Volume 33, No. 8/April 2014 www.transmissiondigest.

com

D I G E S T ®
The Automotive Powertrain Industry Journal

Friction

•Generating Income
•Hard-Parts Suppliers
•Staying Grounded

Allison 1000 • 46/47RE • 518 • JF015E • 604 • 6HP21/28/34 • U241E

Circle No. 16 on Reader Card
 Volume 33, No. 8/April 2014 www.transmissiondigest.com

In Their Fathers’
Footsteps
On The Cover The Robbins family in central Alabama
has taken family ownership in the
Friction Focused transmission-repair business to a
A longtime player, Alto says the key new level.
to its friction future is development of
new papers. Pictured with the largest
Page 4
friction ring manufactured by the Technical
company are (from left) Craig Cooke,
Robbie Ferguson and David Landa.
Technically Speaking®: . . .10
Page 14 Design & operation of the new
Jatco JF015E “step-type” CVT Business
Captain Reman . . . . . . . .32
Shift Pointers . . . . . . . . .20
To be a master salesperson,
A battery replacement results
you have to master usage
in water damage to a VW
of the telephone.
Passat’s TCM.
It’s Your Business . . . . . .35
Tech to Tech . . . . . . . . . .24
Rules to live by in the modern
Diagnosing no-start codes
business climate
in the first-generation
Toyota Prius
A Little Help . . . . . . . . . .51
TASC Force Tips . . . . . . .28
Technology can mean greater
Vacuum-testing the
freedom for a shop owner.
ZF 6HP21/28/34, Gen. 2
Up to Standards . . . . . . .33
A properly written warranty
protects both you and
your customer. News & Previews
R&R Tech . . . . . . . . . . . .41 From the Publisher .............2
The ground side of a circuit
is just as important as the Catalog/Product
source voltage. Showcase ...................38-39
Bonus Tech . . . . . . . . . . .49 Hard-Parts Suppliers ........44
Engineering a solution: How to Industry News Highlights...54
calculate clutch working area
Powertrain Products ....56-58
Marketplace................59-64
Index to Advertisers..........64

CERTIFIED

Transmission Digest (ISSN 0277-8300) is published monthly by M D Publications, Inc., 2034 W. Vista, P.O. Box 2210, Springfield, MO 65801-2210. Advertising inquiries are welcome, by mail or telephone,
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April 2014 PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. 1

 TRANSMISSION DIGEST
From the M D Publications, Inc.
(417) 866-3917
Publisher www.transmissiondigest.com
By Bobby Mace
Executive
Michelle Dickemann
President & CEO

C
omes to mind a quote from
the Bard’s King Richard
III: “Now is the winter of
our discontent.”
Nothing could say more about
the changing of our industry the
past few months than the change
of attitude concerning winter.
Wouldn’t you agree that wind-
chill readings should be meas-
ured with a brrr-ometer?
When we first began to pub-
lish Transmission Digest – more
than 30 years ago – there were
frequent references to business
being good or not good because
of the winter weather.
Everybody’s eyes would sparkle
when the forecast called for deep
snow that would result in drivers
rocking their vehicles out of
snow banks and trashing the
transmission.
We’ve just sojourned through
one of the most-severe winters in
decades. And yet, everybody we
visit or talk with on the phone
loathes the snow, despises the ice
and harbors ill will toward wind
chill. A combination of better-en-
gineered transmission innards
and the growth in popularity of
4WD and front-wheel drive
makes us powertrain pros more-
nearly normal; we find no motive
to celebrate the brutal climate. Bobby Mace
If one operates a shop in a Publisher
rural red state, there’s still the publisher@transmissiondigest.com
opportunity that high precipita-
tion and low thermometer are Editorial
still hooked up to cash registers. Gary Sifford
As for our informal climatic sur- Editor
vey methods, somehow, the cities editor@transmissiondigest.com
of International Falls, Minot, Mike Riley
Pocatello and Buffalo didn’t Technical Editor
make it onto a publisher’s itiner- mriley@transmissiondigest.com
ary. Terry Greenhut
Blissfully, now comes spring- Business Editor
time, a time of rebirth; a time for Mike Weinberg
spring cleaning. It’s a good time Contributing Editor
to do something that can seem
trivial and yet will make a good Art Department
impression on the customer and
Jay Young
lead to more business. Yep, it’s Creative Director
the waiting area!
Lonnie Bolding
If you have magazines, cata-
Art Administrator
logs and TSBs from 1982, people
might get the impression that the
shop specializes exclusively in Circulation
Powerflite repairs. Cleaning the Dudley Brown
windows, mopping the floor and Circulation Manager
replacing the non-functioning Mike Turner
light bulbs will proclaim the mes- mturner@mdpublications.com
sage that your shop is conscien-
tious. Another, less-classical Advertising Sales
quote comes to mind from the Mike Anderson
days when Winston cigarette manderson@transmissiondigest.com
commercials were common tele-
vision fare: “It’s what’s up front Accounting/Credit
that counts!” TD
Donna Blackburn
Credit Manager

Tell Us What Support You Need and Pocket $50 Auto TECH expo

Our technical team wants to help you. Let us know what you find Bob Jacobsmeyer
Exhibit Manager
troublesome, the answers you havenʼt found or any other technical
jake@autotechexpo.net
question youʼd like to see addressed. Weʼll gather the ideas every
month and try to handle them in Transmission Tech/Talk or in
CO-FOUNDERS
Transmission Digest. If your idea is judged the most important issue
of the month, weʼll send you a $50 bill. Carol Langsford
Send your ideas to mriley@transmissiondigest.com and start 1933-2012
planning how youʼll spend $50. Les Langsford
1928-1993

2 Transmission Digest
Circle No. 3 on Reader Card
 Patriarch Allen Robbins Sr. (in white shirt) is surrounded by family members, many of
whom work in the family-owned businesses. Allen, whose wife, Patricia, died in 2012, and
Henrietta Lockhart (in the green dress) plan to be married in June.
Henrietta is the mother of Kenny Robbinsʼ business partner,
Kimberly Cole Zemke.

This family photo shows Allen Sr.ʼs
late wife, Patricia Robbins, with son
Kenny. She ran the office in Allen
Sr.ʼs shop until he retired. “She
was a wonderful business lady,”
Kimberly said, “and she helped
instill honesty, integrity and a
strong work ethic in her sons.”
T
here’s nothing unusual about
family-owned businesses in
the transmission-repair indus-
try. Shops employing one or even
several of the owner’s family mem-
bers are fairly common.
However, the Robbins family in
central Alabama has taken family
ownership to a new level. Patriarch
Allen Robbins Sr., who retired from
active shop operation about 10
years ago, has three sons – Kenny,
Allen Jr. and Michael – who own
shops in the Montgomery area. In
addition, his youngest son, Jamie,
works for Allen Jr., and several of
his grandchildren work in their fa-
thers’ businesses. Although he’s of-
ficially retired, he still spends much
of his time in his sons’ shops help-
ing with day-to-day operations and
providing advice.
For instance, he said, “My back-
ground in transmissions goes all the
way back to the ’50s, so if they get a
transmission from that era, I help
them out.”
Allen Sr., who said he had al-
ways been inquisitive about trans-
missions and how they worked, re-
paired his first one, a Powerglide, at
the age of 17 while working for the
owner of a garage and gas station.
The owner left him in charge while
on vacation for a week, and a cus-
tomer came in with a transmission
problem. Allen removed the trans-
mission and took it apart, figured
out what was wrong and fixed it.
The customer spread the word, and
soon other customers were bringing
him transmission work.
“I studied books and whatever I
could find to further my education
on transmissions,” he said. “By the
time I was 25 I was pretty well edu-
cated.”
He operated a shop in
Montgomery, the state capital, for
many years and also ran a couple of
shops in Florida. As his sons grew
up, they also became interested in
transmissions. “They followed in
my footsteps and we just went on
from there,” he said. “The boys saw
continues page 6

4 Transmission Digest
Circle No. 25 on Reader Card
 The Allen Robbins Transmission team (standing, from
left): Charlie Costner, Kayla Robbins, Allen Robbins,
Allen Robbins Sr. (center) with sons (from left) Dustin Yocom, Patrick Robbins, Jamie Robbins, Mike
Jamie, Michael, Allen Jr. and Kenny “Red” Hill and Jeremy Lee. In front is Josh Yocom.

their opportunity and I showed
them what I knew, and we all got
our heads together and they
opened up shops.
“We’re in business to do the best
of work and keep on top of the
knowledge of everything, the up-
dates and everything like that, to
please the customer. The customer
is number one in our business, and
we try to give the best price, the
best parts, the best knowledge pos-
sible. That’s what our goal is, and
so far it’s worked out real well.”
The first of Allen Sr.’s sons to
have his own shop was Kenny,
who fixed his first transmission
when he was 16. He had been
doing R&R work for his father and
learning how transmissions
worked. Kenny’s first shop was in
Montgomery, but after the area
where the shop was went into de-
cline, he let the business go and
opened another shop with Allen Jr.
in Prattville, northwest of
Montgomery. In 2009, he and busi-
ness partner Kimberly Cole Zemke
opened a shop in Jones, where he is
known as “The Transmission
Gladiator.”
Michael Robbins operates ATCO
Transmission in Montgomery.
Kenny, 54, said he has slowed
down so he can spend more time
with his family. He describes his
business as a specialty transmission
shop. “We’re in an isolated area
with six or seven small towns
around us. We get 90% of our busi-
ness on word of mouth.
“I do all my work myself,” he
said. “I R&R, build them, put them
back in.”
That gives him complete control
over the entire process, he said. “I
take a little more time with each
unit. I average about two major
overhauls a week.”
Allen Jr.’s shop in Prattville,
which has a population of about
34,000, is in a 6,500-square-foot
building. His daughter Kayla, who
recently completed a business de-
gree, runs the front office and sells
jobs. His son Patrick is one of the
technicians, and Jamie, Allen Jr.’s
youngest brother, is a rebuilder at
the shop.
continues page 8

Although retired for 10 years, Allen Sr. still visits

each of his sonsʼ shops regularly. Here, he and Allen Robbins Jr. (left) and younger brother
Kenny discuss a rebuild. Jamie share a light moment at work.

6 Transmission Digest
Circle No. 5 on Reader Card

Jamie Robbins (left) with
Allen Jr.ʼs son Patrick
The shop typically services
about 20 cars a week, and his goal
is to provide a quality job at a rea-
sonable price, he said. “That’s been
my motto since I opened up, and
it’s done very well for me. If it’s not
broken, we don’t fix it.
“One of the great things about
having so many family members in
the transmission business is that
when we do run into an issue, a
problem, or something that we just
can’t figure out, a lot of times four
heads are better than one. When
you add up all the experience that
we’ve got, one of us usually figures
it out.”
Jamie was a transmission techni-
cian at a Ford dealership for about
Taylor Robbins, Jamieʼs son,
works at Allen Jr.ʼs shop.
8 Transmission Digest
Kenny with daughter Jordan, who does some occasional
R&R work for him. His daughter Chelsea helps with
answering the phone and greets customers.
20 years. When he was laid off be-
cause of cutbacks at the dealership
he worked for Michael for about
five years. When Kenny left Allen
Jr.’s shop to open his business in
Jones, Jamie took his place.
After being laid off from Ford,
Jamie noted, “I was lucky enough
to have brothers who took me in. I
had to learn how to build all the
transmissions, and they were there
for me. That’s where I am now, and
I really enjoy what I’m doing.”
Allen Jr. said the four brothers
and their father, each with their
unique experience in the business,
form a strong technical team to
support each other. Allen Sr. is fa-
miliar with the older transmissions
that they see occasionally, Jamie
has helped them with his knowl-
edge of Ford units and is good at
figuring out the newer transmis-
sions, and Michael has been the
leader in adopting new diagnostic
and service technology and passing
that knowledge on to his brothers,
Allen Jr. said.
Michael has had his own busi-
ness for 23 years and in December
moved to a larger building in east
Montgomery that’s 5,000 square
feet and has 10 lifts. He has seven
employees, including a diagnosti-
cian and two R&R men, and each
technician in his shop is a special-
ist, he said.
His rebuilding process is the
same as that of remanufacturers, he
said. “We build every transmission
to last.”
Kimberly Cole Zemke, Kennyʼs
business partner and office
manager, will become a family
member in June when her
mother marries Allen Sr.
The diagnostician is a crucial
member of the team, Michael
noted, because when customers
come in they want a good price but
they also want to know that you
can fix their vehicle’s problem.
“Today, if you’re sick, you’re
going to go look for the best doctor.
You’re going to look for the best
heart surgeon, the best brain sur-
geon. Our customers are the same
way today. You can’t take these
cars to just anybody and let them
work on them. Parts are expensive
and you can replace a $700 piece
and be wrong. Nowadays, if you’re
a good shop and you diagnose
your stuff, you build a good prod-
uct and you’re able to fix it, you’re
always going to be busy.” TD
Photos by family members Kayla Robbins,
Mathew Robbins and Griffin Hollon
Circle No. 1 on Reader Card
TECHNICAL TRAINING Technically Speaking

•Author: Mike Riley, Technical Editor
•Subject Matter: CVTs
• Unit: Jatco JF015E
•Vehicle Application: Nissan
•Issue: Design & operation
So what is unique about the new Jatco JF015E
(CVT7)? The JF015E (Figure 1) actually has a gearbox
to provide, in effect, a high/low (stepped) gear, in con-
junction with the drive/driven pulleys and push belt.
At this point, the question could be asked, “Isn’t Jatco
going backward?” The new CVT will literally shift like
a regular step-type transmission, as opposed to phan-

The New Jatco tom shifts that certain CVT models have, due to com-
puter strategy. The programmed upshifts give the
driver the illusion of a shift.

JF015E When is a CVT not a CVT?

Is it a CVT or a step-type trans?
The JF015E is a light-duty transmission used prima-
rily by Nissan for small cars. As time goes on, larger
models could be developed. The unit uses a relatively
flat torque converter. Compared with other CVTs,
working on the JF015E isn’t too bad, fortunately.

T
he CVT (contin- On most models of CVTs, getting to the pulleys and
1
uously variable belt requires splitting the bellhousing and case.
transmission) Gaining access
concept has been to the JF015E 2
around forever, but pulleys and
CVTs have been on belt (Figure 2)
the road now for merely requires
decades, in one form removal of the
or another. Although end cover. In
there are several dif- addition, the
ferent models of CVT, two pulleys
they all have one pop out of the
thing in common: cover fairly
basic operation. easily, no
Over the years there have been variations in CVTs clamps needed.
from vehicle model to model, starting with the original When remov-
DAF European CVTs, up to the first Jatco CVT, Saturn ing the belt, note the position. It should have a direc-
VT20E, ZF VT1, Ford CFT30 and then on to later- tional arrow on it for reassembly.
model Jatcos. There are CVTs that use a torque con- Use caution when removing the pulleys from the
verter and some that don’t. A CVT may have a push end cover to avoid damaging the tone rings (reluctors)
belt, while others use a drive chain. Electrical compo- (Figure 3). The driven pulley on the left uses a tone
nents also vary widely among models. In addition, ring on the outside diameter (O.D.) of the pulley,
certain models use a direct-drive pump while others whereas the drive pulley on the right has the tone ring
use a chain-driven remote pump. The CFT30 uses a at the end.
pump with oscillating pistons. A CVT will also have a continues page 12
planetary gear set, primarily for reverse.
Basic operation, however, consists of the drive chain 3
or push belt being clamped between two pulleys (vari-
ators) under high pressure. Ratio (gear) change is pro-
vided by the drive- and driven-pulley sheaves (sides)
moving sideways toward or away from the center,
which forces the chain or belt to walk up or down the
pulleys, thus changing the ratio from low to high and
back.
The whole purpose of this approach is to keep the
engine at optimum speed for performance and fuel
economy. As a step-type transmission shifts up
through the gears, engine speed climbs between shifts
but then drops back, awaiting the next gear. That is
Reluctor
why a CVT has better fuel economy, or so the story
goes.

