Amen to the bullshit part. The remove & refit gear shift was basically fit another shifter as the bushing had vanished in the old one. It was a bit of a throwaway line really i.e. "mate can you put this shifter in for me when you change the trans". Didn't expect him to charge $58-50. Thing is the interior of my car is basically stripped out while I redo the interior and seek out any rust e.g. there's no console. To fit the new shifter they had to undo 1 nut then do up 1 nut 4 bolts and 4 screws. I'd already removed the 4 bolts and screws from the old one. $58-50 for maybe 5 minutes. Not bad work if you can get it.

Alignment of the trans / torque converter cant be out as mentioned by someone unless basically all the Bell housing bolts are loose, are there more bolts stripped or just the one ??

I'm going to get some car ramps and see what's really going on underneath. Only 1 bolt so far.

The vibration you mention as I asked is it the same at idle as at 2,000 rpm as an example, or does it increase as the revs increase & so get worse & worse, if it stays about the same it & only changes slightly it could be one of the engine mounts has collapsed ..

I can feel it at idle and it definetly gets a bit worse at around 1500 revs. It doesn't really get any worse after that, unless you give it a gutful. If you really get stuck into it as I have along the link road near me it gets the shakes up and at full revs sounds like it's about to fall apart. I only did that once.

Another poor thing is that they didn't mention to you that it felt strange etc, the only thing is sometimes that then opens up a can of worms with the customer then saying it wasn't like that etc etc ...

The boss road tested it. He said he was happy with it. The man is easy to please.

[lexsmaz]

That explains their costing of the gear shift ..

Try bringing up the revs slowly with the car stationery & in Park & take special attention to how it feels through the car, so start at idle & bring it up slowly to around 5,000 or whatever you feel comfortable with & if it gets really bad up high stop it & something will need fixing ASAP .. Doing it stationery cuts out tail shaft & drive line type vibration issues, you only have the motor & exhaust & drive plate & torque converter basically in the equasion ..

As you said it sounds like The Boss is easily pleased as any one worth their Salt would have should have felt something, the thing is He didnt drive it first up but surely He could have said something, again probably comes back to my comment of not wanting to open up a can of worms ..

When you speak to the Boss, you need to mention that it Never had vibrations before & now it shakes the car & even ask Him in his opinion what he thinks could be the cause of it, rather than put the words in his mouth & get Him off side ..

When did you get the work done ??

Regards ..

Rob ..

[andrew_mx83]

Sorry but 8hrs R&R at a trans shop is bs. Any general mechanic with a hoist could do it in half of that.... even for a backyarder, working on jackstands 8hrs is a pretty cruisey day. and then approx 45mins to fit a shifter?

I would go in when you know the boss will be there and jump up & down til they fix it. Mention the excessive number of hours, cross threaded bolt etc and insist that the same apprentice does not work on it again when they fix whatever else they buggered up. If you can really see a gap between bellhousing and block then something is very wrong.

[Bitsa]

Rob. I did what you said and the vibration didn't really get any worse the higher the revs. I got the work done on Tuesday and yes I think he's hoping I go away. Not going to though

Sorry but 8hrs R&R at a trans shop is bs. Any general mechanic with a hoist could do it in half of that.... even for a backyarder, working on jackstands 8hrs is a pretty cruisey day. and then approx 45mins to fit a shifter?

I would go in when you know the boss will be there and jump up & down til they fix it. Mention the excessive number of hours, cross threaded bolt etc and insist that the same apprentice does not work on it again when they fix whatever else they buggered up. If you can really see a gap between bellhousing and block then something is very wrong.

I like your style Andrew(?) and yes where the bellhousing meets the engine there is a definite gap. Small but it's there. Can put the tip of a flat screwdriver partially in which leads me to tonight.

Tonight I had a chat on the phone with the bloke I got the trans off and he said (like you) something is very wrong. He thinks if there's a gap then it's more than likely because they haven't put the converter on correctly and when it's come time to tighten the bolts holding the trans on they've tried to pull it up to the engine with the bolt and stripped the hole in the bellhousing in the process. He thinks this is what happened because apparently he's done the same thing before himself

From what I can gather so far that seems to make the most sense.

