chevy suburban transmission question

[George2615]

You mentioned it was serviced every 3000 miles. How often was the tranny serviced? Maybe the tranny filter is plugged. I had an 88 suburban 350, 4x4, plow, auto. I changed the tranny fluid and filter every 30,000 miles. Mine has 140,000 miles on the original engine and trans. The body has rusted away but its mechanically sound. I gave the truck to a buddy of mine as a yard truck to plow his driveway. If your tranny is bad and the truck is worth fixing then go with the new tranny or a rebuilt if you can get a decent warranty.

 

[Alan L.]

My son has a 2002 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup with probably that same transmission. His transmission went out at 57K miles. The dealer wanted $2800 for a REBUILT transmission and alot more for new. He had it rebuilt with 12/12K warranty at Aamco for $2100, including torque converter (funny how that just happened go bad at the exact same time).

My 2003 GMC pickup has probaby the same transmission and my truck has 77K miles (highway) but I have never changed the transmission fluid. I have heard that once you have waited that long to change it out, doing so now would probably cause a failure. What should I do?

 

[George2615]

Alan,
I believe that on most older trannies the norm for servicing is 50K or sooner in rough service use. Even at 77K highway I'd drop the pan and change the filter and fluid. The fluid, like oil loses its ability to lubricate. It gets contaminated. These contaminants floating in the fluid will eventually cause a blockage in the filter restricting oil flow. Its never too late to service.

George

 

[Jstpssng]

There were 2 problems with that vintage tranny. First the valve bodies wore, causing poor shifting which tore up the transmission. Symptoms were occasional harsh shifting when going into second gear. If the rebuilder doesn't check for this you could have the the same problem reoccur. Some rebuilders also use aftermarket shift kits as a band aid approach; these result in much harsher shifting.

There was also an internal housing which often failed, causing loss of overdrive, and 3rd,; GM has since come up with a heavier duty part.

There also is a TSB out claiming that improperly installed remote starters can cause transmission problems.

I'm not a GM transmission repairman; nor do I play one on TV. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif However, after replacing 2 trannies in my '98 GMC 1/2 ton in 8 months/28K miles I started asking questions. The first unit was aftermarket and cost me $1400; the second was installed by my local GM dealer for $1700 and just came off the 50K mile Mr Goodwrench warrantee last month. I wish I'd gone that route the first time, but didn't want to wait 3 weeks for the truck.

Someone recently posted a link to a "GM site similar to TBN"; this might be a good time to check it out.

 

[DUMBDOG]

<font color="blue"> I wish I'd gone that route the first time, but didn't want to wait 3 weeks for the truck.
</font>

A year ago last May, my transmission went out on my 99 Sub on I-29 north of Grand Forks, ND. Pulling a 7 X 16 empty enclosed trailer into a strong head wing. Now this is barren country when it comes to people compared to out east where you are at.

Not a lot of traffic on Friday afternoon about 4:45 PM, But over the hill from the other direction, comes a wrecker with a car and an atv on the back of it. They stop and come over and they already know what is wrong as they saw all the smoke coming from under the vheicle.

They turn around and hook up the Sub and trailer and tow me to Oslo, MN, to a Chevy dealer, about five miles away. Arrived just as they were closing, got me in, put in a rebuilt GM tranny and I was on the road again by 9 PM.

This dealer was the largest employer in the town of about 350 people, they did not even have a school any longer. But they had a genuine GM tranny for me, they stock them all of the time.

$2300 and four hours later, you cannot beat a deal like that for 5 PM on a Friday afternoon and being two hundred miles away from home and three thousand pounds of seed potatoes to be picked up.

 

[TractorLegend]

GM isn't using the proven Turbo-400 bullet proof tranny anymore in passenger vehicles due to the want of mileage, lower and higher gear ratios (so weaker, better gas mileage engines can be used).
These downsized trannies are often subject to the same demands as their predecessors but don't have the sheer beef needed to survive. Lesser sized internals, lesser number of clutch packs and/or surface area and more complex controls lead to durability issues. GM is really only concerned that a given part make it thru warranty.
An extra large tranny cooler and the use of Lube Gard additive is widely regarded as good tranny insurance, as well as keeping tranny out of o/d when trailering big loads.

 

[Bird]

Ah, yes, the Turbo 400 with a Gear Vendors Overdrive made my '89 Chev. 1 ton dually extended cab a pleasure to drive, whether I had the fifth-wheel trailer on behind or not.

 

[TractorLegend]

Yes, the Gear Vendors overdrive is also regarded as bulletproof...and its fluid is separate from the tranny, for those who may wonder.
The internal overdrives on modern auto trannies cause more heat to an already overloaded unit.

 

[Jstpssng]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( have heard that once you have waited that long to change it out, doing so now would probably cause a failure. )</font>

If it was me, I'd change it. That question is often posed at an auto site I frequent; and that seems to be the consensus.
You're truck isn't that old anyways so the seals should still be in good shape; which I believe is the biggest conern.

 

[Dargo]

Dang Bird, I'm jealous! After having a Frank Lupo 4500 stall built for my custom TH400 to hold my 625hp 502 big block, I just couldn't take another 3 grand in the transmission department. All I could do was put a set of 3:42's in the rear to give me a little gearing. I still don't need first gear. I lock it in 2nd to do burn outs.

Maybe one day when I grow up (wife says that's not possible) I can get me a Gear Vendor OD setup.