10 Transmission Digest
Circle No. 11 on Reader Card
Technically Speaking
With the end cover and pulleys out of the way, the
back cavity of the case is exposed (Figure 4). The
input gear appears in the opening on the left. The
shaft on the right is the sun gear. An important item in
between is the chain oiler. Make sure that it’s not re-
stricted. The cooler filter is at the lower left of the
case.
4
Oiler
Filter
Once the bellhousing and case are split, most of the
remaining components are visible (Figure 5). The bell-
5 To gain access to the auxiliary-gear section, the
Cover
Pump
12
housing in the foreground contains the differential
and pinion gear, whereas the case section has the
chain-driven pump and auxiliary-gear-set cover. The
cover is held in place by inverted Torx-head bolts.
The main drive gears are the input gear with shaft,
drive pinion with park gear and differential (Figure 6).
6
The splines at the end of the pinion gear spline to the
planet carrier. The stator support contains the con-
verter bushing.
cover, which contains the reverse-clutch piston, must
be removed (Figure 7). With the cover out of the way,
the reverse clutches, direct-clutch drum and planetary
set can be removed.
Reverse
A CVT has two clutch packs, one for forward and
one for reverse. The JF015E arrangement is somewhat
different. The clutch drum contains the forward
continues page 18
Transmission Digest
Circle No. 22 on Reader Card
Friction
Alto cuts many of its parts with a laser cutting machine.
“O
ur focus is on the continuous development of
new friction materials,” says David Landa,
president of Alto Products Corp.
He points out that the future for a company like
Alto is to advance the technology of clutches to match
the technologies used in new transmissions. He also
emphasizes that the company’s role as a global OEM
clutch-plate supplier requires a cutting-edge research-
and-development program.
“Development of friction materials, particularly
those for our OEM and High Performance customers,
is the direct result of our customers’ requirements
such as the need for extended wear, improved torque
performance, smoother shifts and higher coefficients
of friction,” Landa explained. “Once those improve-
ments have been engineered into a friction material,
14
the technology can then be applied again in the after-
market to improve performances in those applica-
tions.”
Alto was founded by Landa’s father, Sandy, in
1952, with its operations in New Jersey. With contin-
ued growth, in 1995 the company relocated most op-
erations to Atmore, Ala., where it occupies a campus
of three buildings that combine to provide 375,000
square feet of manufacturing, research-and-develop-
ment laboratory, warehousing and office space. The
majority of Alto’s 300 employees are based in Atmore.
Additionally, the company maintains warehouses in
New Jersey, Los Angeles and Miami. A secondary
stamping plant is in Connecticut. Alto’s international
sales and distribution locations include Mexico, The
Netherlands, Australia, India, Dubai and China, but
all the manufacturing is in the USA.
Landa continues: “China has become one of our
largest markets, particularly for OEM business. The
market there is the largest in the world right now.
While in the past Chinese OEMs mostly adopted
transmissions from other manufacturers, many of
them are beginning to design and manufacture their
own. Alto is supplying many of those OEMs.
“Our largest customer there would be Geely, the
largest Chinese car manufacturer and the owner via
acquisition of Volvo. We supply all the friction plates
for the new Geely six-speed front-wheel-drive units.
We also supply plates for DCT applications being
used in that marketplace.”
Transmission Digest
Ray Engle, vice president of technical services, and
Claude Hall, vice president of engineering, say Altoʼs
focus is the development, prototyping and evaluation of
new and continually improving friction materials.
“Domestically we supply OEMs Clark, CNH, Dana,
Eaton and Caterpillar, while internationally our cus-
tomers include OEMs John Deere (Spain), Ssang Yong
(Korea) and Mahindra (India), to name a few.
“We have an extremely large and growing library
of friction materials with emphasis on DCT, heavy-
duty and high-performance markets. Our formulation
development takes advantage of using the latest in
high-tech materials such as carbon fibers, para-aramid
synthetic fibers (Kevlar), enhanced high-performance
fibers and innovative custom-designed resins.
Outside of Alto’s friction-material library, we can fur-
ther affect the performance of the clutch disc through
various manufacturing processes such as changing of
groove patterns, segmentation, compressions and
other process techniques.”
Ray Engel, vice president of technical services at
Alto, adds: “The key to making a friction clutch plate
is the lining. What we do here in the development lab
is evaluate various combinations of fibers, fillers,
binders and resins that are used to create the friction
papers.
Aftermarket Line Development
“In the aftermarket weʼre
able to look at how a product
has performed and what
wear issues exist. Then,
we can look to the friction
materials Alto has developed
to see which one can best
correct the issue. Warranties
drive improvements. Weʼre
looking at OE warranties
David Landa
covering seven years and
100,000 miles today. Alto is proud to provide a life-
time warranty on our high-energy friction material.
For the aftermarket, itʼs pretty much true that once
a transmission has been rebuilt, itʼs likely to last for
the remaining life of the vehicle, exceptions being
April 2014
Using a micrometer for measurements, Deantonio Jones
builds prototype parts for testing and evaluation.
“To a large extent, our initial input for developing
a new paper or a new variant of an existing paper
comes directly from market demands. Alto’s engi-
neers and sales group are out there working with the
customers and truly understanding their needs with
regard to clutch performance. Those opportunities re-
sult in development projects for our research-and-de-
velopment team.
“The more you look at what appears to be a simple
clutch plate, the more you come to appreciate the
complexity of the product. There are all the different
types of materials that contain fibers, bonders, fillers
and resins. Each of these has different grades. Finally,
we need to decide on percentage of each of the materi-
als in each grade. It doesn’t end here … how you
process a clutch plate via densification, groove and
surface treatments also have a significant impact on
performance; the combinations are nearly endless.
And, what will work best with one type of fluid does-
n’t necessarily work best if a different fluid is speci-
fied by the OE.”
Alto’s vice president of engineering, Claude Hall,
high-performance and heavy-duty applications.
“In some instances weʼll also offer an aftermarket
high-performance clutch with friction material that
addresses particular needs for a particular applica-
tion, such as police and taxi fleets or racing. Around
the world we sell a lot of taxi fleets and transit
authorities. Those customers demand a higher
grade of material that lasts longer and is more
tolerant of high heat.
“We have the Red Eagle grade for high-
performance; that was introduced first in 1982.
The Red Eagle material (as with all other materials)
is continuously improved upon through the efforts
and skills of our R&D facility. We have a very nice
business in high-performance that includes fleets,
racing, diesel and heavy-use applications.”
15
 Customer-service and sales team (from left): Jose Pereira, Inez Etheridge,
Donny Houston inspects an Alto part Stephanie Barnes, Sarah Nezovich, Trici Ramirez, Nora Aslanova, Claudia
using a Micro Vu machine. Lewis, Craig Cooke and Robbie Ferguson

says: “Today, there are much tighter tolerances in-
volved with the development of a clutch pack. The en-
ergy levels that are handled by the materials are very
different as the transmission engineers find ways to
put more and more into less space. [This causes a
clutch to have a set of requirements that must be ac-
complished with less surface area than was available
in the past.] It’s all about managing more torque with
less territory.”
“Energy-level challenges have been met by increas-
ing the number of component frictions and steels in a
typical clutch pack. The consideration of fuel efficien-
cy is a constant requirement as well.”
Landa recalls that the venerable THM350 transmis-
sion contained 17 frictions, comparing it to the 6L80
that contains double this amount.
“We’re not using high levels of cotton fibers in the
friction materials anymore, and the cost of the en-
hanced materials such as carbon or Kevlar fibers is
much higher. In the end, there are more clutches
made from more-expensive components, and that’s
one of the factors driving up the cost of rebuilding a

Robotic Processes
“The worldʼs changing,” says Alto President is properly aligned, the teeth are stamped correctly
David Landa. “Everybody wants it better, they want and that the plate is perfectly round. These quality
it faster and they want it less expensive. Those checks can handle two plates per second. When
criteria are the drivers for our manufacturing any of the checks identify a quality issue the plate
processes. Weʼre finding ways to increase our is removed to a controlled reject bin.”
use of robotics, automation and lean
techniques within our factory to meet
the growing demands of the market.”
“We have numerous robotic lines
in the factory now, with more on
order.
“One use for robots is in the
assembly of the friction materials to
the steel core. We also use robots to
load the clutch assembly into our
bonding process. This robotic
process will establish oil grooves,
proper thickness and the bond. Alto
also applies automation to facilitate
quality checks through lasers and
high-resolution vision systems. With
the high-resolution checks, we are
able to take a photo of the top and of
the bottom of a finished plate and
then evaluate it to assure the paper

16 Transmission Digest

Robert Knight observes Stephanie Brown assembling
sandwiches of plates and friction rings.
unit. We’ve been able to mitigate the rising costs by
finding more-efficient, technology-driven manufac-
turing methods.”
The Alto people say that in recent years one of the
hottest markets domestically has been in the area of
diesel performance clutches.
“The transmissions in those trucks are built to
stand more torque right off the showroom floor,” says
Robbie Ferguson, sales vice president. “In general that
means they are physically a much larger unit, as is the
case with the Allison 1000s and the 5R110s. Ford’s
new 6R130 is a huge unit.
“These transmissions are for trucks that come from
the factory pushing 300 horsepower and 600 or 700
foot-pounds of torque. People are spending $65,000
buying a new truck and then an equal amount to redo
the engine, the transmission, the suspension, wheels
and everything else. We end up with customers who
Stamping presses are used to form steel plates.
April 2014
Comparing high-resolution photography with stored
benchmarks, the vision system can inspect 120 clutch
rings per minute.
can’t even tell from their dynos how much torque they
have. The dyno maxes out at 3,500 foot-pounds and
they’re pegging the needle. Some are now pushing
more than 2,000 horsepower in a diesel truck that they
can drive to work or take to the drag strip to run a
nine-second quarter mile.”
Landa adds: “The materials that we have developed
for diesels are much more durable than those required
for most other applications we supply. Take, for in-
stance, the racing market, where the transmission is re-
placed after every race. The durability there isn’t as
much of an issue. The diesel pickup is going to drive
across the country and pass through the Rockies tow-
ing 20,000 pounds. This is the challenge we’ve been
able to address with great success.”
Engel said: “Across the board, we are committed to
quality. We have all the certifications that attest to our
commitment. The products Alto develops rely on what
takes place in the manufacturing processes. I think that
when you look at the factory, particularly the new ro-
botic processes, you’ll find we have built those quality
requirements into every step of production, and that
results in a very high-quality product that we have for
a very competitive price.”
“We are making everybody on the floor an inspector
and every process more robust so that there is an ever-
decreasing probability of error. Today’s marketplace
demands that quality, and we’ve been able to improve
our products, our people and our processes to remain
viable in today’s competitive marketplace. At Alto, it is
always about continuous improvement.”
Landa concludes: “Alto has been doing this now for
over 60 years. I am fortunate to have a great team who
has made us successful. We make decisions and invest-
ments based on long-term goals, not maximizing short-
term profits. We continually reinvent our products, our
processes and ourselves. We’re the last independently
owned and operated company doing what we do. The
good news we take away from that is that we can con-
tinue to compete and do all the things that public com-
panies do while retaining the flexibility that allows us
to be innovative and development oriented.” TD
17
Technically Speaking
continued from page 12
splines to the driven pulley and cannot be removed
8
from the planet. The large sun gear and shell is held
stationary by the low brake. The planet carrier has
splines that mesh with the direct clutch on the O.D.
and also has splines that mesh with the pinion gear at
the inside diameter.
The main filter is accessible by dropping the bottom
pan. The pan uses a gasket and also has a stand pipe
for checking fluid (Figure 11). The neck of the filter is
long because it extends up through the valve body to
the pump.

11
Standpipe

clutches as well as the planetary ring gear (Figure 8).

When the forward clutch applies, the unit is in direct
drive. The outside splines of the drum mesh with the
reverse frictions to hold the ring gear stationary.
There are two stationary brakes in the JF015E
(Figure 9). The large set on the left is the reverse brake,
comparable to that of other CVTs. The stationary brake

9 Reverse

Low
Figure 12 12
shows the
cooler filter
and cover
that bolt to
the case.
The filter is
a cartridge
type.
With the
pan and fil-
ter removed, the valve body is accessible (Figure 13).
continues page 22
on the right is the low brake. When the low brake ap-
plies, the gear set is in reduction. The low-clutch pis-
ton is in the case. 13
The key item that differentiates a JF015E from the
pack is the planetary gear set (Figure 10). Other CVT
models use a simple gear set, whereas the JF015E has a
compound planet carrier. The small sun gear and shaft

10

18 Transmission Digest
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Circle No. 12 on Reader Card
TECHNICAL TRAINING Shift Pointers

•Author: Jesse Zacarias

•Subject Matter: Diagnosis

•Vehicle Application: 2003 Volkswagen Passat

•Issue: Water damage to TCM

Replacement of Battery Causes TCM Damage

A
2003 Volkswagen Passat came into our shop Before we replaced the TCM we needed to find out
with multiple codes and harsh engagements the reason for the water at the floorboard; otherwise
and was in failsafe mode. The customer said he our new TCM would be destined for a short life. It was
parked the vehicle and when he started it the next day then when we noticed that the battery had been re-
he noticed the problem. At times the TCM would fail placed, the water deflector at the bottom of the wind-
to communicate with the scan tool. When we removed shield was damaged and the cover plate was not
the carpet at the inserted properly into the water deflector right above
passenger-side the cabin-air filter (figures 4 & 5). This allowed the
floorboard to
1
check the TCM 4
for voltage, we
noticed the
whole bottom
of the floor had
about 2 inches
of water
(Figure 1).
When we
opened up the
box to access 2
the TCM we no-
ticed the box
full of water
(Figure 2), and
when we
looked inside
5
the TCM we
knew it was
damaged
(Figure 3).

water to run down the water deflector, through the

cover plate and into the cabin air filter, ending up on
the passenger-side floorboard were the TCM is situated.
We ordered a new water deflector, cover plate and
cabin air filter at a total cost of about $100. One thing to
continues page 22

20 Transmission Digest
Circle No. 23 on Reader Card
Shift Pointers
continued from page 20
mention here is, when you replace the water deflec-
tor do not try to install it by bending it as this will
cause it to break. (Ask me how I know.) It is best to
remove the bolts from the hood and just move the
hood forward and install the water deflector
through the top (Figure 6).
6
When installing the cover plate, make sure to in-
sert it into the water-deflector slot, especially above
the cabin-air filter (Figure 7).
7
This kind of mistake will not show up right away,
unless it is done during the rainy season. In this par-
ticular case the battery was replaced months ago,
but as soon as we got the first rains the problem
showed up.
One more thing to think about next time we re-
place a battery. TD
Jesse Zacarias is the owner of Elec-Tran Diagnostics (www.electrandiag-
nostics.com) in Gilroy, Calif., and part of the research-and-development
department at Valve Body Pros.
22
Technically Speaking
continued from page 18
The manual-shaft lever and nut must be removed first.
The electrical connector extends through the case and
is removed with the valve body. The bolts that hold
the valve body to the case are much longer than the
valve-body section bolts, so they cannot be inter-
changed.
The valve body has the normal amount of stuff.
There are five solenoids, a couple of pressure switches,
electrical connector etc. (Figure 14). It remains to be
seen which parts will become available for sale.
14
The pump is a remote-design vane type that is driv-
en by sprockets and a chain, as in a 6T70 (Figure 15).
15
The sprockets cannot be flipped; however, the chain
can be, so mark it for reassembly. The manual-lever
shaft must be removed to get the pump out, but the
pump can also be split and removed from the case if
necessary.
Time will tell whether any more “step-type” CVTs
are released. By using this design, a more-compact
CVT is now available for use, but it is a trade-off. TD
Transmission Digest
Circle No. 7 on Reader Card
TECHNICAL TRAINING Tech To Tech
•Author: Jeff Bach
•Subject Matter: Diagnosis
•Vehicle Applications: Toyota Prius Gen 1
•Issue: No-start codes
Gen 1 Prius Keeps Going, Going
Digging a little deeper into the classic hybrid
©2014 AutoInc.
I
t’s no secret that the Generation
1 Prius is my pick for favorite
commuter vehicle. When these
cars are properly serviced and run-
ning as they should, you just can’t
beat them for transportation. They
were designed to be the best hy-
brid vehicle on the market, and
there were few cars that could
compete with them when they first
came out. Toyota put the cars in
service in 1997 and had time to
work out the bugs and even re-
design the high-voltage (HV) bat-
tery.
History of Gen 1 Prius
The original Prius battery used
the same basic battery cells that the
Honda Insight and Civic Hybrids
are using. They basically look like
a series of D-cell stacks. The newer
Panasonic cells were much-better
performing and last much longer.
Toyota introduced the Gen 1 Prius
in the United States in 2001. It sold
only about 15,600 units in the U.S.,
but its reputation soon had the
people who were following the
Green Car idea looking at the tech-
nology. Toyota sold only about
56,000 Gen 1 Priuses from 2001 to
2003. The people who bought these
cars quickly became loyalists, and
most are reluctant to let go of their
Gen 1s even when replacing them
with a newer model. I have heard
the statement made many times by
different Gen 1 owners that this
has been the best car they have
ever owned.
Growth of hybrids
By the time Toyota introduced
the Gen 2 Prius, there were enough
24
Gen 1 owners speaking highly
about the cars that the redesigned
Gen 2s took the hybrid market by
storm. The Gen 2 Prius introduced
in 2004 sold 54,000 units, and in
2005 that number nearly doubled.
The rest of the car manufacturers
began the race to develop hybrids
of their own, with nearly all of
them now offering some version of
hybrid vehicle. It is safe to say that
hybrids are here to stay, and
Toyota had sold nearly 3 million
Priuses worldwide as of June 2013.
Trade-in issues
The Gen 1 Priuses are now all
reaching the age and mileage at
which the original hybrid batteries
are starting to let go, forcing their
owners to decide whether they
want to put the kind of money into
the cars that their dealer is saying
it will take to keep the cars in serv-
ice. Gen 1 owners are generally of-
fered very little on trade-in value
with the dealer. The dealer gener-
ally offers only a brand-new bat-
tery as an option and deducts the
repair cost from the trade-in value.
Some of these cars are showing up
at auctions after their owners de-
cide to donate them to charity. I
have picked up a few of them rela-
tively inexpensively that needed
little more than battery recondi-
tioning.
Some others I’ve bought were
sold as not running. It doesn’t take
much misdiagnosing to send these
cars on a one-way path to the auto
auction. Sometimes the chain of
events begins with a simple oil
change. A day or two later the car
gets towed to a repair shop as a no-
start. The technician, thinking that
he hears the engine start, run for a
bit then stall, starts chasing his tail
until the hybrid battery becomes
too weak to spin the engine over.
Since there aren’t many recharge
options for the hybrid battery, this
becomes a serious situation often
ending in the car being towed to
the dealer, traded in and then sent
to the auction. It’s gotten to the
point that I would say at least one
third of Priuses that are not run-
ning and are towed to my shop get
here because they are overfilled
with oil.
Trouble codes
There are lots of data and
Internet blogs with documentation
and even You Tube videos explain-
ing the causes and repair options
for the all-too-common no-start
codes P3101 and P3191 that occur
on these vehicles. These codes are
associated with multiple causes,
which include but aren’t limited to
any of the things that can keep a
normal gas engine from starting,
such as out-of-fuel condition, low
fuel pressure, ignition coils misfir-
ing, crank-sensor signal missing,
mass-air-flow (MAF) signal prob-
lems, engine mechanical condition
etc. Then there are other problems
inherent to these particular vehi-
cles that can keep the engine from
starting. Probably the most-com-
mon issues that cause problems on
these cars are created by technician
error. These cars require 3.9 quarts
of oil during an oil change with a
filter. Four quarts is too much oil.
There is a factory bulletin re-
continues page 26
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Circle No. 6 on Reader Card

