I have been contimplating this delema for a few weeks now. I have also talked to alot people,...and I have come to the conclusion that the 200R4 is a piece of crap!. And NOBODY can build one for anything less than $850.00!
I find this to be rediculous!
I can have a 350 turbo built with a shift kit for 250.00 all day long, what gives with the metric crap?...why so much more money?
Whats a better trnny to put in?
What trannys will bolt up to a 3.8?
I have "2" 200 metrics off an olds 307....will they work?
Can I just put my shift kit/vaulve body in them?....are they the same?
any ideas?
=====Im starting to get really depressed======
I just stopped by the local transmission place, called "transmasters". I dropped my tranny 5 days ago to get an "estimate", they said they had to pull it apart!
Anyhow, they told me $990.000!!!!!
I about crapped my pants and said no thanks! I dont have that kinda money right now.
So he proceeds to tell me that he has to charge me to put it back together????
So now Im stuck with a box full of parts@#*$!&
So now what?
Anyone have any words of incouragement?....
words of encouragment: You are not alone. Everyone gets screwed every now and then. And there are worse stories.
However, every shop should have a price for "estimates". This should have been agreed upon beforehand. A "ballpark" figure should have also been agreed upon for a rebuild.
How much will it cost to be "put back together"?
Does the $990 include the work they have done thus far? My rebuild was about that much, but I got a billet servo, cooler, and shift kit installed at the same time. What are they installing? What is their gaurantee and what are the conditions? How long have then been in business at that same location? Do you know anyone else that has had work done by them? What parts are they using and how much do they cost? Maybe you can get a better deal on parts from www.ptsextreme.com or they can match their prices?
words of encouragment: You are not alone. Everyone gets screwed every now and then. And there are worse stories.
However, every shop should have a price for "estimates". This should have been agreed upon beforehand. A "ballpark" figure should have also been agreed upon for a rebuild.
How much will it cost to be "put back together"?
Does the $990 include the work they have done thus far? My rebuild was about that much, but I got a billet servo, cooler, and shift kit installed at the same time. What are they installing? What is their gaurantee and what are the conditions? How long have then been in business at that same location? Do you know anyone else that has had work done by them? What parts are they using and how much do they cost? Maybe you can get a better deal on parts from www.ptsextreme.com or they can match their prices?
Thats just a "stock" rebuild with no warranty!
Don't pay them to put it together. A reputable place can put it together with their eyes closed, anyway. Make sure they give you ALL of YOUR parts, (esp. the BRF valve body) call PTS or another vendor from the list tell them your story, and see what they can do. Good luck.
"just say NO!, to AAMCO!"
Bob
Oh, make sure the converter is stamped with D5 too!
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Some views from the mailing list...
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At this stage I wouldn't even mention that. Putting a worn out tranny back together just rarely if EVER works.
IF you can even get it back without cost, your ahead of the game.
You and them made assumptions.
You have to also step back and try to see things from their point of view, if you want to come to some sort of compromise. At this stage, it's you looking to min, your loses. It's to the stage they can hand or have handed you anything back, not many shops stoop that low, but you've put yourself into a bad position.
990, is kinda high, but what were you expecting to spend?.
Bruce
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Depending on the state that you live in, the requirements may be different for "teardown and inspection". What did the tranny shop tell that they were going to do for some cost??? What does your state "Consumer Affairs" have to say about the shop's practice??? What did you sign for or what was verbally authorized cost-wise? ??
Bruce is right in a manner of speaking. If the "teardown" estimate was just that, the shop can't charge you to re-assemble unless they specified that in their "verbal" or "written" estimate when you approved the charges. Did you authorize re-assembly if you did not want to fix the transmission????
I think that towing it out disassembled makes sense unless you want them to overhaul/repair the transmission. It does no good to incur more costs to disassemble the transmission again at another shop. Check the contract verbal" or "written" and what you authorized!!
Jeff Beckman (service manager)
www.blackforestautomotive.com
www.gnregistry.com #67
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Some more...
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You have to be clear with what you want them to do, and expect them to do for a given amount of money.
You may have well screwed yourself by not being clear on what you thought their end of the deal was.
Might try the BBB.
FWIW, that's why you get an estimate, before they do ANY work, so you know what the max is before starting. If you want an exact estimate, then it would be only nature that you pay for tear-down and inspection.
Bruce
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Your straight 200 trannies are poor candidates for anything other then scrap.
If you think a 200R is an expensive tranny, you might look around. While *your* figure of 850 ain't cheap, try a 4L8E, or the Ford Late OD trannies, they're all closer to $1,500 to set up correctly. Maybe look at a synchro and bearing kit for some of the HEAVY DUTY five-six speeds. Or for a real thrill some of the Getrag racing tranny parts. BTW, have your seat belt on and seat in the upright position for what expensive really can be.
I've used C-4s, C-6, FMX's, 350's and 400's, and I (or friends) have managed to break each and every one of them. So there isn't any totally blow-proof tranny. If you want a desposable $250 tranny that is an option, and a valid idea, but for a day in day out, hipo OD tranny, I'm just glad the 200R4 even exists.
AND,
if you really see them as too expensive, hey, reinvent them. Learn all you can, redesign the original, and make a fortune, well, after all that you'll probably think your time and effort is worth probably about $850 a pop.
FWIW,
Bruce
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I had my tranny built by a local shop that works on turbo cars and they charged me 1265 bucks to do mine. But, that also included a shift kit building a converter , replacing a cracked hard part with a hardened one, and pulling it out and putting it back in. I have a year warranty on the rebuild after I told them I would be racing the car and they were ok with it.990 bucks sounds kinda fair because this shop gave me an estimate if it didn't need any thing but a rebuid it would be 850 without the shift kit.
That's cheap!I paid $.1300 once,stock rebuild.As far as the 2004-r being junk.Tell Eric from DYNOTECH.His T goes 9's with one!It's who builds it!