Ok so long story short. While I was swapping out my headers, I noticed that my flexplate was cracked! So I went to a local well known shop that specializes in LS1's and ordered up a TCI plexplate, and scheduled an install.

So they get eveything done on a wednesday. I take a trip to GLD that Saturday, and during the very first burnout my trans just lets go! It seems to have no gears at all. It does absolutely nothing, no 1st, 2nd, reverse, just seems to be in nuetral. My first initial though was a blown pump! WTF? I check the fluid and it is half way up the stick.

So I get the car towed home for $250, and put it in the garage.

So this shop also had a friend of mines' car there for a bunch of work around the same time, and basically the car was fucked. It looked like it was never finished, bolts were loose, harness' were hanging on the ground. Just a whole lot of bad. So I said, **** this I am not going back there. This was back in april.

I just now have found the time to start taking things apart and start my investigation, and as soon as I took the t/c bolts out, and pushed the converter back I found my problem.

A 5/16ths gap bewteen the pads and the flexplate. No spacers were used!

So basically my question is this: once I get the trans out and take it to someone; haven't decided yet who; and they tell me my pump is blown; do I have a leg to stand on to go back to this shop and try and have the situation resolved?

I feel a refund on the install of the flexplate, refund for the tow, and the cost to repair the trans is a 100% fair solution.

Before anyone asks, I will not disclose the name of the shop that installed my flexplate. But they are a sponser...

 

I think that's a pretty reasonable request. If they didn't do the job right, then they should be the ones to pay for it...

 

If you brought it back to them the same week it happened, yes it would be reasonable. Or If they recorded your mileage when you brought it in and see you haven't put any miles on it then yea it would be ok too. If not though it has been 4 months, they have alot of wiggle room. Hopefully they pull through for you but seriously take action sooner next time.

Ps don't mean to sound harsh, I agree with you, it's just hard to prove it's someone elses fault when it's been so long since they worked on it.

 

Dude the minute the trans exploded I would have been on the phone with said shop. Thats a long time to wait to call a place.... Especially now you tore it down yourself, your screwed. Now you have no proof that they fucked up.

If you had called them when it happened, ate the tow fee (for now), and had it towed back there for them to investigate things would have worked out much better, because in that case THEY would have been the last people inside the drivetrain, not you.

This kind of stuff I think is what gives places bad names. People want to be unreasonable and when they don't get there way a place gets trash talked. Everyone makes mistakes, and if they knew it was their fault, I bet they would eat it to not lose a customer. Now it just looks like your trying to screw them. Sorry but its true.

 

I think you're shet-outta-luck, ...
Too damn late now.

 

Oh I missed the part where it happened 4 months ago lol. Yeah your probably screwed now...

 

Yea I re read it and saw where you unbolted it... Not good.

 

Honestly you screwed up by waiting, and also by pulling it apart. I don't think you have a leg to stand on.

 

Stay away from that place and handle the repairs yourself. Doesn't mean you can't let em know they f-ed up though but I would not ask/expect anything from them at this point.

 

That's why you should use a credit card on these deals. You can dispute the bill and get payment withheld.

 

Not this late in the game.

 

How many miles were on it?

 

I doubt they are going to give you anything waiting that long. It never hurts to ask.

Highly recommend AAA, less than 100 dollars a year and you get 5 free tows within 100 miles. I have impressed the guy that tows from Byron when I gernaded my 9inch.

The calls to them are pretty funny when you call for the tow though. What seems to be the problem today, I blew it up. Sir it is loud there are you in a safe location. Yea, I am at the track. Ohhhhhhhhh, well I am sorry you are having car trouble today

 

Yeah I get that the time frame sucks. But my buddy went back there with a list of **** they messed up on his car, a couples days after my trans blew, and they basically said, "we're sorry to hear that". They said for him to bring it back and they will take a look at it. But that BS cuz now they have a second chance to mess it up some more. It should have been done right the first time. Its hard to give your car BACK to a shop that messed it up already. They should have just refunded his money, instead they just said "sorry". Plus they tried to tune my car twice now and it still dies when I come to a stop, and it surges, but they said it was running perfect. LOL.

So I thought why would I even waste my time with saying anything to them about my car. Plus I was out of the country on business for several weeks during that time span. Hard to get **** done when your in Madagascar!!!

But none the less, I have decided to bite the bullet and chalk it up as a loss. I just dont plan on going back there anymore, unless of course I just blew up the converter, and the trans is perfectly fine.

I'll find out this week...

 

Sure hate to hear about your situation. It's hard to find good help these days, and you wouldn't think it would be that way in today's economy... especially since these cars have been out for ten years or more by now.

You mentioned that there is a 5/16" gap between the flexplate and converter. Was that measured from the pad the converter bolts to? I've worked on these for many years and know that the aftermarket flexplates have pretty close tolerances to factory plates. What converter are you running?

Either way, good luck with it bud.

 

Yes measured from the pad on the converter to the flexplate. And I had a rather old vig3600. After this all happened, I ordered up a pt4000. So the vig is not going back in.

 

If they don't have any interest in helping it wouldn't hurt to post in the sponsor feedback section as well. Just be honest and professional, that way others can know and make a decision to trust the shop or not.

 

My friend; that I mentioned above, actually made a post in the sponser feedback section, and it magically got deleted. And I had it verified today by my trans guy that the pump is what blew up. He took one look at it and said yep, the pump is blown due to excessive converter spacing. He said that washers should have been used.

Oh well, u live and learn.
This well known shop is going down the tubes. The shop I took my trans to, had 2 ls1 camaros there getting work fixed on them that was performed by this shop that I talked about above. The owner said that they just told these guys sorry too.

 

hell yeah!