Tech To Tech
1 2
These parameters show “Drive
Condition” at 0, “Aux. Batt V” at
11.68v and “Coolant Temp” at
-2° Celsius.
garding a P3191/P3101 no-start
condition that ends in a new fuel
tank, circuit-opening relay and a
new powertrain control module
(PCM). Several vehicles I have en-
countered have had this barrage of
components replaced more than
once. Some had the oil changed at
the dealer and left overfull. I have
one customer who keeps getting
free-oil-change coupons from the
dealer, and each time he warns
them of the overfilling problem but
they still continue to overfill his
car.
I had a car in last month that
came to us as a referral with the
P3191 and P3101 codes. The owner
wanted a second opinion. Her
dealer told her she needed a fuel
tank and computer. The estimate
she was given had her trying to de-
cide whether to keep the car. She
bought it new and has had no
problem for 11 years. The past two
years it’s been hard to start in cold
weather. She showed me the esti-
mate she got from the dealer. I no-
ticed she had just gotten the oil
changed by them – and was
charged for six quarts of oil. I
showed her the level on the stick
and explained what needed to be
done, which she agreed to do.
I took a look with the scan tool
at the freeze-frame data in the HV
module for the P3101 code and
saw that the info code was a 205.
The engine-coolant temp showed -
5° Celsius. MG1 torque request = 0
26
The MG1 torque is now at 9.5 Nm,
indicating power usage to spin the
engine over at 1,248 rpm. Drive
condition 2 is cranking mode, and
the engine sounds as if itʼs idling.
Itʼs hard to tell any difference in the
sound of the engine during this
starting period, but if you watch
MG1 torque, youʼll see that it starts
dropping as the engine gets ready
to start. The point where MG1
torque goes negative is your
indication that the engine started
and is now producing power.
kw. The exclusive info # 3 for the
sub-code 205 was 0. The TSB for
these codes is looking for a 1 in the
exclusive info # 3 position showing
that the computer is seeing an out-
of-fuel condition. The fuel-tank
baffle deflects under certain tem-
perature conditions and holds the
fuel-inlet lineup out of the fuel, al-
lowing the pump to starve. This
was a problem for certain fuel
tanks from the time they were
made. This car has been operating
in the same environment since it
was new, and the faulty-fuel-tank
issue should have shown up and
been taken care of before now if it
was an issue.
We proceeded to drain the ex-
cess oil and pulled the throttle
body off the intake and cleaned it
along with the MAF sensor. We
then cleaned the oil puddle out of
the surge tank (intake) and re-
assembled the car. We have been
keeping in touch this week as I
have been with several other cus-
tomers who have had this issue,
since we have been experiencing
temps in the teens at night all
3
The torque for MG1 is now reading
-12.2 Nm and the drive condition
transitions to 4. Here you can also
see that the engine speed is slightly
higher than the target engine speed.
During cranking the opposite is true.
This information becomes more criti-
cal as the state of charge (SOC) of
the hybrid battery drops. If you are
starting with an SOC near 20%, you
may get only one or two chances at
cranking the engine before the HV
controller locks you out. Hint: I have
run the cars on carb cleaner, watch-
ing MG 1 torque stay negative until
the HV battery comes up enough to
do some further tests.
week. So far they have all been
fine.
The test that I use to see how
well the engine is starting begins
with setting up the Mastertech in
HV user data to capture MG1
torque, revolutions, drive condi-
tion and engine speed while trying
to start the engine. I turn the key to
start and start taking pictures of
the data frames.
These cars are reliable when
properly serviced, get excellent gas
mileage and have achieved a five-
star crash-test safety rating. When
properly serviced, you can’t beat
them. TD
Jeff Bach is the owner of CRT Auto Electronics in
Batavia, Ohio. You can reach him at
johntjeff22@gmail.com.
This copyrighted article is reprinted with the per-
mission of AutoInc., the official publication of the
Automotive Service Association (ASA). To learn
more about ASA and its commitment to independ-
ent automotive-service and repair professionals,
visit www.ASAshop.org or call 800-272-7467.
Transmission Digest
Circle No. 99 on Reader Card
TECHNICAL TRAINING Tasc Force Tips

Vacuum Testing • Author: Sonnax Engineering and Technical Services

ZF6HP21/28/34, Gen. 2 • Subject Matter: Valve body

• Unit: ZF6HP21/28/34, Gen. 2

F rom the TASC Force we reprint a series of in-depth test
instructions for checking the serviceability of valve bodies.
© 2014 Sonnax Industries
• Issue: Vacuum testing

28 Transmission Digest
 2

continues next page

April 2014 29
Tasc Force Tips

30 Transmission Digest
4

TD

April 2014 31
B USINESS TRAINING Captain Reman
• Author: Noah Rickun
• Subject Matter: Management
• Issue: Selling by telephone
Have You Heard of the
Telephone?
T
he greatest sales tool ever in-
vented is not social media.
It’s not LinkedIn. It’s not
NLP. It’s not SPIN Selling or some
other formal sales process. It’s not
Salesforce.com or other CRM soft-
ware. It’s not the fax machine. It’s
not the iPhone. And, it’s certainly
not email. Those all are great tools,
but they are not the best. No, the
greatest sales tool ever invented is
the telephone.
If you’re like most people, you’ll
do anything you can to avoid mak-
ing an outbound call. It’s so much
easier to send an email. There’s no
risk.
I cannot tell you how many
times I’ve asked, “Have you talked
to so-and-so?” only to hear, “I sent
him an email last week.”
Really? That’s the best a sales-
person can do? Send an email and
wait? What if your email didn’t go
through? What if your customer or
prospect accidentally deleted it?
What if they are on vacation but do
not use an out-of-office auto re-
sponder? What if they are interest-
ed but forgot to reply? What if they
have 1,500 emails in their inbox
and haven’t seen yours?
“OK, you’re right, Noah. I’ll
send them another email.”
“Hey, sales guy, have you heard
of the telephone?”
Let’s look at why email is so at-
tractive to weak salespeople:
• It’s non-confrontational
• You don’t have to think on your
feet
• It’s “non-intrusive”
32
• You can send it any time
• It doesn’t hurt as much when
they say no
• If they don’t reply, you can
blame them
Now let’s look at why you may
shy away from the phone:
• Reluctance – You’ve been blown
off before, turned down before
and hurt before. You don’t want
that feeling again.
• Fear – What if you blow it? What
if you never get a second
chance? What if you say some-
thing stupid?
• Procrastination – You’ll get
around to calling people when
you’ve finished all your paper-
work, responded to all your in-
ternal company email and had
lunch. Right after you find a few
other things to fill your day
with.
• Inconvenience – You don’t want
to “bother” them.
• Timing – It’s the day before the
holiday or the day after the holi-
day. It’s their busy season. It’s
their slow season. It’s too early
in the morning or too late at
night. It’s Monday. It’s Tuesday.
It’s Wednesday. It’s Thursday.
It’s Friday. You get the point. If
you think you’re bothering
someone, you’re bothering
them. If you have nothing of
value to offer, you’re going to
bother them no matter when
you call.
If you send an email instead of
calling you increase your chances
of being turned down. The
prospect has too many options
and too many ways to say no to
you. They can choose not to re-
spond at all. They can be down-
right rude to you without fear of
having to hear your reaction. So,
the next time you have a lead –
pick up the phone and call them.
When’s the best time to follow
up on a lead? Right now. One sec-
ond after you get the lead. Don’t
email them. Call them. Your
prospect is the most excited
they’ll ever be right now. With
every second that passes your
prospect loses interest. They have
the opportunity to call your com-
petitor. They have time to change
their mind. They have time to
Google you and your company
and uncover negative feedback.
The longer you wait, the hard-
er it gets. It’s harder to sell, it’s
harder to overcome the fear of
calling, it’s harder to reach them
and it’s harder to impress your
prospect with your responsive-
ness.
To rise to the level of master
salesperson, you must master
usage of the telephone – not how
to dial it, but how to leverage it as
your best method of increasing
your sales. TD
Noah Rickun, aka Captain Reman, is the vice
president of sales & distribution at ETE Reman.
An aftermarket veteran, Captain Reman is known
for sharing his sales, business and customer-
service knowledge weekly through the e-newslet-
ter Reman U.
Transmission Digest
TECHNICAL TRAINING Up To Standards
• Author: Mike Weinberg, Contributing Editor
• Subject Matter: Warranties
The Wild and Wonderful
World of Warranty
I
n the auto-repair industry it is
customary to warrant the prod-
uct we provide to the customer
for a period of time and mileage. A
warranty is defined as a promise to
the customer of a level of perform-
ance for the product they are buy-
ing to ensure that for a specified
period any problems or failure of
the product will be repaired or re-
placed at no expense to the cus-
tomer. This sounds like a fairly
simple issue, but it is anything but
in the United States of Litigation.
A warranty that is correctly
written can be a powerful sales
tool in getting the customer to buy
work from your shop. The au-
tomakers are now using the war-
ranty as a weapon to return more
vehicles to the dealers’ service
bays by providing several years of
preventive maintenance within the
warranty. Such provisions have
put a hurting on the quick-lube
business, and the longer warranty
options have created a loss of busi-
ness for all phases of auto repair
until the vehicles come out of the
warranty period.
On the other hand, a poorly
written or unwritten warranty will
open up a shop to all manner of ex-
penses that go far beyond the pur-
chase price of the work performed.
If you write on your repair order
“Warranted for 12 months or
12,000 miles” you have put your-
self in a very dangerous situation.
April 2014
If your customer’s vehicle breaks
down during the warranty period
while they’re on vacation, a court
may rule that you have to compen-
sate them for the entire vacation,
plus the cost of the repairs to get
the vehicle back on the road. The
reason for this is federal law, the
Magnusson/Moss act. This law
states that you must specify (in
writing) what is and is NOT war-
ranted. This in legal terms is an ex-
press warranty. You also must
state in your warranty that there
are implied warranties that may
not apply to the customer. Implied
warranties are those that are gov-
erned by the laws of the individual
states.
Automakers provide a warranty
with every new vehicle. In the pur-
chase price of the car, they package
individual costs associated with
the vehicle. The dead-nuts cost of
the car or truck itself, advertising
costs, legal costs (they are self-in-
sured), warranty costs and multi-
ple other expenses all go into
arriving at a purchase price to the
end user.
It has become fashionable in
these times to offer extended-term
warranties to compete for busi-
ness. You can offer a standard local
warranty; a national warranty; or a
three-, four- or five-year warranty
as a persuasive measure to get
your customer to sign up for the
job. The automakers put an
amount of money aside from every
vehicle into a warranty expense
fund, and so should you. If you are
charging a fee above and beyond
for a longer warranty, put that
extra money in a separate account,
which is your warranty fund. If
you fail to do so and just spend
that money, any comebacks that
occur under warranty will be
painful, to the max.
A secondary consideration is
that the number of warranted vehi-
cles you have on the road at any
time will be considered a liability
on your balance sheet. Now, they
won’t all come back on the same
day, but if you try to sell your
business, a real businessman will
ask that you put an appropriate
amount of money in escrow as a
warranty fund so that he does not
have to pay for comebacks on jobs
he did not earn money on. The es-
crow period will be long enough to
cover all the liability generated by
the volume of cars under warranty
that are on the road at the time of
sale, and when that period has
elapsed, the balance left will be
given to you.
It is possible to have an attorney
write you a good legal warranty,
but it will be costly and untested.
You can join a service organization
such as ATRA and use its warranty
that has been proved judge proof
over the years. At the same time
continues next page
33
Up To Standards
you will get technical help and
other services that make such a
membership a great investment.
However you do it, there are
many important issues to be cov-
ered in a warranty to make it legal
under federal and state laws. The
time and mileage period; the cus-
tomer’s responsibility to maintain
the unit properly during the war-
ranty; exclusions for abuse and
misuse such as racing, accidents,
commercial use, modification of
your product or the vehicle from
its intended design; and a host of
other conditions will apply.
One important and often-over-
looked feature is a stop-loss clause.
The stop-loss clause limits the total
amount that any warranty can cost
you by limiting the amount to the
total dollars that the customer
paid. In other words, refunding the
customer’s initial cost is your out-
side liability. Do not try this at
home, and be really careful about
anything you put in writing.
One really gray area that
plagues the repair industry is a
transmission repair. When you re-
build a transmission you are – or
should be – working from a certain
standard, which includes the parts
you will replace in any unit rebuilt.
This usually would include new
clutches and steels, seals, gaskets,
bushings, filter, bands, a torque
converter etc. Now you are going
to repair a transmission because all
it needs is one clutch pack and a
front seal. How do you warrant
that repair so that you aren’t re-
sponsible if something that you
didn’t replace breaks or wears out
and the customer wants you to buy
it under the warranty. Some jobs
you are better off never taking in.
Another side of the warranty is
that which you receive from your
suppliers. If you buy a new unit
from a supplier, you are not get-
ting a warranty from the supplier,
but from the manufacturer of the
unit. If there is a problem under
warranty that may be related to the
unit, that manufacturer has the
right under the warranty to inspect
34
the suspected failed unit and either
repair or replace it to fulfill its obli-
gation. This can be a time-consum-
ing issue as the unit is returned to
the factory for repair. Make sure
that you read and understand the
warranty the company provides
you with the new unit or part, and
educate your customer.
When you buy a reman unit, the
same thing applies, and on it goes
with new parts. You are entitled to
a replacement part, but will the
supplier pay for labor? Usually
not. We are living in a “big-box-
store” world, where in that ultra-
competitive market they have
educated everyone: Just bring it
back for any reason and they will
get you another one. Those days
are coming to an end as many of
these stores have taken huge losses
and have been gamed by their cus-
tomers. Make sure that the prob-
lem is actually with the new or
reman unit you have bought and
not somewhere else in the vehicle
or you will wind up paying freight
and labor for sending back a good
unit.
Time is always a problem with a
warranty, as the customer is with-
out his vehicle. If a unit needs to be
returned to the manufacturer for
inspection, you may have to buy
another one and receive a credit if
the original unit is found defective
to quickly reunite your customer
with his car.
To maintain the warranty you
have received from your supplier,
you need to make sure your cus-
tomer follows certain conditions
under the warranty you provide.
First, for every unit you put out,
you must have the customer come
back after two weeks for a free
checkup. This ensures that there
are no leaks and that all systems
are operating correctly. It is very
common with manual transmis-
sions and transfer cases to find
some metallic debris on the drain
plug after 500 miles. This occurs
because new gears, chains etc. will
shed some small debris as they
wear into the opposing parts. The
purpose of the two-week checkup
up is to change the oil and get rid
of the newly generated debris be-
fore it has a chance to contaminate
the bearings.
Then you have your customer
return every 15,000 miles for a lube
change and inspection that are nec-
essary to keep the warranty in
force, just as the car dealer will
want to see the service records be-
fore making a warranty claim. If
you have not provided the proper
routine service as outlined in the
owner’s manual, the dealer and the
factory will refuse to warrant the
parts. Try turning in a lease car at
the end of the term without the
proper service receipts. You will be
billed for it and for any excess
mileage and wear and tear, which
can run into lots of money. You
need to insist on the same thing to
maintain a warranty.
Another issue that is ever more
common today is vehicle modifica-
tion. Make sure that the warranty
you issue does not permit vehicle
modifications that go over the de-
sign limits for the vehicle as built
by the factory. Let’s say you do a
transmission for a guy and during
the warranty he gives the vehicle
to his son. Junior decides that he
wants to put 35-inch tires on it and
chip the computer to get another
100 horsepower. I don’t think you
signed up for that. We see these
problems daily where a customer
calls and says that his customer
blew up a five-speed transmission
in his diesel pickup, which is now
producing 1,000 lb.-ft. of torque.
The only defense for this is a care-
fully crafted warranty and educat-
ing the customer. If you want more
than the factory provided, you are
out of warranty and it is your
problem. Remember that a well-
written, legally correct warranty
protects both the customer and the
shop. Do not neglect this issue, as
the comeback can be frightening.
TD
Mike Weinberg is president of Rockland Standard
Gear.
Transmission Digest
B USINESS TRAINING It’s Your Business
•Author: Terry Greenhut, Business Editor
•Subject Matter: Management
•Issue: Generating income
Rules to Live By
in the Modern Business Climate
T
he New American Dream?
What is it? How do we deal
with it to survive and suc-
ceed?
There used to be a simple for-
mula for building a good life: Go to
school and make good grades, then
go to college if you could afford to
or a trade school to get you ready
to face the world. You would then
find a job with a good stable com-
pany, work hard, save money and
maybe even start your own busi-
ness one day. Finally, you might
enjoy a decent (if not lavish) retire-
ment. For years, the middle class
has dutifully followed this path.
OK, it wasn’t the most-exciting life
but it paid the bills and maybe
even allowed for a week or two of
vacation every year.
Amazing how much can change
in a decade or two. These days the
traditional path leads only to daily
stress, crushing debt and uncer-
tainty about the future. The most-
remarkable part is that so many
people continue to blindly follow it
when what we really need to do is
make an about-face and learn how
to think about work and wealth in
a whole new way.
It’s time we realize, as a society
and as individuals, that the tradi-
tional means of making a living
has changed and that we need to
change along with it. We really
April 2014
can’t rely on some big company
swooping in, gathering up our col-
lege graduates and starting them
out at $50,000 a year with all kinds
of benefits. Does it still happen?
Yes, but not with enough frequen-
cy to make a real difference to our
economy. We need to make a huge
mental shift back to the grass roots
of making a living.
This isn’t the first time in recent
history that we’ve needed to modi-
fy the way we think about college
and how it relates to the real-world
aspect of making oneself a success.
We had the same problem back in
the early 1960s: not enough jobs to
accommodate all the “baby-
boomers” coming out of college. I
know; I was one of them. So what
did we do back then? Many of us
learned trades and went to work in
small shops making and repairing
things that others would use. Some
were fortunate to get jobs at differ-
ent levels of government where
salaries and benefits were guaran-
teed, but some struck out on their
own, opening small businesses
specializing in some form of serv-
ice to others.
Entrepreneurship in one form or
another flourished and still does
today, maybe more than ever. Is it
for everybody? No, but it creates
jobs for so many more. In fact, it
may be the only logical path to fi-
nancial freedom in a global econo-
my in which all the rules have
changed.
First, let’s be clear: The entrepre-
neurship I refer to is not necessari-
ly the “open your own shop and
bust your butt working there seven
days a week” variety, although
many of you already do that.
Rather, it centers on generating
multiple streams of income
(earned, passive and portfolio) so
that the money you make is not all
directly connected to the time you
spend. If you are already in busi-
ness for yourself it means learning
to take the money you make and
maximize it by having better con-
trol of how your business makes its
money and how you as an individ-
ual invest yours.
If you’re lucky enough to have
your own shop or to work for a
good business owner you might be
able to scrape by on only that, but
you might work yourself into an
early grave. And, of course, if the
job goes away, the money stops.
It’s no way to live and no way to
teach your children to live.
Anyone can make the leap to
this form of entrepreneurship and,
subsequently, financial freedom.
Sure, you may have to learn new
practical skills, but mostly it’s a
matter of changing your mindset.
continues next page
35
It’s Your Business
Once you break free of “middle-
class programming,” half the battle
is won.
Here are 15 Universal Laws of
Entrepreneurship for you to con-
sider:
“I will always do exactly what
I say I will do.”
Most of us do keep our word to
others, or at least try to. And, of
course, being trustworthy is critical
to your success. (How else will we
find investors and get return cus-
tomers and referrals?) But what
about the promises and pacts you
make with yourself? Most people
are far more likely to break agree-
ments with themselves than they
are with others. Yet since becoming
an entrepreneur requires a dramat-
ic change in both mindset and
habits, you won’t get far if you
keep letting yourself off the hook.
“I will take action in my
life now!”
I’d like to build my wealth. I
want to start my own business. It
would be great to be in firm con-
trol of my financial future. These
are nice, positive thoughts, but
when they’re not paired with ac-
tion, they are nothing but day-
dreams. Only action – not plans,
not goals and not ambition – gets
results. Every day that you don’t
take a concrete step forward is an-
other day of the status quo, anoth-
er day of accepting a mediocre,
humdrum life.
“I will remove all unconscious,
negative and scarcity-based
programming.”
The middle class has been “pro-
grammed” with belief systems that
weren’t designed to help us attain
wealth and that, indeed, barely
work at all anymore. But because
everyone around us is buying into
the formula, we assume it’s the
“right” way. Often, you’ll find that
fear, not a rational reason, is hold-
ing you back. You need to evaluate
and gradually reprogram your be-
liefs about the fear of investing, the
availability of money and the lack
36
mentality that is so common in our
society. And as you begin to expe-
rience greater rewards, you’ll con-
firm the beliefs and actions that
create wealth.
“I will remain aware that I am
100% responsible, 100% of
the time, for the results in
my life.”
It’s easy to blame disappoint-
ments and failures on everything
other than ourselves. For instance:
“I could be a lot wealthier if the
economy hadn’t tanked.” Or,
“How was I supposed to know
that there would be a storm and I’d
have to clean out my savings to re-
place my roof?” Although it’s true
that you can’t always foresee or
control what happens in your life,
you can choose how you respond
to those circumstances.
I know, life has a way of kicking
in the door and derailing your
plans. There are bills to pay, prob-
lems to solve and circumstances
that need attention. You’ll have to
deal with these issues, but you can-
not allow them to stop you. Every
day, you must make time to move
toward the life of your dreams, no
matter how small that step is. If
you aren’t taking steps to change
your reality, you forfeit the right to
complain about it.
“I will invest in a financial-
education program to
master the skills of being
an entrepreneur.”
For decades, American schools
have taught (and are still teaching)
students that they’ll need to give
the best years of their lives to em-
ployers so that they can retire on
40% of their working salary.
(That’s assuming they can get a
good job at all in today’s economy,
of course.) It stands to reason that
if you want more out of life, you’ll
need to seek some non-traditional
education that will help you culti-
vate the skills that will enable you
to generate multiple streams of in-
come. You’ll need to learn about
acquiring credit, using debt wisely,
seeking (and persuading) in-
vestors, and marketing your prod-
ucts or services to buyers.
“I will remain coachable.”
History is filled with the tragic
downfalls of leaders who got “too
big for their britches,” refused to
consider the advice and expertise
of others, and ran their organiza-
tions and empires into the ground.
Entrepreneurs, by nature, are go-
against-the-grain types. It’s easy
for them to assume they know best
and disregard good advice from
those who’ve been there. Don’t fall
into this trap. Not only should you
carefully consider advice, but you
also should actively seek it out.
“I will stop doing minimum-
wage activities.”
Our culture puts hard work on a
pedestal. From sayings like “If you
want the job done right, do it your-
self” to the belief that the longer
you stay at the office, the better
employee you are, it’s clear that
Americans think that spilling one’s
blood, sweat and tears is a noble
calling. Not so. If you don’t sepa-
rate yourself from the mundane
and the nitty-gritty, you might just
micromanage your business away
from success.
“I will always remember that
time is more valuable
than money.”
Chances are, you grew up being
taught that the way to support
yourself and to get ahead in life
was to trade your time for money.
In other words, if you spend 40 or
more hours a week doing what
your employer wants, you’ll be
paid for 40 or more hours. But once
those 40 hours are gone, they’re
gone forever. So the question is:
Did you do anything with those
hours that builds your future or
did you just trade them for a little
bit of money?
It’s OK to put in a lot of time in
the beginning. You have to estab-
lish systems that will do a good
deal of the work for you later on,
but eventually you’ll have these
systems in place that allow you to
Transmission Digest
profit from time put in by others
and to reinvest your earnings so
that you can generate even more
income.
“I will maintain a credit score
of 760 or higher.”
Your credit score is the gate
standing between you and the
success you dream of. That’s be-
cause lenders use credit-score rat-
ings to control the amount of
money in the marketplace. If they
want to increase the flow, they
lower qualifying scores. And if
they want to decrease the flow,
they raise those scores. As an en-
trepreneur, it’s crucial for you to
be able to borrow money when-
ever you need it, regardless of
what the market is doing.
In 2011, the scoring for “A”
credit was raised to 730.
Therefore, you should choose to
have A+ credit with a score of 760
or higher. Not only will this score
allow you to borrow money any
time, but it also means that you’ll
qualify for lower interest rates.
Overall, make it a priority to be-
come a master at understanding,
evaluating and controlling your
credit score and credit availability
so that you’ll never find the gate
to the resources you need closed
and locked.
“I will no longer view debt as
negative, because I will use
credit to invest so I can get
out of destructive debt for
the rest of my life.”
We’ve all heard the horror sto-
ries: families so sunk in consumer
debt they were forced to declare
bankruptcy and individuals
whose educational debt haunted
them for the rest of their lives. In
part because of these cautionary
tales, we’ve been programmed to
believe the only route to financial
freedom is becoming debt free. It
might be time to reprogram that
belief.
It’s not that debt itself is bad;
it’s the type of debt that’s impor-
tant. When you borrow money at
continues page 40
Circle No. 4 on Reader Card
April 2014 37
CATALOG/PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Transtar Industries Certified Transmission
Transtar is your full line supplier of domestic and import Just released from our
New OEM, Aftermarket and Quality Tech team, the
Remanufactured Toyota/Lexus U660.
and Used Hard Certified Transmission
Parts for now has in stock the
your drive- U660 for the Lexus
line solution ES350, Camry and
need. Avalon. Check out
our website
www.certifiedtransmission.com
or call one of our distributors.

