Jakes T Brake
Trending Topics
#11
9 Second Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Naples Fl.
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#12
TECH Resident
iTrader: (4)
FWIW, tinkering with the transmission after you've received it, especially taking things apart to figure out how things work instantly voids the warranty. There are several internal modifications that we make as well that you wouldn't be able to see unless you took the trans apart
#14
TECH Resident
iTrader: (4)
I couldn't really say for sure, since I just recently moved from the DFW area to the Houston area for school, so for now I'm kind of a "contract employee" and do what I can from a distance, but I have no doubt I'll be back up there at times next year for various reasons, especially for a stretch during the summer for building during the peak of race season.
I will say if you ordered recently, there's a decent chance you may still have to wait a bit. You seem pretty patient, and not all customers are exactly that way. I wish everybody who ordered or thought about ordering could see the entire process that goes on in the shop and I guarantee it would all make sense. Here's how things basically go around the shop, in brief detail.
Jake is, of course, the owner and he spends the majority of his day on the phone with customers or potential customers who are feeling the waters. He also takes care of business on various forums and answers tech questions. When not doing that, he's helping out in the shop with either mechanical or transmission work and if any question arises, I have yet to see him not know the answer. He also runs parts around the entire DFW area and spends time designing parts, transbrakes, working with machine shops, working with people we sublet a lot of work with, and does all of the sandblasting we do in house since it's not as big of a deal if he's covered in sand since he builds the least frequently out of the builders. Simply no time for it anymore.
Mike is the shop manager and also spends a LOT of his day on the phone or on the computer dealing with other companies, managing the finances, supervising the mechanical side of the shop, supervising the building side, tearing transmissions down, cleaning, prepping, building and dynoing. He works with other companies who supply special parts for certain builds and various other things.
Chris, a guy who started almost a month after me, is our primary 200-4R builder, but he is just as good with many other transmissions as well such as the 80es. He's an excellent mechanic, stupidly sharp, so he'll work down on that end of the shop when things get heavy down there, which would leave Mike and I as the only builders, but now just Mike for the most part. Chris also is the primary dyno operator, but it always requires two people the properly mount the transmissions onto the dyno. He is the guy in every shop that is tasked with doing odd things around the shop that no one else can't get to.
Ryan is the mechanic, he doesn't build, but he turns out the majority of the mechanic work there and that keeps him pretty occupied.
On a good day, if answering the phones is not an issue and I could spend the entire day just focusing on a 4L80E, I could tear it down, clean it, prep and machine parts, stack it, prep the case (sand blasting, hot tank, power washing, brake clean and compressed air) and then paint it. Then sand the bellhousing edges to remove oxidation. Then change the rear bushing, rollerize the rear, install the band and the case saver snap ring, and build the assembly in the case. Sand blast the pump cover, flat stone and resurface the pump faces, paint the cover, new bushing, seal, assemble pump and ensure gears are up to our standards. Then the valve body is carefully gone through as best as we can, valves are checked to ensure their up to our standards, full functionality, nothing stuck etc.
If the stars align and everything is good, it can be built from start to finish in 10-ish hours, everything running smoothly. We often would and they still do stay after 6 PM to finish builds.
That's 1 per day with someone who doesn't have to worry about taking care of other things.
Then there are usually anywhere from 12-25 other orders to catch up on, with people placing orders everyday, so it's VERY difficult to catch up on builds and be completely caught up. We've never done it as far as I know, at least not in the last few years.
I don't know how many orders are on the board in the office right now, but depending on that, you may still have a bit of time. Just giving you a bit of insight into that world
I will say if you ordered recently, there's a decent chance you may still have to wait a bit. You seem pretty patient, and not all customers are exactly that way. I wish everybody who ordered or thought about ordering could see the entire process that goes on in the shop and I guarantee it would all make sense. Here's how things basically go around the shop, in brief detail.
Jake is, of course, the owner and he spends the majority of his day on the phone with customers or potential customers who are feeling the waters. He also takes care of business on various forums and answers tech questions. When not doing that, he's helping out in the shop with either mechanical or transmission work and if any question arises, I have yet to see him not know the answer. He also runs parts around the entire DFW area and spends time designing parts, transbrakes, working with machine shops, working with people we sublet a lot of work with, and does all of the sandblasting we do in house since it's not as big of a deal if he's covered in sand since he builds the least frequently out of the builders. Simply no time for it anymore.
