Tranny built and had good sized puddle of fliud under the car 2 weeks later.

[TheGovernment]

So like my title says, I got a stage 2 trans and a 10" 2800 stall PTC NL installed about 2 weeks ago. I went for a little rip the sunday night and found a puddle of fluid under my car the next day. Trans shop looked at it today and said that it was likely excess fluid that blew out the front seal when it got hot and is not leaking anymore. i wasn't beating on it at all in my rip and it was working pretty well.
Now they are telling me that the converter is to small and it's going to be nothing but problems, too much heat because it's a NL etc. I'm running the big B&M trans cooler as well, it's going through my big alum rad's cooler as well. These guys are a good shop but we don't really have to many choices around here.

Do you think the story could be legit? or are they setting me up for if/when the tranny fails, blaming the converter and getting the shaft? I know the guys well enough as they are really good friends with a guy I work with and do lots of hotrods etc. I know they don't deal with GN's on turbo cars at all and usually only work on rods. Just wondering if that can happen and the trans still be ok without leaking when I'm driving.

thanks

 

[TexasT]

You call it a "stage 2" trans, who built it?
The converter and its distributor have a pretty good reputation. I personally have and know many people running non l/u converters so I don't think that is your problem.

What kind of warranty was offered when you had it installed?

 

[Steve V]

Convertor has a very good rep,but it could have a leak at the weld(s). The trans shops opinion is BS..IMO.

 

[TheGovernment]

The trans was built by the local shop. Billet parts all the stuff to make sure it can take a ton of power. They do lots of +800 hp vehicles, I don't think it's a flaw in the workmanship (things happen) but an excuse in case it DOES crap out. I'm not worried about the converter, I know 2 other guys running the exact same trans and converter and they don't even have external coolers, I have a huge one and they have been fine for the last 3 years and they are both over 500hp.
As for the warranty, its a year. I had them put in a HR trans mount today while it was there and drove it around a bit tonight and it's not leaking now. I'm just afraid it's gonna do the same thing and crap out a bunch of fluid and go tits up on me in traffic one day lol.

Will an over filled tranny spit out fluid out the front seal if it builds up to much? I dunno, I've just never heard that before. but I don't claim to be a mechanic either lol

 

[GNeric]

This is a crappy excuse. Fluid just doesn't blow out and stop once the level is normal. It blows out from blockage, not big enough drainback behind seal, not a good seal between seal and pump body, poor quality seal. Did they flow your cooler and provide you with how much it flows when they flushed your lines before install? Sounds like they are setting up to not honor your warranty.

"Trans shop looked at it today and said that it was likely excess fluid that blew out the front seal when it got hot and is not leaking anymore."

 

[TheGovernment]

There just isn't many places that do transmission around here that deal with higher HP. They have been pretty good so far about everything but I'd not be to happy to be out $2300 (thats with install also) I never got any info on the cooler flow but I will ask. At least I see them quite often and do lots of paint work for one of the owners. The excuses get me worried. I guess the only thing I can do is drive it and see how it goes. I will say, the tranny shifts awesome and doesn't drop much rpm when it shifts, nice and firm and just keeps pulling really hard the whole way to whenever I let off. I'm very happy with that part of it lol

 

[SSedan64]

Did they check to make sure the trans' Vent Tube wasn't clogged?
White tube on top of Trans case.

 

[Steve V]

Could've just puked out of the drain tube....cover all bases..show them you know your stuff.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Paint work for one of the owners?????
Each job has some $$ tacked on. Put that away as a "contingency fund", for trans repairs, when the "warranty" is denied.
More than one way to skin a cat.....
They may have over filled it, and the vent did it's job. [Or, as I saw on one here in my shop, they beat the dimples down flat...Said the gasket leaked.]

 

[TexasT]

SO these guys rep is two deep and yours? I'm not feeling confident in their work. Just because they build a th400 doesn't mean they can build a 2004r. Good luck with your run around. Take the advice of the board and get one built by a known builder on the board, shipped in and installed. The way you are describing it, you will get your chance.

 

[TheGovernment]

You guys don't understand what kind of a hassle it is to get something like a tranny shipped up here. Over the huge shipping costs, what happens if something goes wrong? I have to ship it back? that would be a nightmare. It would be my last resort. I've been beating it up all day and hasn't dropped any fluid. I cleaned the bottom off really good and there is no oil anywhere. I did however get a visit today and I had just finished painting a side of thetranny shop owners 2010 GM truck, when he came to pick it up he told me they will give me 35,000 km warranty with no questions if anything happens. I told him I barely put on 3000km's a year, he said, well then as long as I'm in business, you'll have a working tranny , that was pretty cool. I'm just gonna beat the hell out of it and if it craps out, it craps out.

 

[GNeric]

Get it in writing... no matter what. People can turn on you. "I didn't mean I would cover XX damage. That is on you" and whatever else they may come up with. One reason I got into auto repair for myself. So I don't have to rely on others that may just be in it for the money. I warranty my transmissions against failure due to leaks, pressure failures, normal failures not associated with abuse (neutral dropping, wheel hop, etc) and misinstallation. If I R&R and build the unit, I cover all but the abuse failures.