Circle No. 61 on Reader Card Circle No. 65 on Reader Card

Jasper Engines & Transmissions Slauson Transmission Parts

Through its Authentic Custom Slauson Transmission Parts
Drivetrains Division, JASPER offers combines more than 50 years of
custom remanufacturing for classic-car parts experience with the most
transmissions. With experience dating advanced parts identification tools
back to 1942, the latest technology and our in the industry (the Slauson Book,
passion for perfection, you can expect only the best from a Jasper Slauson Smart Part ordering
Authentic Custom transmission. Will your customer’s newer model system – www.slauson.com,
vehicle be a classic someday? JASPER has seen a growing trend of and now the Slauson Android App).
newer car owners requesting Authentic builds on soon-to-be clas- Slauson carries a full line of automatic transmission products
sics. Their processes can be adapted to suit the needs of any year (hard parts, soft parts and electrical). Family owned and operated
model. JASPER also offers free shipping in most areas with their since 1956. Call (800) 421-5580 for access to the most complete
own fleet of trucks equipped with lift gates and powered hand trucks. parts inventory available.
Circle No. 62 on Reader Card Circle No. 66 on Reader Card

ETE Reman Rostra Precision Controls

As transmission technology evolves, so Rostra now has available
does the transmission remanufacturing large-scale posters
industry. This shift – no pun intended – showing the company’s
is no more apparent than in the complete line of more than
6L80-E. In the latest installation of its 350 import and domestic
popular product update video series, solenoids, sensors and wire
ETE REMAN, one of the largest and harnesses. Each poster
most diverse transmission remanufacturers in the automotive includes descriptions,
aftermarket, highlights the updates and upgrades made to this photos and part numbers,
increasingly popular family of transmissions. Proving that, like along with a QR code that
rock-hard abs and ice-cold brews, good things come in sixes – directs you to Rostra’s
speeds, that is. See for yourself at http://bit.ly/TD_6L80! website for the latest information on new products.
Circle No. 63 on Reader Card Circle No. 67 on Reader Card

Whatever It Takes Transmission Jiffy-tite® Aftermarket

Whatever It Takes Transmission 2014 Jiffy-tite custom fluid connectors are used
Parts Catalog features photo break- by over 24 OEMs around the
downs of over 100 of the newest world. Chances are, whether
Foreign & Domestic transmissions. you are repairing an automatic
Every two page spread provides part transmission or building a
numbers & complete photo break- replacement heat exchanger, the OE had Jiffy-tite fluid fittings.
downs of the unit assembly. WIT also Replace a Jiffy-tite with a Jiffy-tite to maintain premium quality.
offers the catalog in CD format, which Jiffy-tite custom fluid connectors are a premier quality product
also includes “Tranny Guide,” the and are made in the USA. Our unique Jiffy-Lok® and Jiffy-Seal®
most up-to-date vehicle to automatic innovations save time and improve reliability by eliminating the
transmission index in the industry. This CD allows you to quickly need for separate hose clamps or joint compound. With Jiffy-tite
retrieve important information with just a click of a button. engineered quality, you are guaranteed a superior product.
Circle No. 64 on Reader Card Circle No. 68 on Reader Card