Mike is the shop manager and also spends a LOT of his day on the phone or on the computer dealing with other companies, managing the finances, supervising the mechanical side of the shop, supervising the building side, tearing transmissions down, cleaning, prepping, building and dynoing. He works with other companies who supply special parts for certain builds and various other things.
Chris, a guy who started almost a month after me, is our primary 200-4R builder, but he is just as good with many other transmissions as well such as the 80es. He's an excellent mechanic, stupidly sharp, so he'll work down on that end of the shop when things get heavy down there, which would leave Mike and I as the only builders, but now just Mike for the most part. Chris also is the primary dyno operator, but it always requires two people the properly mount the transmissions onto the dyno. He is the guy in every shop that is tasked with doing odd things around the shop that no one else can't get to.
Ryan is the mechanic, he doesn't build, but he turns out the majority of the mechanic work there and that keeps him pretty occupied.
On a good day, if answering the phones is not an issue and I could spend the entire day just focusing on a 4L80E, I could tear it down, clean it, prep and machine parts, stack it, prep the case (sand blasting, hot tank, power washing, brake clean and compressed air) and then paint it. Then sand the bellhousing edges to remove oxidation. Then change the rear bushing, rollerize the rear, install the band and the case saver snap ring, and build the assembly in the case. Sand blast the pump cover, flat stone and resurface the pump faces, paint the cover, new bushing, seal, assemble pump and ensure gears are up to our standards. Then the valve body is carefully gone through as best as we can, valves are checked to ensure their up to our standards, full functionality, nothing stuck etc.
If the stars align and everything is good, it can be built from start to finish in 10-ish hours, everything running smoothly. We often would and they still do stay after 6 PM to finish builds.
That's 1 per day with someone who doesn't have to worry about taking care of other things.
Then there are usually anywhere from 12-25 other orders to catch up on, with people placing orders everyday, so it's VERY difficult to catch up on builds and be completely caught up. We've never done it as far as I know, at least not in the last few years.
I don't know how many orders are on the board in the office right now, but depending on that, you may still have a bit of time. Just giving you a bit of insight into that world
#15
9 Second Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Naples Fl.
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jake Brake Training
Mike's not on this site (he's forum shy ). New brake is pretty simple to use, lock the brake in any forward gear and launch. The only thing is it works like a lot of the TH400 Pro brakes and requires you to press the button to engage reverse. There are workarounds for this though.
Allthogh i just got it couple weeks ago and have everthing but the driveshaft to stuff it in a 2010 camaro ss M6 I am hoping im going the right direction Mike gave me his cell number for support when i wire it up so far Jakes perf has been awesome I dont mid pushing the button to back up im more concerned where im puttun the button and I think I will be the 1st to fab a outlaw shifter into a gen 5 console (wish me luck).
Is it correct put it in drive hold the button release and hang on and around town D and and move shifter to R and press button for reverse?
Training is very helpfull for a old street racer that is going from manual to his first Auto
Allthogh i just got it couple weeks ago and have everthing but the driveshaft to stuff it in a 2010 camaro ss M6 I am hoping im going the right direction Mike gave me his cell number for support when i wire it up so far Jakes perf has been awesome I dont mid pushing the button to back up im more concerned where im puttun the button and I think I will be the 1st to fab a outlaw shifter into a gen 5 console (wish me luck).
Is it correct put it in drive hold the button release and hang on and around town D and and move shifter to R and press button for reverse?
Training is very helpfull for a old street racer that is going from manual to his first Auto
#16
TECH Resident
iTrader: (4)
As long as you're not holding the button down to engage the brake while driving, it should be fine. As soon as you want to hit reverse, put the shifter into reverse, engage the button and continue holding the button until you are finished backing up, then release and move into D for street driving.
#17
9 Second Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Naples Fl.
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jake Brake
As long as you're not holding the button down to engage the brake while driving, it should be fine. As soon as you want to hit reverse, put the shifter into reverse, engage the button and continue holding the button until you are finished backing up, then release and move into D for street driving.
I put in for time off at work to get it installed after Christmas and measure and order a DSS drive shaft ( im gonna call and see if theyjust might have one in stock i have a DSS 9") Diet Coke has a great write up on here on his Jakes 4l80e Lvel 3 install.. I can install just need help on wireing and programming and proper operation.
#19
9 Second Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Naples Fl.
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts