96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

That is pretty much the same story I have as far as going with ProBuilt.
I had a local rebuild done and it was giving me fits so I posted on the Impala board and ProBuilt sent me his 800 number and told me to call, he gave me a few things to check and I ended up bringing it back to the shop that built it. 6 months later ProBuilt was about my first calll when the local built tranny blew, he didn't make a dime from me before that.

He has actually tried to encourage me to learn to build them since I told him there seems to be nobody competent around here.

Davey J

I feel very secure with my th400 but I bet it sucks alot of power too

btw bmr sells a brace for the swap.I use a b&m rachet shifter and if you do the swap do yourself a favour and have a custom driveshaft made and dont mess around buying a used one or anything like I did only to find it was 2 inches short

sleeperMULLET

iTrader: (4)

Well heres the thing, during the summer my Camaro is my daily driver. I took it to the track only 3 times this summer becasue of all the trans problems. I just want something that won't break, but it needs overdrive. My current failure with the TCI was when I was going about 20mph and I mashed it and when it went to shift at around 6800rpm something gave. I'm just very dissapointed with TCI, it was also extremely expensive, close to $4000 for the trans and T/C. I just hope I have better luck with ProBuilt.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

I am not a racer but I do go to every T&T I can and the wife has taken an interest so some night there are two drivers 6+ passes an evening a couple times a month is pretty normal.

The TCI converters are marginal at best, ProBuilt may recommend an Edge which I am very happy with. I had a 2800 in this thing when it was my only car and it was fine, passengers even mistook it for stock stall. The 3400 drives well, not stock but well, treanny temps if anything stay on the low side.

When the ProBuilt was installed the car was cammed but without headers, made like 260rwhp and over the last 4 years that number kept creaping up, been behind this heads and cam since april 06, about 16K miles in that time.
I know this will sound cocky but frankly my stock shortblock motor is making what a LOT of strokers do and more, the tranny is pushed and takes it just fine.

I have the stock in radiator cooler, a small permacool plate cooler, and an external spin-on filter I added after the radiator but before the Permacool. Honestly the $30 spin-on kit was cheaper than replacing the in radiator cooler which I feared would hold debris and take out a new tranny. I replaced the lines after the coller because they were cheap, like $30.

Greaseymec

iTrader: (9)

Ummm....these people have some of the best "reputations" out there. A few more could be added to the list.

Mec

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

I am not saying a reputation is a bad thing, I am saying I need more than just that.

There are a LOT of stupid people out there who blindly defend bad products they bought because they refuse to learn.

The original poster bought TCI parts because they have a good reputation, they however lack the results to back that reputation up, something he had to find out the hard and expensive way. We have all been there, those of us who learn from our mistakes just get to go faster for our mod dollars, and it seems he is learning.

Greaseymec

iTrader: (9)

I think I am just disagreeing on your definitation, thats all. A builder can have a great reputation without even advertising. He lives by the the product he produces. My point being that houses like TCI are a big name, but in my opinion their reputation stinks. The 4L60E can built to handle some abuse but the TH400 can handle more. It boils down to what he decides on.

Mec

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

I agree some reputations are built on results but my problem with going on reputation alone is they can be BOUGHT too. Which is why people need to dig a little further and talk to people like some of us in this thread who have YEARS of experiance with products.

When talking reputation you have to think in terms of the masses, you and I know TCI and B&M for that matter are bad news when it comes too the 4L60E, average guy is less experianced though and there are A LOT more guys out there who know the name TCI than all the other shops we are talking about combined.

Gilbert@Ace Racing

Wow,

I just read this thread in it's entirety. There is alot of solid advice here, from guys who have obviosly broken a bunch of **** in the past.

I'll expound on some of the comments. As a relatively new sponsor here I can say that indeed there are shops that come and go... they become the "flavor of the month" for those who succomb to the Sheeple mentality. There are shops that have been around long before Al Gore invented the internet too.

Then there are shops that have folks who work there in order to draw a paycheck. And still other shops whose people enjoy coming in to work because they have a passion for what they do.

Some shops do their own R&D so they can actually learn how NOT to do something, or learn how something just flat *** does not work in a given combination. And some shops simply purchase parts and assemblies from other shops in order to steal the hard earned technology without regards to actually leaning something in the process.

There are shops with multiple guys who build sub-assemblies all day and have a handfull of guys who assemble units all day. Then there are shops who have one builder who builds custom transmissions that are built to order starting with an assembled core that was removed from the customers car and shipped in or was removed fromn the car at their shop.

I could go on, I think you get the point. And that is it boils down to the people and their passion for what they do. At some point here it was mentioned that Frank at Cahill I think has been building transmissions longer than the poster has been alive. That's impressive indeed. Nothing against Frank here, but lot's of guys have been wrenching that long... but they just don't get it like some guys do... guys like Frank at Cahill. Guys like Vince at FLT, guys like Rodney at RPM or Carl Rossler. Or even guys like myself and my builder John. He and I share the passion for learning more and pushing the envelope. He has been building over 25 years himself. I have been ASE MAster Certified since 1992.

I did my own research on the 4L60E several years ago. It kicked my *** for a long time. But, after a while I began to have small successes after many thousand of dollars in parts and well over a year and a half of R&D we had it figured out. Then we waited, and waited to see what would come back. Only after not seeing one unit out of the R&D program come in with an issue for over 3 months did I know we were on to something. It was then that I became a sponsor here. I am not telling you this to just blow my horn, but I want you know there is more behind the scenes work at play in companies sometimes... that is why you have to do more research than just scratch the surface.

I believe in relationships. The sort of relationships that I have to earn one at a time. You do not see a bunch of people blowing my companies' horn because I do not solicit these comments like many other sponsors here at Tech do. Don't take that as a shot at them, it's just that we share different philosophies about what we are up to.

It was said here earlier that there is more to it than just installing good parts.. that poster is right in more ways than he knows. It takes John... a guy who has been building transmissions for a very long time... nearly 11 hours of work to build one of our 4L60E units.

It boils down to the people and the culture in the company, bottom line. It ain't easy choosing who to build your expensive powertrain component, and I know it. But, you gotta do your homework each and every time.

Do not rely on a big box brand name to be the end all be all and do not rely on one builders' or shop owners adivce. Do not rely on your buddies experiences either...... learn something from all of those people and then make your decision. DOn't even call me first if you are in need of a Transmission... but do call me so you can get an additional opinion and then make your decision after you have talked to several Industry Professionals.

I hope that long diatribe helps somebody!

Here's to going faster in '08!

g

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

ought to be an interesting winter for me ProBuilt is going to walk me through building a core and I am going to put the one he did aside as a spare. I wont be looking to do them for others but it will be a learning experiance and one that in the long term I hope makes the hobby a little cheaper for me to enjoy.

Gilbert@Ace Racing

Hey good for you... sounds like you have found a home so to speak.

Good Luck with the project!

g