38 Transmission Digest
TransTec® by Corteco
Now Available – Corteco has introduced
a new TransTec® overhaul
kit 2615, which services the
ZF RWD/AWD 8-speed
HP45/845RE transmission.
This global transmission
application is found in vehicle
makes that include Audi, BMW,
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Land Rover
and VW. TransTec® kit 2615 is in stock and ready for immediate
delivery. Contact your authorized TransTec® distributor or visit
www.transtec.com for more information.
Circle No. 69 on Reader Card
Superior Transmission Parts Inc.
Superior Transmission Parts’ interactive
website offers product information on
all the products Superior’s Shift
Technologies®, Fairbanks Performance®
and TransLab Engineered® brands have
to offer. This upgraded site includes
updated pictures of all the kits and
current part numbers, distributor locations with phone numbers,
product search capabilities with advanced search, links to
seminars and training, video presentation & NEW downloadable
Pock-O-Log™ 2nd edition, and how to contact us and the history
of Superior. Visit us at: www.superiortransmission.com
Circle No. 70 on Reader Card
TCS
Performance
TCS Performance
Transmission
Products
manufactures
a line of heavy
duty parts for
the Allison 1000 transmission. Made from select alloy steels,
these parts are manufactured for those who demand superior
strength and performance for towing and extreme competition
applications. Please visit our website at www.TCSproducts.com.
Circle No. 71 on Reader Card
Transmission Specialties
Transmission Specialties of Aston, Pa., has
grown to become the largest supplier of high
performance torque converter parts in the world
thanks to our customers. Offering an array of
forged billet covers, aftermarket impeller pumps
and turbines, and the all new multi-disk lockup
high performance torque converter kits for 2014. Our new 2014 high
performance converter parts catalog continues to expand. TSI
continues to offer high performance transmissions, racing torque
converters and quality high performance transmission parts to com-
plete our product line. Give us a call today for same day shipping
with NO back orders! 610-485-9110 or email kenktsi@comcast.net.
Circle No. 72 on Reader Card
April 2014
Sonnax
Sonnax designs and manufactures the industry’s
best driveshaft components including aluminum
weld yokes, tubing, repair bushings and Power
Train Savers®. Now, Sonnax has taken slip yokes
to a whole new level by offering affordable, high-
quality performance yokes which are forged,
precision machined and 100% leak tested for
maximum durability and dependability. These revolutionary yokes
are featured in the latest Sonnax slip yoke catalog, along with helpful
charts showing how to verify correct dimensions, spline tooth count,
critical application information and more. To request a slip yoke
catalog for your shop, or to view it online, visit www.sonnax.com.
Circle No. 73 on Reader Card
Raybestos Powertrain
Raybestos Powertrain GPZ plates greatly
increase transmission performance and
durability. This state-of-the-art friction mate-
rial far exceeds OE material to withstand
high stress, high temperatures and repeated
cycling. GPZ plates’ outstanding perform-
ance benefits are perfect for heavy-duty vehicles and high-stress
driving. Testing of GPZ revolutionary friction material shows that it
outperforms OE materials by as much as 20%. Plus, its perform-
ance improves as the power increases. And don’t forget it comes
with a five-year/100,000-mile warranty! Visit www.raybestospower-
train.com for a complete list of GPZ applications.
Circle No. 74 on Reader Card
Alto Products
The newest
version of
Alto’s Automatic,
Standard,
Hi-Performance,
Motorcycle,
Marine and
Heavy Duty
catalogs is now
available. All catalogs are available in hard copy, on CD, or may be
downloaded from our website, www.altousa.com, in PDF format.
Contact your sales representative to request one today.
Circle No. 75 on Reader Card
EVT Parts
EVT Parts now offers remanufactured cases for AW 55-50SN
transmissions. EVT carries a full line of automatic-transmission
parts, including rebuild kits, converters, mounts, solenoids and
hard parts. Same-day delivery is available in a limited area, or
parts can be shipped directly
to your shop.
www.evtparts.com
Circle No. 76 on Reader Card
39
It’s Your Business
continued from page 37
“It’s easy
to blame
disappointments
and failures on
everything other
than ourselves.”
4% to invest it in something that
makes 10%, that’s good debt. The
money is working for you. When
you run up your credit-card debt
because you had to have that new
TV that you really don’t have the
money to buy and pay 30% inter-
est, that’s bad, destructive debt.
From this day forward, commit to
using debt to invest and build
your wealth. Yes, debt can be fi-
nancial quicksand. But used wise-
ly, it can also give you leverage
and make you rich.
“I will no longer listen to people
who are not where I want
to be financially.”
The saying “Those who cannot
do, teach” does not apply to build-
ing wealth. It would be foolish to
take financial advice from some-
one with one stream of income
who consistently lives paycheck to
paycheck (Newsflash: That’s most
people), or to adopt a wealth-
building strategy from an entre-
preneur whose business is
constantly in the red.
I’ve noticed that the people
with the least amount of money
tend to have the most advice.
Don’t listen to them! Instead, seek
advice only from those who are
where you want to be financially.
“I will fulfill the unmet
needs of others.”
You may have the best shop in
the area, but if the surrounding
neighborhood doesn’t have
enough vehicles in need of service
40
or repair, your shop will flop. Yes,
it’s a simplistic example, but the
principle behind it holds true: If
your business doesn’t address and
fulfill an unmet need, it’s not
going to be successful – period.
And in today’s highly competitive
world with a business on every
corner, it’s critical to identify what
others aren’t doing (or aren’t will-
ing to do!) so that you can com-
pete and win customers.
“I will always be on time.”
You might think rushing into an
appointment a few minutes late
isn’t a big deal. If so, you’re
wrong. For one thing, lateness, es-
pecially if it’s chronic, increases
stress levels and causes you to be
in a more-frazzled state of mind
than might otherwise be the case,
but – even more important – late-
ness is a character issue.
When you’re late to a meeting,
you’re being disrespectful to oth-
ers, because by not managing your
time well you’re wasting theirs.
Plus, if you’re late to a more-pri-
vate appointment, you will have
to work through what is essential-
ly a broken agreement before you
can progress any further. If you re-
call, not breaking agreements is a
cornerstone of all the Universal
Laws of Being an Entrepreneur.
When you’re not on time, you’re
breaking your word to yourself
and the others in the meeting. Do
it a few times and they may never
trust you again.
“I will become a master at
creating systems and
processes.”
This is all about building a busi-
ness that runs, and can continue to
run, effectively and efficiently.
Why? Because you don’t want to
have to spend your oh-so-valuable
time reinventing the wheel and
micromanaging others.
“I will build the right
relationships with the
right power-team members.”
If you’re truly working toward
creating wealth, you’re not going
to be building one small business
that you personally operate and
run. Instead, you’ll be creating
multiple, duplicable small busi-
nesses that are constantly creating
new streams of income for you.
You’ll need to be able to hand off
tasks and duties to others. And
that means you’ll need a strong
team of the right people doing the
hard work for you.
Your team is the power behind
your skill as an entrepreneur.
That’s why it’s critical to evaluate
these people personally and make
sure they’re right for the job. No
warm bodies here. Everyone you
pay money to has to enhance your
opportunity to make money. If
they don’t, you don’t need them.
Go find people who will.
What it all comes down to is
that life is really just a series of
choices. We decide whether to
watch TV after work or spend an
hour on our action plan, whether
to take the class or not take the
class, whether to hold the cards or
place the bet. Most people take the
path of least resistance and go
with the herd. Those who don’t
are the ones who will create rich,
full lives that are truly worth liv-
ing. TD
In these challenging times Terry wants everyone
to have a copy of his 450-page book, “How to
Market and Sell Automotive and Transmission
Service and Repair.” For only $98.32 you will
receive two copies of the industry textbook that
will teach you all the techniques necessary to
make profitable sales and retain your customers
for future business. Keep one and give the other
to an employee, a competitor or perhaps that
account you’ve been trying to land or thank for
their business. As a bonus (free of charge) you
will also receive Terry’s “$ales Help Screens”
computer software to use as a training aid or
when you need instant answers to your cus-
tomer’s toughest price objections (may not be
compatible with the new 64-bit computers run-
ning Windows 7). Ordering will also make you
eligible to buy additional copies of the book at
only $49.16 each. Please call 914-882-3003 or
visit www.TerryGreenhut.com to order any of
Terry’s training materials or take your 20-question
self- and business-evaluation test. Although no
one can see the results but you, it’s a real eye
opener.
Transmission Digest
TECHNICAL TRAINING R&R Tech

• Author: Jim Stokes

• Subject Matter: Installation
• Units: 46/47RE, 518, 604, 4L60-E, Allison 1000, U241E
• Vehicle Applications: Chrysler, GM, Toyota
• Issue: Ground problems

Staying Grounded Unit: Chrysler 46/47RE

Vehicle: 1999 Dodge R2500 4WD 5.9 diesel 47RE
Complaint: Bucks while being driven

A
s a member of our team of technical advisers, I
One of the most-common complaints on the 46/47RE
have come across many different scenarios that
units is the torque-converter clutch (TCC) being com-
have been traced to the improper grounding of
manded on and off when the vehicle is being driven at
a component, or case. There are many different symp-
moderate speeds. In this case, we could see the sole-
toms, but all have a common cause and repair: They
noid being commanded on and off, causing the vehicle
are all related to a grounding problem in an electrical
to buck and the tachometer to fluctuate. In most in-
circuit of the vehicle. We always think about the im-
stances, the most-common repair is to direct the accel-
portance of source voltage, but the ground side of the
erator-pedal-position (APP) sensor signal from pin 3
circuit is equally important. As automotive design has
directly to the powertrain control module (PCM) at pin
evolved over time, the electrical integrity of all control
23, to bypass the circuit through the engine control
circuits is critical for proper function.
module (ECM). In this instance, however, this method
The following cases are some real-world examples
of repair was not successful. To complete the repair, the
of customer complaints, symptoms and repairs that
installer had to add another ground from pin 4 of the
were traced to faulty ground circuits.
continues next page

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Circle No. 24 on Reader Card

April 2014 41
R&R Tech
APP sensor directly to one of the battery negative ter-
minals. This circuit normally goes from pin 4 of the
APP sensor to ECM pin 32. That ground had been
compromised, so the overlay cured the issue.
Unit: Chrysler 518
Vehicle: 1999 Dodge R2500 4WD 5.9 gas
Complaint: Third-gear starts, no shifts
We don’t see this complaint nearly as often as we
did five (or so) years ago, but it still shows up in our
shops on occasion. The transmission can have third-
gear starts with no upshifts or downshifts, or erratic
shifting and no TCC engagement, TCC cycling, and
various codes for the O2 sensors and/or governor sen-
sor codes, or sometimes no codes. In the subject vehi-
cle, only two codes were present: P0133 (1/1 O2 sensor
slow to respond) and P0152 (2/1 O2 sensor shorted to
voltage).
The O2-sensor diagnostics revealed that the sensors
were good, but the ground circuit for them (through
splice S122) was found to have a lot of green corrosion
in it, causing all the related circuits to work erratically.
All the circuits in the splice were cleaned up and re-
sealed, and ground 125 at the front of the engine was
also cleaned for better contact. After these repairs,
both the O2 sensors and the governor solenoid func-
tioned correctly.
Unit: Chrysler 604
Vehicle: 2004 Chrysler Town and Country FWD 3.8L
Complaint: Harsh, bumpy coast downshifts
This vehicle had a remanufactured transmission in-
stalled in it. As per normal procedure, the pinion fac-
tor was reset, and the quick-learn procedure was
performed prior to the post-installation road test.
Everything performed normally, with no warning
lights or codes, so the vehicle was delivered to the cus-
tomer.
Eight days after delivery, the customer brought the
vehicle back with a complaint of harsh, bumpy down-
shifts when coasting to a stop. The diagnostician con-
firmed the condition, performed the quick learn again
and found that the downshifts were acceptable. This
cycle repeated itself four to five times over the course
of a month, so the installing shop filed a warranty
claim to get assistance with diagnosing the problem.
Starting with the basics, we had the alternator out-
put checked and the three-month-old battery tested.
Both were functioning within specs. Next, we had the
battery output circuits tested with a voltage-drop test,
and the results showed just over 2 volts being lost in
the circuit. The cable to the starter had only a 0.10-volt
drop, so the loss was apparently on the return side of
the circuit.
Simply replacing the negative battery cable restored
the circuit and eliminated the excessive voltage drop.
The vehicle was again delivered to the customer but
42
had no other issues afterward.
Unit: GM 4L60-E
Vehicle: 1993 K1500 pickup, 5.7L
Complaint: Harsh 1-2 shift, firm 2-3 shift
After installation of a remanufactured unit, the in-
staller called us with a complaint of a harsh 1-2 shift
and a firm 2-3 shift. The previous unit was having the
same problem before it was finally replaced for a no-re-
verse condition. Scan-tool data showed an actual read-
ing of 1.10 amps for the pressure-control-solenoid
command in drive at idle.
A pressure gauge was installed, and in drive at 650
rpm the pressure reading was 130 psi. The installer did-
n’t have an amp probe available, so he placed the
DVOM in amp mode and hard-wired in series to the re-
turn circuit of the PC solenoid at pin D, near the trans-
mission-harness connector. While the scan tool showed
1.1 amps in the parameter identification data, the amm-
meter wired into the return circuit had an actual read-
ing of 0.09A. They did not match.
This indicated that the ECM was not able to properly
ground the circuit to control the line pressure. A re-
placement ECM was readily available, but an updated
EPROM was not. After replacement of the ECM, the
unit had 72 psi in drive at idle, the shifts were smooth,
and the vehicle was delivered. Since this case, I have as-
sisted in this diagnosis 20 times or more all across the
country.
Unit: Allison 1000
Vehicle: 2002 K2500 pickup, 6.6L Duramax
Complaint: Code P0741 (TCC stuck off)
After installation of a remanufactured transmission,
code P0741 (TCC system stuck off) was set during a
road test. This code was also present prior to installa-
tion of the replacement transmission. The previous unit
failed primarily from the loud grinding and crunching
noises in the gear train but also had this code stored in
memory.
The TCM data showed that the TCC circuit was
being commanded on at a 100% duty cycle and had a
slip reading of 160 rpm on a level road at moderate
throttle. A continuity test of the voltage supply and re-
turn circuit was performed, and both circuits had little
to no resistance. When the solenoid was bi-directionally
controlled with the transmission in gear at idle and ap-
plied at 100%, there was an obvious load on the engine.
The idle speed dipped by 150 rpm but the engine did
not stall as expected.
We had the installer trace the transmission harness
from the TCM to the transmission, and a small black
box was found wired into the harness at the firewall.
Wires were found coming out from and also back into
the harness. When he removed the box from the fire-
wall, it was noted that it was labeled as an “Engine
Brake Controller.” The technician removed the wiring
Transmission Digest
from the box and repaired the circuits that were cut in
the harness. He then performed the fast-learn proce-
dure again and completed the relearn drive procedure.
The TCC operation then returned to normal and on the
same level road as tested previously had a 45% apply
cycle and zero slip reading. Though this was not a true
ground repair, the return ground was altered to the
TCM, and that is what caused the circuit to fail.
Unit: Toyota U241E
Vehicle: 2001 RAV4 2.0L
Complaint: No engine cranking; dash lights stay on
and heater fan runs with ignition switch off
This case also starts with a fresh installation of a re-
manufactured transmission. After the installation, the
engine wouldn’t turn over, the dash lights stayed on
with the ignition switch turned off, and the heater
blower fan ran with the switch in the off position. The
battery checked good with 13.5 volts.
As the technician was preparing to perform a volt-
age-drop test on the starter circuit, the technician
working on the vehicle said his test light glowed when
grounded at the negative battery terminal and with
the positive probe connected to the transmission case.
Circle No.
April 2014
A DVOM reading showed 9.3V. He then removed all
the ground connections to the transmission case,
cleaned the terminals and the contact locations on the
case and also cleaned the frame-contact location for the
cables on the other end.
After these corrections, the voltage reading at the
case dropped to 0.3V, and the starter functioned cor-
rectly. After addition of an auxiliary ground cable from
the case to the negative battery terminal, the case volt-
age reading dropped to 0.05V. The vehicle was then de-
livered to the customer.
As with any diagnostic process, it all comes down to
the basics. Modern vehicle electronic controls and sen-
sors rely on tiny levels of voltage to use computer logic
that controls engine, transmission and other vehicle
systems. In turn, if circuits or components interfere
with those tiny voltages, subsystems will become errat-
ic and can cause some puzzling vehicle behaviors.
Grounds are often overlooked, yet so simple to test and
correct. TD
Jim Stokes is a warranty technical consultant for Certified Transmission. He
holds a current ASE Master Technician + L1 certification and has been with the
company more than 14 years.
10 on Reader Card
43
HARD PARTS SUPPLIERS
In the following listing,
product-line descriptions
are based on information
provided by the suppliers.
Descriptions of products
beyond the scope of
automatic hard parts
were removed with the
exception of including
valve bodies. Commercial
content has been removed
as well.
‡ Indicates main facility of
a multiple-location supplier.
For the location nearest
you, consult the 2014
Powertrain Directory.
44
‡A & Reds Transmission Parts 3737 W 29th
St S Wichita KS 67217-1005,
PH:316.942.5300, TF:800.835.1007,
FX:316.942.8947
WEB:www.areds.com
Email:parts@areds.com
Full line of new, rebuilt & used parts for
automatic, transfer case, CVT, ECVT & DCT
(wet & dry) applications. Machine Shop.
Allied Transmissions Ltd 235149 Ryan Rd.
SE Calgary AB T1X 0K1 CANADA,
PH:403.279.9505, TF:888.232.2203,
FX:403.279.7362
WEB:www.allied-transmission.com
Email:sales@allied-transmission.com
Authorized “on-highway” OEM Allison new &
used parts.
‡Alto Products Corp. 1 Alto Way Atmore AL
36502-1018, PH:251.368.7777,
TF:888.USA.ALTO, FX:251.368.7774
WEB:www.altousa.com
Email:cs@altousa.com
See Our Ad Page: 9
Variety of stock replacement Allison shafts &
hi-performance 300M shafts for Allison 1000
& Chrysler units.
Automotive Wholesalers Inc. 2224 W 94th
St Bloomington MN 55431-2313,
PH:952.884.2336, TF:800.231.3011
WEB:http://personalpages.uslink.net/~jurkovsj
Email:awi@tds.net
New, reconditioned & used hard parts for AT
& transfer case applications.
Bishop International Inc 224 N Corinth Street
Rd Bldg C Dallas TX 75203-2033,
PH:214.943.1104, TF:800.231.1104,
FX:214.943.9247
WEB:www.bishopengine.com
Email:bcowan@bishopengine.com
Foreign & domestic used transmission parts.
Buffalo Engine Components 1824 Fillmore
Ave Buffalo NY 14214, PH:716.893.2661,
FX:716.893.0790
WEB:www.buffaloengine.com
Email:info@buffaloengine.com
OE & aftermarket new & used hard parts.
California Trans. Products (CALTRANS) 525
S Santa Fe St Santa Ana CA 92705-4141,
PH:714.953.9282, TF:800.995.4611,
FX:714.953.2614
Complete line foreign & domestic hard parts:
OE & aftermarket new, used & reman.
‡Capital Core 3790 E 5th Ave Columbus OH
43219-1807, TF:800.223.1884,
FX:614.464.1883
WEB:www.capitalcoreinc.com
Email:sales@capitalcoreinc.com
Distributor of a complete line of new, used &
remanufactured automatic & transfer case
hard parts for domestic & import vehicles.
Chrysler Group LLC/Mopar Parts 1000
Chrysler Dr Auburn Hills MI 48326-2766,
TF:866.262.8517
WEB:www.mopar.com
Email:customerservice@moparrepairconnec-
tion.com
See Our Ad Page: 43
Complete line of Mopar® OE & reman parts
for Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram, Fiat &
SRT vehicles.
Cobra Transmission Parts 4720 SW 75th
Ave Miami FL 33155-4472,
PH:786.472.8500
WEB:www.cobratransmission.com
Email:info@cobratransmission.com
Full line of OE & aftermarket new, used &
remanufactured hard parts for automatic
transmissions & transfer cases.
‡DACCO Inc. PO Box 2789 Cookeville TN
38502-2789 741 Dacco Drive Cookeville TN
38506, PH:505.244.0563, TF:800.443.2226,
FX:505.244.0524
WEB:www.daccoinc.com
Email:sales@daccoinc.com
Full line of remanufactured pumps, drums &
planetaries, overdrive assemblies & valve
bodies.
Transmission Digest
Dan Maddox Transmission Parts 1532
Reeves St Dothan AL 36303-2842,
PH:334.794.6416, TF:888.762.3369,
FX:334.794.6027
Complete line of domestic & import trans-
mission parts. New, rebuilt & used hard
parts.
‡Dartco Transmission Allison Sales &
Service 4390 N Long Rd Columbus IN
47203-9010, PH:812.378.9599,
TF:800.371.7957, FX:812.378.9939
WEB:www.dartcotransmission.com
Email:jrsellars@dartcotransmission.com
Allison transmission new, used & rebuilt
replacement parts for on- & off-highway
applications
Ford Genuine Parts 16800 Executive Plaza
Dr Dearborn MI 48126-4262 Ford or Lincoln
Dealers, TF:800.392.7946, FX:866.318.6448
WEB:www.fordparts.com
Fatsco Transmission Parts PO Box 635 Pine Email:pac@ford.com
Brook NJ 07058-0635 337 Changebridge Rd OEM transmission & transfer case parts for
Pine Brook NJ 07058, PH:973.227.2487, Ford, Mercury & Lincoln vehicles.
TF:800.524.0485, FX:973.227.5414
WEB:www.fatsco.com
Email:fatsco@optimum.net
Domestic & import AT parts 1946-present.
New (from major manufacturers), used &
rebuilt parts.
continues next page

Eriksson Industries 146 Elm St Ste B Old

Saybrook CT 06475-4130, PH:800.388.4418,
TF:800.388.4418, FX:860.395.0047
WEB:www.zftranspart.com
Email:eriksson.indust@snet.net
ZF Authorized distributor. OE New, used &
remanufactured parts + Mechatronics for ZF
applications.