Thanks for your input men. I appreciate it.

[lexsmaz]

So there is a definite gap there ?? can you stick something in all the way through ?? as there is a sandwich plate there, usually it should be flush with outside of the bellhousing but maybe its in a bit, if there a gap all the way through then you have a real case, VERY VERY POOR & strange though as its a Transmission place to do such a POOR JOB, maybe the first year apprentice was doing it ??? ( As a Mechanic that is one of the first things you learn to do is make sure the Drive tangs on the converter are aligned & meshed in & the drive spline is in mesh too ) i have never actually seen someone do it the wrong way & Try & Bolt it all up using the Trans bolts, but I would hate to see the results if thats the case, Transmission oil pump could be stuffed. drive plate bent, torque converter damaged etc etc .. Could be a big repair bill to do it properly, I would want the transmission front pump at least stripped & inspected & new drive plate etc etc ..

Regards ..

Rob ..

[andrew_mx83]

Is the buggered thread in the block or the bellhousing? From my brief read, you are saying bell? They should all be clearance holes in the bell, except the bottom 4 which are bolted from the front, through the engine-to-box brackets. In between the bracket and bell goes the inspection plate, so there is an area of gap when you remove that.
Those last 4 bolts need to go in with the bolts holding the brackets to the block still loose, otherwise the holes aren't correctly aligned. Once the bellhousing bolts are in, then you can nip up the block side of the bracket.
I spoee they could have fucked that up, but its not overly complicated....

Let us know (even a diagram or pic) where the bolt/gap issue is? I have done the ole M engine bellhousing bolts more times than i care to remember...

[Bitsa]

Bob. Can't stick anything all the way through or at least can't stick the screwdriver through. Didn't try anything smaller. There is a plate there but neither it nor the housing itself are flush with the engine. It just doesn't look right.

Andrew here's a pic borrowed from the toyo site. I've circled the offending hole.

Attachment 16811

It's the housing that's been stripped i.e. when i removed the bolt, the bolt thread had alloy from the trans stuck in it.

[lexsmaz]

Check that the trans bolts are tight, especially the top ones around the engine block & then get some feeler gauges & try & slip some thing like a .0010" to .0020" feeler strip between the bell housing & the block around the top & it shouldn't be able to slip through & if it does, you have to take it back first thing Monday ..

[andrew_mx83]

The 'engine' per se doesnt go down that far. The 3rd hole from the bottom is the first one that engages into the block itself. The bottom 2, on both sides go into the brackets i mentioned earlier.

Sounds like the inspection plate, which slides in between, may be missing?

[dnegative]

even for a backyarder, working on jackstands 8hrs is a pretty cruisey day. and then approx 45mins to fit a shifter?

Cruisy? On what fucking planet
Fucking asshole of a job doing a big hefty auto with the car on stands.

8 hours all up for the job sounds fine

[lexsmaz]

How did you go, is there a gap there that you can stick a feeler gauge through ???

[Bitsa]

The 'engine' per se doesnt go down that far. The 3rd hole from the bottom is the first one that engages into the block itself.

Andrew: Thanks for pointing that out. I've been under it a couple of times and didn't notice that. The plate is there, there's just a wee gap between the housing and the bracket on that left hand bottom side.

Cruisy? On what fucking planet
Fucking asshole of a job doing a big hefty auto with the car on stands.

8 hours all up for the job sounds fine

dnegative: you've confused me a bit there. I could be wrong here and please accept my apologies if I am but it appears to me you're saying 8 hours for the pro's to do it is fine. Dare I say it, on what fucking planet ? Not sure if you read the whole thread but they started it at 8-00 am and called me to say it was ready at 12-30 pm.

How did you go, is there a gap there that you can stick a feeler gauge through ???

Rob: Had an offer too good to refuse over the weekend so haven't had the chance to check but will do today.

Cheers men.

[andrew_mx83]

Follow that bracket up to where it bolts to the block, loosen the 2 bolts 1 turn each. Tighten up the 1 good bolt to the bellhousing, maybe the stripped one as well (with a fresh M10x1.25 bolt) , and then tighten up the 2 onto the block. This should sort out your gap issue. If it doesnt then there is a pretty major problem.