EVT Parts 1155 N McKinley Ave Los Angeles

CA 90059-3504, PH:310.327.2910,
TF:866.EVT.PART, FX:310.327.5649
WEB:www.evtparts.com
Email:evtparts8825@netscape.net
See Our Ad Page: 25
Full line of good used & aftermarket new AT
hard parts for import & domestic applica-
tions.

Exedy Globalparts Corp./Daikin Clutch 8601

Haggerty Rd Belleville MI 48111-1607,
PH:734.397.3333, TF:800.346.6091,
FX:734.397.7300
WEB:www.exedyusa.com
Email:amsales@exedyusa.com
Manufacturer of wet & dry friction materials,
for domestic & import OE/Aftermarket, off-
highway & Sport/Performance applications.

Circle No. 18 on Reader Card

April 2014 45
HARD PARTS SUPPLIERS
G-Cor Automotive 2148 Refugee Rd
Columbus OH 43207-2841,
PH:614.444.5160, TF:877.888.5160,
FX:614.444.5165
WEB:www.g-corautomotive.com
Email:wholesale@g-cor.com
See Our Ad Page: 23
Import & domestic hard parts for rebuilders,
wholesale or retail shops.
Get It Hard Parts 2630 E Bell Rd Ste 4
Phoenix AZ 85032-2442, PH:602.971.0477,
FX:602.393.6866
WEB:www.getithardparts.com
New & used AT hard parts, cores & more.
GFX Corp. 4810 NW 74th Ave Miami FL
33166-5512, PH:305.499.9789,
FX:305.499.9670
WEB:www.gfxcorp.com
Email:dgarcia@gfxcorp.com
Wide selection of new, used & surplus AT parts
& valve bodies. Manufacturer & distributor.
GM Customer Care & Aftersales 6200 Grand
Pointe Dr Grand Blanc MI 48439-5501
Contact Local GM Dealership,
PH:810.635.5000, TF:866.OE.PARTS,
FX:810.606.3250
WEB:www.genuinegmparts.com
OE new & reman GM-validated components
& electronics. OE updates, upgrades &TSBs.
J.P. Automatic Transmissions Ltd. 4 A & B
Pear Tree Industrial Est Upper Langford N.
SOM BS40 5DJ UK, PH:+44(0)1934852772,
FX:+44(0)1934852211
WEB:www.jpat.co.uk
Email:bdp@jpat.co.uk
ZF Distributor with hard parts available for
many other imports including European,
Japanese & Korean vehicles. New, used &
reman depending on vehicle.
46
Karamatic Automotive 702 Fordham Rd,
PH:610.668.1123, FX:610.410.7373
Email:kaparts@comcast.net
OE & aftermarket new, used & remanufac-
tured parts for American & foreign applica-
tions.
Koyo Bearings North America 29570
Clemens Rd Westlake OH 44145-1007,
PH:440.835.1010, TF:800.248.5696,
FX:440.835.9347
WEB:www.koyousa.com
Email:arron.muscovich@jtekt.com
‡Matech BTA Inc. 1570 Boulevard St.
Charles Drummondville QB J2C 4Z5 CANA-
DA, PH:819.478.4015, TF:800.567.0929,
FX:819.474.4907
WEB:www.matechbta.com
Email:mvalois@matechbta.com
Domestic & import OE & aftermarket new,
used & remanufactured hard parts.
Meridian Industries 10250 Brecksville Rd
Brecksville OH 44141-3342,
PH:440.838.4500, FX:330.777.5681
Email:meridianind@sbcglobal.net
Manufacturer & distributor of new, remanu-
factured & used hard parts for domestic &
foreign transmissions.
Mid America Parts & Cores 330 N. Kansas
Expressway B/Rear Springfield MO 65802-
4351, PH:417.866.1466, TF:888.611.1466,
FX:417.866.1543
WEB:www.midamparts.com
Email:4midamericaparts@gmail.com
OE new, aftermarket new, reconditioned &
used hard parts for import & domestic units.
Mid States Transmission Parts 209 W 76th
St Davenport IA 52806-1342,
PH:563.386.7166, TF:800.325.6772,
FX:563.386.7822
WEB:www.midstatestransmissionparts.com
Email:info@mstp.net
Complete line of OE & aftermarket new plus
used & rebuilt hard parts, foreign & domes-
tic applications.
Midwest Hard Parts 4930 Highway 44
Hamlin IA 50117-7509, PH:712.563.2313,
FX:712.563.2514
WEB:www.mhpi.co
Email:eddiejr@mhpi.co
Supplier of hard parts to resellers & produc-
tion rebuilders.
Midwest Transmission Center Inc. 40312
County 8 Blvd Zumbrota MN 55992-5058,
PH:507.824.2012, TF:888.824.2012,
FX:507.824.2487
WEB:www.midwesttrans.com
Email:leah@midwesttrans.com
Complete line of domestic & import new,
rebuilt & used AT hard parts. Specialty com-
ponents for HD applications.
Midwest Transmission Supply (MTS) 8625 I
St Omaha NE 68127-1617,
PH:402.731.4500, TF:800.731.4510,
FX:402.731.1542
WEB:www.midwesttransmissionsupply.com
Email:mts-steve@qwestoffice.net
Complete inventory of used & new foreign &
domestic hard parts.
Motospecs 2C Glendenning Road
Glendenning NSW 2761 AUSTRALIA,
PH:61.2.8867.7100
WEB:www.motospecs.com.au
Email:geoff.rosenbaum@motospecs.com
Supplies a range of OE & aftermarket new &
remanufactured parts for European,
Japanese & Korean transmissions.
Transmission Digest
Nogalitos Gear Company 433 New Laredo
Hwy San Antonio TX 78211-1925,
PH:210.923.4571, TF:800.929.5103,
FX:210.923.8205
WEB:www.ngparts.com
Email:dennis@ngparts.com
Automatic hard parts for domestic & import
cars & trucks to 1-ton. Remanufactured,
used, aftermarket & OE new.
Northeastern Transparts Co. Inc. 5727 S
Park Ave Hamburg NY 14075-3022,
PH:716.646.4500, TF:800.876.0321
WEB:www.northeasterntransparts.com
Email:sales@northeasterntransparts.com
Large inventory of quality inspected used
hard parts for all domestic & most imports.
Omega Machine & Tool Inc. 2949
Promenade St Ste 100 West Sacramento CA
95691-6412, PH:916.372.6001,
TF:800.601.7722, FX:916.372.6020
WEB:www.omegamachine.com
Email:info@omegamachine.com
Remanufacturer & repackager of AT trans-
mission parts.
Transmission Specialties now offers a full line of T-400 aftermarket parts
to strengthen the transmission for high horsepower applications.
UÊ 2.10 Straight Cut Planetary - 6 Pinion Carrrier, 4 Pinion Output Carrier
www.transmission-specialties.com
April 2014
Portland Torque Products Inc. 3039 NW
Yeon Ave Portland OR 97210-1519,
PH:503.228.2212, TF:800.640.0970,
FX:503.228.8581
WEB:www.portlandtorque.com
Email:dave@portlandtorque.com
New, used & reman hard parts for domestic
& import AT units.
Portland Transmission Warehouse 1016 SE
Hawthorne Blvd Portland OR 97214-3611,
PH:503.233.4966, TF:800.444.4556,
FX:503.233.2642
WEB:www.portlandtrans.com
Email:sales@portlandtrans.com
Full line of remanufactured, OE & aftermar-
ket new domestic & foreign hard parts.
Precision International PO Box 540 Yaphank
NY 11980-0540 14 Todd Court Extension
Yaphank NY 11980, PH:631.567.2000,
TF:800.872.6649, FX:631.567.2640
WEB:www.transmissionkits.com
Email:sales@transmissionkits.com
Quality Parts Supply LTD 15844 S Interstate
35 Bruceville TX 76630-3444,
PH:254.379.7734, TF:800.527.2914,
FX:254.857.9296
WEB:www.qualitypartssupply.com
Email:carllondon@qualitypartssupply.com
Domestic & import used hard parts.
UÊ Coated Aluminum Drum - designed to fit Pro Mod Sprag and
standard Sprag includes PM inner race, PM outer race, or standard
inner race plus intermediate pressure plate
UÊ 300M Input Shaft and Forward Drum
UÊ 300M Intermediate Main Shaft
UÊ Bushed Center Support and Billet Forward Clutch Hub
Circle No. 20 on Reader Card
Schaeffler Group USA Inc. 5370 Wegman Dr
Valley City OH 44280-9700,
PH:330.220.4132, TF:800.274.5001,
FX:330.220.6529
WEB:www.schaeffler-aftermarket.us
Email:customer.service@schaeffler.com
Seal Aftermarket Products 2315 SW 32nd
Ave Pembroke Park FL 33023-7709,
PH:954.364.2400, TF:800.582.2760,
FX:954.364.2401
WEB:www.sealsap.com
Email:customerservice@sealsap.com
Full coverage of foreign & domestic drums,
planets, shafts & shells. Large Ford OE
inventory & global sources for foreign appli-
cations.
‡Slauson Transmission Parts 15407 S
Broadway Gardena CA 90248-2207,
PH:310.768.2099, TF:800.421.5580,
FX:310.768.8298
WEB:www.slauson.com
Email:sales@slauson.com
See Our Ad Page: 51
Complete line of new, used & rebuilt hard
parts.
continues next page
47
HARD PARTS SUPPLIERS
Sonnax PO Box 440 Bellows Falls VT 05101-
0440 1 Automatic Drive Bellows Falls VT
05101, PH:802.463.9722, TF:800.843.2600,
FX:802.463.4059
WEB:www.sonnax.com
Email:info@sonnax.com
See Our Ad Page: IFC
Extensive line of valve body & pump parts.
OEM & aftermarket hard parts, electrical
components. High-performance transmis-
sion & driveline components. Worldwide
distributor network.
Stellar Automotive Group 4935 Panther
Pkwy Seville OH 44273-8930,
PH:330.769.8484, TF:800.458.5487,
FX:330.769.8483
WEB:www.stellargroupinc.com
Email:nhowsare@stellargroupinc.com
Supplier of AT parts for domestic & foreign
applications.
Superior Transmission Parts Inc. 3770
Hartsfield Rd Tallahassee FL 32303-1121,
PH:850.574.2369 Ext 2, TF:800.451.3115,
FX:850.575.9097
WEB:www.superior-transmission.com
Email:info@superiortransmission.com
Fixes & updated components, specialty
installation tools & related items.
TCS Transmission Products 6217 205th St
Langley BC V2Y 1N7 CANADA,
PH:604.533.8675, TF:800.960.1177,
FX:604.533.7894
WEB:www.tcsproducts.com
Email:sales@tcsproducts.com
Manufacturer of HD high horsepower, high
torque shafts, drums & associated hard
parts for North American working & per-
formance vehicles.
Teal Automotive Inc. 450 Industrial Dr
Dunkirk IN 47336-9607, PH:765.768.7726,
TF:800.722.0215, FX:765.768.1607
WEB:www.tealautomotiveinc.com
Email:bethfallis@tealautomotiveinc.com
See Our Ad Page: 45
Complete line OE & aftermarket new & used
hard parts for domestic & import applica-
tions.
48
TeckPak/Fitzall 3386 S Westwood Blvd
Poplar Bluff MO 63901-7375,
PH:573.785.8238, TF:800.527.2544,
FX:573.785.3303
WEB:www.teckpak.com
Email:customerservice@teckpak-fitzall.com
Texas National Transmission Parts 9812 N
Houston Rosslyn Rd Houston TX 77088-
2132, PH:713.983.0463, FX:713.983.9845
Email:myoder127@yahoo.com
New, used & rebuilt hard parts for domestic
& foreign cars & light trucks.
Toledo Driveline LLC 1110 Napoleon St
Fremont OH 43420-2328, PH:419.355.1200,
TF:888.604.9811, FX:419.355.1230
WEB:www.toledodriveline.com
Email:info@toledodriveline.com
OEM & aftermarket new. Reconditioned for
select applications.
Transmission Exchange Co. 1803 NE Ml
King Blvd Portland OR 97212-3926,
PH:503.284.0768, TF:800.776.1191,
FX:503.280.1655
WEB:www.txchange.com
Email:mail@txchange.com
Used, reman & new hard parts for AT &
transfer case applications.
Transmission Parts Unlimited (T.P.U.) PO
Box 1104 Forest Park GA 30298-1104 4788
Highway 42 Ellenwood GA 30294,
PH:404.366.1455, TF:800.241.3880,
FX:404.366.6428
WEB:www.transpartsunlimited.com
Domestic & import OE & aftermarket new,
used & remanufactured hard parts.
‡Transtar Industries Inc. 7350 Young Dr
Cleveland OH 44146-5390,
PH:440.232.5100, TF:855.TRANSTAR,
FX:440.232.0632
WEB:www.transtar1.com
Email:info@transtar1.com
See Our Ad Page: 13
Full line supplier of domestic & import OEM
new, aftermarket new, remanufactured &
used hard parts.
‡VBX - ValveBody Xpress 150 Mid Atlantic
Pkwy West Deptford NJ 08066-1858,
PH:856.848.0908, TF:866.2GET.VBX,
FX:856.848.1080
WEB:www.vbxus.com
Email:jrink@valvebodyxpress.com
See Our Ad Page: 41
Full line of remanufactured valve bodies &
Aisin Warner linear solenoids.
VTP South LLC 7025 Camden Ave
Pennsauken NJ 08110-1509,
PH:856.488.4451, TF:800.873.9770,
FX:856.488.6125
WEB:www.vtpsouth.com
Email:vtpsouth@verizon.net
Foreign & domestic OEM & aftermarket new,
rebuilt & used A/T parts & rebuilt valve bodies.
‡Whatever It Takes Inc. (WIT) PO Box 547
Hillview KY 40129-0547 4282 E Blue Lick Rd
Louisville KY 40229, PH:502.955.6035,
TF:800.940.0197, FX:502.955.6077
WEB:www.wittrans.com
Email:sales@wittrans.com
See Our Ad Page: 5
Full-line distributor of new, used & remanu-
factured hard parts. Import & domestic
applications.
ZF Services LLC 777 Hickory Hill Dr Vernon
Hills IL 60061-3182, PH:847.478.6868,
TF:800.321.0784, FX:847.478.6843
WEB:www.zf.com/us
Email:passcarinfo@zf.com
Complete line of OE hard parts for 5HP, 6HP
& 8HP transmissions for ZF-equipped
European vehicles.
TD
Transmission Digest
TECHNICAL TRAINING Bonus Tech

Engineering a
Solution
How to calculate working area
By Irvin Gers

M
odifying a transmission to increase its torque So, the question is, “How do we measure that?”
capacity can be a tricky thing. To do this The simple answer is, with a depth micrometer.
properly you should know what you have to The method is similar to how we measure for a
work with. As with building a house, you need to Chrysler rear-wheel-drive overdrive-piston shim.
have a good foundation or the house will crumble and Tools needed are a bar stock of known thickness
fall. with a hole drilled through, a depth micrometer, a mi-
In this article we will work with the Allison crometer, and an understanding of math and how to
LCT1000 transmission. Keeping in mind that there are accomplish our goal.
many factors involved in building a bullet-proof The method is this: Measure all we know and sub-
transmission, there is always Newton’s third law of tract what we don’t want, and what is left is what we
motion, basically stated, “For every action there is an continues next page
opposite and equal reaction.” For the trans-
mission rebuilder this means that for every
increase in horsepower and torque there is a
1
need for increased capacity in the clutch
packs.
Many times our engineering department
at Raybestos Powertrain is asked to come up
with a solution to a problem in a clutch pack
or drum. One common way is to increase
friction-plate count. Increasing friction
count in some transmissions is not always
easy, so let’s explore the foundation and see
what kind of house we can build.
To modify a clutch pack beyond OE speci-
fications, we need to know what the work-
ing height of the clutch pack is.
This is the total area we have to work Courtesy of ATSG
with, which will include the following:
A. An apply plate
B. The reaction (steel) plates 2
C. The friction plates
D. The top pressure plate (backing plate)
E. Clutch-pack clearance
We will start with how to identify the Working
area
portion of the drum needed to measure.
Figure 1 is an Allison LCT1000 C1/C2
drum without the C2 clutches. Notice the
stack-up of the C1 clutch.
Figure 2 shows one half of the C1 clutch C1 balance piston
Snap ring
removed for illustrative purposes. It illus- C1 piston
trates the working area of the C1 clutch.
The working area is between the C1-pis-
ton point of contact and the bottom of the
snap ring that holds the clutch components
Courtesy of ATSG
inside the working area.

April 2014 49
Bonus Tech

want – the working area. Let’s start with 3

measuring from the top of the drum to the
top of the C1 piston.
Place the bar stock on top of the drum as
in Figure 3 and using the depth micrometer 1.000 inch
measure in four different places, then aver-
age them. Your average measurement may
be similar to the one here:
Measurement 1 – 3.45025 inches Working
area
Measurement 2 – 3.44525 inches
Measurement 3 – 3.44625 inches
Measurement 4 – 3.44700 inches
Average measurement – 3.44719 inches
C1 balance piston
Snap ring
Do the same for the measurement to the C1 piston
top of the snap ring in Figure 4. Your meas-
urements may be similar to these:
Measurement 1 – 1.87100 inches
Measurement 2 – 1.87100 inches
Courtesy of ATSG
Measurement 3 – 1.87000 inches
Measurement 4 – 1.86900 inches
Average measurement – 1.87025 inches
4
Next measure the thickness of the snap
ring in four different places using a microm-
eter.
1.000 inch
Your measurements may be similar to
these:
Measurement 1 – 0.07965 inch
Measurement 2 – 0.07930 inch Working
Measurement 3 – 0.07895 inch area
Measurement 4 – 0.07905 inch
Average measurement – 0.07924 inch

Now let’s do the rest of the math. C1 balance piston

Take the first measurement average, top
of the drum to the top of the C1 piston point
of contact, and subtract the average meas-
urement top of the drum to the top of the
snap ring. Then subtract the average thick-
ness of the snap ring.
That was all of what you don’t want.
What is left is what you do want, which is the
working area, 1.49770 inches.
Top of the drum to the top of the C1 piston
point of contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.44719 inches
Top of the drum to the top of the snap ring . . . . . – 1.87025 inches
1.57694 inches
Snap-ring thickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . – 0.07924 inch
Working area of the clutch pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.49770 inches
Note that when we measured using the bar stock
no reference was made to subtracting the bar-stock
height to calculate the working area. The reason is
simple: All measurements required to calculate the
Snap ring
C1 piston
Courtesy of ATSG
working area except the snap-ring thickness are rela-
tive to each other.
Example: Take these four measurements: 4.25000,
4.23600, 4.22800, 4.22900 and average them = 4.23575
Now take these four measurements: 3.15000,
3.14950, 3.14850, 3.14250 and average them = 3.14763
Subtract and the answer is 1.08813. Let’s say each
of the four measurements was obtained using a 1.000-
inch bar stock. Remove the bar-stock measurement of
1.000 inch from each of the eight measurements (four
each) then average each set and the answer is still
1.08813. TD
Irvin Gers is sales and product-development support engineer at Raybestos
Powertrain.

50 Transmission Digest
B USINESS TRAINING A. Little Help

•Author: Art Little

•Subject Matter: Management

•Issue: Technology

How Do You Spell

Freedom?
H
ow does a transmission-
shop owner spell freedom?
T-E-C-H-N-O-L-O-G-Y.
I don’t know about you, but I have
spent more time in a transmission
shop than I would like to admit. In
my career, it was not uncommon
for me to get to the shop at 7 a.m.
and leave anywhere from 6:30 p.m.
to midnight. I worked every
Saturday until 5:30 p.m. and slept
all day Sunday. I worked through
my vacations and sometimes did
not get a vacation for five years.
When I was a professional manag-
er I had to quit to get any down
time.
Sound familiar? It does not have
to be that way nowadays. Today’s
shop owner has a variety of tech-
nology at his disposal that enables
him to leave the shop and still be
in control of his business. You just
have to slow down and take the
time to find out what is possible.
One example is the latest securi-
ty cameras. They allow you to
view your shop remotely from
your computer at home or on your
smart phone. The old saying “You
cannot be in two places at the same
time” is no longer true. Nowadays,
you can if you have the right tech-
nology. That’s right. You can be at
home or at your favorite fishing
hole and still see what is going on
at the shop with the new Internet
Protocol (IP) wireless cameras. You
just need to get yourself set up to
do it.
Years ago, I started using securi-
ty cameras in my consulting busi-
ness. The problem with consultants
in our industry has always been
that the shop does well when the
consultant is there but when the
consultant leaves the shop be-
comes less and less productive as
time goes on. The cameras allowed
me to view the shop from remote
locations after I left and, with a few
other technical tools I have, en-
abled me to provide a consistent
“live” support line that had been
missing in the consulting business
for 60 years. Did I mention that it
cut my costs in half? Once the cam-
eras and the workflow app are set
up I do not have to return to the
shop for continuing support. It
saves the shop owner money and
saves me time.
I remember the first shop where
I tested the technology six years
ago. The camera system cost $4,500
and took three days to set up. The
cameras could be viewed only on
computers. Nowadays, wireless
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Circle No. 15 on Reader Card

April 2014 51
A. Little Help
“The old saying ‘You cannot be
in two places at the same time’
is no longer true.”
technology has changed that game.
A complete eight-camera system
can be installed in less than a day
for less than a thousand dollars.
The shop owners I am working
with nowadays can view their
shop remotely with me online.
They can participate in live pro-
duction and sales meetings with-
out going to the shop. That is just
an example of how today’s camera
technology makes my job as a con-
sultant easier and my customers
happier. Let me encourage you to
at least consider how technology
can work for you in your shop.
New security-camera technology is
affordable and available now. It is
not some futuristic idea.
The camera technology can be
useful in ways that you would
never even think of. Let me tell
you what I mean. There was an ice
storm a few years back and every-
thing was closed, even the parts
houses. I was unable to get there,
and so were the manager and
owner. We were iced in. That day
we were able to get the builder and
two installers who lived close by to
open the shop for us. We were able
to view the shop remotely, and
with their help we sold more than
$9,000 that day from home when
everyone else in town was closed.
With the technology in place, it
was just like a “window to the
shop.” Management was there. We
diverted the phones and it was on.
We never missed a beat.
If you are a manager you can get
on your computer in your office
and see on one screen what is
going on everywhere without
going out into the shop. Most IP
cameras also have an intercom op-
tion. You can talk with the builder
without going to the building
52
room. It makes it easy to monitor
production and the lobby from
your desk and saves you the walk-
ing time so you can use it for some-
thing more productive. It makes
your job easier. That is what tech-
nology is supposed to do. You
don’t have to get up if you don’t
want to.
The absentee shop owner cannot
afford to be without a security-
camera system. He can easily com-
municate with his manager and
view his shop from remote loca-
tions. It gives him control of his
business while he is somewhere
else. It is easily affordable because
the theft-prevention feature pays
for the system. Security-camera
technology is a no-brainer here.
The multiple-shop owner can
view and manage all his shops
from one location with the right
technology. The time saved travel-
ing from shop to shop alone is
worth the effort. I remember when
I was a general manager for a mul-
tiple-shop organization years ago. I
would drive 800 miles a week on
average and spend several hours
of unproductive time in my car
going from shop to shop because I
could not be in more than one
place at a time. Today, I can be
there virtually with a click of a
mouse. This technology is a huge
breakthrough for multiple-shop
owners.
Of course, the security factor of
the new cameras is invaluable.
With features like night vision, mo-
tion detectors, email and text alerts
today’s shop owner can rest easy.
You can view the shop live on your
smart phone at midnight. Look
around anytime, just as if you are
there, and make sure that all your
valuables are safe. Once they get
their shops set up, many owners
also set up their houses so they can
keep an eye on home and work
using their smart phone wherever
they are. Once you have it, you
will not be without it again.
Security cameras in the lobby
and shop can cut down on crime
and lawsuits too. If the criminal or
irate customer knows he is on can-
did camera, he might decide to be-
have himself. That’s the idea.
Being the “lucky” one to represent
the shop in court most of my ca-
reer, I can see how I would have
benefited many times from having
the video of the customer in my
lobby stinking up the place. We
have the technology to take to
court with us now to defend our-
selves and beat time-consuming
frivolous lawsuits. This is another
way the investment in T-E-C-H-N-
O-L-O-G-Y pays you back.
Technology is our friend.
Twice in my career, my techni-
cians’ tools have been stolen at
night and I’ve had to face them
when they arrived in the morning
and tell them all their tools were
gone. It is devastating to a shop.
We did not have security cameras,
and their tools were lost forever.
When you think about it, the secu-
rity cameras are the only chance
we have to get our technicians’
tools back. Everyone’s tools and
toolboxes are different. It takes
them years to assemble their tools,
and insurance money does not re-
place them. Police have to find the
scum who stole the tools and hope
they are still together. Without the
cameras, there is no evidence.
When employees complain
about the cameras in the shop, that
is what I tell them, and most un-
derstand why the shop needs cam-
eras. Besides that, we get recorded
everywhere we go anyway. Do you
think your last trip to the gas sta-
tion or grocery store wasn’t on
tape? What is more important: not
being on video at work or having a
chance to get your tools back if
they are stolen? Most technicians
go for the tools option.
Transmission Digest
 If you are a working shop owner
you can use today’s technology to
help you get your life back. Go to a
ball game with your son. Take your
wife out. Go see some old high-
school buddies. There is no reason
to spend 65 hours a week in the
shop anymore. If the shop is start-
ing to feel like a prison, every day
is like groundhog day and you
have no life outside the shop, it
might be time to consider in-
stalling some security cameras and
free yourself up.
Take some well-meaning advice
from a guy who spent way too
much of his life inside the four
walls of a transmission shop. Stop
running from technology and start
running to it. A security-camera
system can dramatically reduce the
time you have to spend in the
shop. Cameras pay for themselves
many times over. There is no ex-
cuse for not having them. I am not
saying that you don’t go to the
shop; I am just saying there are
times when the security camera
can take that burden off you and
keep you from burning out.
For example, you could sleep in
some mornings. That’s right; sleep
an extra hour, drink your coffee at
home and watch the employees
come into work on your computer
or smart phone; maybe drive in
after the traffic clears. Most securi-
ty cameras have an audio feature
also. You can listen to conversa-
tions and also talk with employees
though the camera device. So, it is
just as if you were there, except
you are not. You simply answer
questions and issue your instruc-
tions to start the day.
It just makes sense to invest in
technology that creates a way for
you to spend more time with your
loved ones and provide customers
the same or better service. Work
smart, not hard. Be nice to your-
self. Give yourself a break once in a
while. You deserve it. TD
Art Little is the founder of TransTeam. His website
is the home of the National Employment
Headquarters for the transmission industry. He has
been an industry pioneer in Internet technology
since 1997, and his background in shops goes
back almost 30 years. He is respected nationwide
as an owner and manager who specializes in mul-
tiple-shop management. Today he is a software
developer for the transmission industry, offering
apps that make everyday tasks in a transmission
shop easy by using today’s technology.
TransTeam’s mobile technology puts transmission-
shop production on a smart phone. Art invites all
Transmission Digest shop-owner fans to go to his
website and become a TransTeam fan. This month
go to the site, register as a shop owner and get
your first month free by entering the code # ILOVE
TDIGEST3. Employee registration is free. Vendor
registration is free to the Parts Club and includes
free advertising at the TransTeam online Trade
Show. Visit www.transteam.com or call Art at 888-
859-0994 for details.

Does the guy at the

dealership
care how much
you pay?
We Care.
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right here in North Carolina, we can
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See the story behind OE-quality parts.

Circle No. 9 on Reader Card Circle No. 14 on Reader Card

April 2014 53
Industry
Transtar Industries Inc.
Acquires Holding Company
of DACCO Inc.
Transtar Industries Inc., owner
of automotive aftermarket brands
including Transtar, Transtar
Autobody Technologies, King-O-
Matic, Axiom and Nickels
Performance, has
acquired ETX Inc.
from Chicago-
based privately
held Jordan
Industries and pri-
vate equity firm
The Edgewater
Funds. ETX owns
Harry Schmink
DACCO Inc., a
supplier of aftermarket transmis-
sion replacement parts, torque con-
verters and complete
transmissions with headquarters in
Cookeville, Tenn.; Alma Products,
a manufacturer of torque convert-
ers and air-conditioning compres-
sors based in Alma, Mich.; and
ATCO Products Inc., Ferris, Texas,
a manufacturer of OE air-condi-
tioning, cooling and power-steer-
ing assemblies and components.
Terms of the sale were not dis-
closed.
“This acquisition brings togeth-
er the DACCO and Transtar
brands in a historic partnership
that will create unsurpassed cus-
tomer value and an even stronger
future for both our companies,”
said Tim Bowes, Transtar presi-
dent and chief executive officer.
“DACCO’s employees have built
significant customer and distribu-
tor relationships in this industry,
and their reputation is built on an
impressive legacy of service, tech-
nical expertise and companywide
best practices.
“Alma and ATCO are a strategic
complement that expands our
overall automotive portfolio in the
OE and aftermarket channels,
along with Transtar Autobody
54
News
Technologies, our existing paint,
body and equipment business.”
Alan Gatlin, president and CEO
of ETX, said, “We are extremely
pleased to become part of Transtar
Industries and look forward to
continuing to serve our customers
in the automotive industry.” Gatlin
will lead the Alma and ATCO
businesses as president and gener-
al manager and will report to
Bowes.
Harry Schmink, president and
general manager of DACCO, said:
“Transtar shares our core values
around integrity, respect, responsi-
bility and pride. It is exciting to
join forces with their team, who
demonstrate the same focus on
customer service that our DACCO
employees deliver every day.
Together, our service, product ex-
pertise and our unrivaled range of
high-quality transmission parts
and repair solutions will be a win
for our customers.”
In business since 1968, DACCO
has 47 stores in 26 states, and more
than 500 employees in sales and
manufacturing. Schmink will lead
domestic sales and marketing for
Transtar as vice president of sales
and marketing and will report to
Bowes.
The acquisition gives Transtar
about 2,300 employees and more
than 130 locations in North
America. “This acquisition will let
us leverage the power of our com-
bined businesses to enhance our
capability as the complete after-
market transmission solutions
provider and also expand into OE
product offerings,” Bowes said.
Autoshop Solutions
Redesigns Website
Autoshop Solutions, an automo-
tive website designer and Internet
marketing company, has re-
designed its corporate website. The
new site has a responsive design
and includes powerful innova-
tions, interactive pages and im-
provements in user experience, the
company said.
“This new website is ground-
breaking in our industry in terms
of design and user experience,”
said Danny Sanchez, CEO. “It’s
also the first time that literally
everyone in our company has had
a hand in creating and shaping a
single site. This has allowed us to
pull from the strengths and talents
of our wonderful team, and I am so
proud of what we have been able
to accomplish!”
The team put a big focus on for-
matting the new site to improve
customers’ experience, with clear
navigation and responsive design
for mobile platforms.
“Our new website has one main
focus,” said Margaret Klemmer,
vice president of operations. “And
that is the automotive-business
owner. We designed this website
with our customers in mind, from
navigation, to the in-depth infor-
mation and even to the ability for
them to easily log in to the
Internet-marketing reporting tools
that we provide. Today is an excit-
ing day for us to be able to show-
case our design and technical
talents through our own website!”
Sonnax Upgrades
Manufacturing Equipment
Sonnax has made multiple
equipment upgrades at its 50,000-
square-foot manufacturing facility
Transmission Digest
in Bellows Falls, Vt. With the pur-
chase of three new machines, the
company said it has accelerated
production time, optimized accu-
racy and improved overall quality
and efficiency for a variety of
transmission, torque-converter and
drivetrain products.
Spline-rolling center
A new spline-rolling center al-
lows for a superior process used in
high-performance-shaft spline
manufacturing. This machine in-
creases spline strength by up to
35%, and a lower surface finish
minimizes wear. Manufacturing
Horizontal broach
capability expanded with the pur-
chase of a horizontal broaching
machine used for slip yokes and
large splined torque-converter
parts. Sonnax also installed a Haas
Haas CNC
April 2014
VF-4 five-axis CNC vertical ma-
chining center, used to machine
complex housings and detailed
parts. Production time is acceler-
ated when parts can be rotated
within the machine, allowing ac-
cess to multiple surfaces all in
one setup. Higher stiffness facili-
tates machining of hardened ma-
terials to improve both product
precision and service life.
ZF Services Releases
Training Video for 6HP
Transmission-Oil Changes
ZF Services LLC, the strategic
aftermarket business unit of ZF
Friedrichshafen AG in North
America, has added a training
video on changing fluid in 6HP
transmissions to the ZF
Education Center.
After the release last fall of the
training video on ZF 5HP oil
changes, ZF Services received
several requests to complete a
training video for 6HP transmis-
sions, said Jack McGrail, product
marketing manager for transmis-
sions and clutch. “This new video
fulfills a need in the market sup-
plying critical information for the
process on a maintenance aspect
of the vehicle. Supplying this cer-
tified information becomes ex-
tremely valuable to the installer
and experienced do-it-your-
selfer.”
The video reviews the proce-
dure for an oil change on those
transmissions with plastic pans
that include the filter. The video
also highlights the benefits of
doing a transmission oil change
and when one should be per-
formed.
The video is available at the ZF
Education Center on the compa-
ny’s YouTube channel,
www.youtube.com/zfservicesna,
and its website,
www.zf.com/us/zfparts. TD
TECH/TALK
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ALREADY!
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Products featured on these pages include those from aftermarket suppliers and are not necessarily of OE design or sourced from OE manufacturers.

4L80-E/6L80-E High-Performance Converter 6L80-E & 6L90-E Expanded Availability

Whatever It Takes Transmission has expanded its line of Jasper Engines & Transmissions has expanded the
high-performance street/strip torque converters. Part num- availability of its remanufactured GM 6L80-E and 6L90-E
ber LS1-25 fits 4L80-E/6L80-E transmissions used with LT1 transmissions. Originally released in April 2011 for
and LS1 engines. 2007-2009 GM applications, these six-speed units are
The converter available on exchange for 2010-2012 Chevrolet Suburban,
features a billet Avalanche, Tahoe, Silverado 1500-3500 and Express
piston and billet 1500-4500; GMC Sierra
front cover, the 1500-3500, Yukon and
company said. Savana 1500-4500; and
Triple-clutch ver- Cadillac Escalade.
sions also are Jasper ships these
available. transmissions with the
TCM, which is inside
the case, programmed
per the vehicle
identification number,
Circle No. 101 on Reader Card the company said. Circle No. 103 on Reader Card

RE7R01A Torque-Converter Clutch Kit 6L45-6L90 Center-Support Seal Kit

Alto Products Corp. now offers an OE replacement torque- In GM 6L45, 6L50, 6L80 and 6L90 units, the rubber seals
converter clutch kit for the 2009+ RE7R01A. Alto part num- between the center support in the case and the machined
ber 174759A surface of the valve body are prone to leakage over time.
is available This can cause difficulties such as continuous line pressure
for immediate and lube-flow loss, overheating and burnt clutches. The new
delivery, or Sonnax center support seal kit 104740-14K corrects these
the individual issues and protects the unit from any future leakage, the
components company said. Requiring
are offered no special tools, the kit
separately as allows for quick, easy
part number installation.
174722-180,
174723-180
or 174762A,
the company
said.
Circle No. 102 on Reader Card Circle No. 104 on Reader Card

56 Transmission Digest
Rebuilt Valve Bodies
EVT Parts has added rebuilt valve bodies to its product line.
The valve bodies are available for transmissions including
09G, AW55-50SN, 09A/JF506E, 096/01M, TAAT and
5HP19/FLA. Same-day delivery (limited area) or shipment
directly to your shop is available, the company said.
ATC700 Transfer-Case Chain
Cobra Transmission Parts carries a wide range of parts for
the ATC700 transfer case found in 2010-up BMW X5 and X6.
The chain is 43 links with a rocker-pin design and is 1.25
inches wide. The part number is ATC700-111102.

Circle No. 105 on Reader Card Circle No. 108 on Reader Card

Heavy-Duty Diesel Torque Converters 6HP19/21/X Overhaul Kits

Goerend Transmission Inc. offers custom-built heavy-duty Precision International now has available overhaul, banner
torque converters for Dodge and Chevy trucks with diesel and master kits for ZF 6HP19/21/X. The overhaul kit is part
engines. Converters are available with single or triple clutch number K82900NA, the banner kit is K8200NAW/O and the
discs and a variety of stall speeds to meet your master kit is
customer’s specific needs, according to the company. K8200NA, the
A limited lifetime company said.
warranty is Applications
available, and include various
Goerend offers Audi, BMW,
the option of Hyundai and
free shipping Jaguar vehicles
on large- from model
quantity years 2000 to
orders. 2012.

Circle No. 106 on Reader Card Circle No. 109 on Reader Card

Remanufactured Transfer Cases Fichtel & Sachs ZF TCC Plates

Mopar® recently launched 85 unique remanufactured trans-
fer cases. These transfer cases are remanufactured using
strict Chrysler Group LLC and Mopar engineering standards,
the company said, and are backed by Mopar’s three-
year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty.
Tri Component is now in production of the ZF 6HP19
245mm converter clutch plate, part number PX-26-9. This
plate, made in the USA, complements a line that includes
the recently introduced PX-26-10 (ZF 6HP26 260mm) and
PX-26-11 (ZF 6HP26 280mm, ZF5HP24 BMW). All parts
incorporate the 24-bent-teeth OE design, which includes
OE pattern
segments bonded
to a high-strength
steel core, the
company said.

Circle No. 107 on Reader Card Circle No. 110 on Reader Card

continues next page

April 2014 57
 GM TH400 Billet Aluminum Pump Assembly
TCS Performance Transmission Products has released the
new TH400 pump assem-
bly. The pump body and
stator back are made
from billet aluminum.
Built with a positive-stop
bushing area and staking
bushing to prevent
bushing spin, the pump
comes with a snap ring to
prevent seal “blow-out,”
according to the
continued from previous page company. The stator
shaft is made from
4140 HTSR billet
steel. Parts are
available separately. Circle No. 113 on Reader Card

ZF 8HP45/845RE Overhaul Kit Product Posters

TransTec® has introduced an overhaul kit for the ZF Rostra Precision Controls
HP45/845RE RWD/AWD eight-speed transmission. Kit 2615 now has available large-
is for late-model applications including BMW, Audi, Chrysler, scale posters showing the
Dodge, Jeep, company’s complete line
Land Rover and of more than 350 import
Volkswagen. and domestic solenoids,
Components and sensors and wire harness-
sub-kits include a es. Each poster includes
sealing-ring kit, descriptions, photos and
molded rubber part numbers, along with
pan gasket, rear a QR code that directs you
seals, yoke-spline to Rostra’s website for the
seal and converter latest information on new
seal, the company products.
said.

Circle No. 111 on Reader Card Circle No. 114 on Reader Card

JF011E/RE0F10A Step Motors Viscous Couplers, Clutch Packs

ATK and Parts LLC now has available good used step motors Standard Transmission Exchange has introduced new
for Jatco JF011E and Nissan RE0F10A continuously variable products to service the AWD and full-time-4WD market.
transmissions. Part numbers Several styles of viscous couplers that are recharged with
198500 and 198501 are in stock new viscous fluid provide the shop and the customer with
and ready for shipment, the substantial savings, according to the company. The NV247
company said. On Demand clutch pack, rebuilt with OEM clutches and
steels, also is
available.

Circle No. 112

on Reader Card Circle No. 115 on Reader Card

58 Transmission Digest
 MARKETPLACE
Electronics Parts Parts

Performance

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Custom Built to
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DODGE CUMMINS Cobra Transmission
Trans Pans, Billet Flex Plates, Torque Converters & Valve Bodies
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Parts
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Automatic – Standard – Transfer Case

Pat. #6,192,567

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NORTHLAND TRANSMISSION INC.
715-458-2617 ▼ www.servobore.com

April 2014 59
 MARKETPLACE
Parts Parts Parts
For over 20 years
Stellar Group has been Stellar Group (East)
HYDRAMATIC
a trusted-name supplier 4935 Panther Pkwy.
of transmission parts to Seville, OH 44273
POWER GLIDE
distributors throughout T: (330) 769-8484
the world. F: (330) 769-8483 DYNAFLOW
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7441 Anaconda Ave. ROTO
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1-800-458-5487 X158 FM 2
Contact us: Toll-free Etc.
or by Email
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www.stellargroupinc.com
Hablamos Español U.S. Mfg. From 1946 to Date Automatic Car and Light Truck

TRANSMISSION PARTS
1-800-524-0485 P.O. Box 635, Pine Brook, NJ 07055
www.fatsco.com
E-mail: fatsco@verizon.net

M A R K E T P L A C E A D S R E A C H T H E S H O P S T H AT
BUY THE PRODUCTS
Call Mike Anderson at 1-800-274-7890

Circle No. 13 on Reader Card

60 Transmission Digest
 MARKETPLACE
Parts Parts Parts

Circle No. 17 on Reader Card

April 2014 61
 MARKETPLACE
Parts Parts Remanufactured Units

WE HAVE WHAT YOU NEED

FOREIGN & DOMESTIC
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Transfer Cases
New & Used Parts
Rebuilt Units
*ONE CALL DOES IT ALL*
A

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4 3 2 7 stedave@earthlink.net
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COMPONENTS

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AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS
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HARD PARTS FOR AUTOMATICS WE HAVE OVER 500,000 PARTS IN STOCK
FOREIGN & DOMESTIC CALL 602-971-0477
■ Hard Parts ■ Complete Transmissions getithardparts.com WE SHIP UPS DAILY
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■ Transfer Cases ■ Torque Converters
Specializing in supplying cores to the
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716-893-2661 Se habla
Español
www.buffaloengine.com

263XHD/261XHD and
Noww
246/149/261HD/263HD
available to
shops. 3000
HEAVY GRADE ALUMINUM
already in REAR CASE HALF
use. NOT THE WEAK FACTORY MAGNESIUM
ERIKSSON INDUSTRIES
SPRINTER Transmissions
H
E
12025(³2,/380358%´,668(6
No Adapter Plate Needed
H
E Remanufactured
1-800-388-4418
A A Authorized Parts Distributor
V V Sprinter Remanufactured Units DYNO TESTED
Y Y
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R
SPECIAL R Updated with latest Sonnax ■ Hard Parts: NEW / USED / REMANUFACTURED ■
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performance parts
Soft Parts / Friction Kits / Steel Kits / Repair Manuals
E E ■ Lifetime Fluids / Rebuild Kits / Valvebody Kits ■
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A
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1-800-388-4418
U U Fax: (860) 395-0047
M M 866-464-1871 www.erikssonindustries.com
I I www.sprintertransmission.net
N N
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1-800-MUDROAD (800-683-7623)

62 Transmission Digest
 MARKETPLACE
Remanufactured Units Tools & Equipment Tools & Equipment
Axiline transmission dyno tester. Honda Bushing Tool
Barely used. Comes with USA import adapter Arizona Transmission Machine, manufacturer of
package and computer. Quiet electric motor. Part # award-winning 6L80-E pump alignment clamp and
97000-ECRH. You wonʼt find a better deal! Honda 4- and 5-speed bushing R&R tool kit.
516-859-2287 Available @ www.ez-driver.com or call Mike
dolphintrans@verizon.net Tilley @ 602-992-2961.

Torque Converters No w Eve n Be tte r wi th

Po wd er- co ate d Fin ish
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&219(57(56"

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www.allstarstandard.com www. Trans-Tool.com

April 2014 63
 MARKETPLACE
Valve Bodies Help Wanted Index to Advertisers
NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT Advertiser Page Reader
# Card #
HEADQUARTERS
Maxx Fluxx™ for the transmission industry
We make it easy to relocate.
Alto Products .........................................9 .............1
ASA NACE/CARS Show .....................27 ...........99
Bushings Employees and shop owners
Certified Transmission ..........................3 .............3

Minimal or No Adjustment Required

www.transteam.com
Innovative Capital Core, a leading distributor of
quality transmission parts since 1981,
Solenoid is looking to add to its sales staff
due to rapid growth.
Solutions Responsibilities include development
For The Ford 5R55N/W/S of existing accounts and outreach to
Detroit area transmission shops.
Highest Quality Full time, base plus commission,
benefits, energized work environment.
Remanufactured
Consolidated Vehicle Converters ........37 .............4
ETE Reman...........................................7 .............5
EVT Parts ...........................................25 .............6
G-Cor Automotive ...............................23 .............7
Jasper Engines & Transmissions .......BC .............8
Jiffy-tite ................................................53 .............9
Mopar ..................................................43 ...........10
Raybestos Powertrain .........................11 ...........11
RMP Powertrain Solutions ..................19 ...........12

Valve Bodies Rockland Standard Gear.....................60 ...........13

PRO-Proven BEST In The Industry Rostra Precision Controls ...................53 ...........14

800-223-1884 Slauson Transmission Parts ...............51 ...........15
PRO-Proven Best Warranty Please send resumes to: hr@capitalcoreinc.com
Sonnax ..............................................IFC ...........16
PRO-Proven Best Unparalleled
Product Support Tech Support TCS Performance ...............................61 ...........17
Teal Automotive Inc. ...........................45 ...........18
Valve Body Pro Transmission Specialties ....................47 ...........20
Sales@ValveBodyPros.com • ValveBodyPros.com
Transmission Tech/Talk ......................55
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REAM
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Classified Word Ads

Twenty-five words or less
(no charge for name, address and phone number)
Call Mike Anderson at
$95.00
Each additional word $2.50
Check or money order (U.S. Funds only)
1-800-274-7890
must accompany ad copy. Publisher reserves the Don’t Get Caught Up In Marketplace Ads
right to reject any advertisement.
Advertising Traffic!
Get To Your Customer Reach Shops!
For Your Ad Placement
1-800-274-7890 In Transmission Digest Call Mike Anderson Today
Marketplace. at 1-800-274-7890

64 Transmission Digest
 Shop Management Package of Eight 2013 Management CDs: $99 or $19 each
13-MO1 Process Management for Technicians & Service Advisers Bill Haas, ESi
Process management, the application of knowledge, skills, tools, techniques
and systems to define, visualize, measure, control, report and improve
processes with the goal of meeting customer expectations profitably.
13-MO2 Google – Driving You Business or Driving You Crazy™
Danny Sanchez, Autoshop Solutions
The search giant controls much of what you depend on every day
to bring business in the door. Demystify the practices of Google,
learning to work within its framework to build your business.
13-MO3 Supercharging 2013 – Five Keys to Growing, Enjoying and Living
Tom Langer, Undercar Digest
Five important insights for the year: How to improve your
horsepower, finding power in your people, living with family
members in your business successfully, four markets to consider
for your shop, and planning for the year to come.
13-MO4 Handling Internet Misinformation Terry Greenhut, Transmission Digest
Today’s customer is self-diagnosing vehicle repairs using
information found on the Internet and other sources. Learn
how to address this misinformation and guide potential
customers to your shop.
Transmission Technical Package of Seven 2013 Transmission Technical CDs: $99 or $19 each
13-TO1 GETRAG DCT 450 Wayne Colonna, ATSG
Diagnostics and rebuilding information for the double wet-clutch
unit found in Ford and Volvo applications.
13-TO2 PCM/TCM Burnouts “G” Jerry Truglia, ATTS – 2 Discs
Finding causes for the PCM/TCM and other computer components
to burn out as well as a lesson in sensors and actuators, test
procedures and the proper diagnostic tools to use.
13-TO3 ZF 6HP 19/28 Jim Dial, ATSG
The differences and parts exchange possibilities between these
related and yet significantly different members of the 6HP family.
Visa and MasterCard Accepted • Make Checks payable to: M D Publications, Inc.
U.S. Orders: Includes Postage & Handling
Allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery
International Orders: Please inquire for shipping charges
13-MO5 Selling the VALUE Nobody Can Compete With Bill Haas, ESi
Tips to help when you are pressured to discount or match
pricing. How to ask powerful questions, create presentations
that communicate value and differentiate your solutions from
those of your competition.
13-MO6 Internal Sales from Technician to Service Adviser
Maylan Newton, ESi
Knowing how to do your job is one thing – having service advisers
communicating successfully with your technicians to generate sales is
a different ballgame. A look at processes and procedures between
service advisers and technicians that make shops successful.
13-MO7 Telematics Malcolm Sissmore, Delphi
The aftermarket can increase revenue through the use
of this cutting-edge shop-to-customer communication
technology.
13-MO8 Branding Brings in the Bucks!™
Danny Sanchez, Autoshop Solutions
The best brands in any industry get paid a premium because they are
the most-trusted brand. Your shop is also a brand; you can charge a
premium and have customers who will gladly pay.
13-TO4 GETRAG DCT 470 Bob Nuttall, Autotech
There are very important differences between the DCT 450 and DCT
470 units.
13-TO5 TASC Force Tips Bob Warnke, Sonnax TASC Force
A focused collection of savvy technical information from the Sonnax
TASC Force team.
13-TO6 The Builder’s Bench ’13
John Parmenter, Precision International Advisory Board
John presents hands-on, right-now knowledge that’s crucial for
everybody who’s overhauling a unit.
Mail: PO Box 2210 Springfield, MO 65801-2210
E-mail: editor@mdpublications.com
Phone: 417-866-3917 or 800-274-7890 / Fax: 417-866-2781
Circle No. 8 on Reader Card