4.30.07
Hug your Tranny
for it's the only one you have
Stranded in Arkansas
The following is an account of our transmission woes while traveling this past
winter. It is rather long but I feel it is an important story to tell. It will
help others to understand what we may be faced with and what actions to take.
Our coach is a 1978 Eleganza II. It is has a stock 403 and a 3:07 final drive
with 90,000 miles. We tow a Jeep Wrangler.
We had been traveling North on Scenic 7 Byway from Hot Springs to Harrison and
then planned to turn East and proceed to Bull Shoals State Park. The first half
of the trip from Hot Springs to Russellville was hilly and winding but this is
what we expected. We were in the Ozark Mountains and this is what we wanted to
see. The temperatures were in the 40’s in the morning and 60’s in the afternoon.
We arrived at Lake Dardanelle State Park in Russelville with the coach running
well. It is a very nice park. We stayed four days.
The second half of the trip from Russellville to Harrison was even more hilly
and winding but the road conditions were good and it was not overly tiring or
stressful to drive. The scenery was good. The coach was running well. There was
a fair amount of shifting of gears, both automatically and manually. The
temperatures of the final drive pan and the transmission pan were not at all
hot. I have gauges that start a bit too high at 140 degrees. In cool weather and
flat roads, the needles do not rise much if any. They were not much off the
bottom on that day. We came down a 7% grade into Jasper and then as we crested a
hill just before Harrison, a noise came from the engine compartment. I pulled
over in a safe spot and listened. It is hard to describe the sound but it varied
with RPM and was also related to the mode of the transmission. When in Park the
sound was present. When shifted into any gear, the sound would go away until the
RPM picked up. It was not really a grinding but I do not know what else call it.
I checked the transmission fluid level. It was a little low but nothing to be
concerned about. We shut down and let it cool down for a while. When I started
the engine, the sound was still there. I then decided to drive into Harrison and
see what we could find. It was Sunday at 11:00 am. The coach drove fine and the
transmission shifted normally. I drove about 7 miles to a Wal-Mart. I called Jim
Bounds and we decided that I should get under the coach, listen to the noise and
try to determine the origin. I really did not want to try and jack up the coach
in the Wal-Mart parking lot, so I went looking for help. I checked the Black
List and found no one in the immediate area. I went to the auto service
department at Wal-Mart and inquired about mechanics and shops in the area. They
were pleasant and they gave me the phone number of a man named Shorty who owned
an RV service shop. I called him but he did not do drive train repairs. He had
no suggestions for help on Sunday so I asked him about an RV park. He suggested
Parker’s and gave me the number. He also was very friendly and helpful. A call
to Parker’s found available sites.
I left my wife and dogs with the coach and drove our Jeep to an Auto Zone we had
passed a couple of blocks away. I purchased a stethoscope and inquired about an
oil change shop. I figured if they would let me under the coach, I could
determine the source of the noise. The guys at Auto Zone were helpful but
doubted if the Speed Lube would let me in the pit. Liability reasons. I drove
another five blocks to the Speed Lube. They said, “sure, bring it in and you can
go down in the pit.” I was grateful for that bit of news. Of coarse, all the
while the stress level is rising wondering where this is all headed.
I went back and traded the Jeep for the coach. My wife followed in the Jeep. I
pulled into the Speed Lube and changed into some old clothes and shoes. I went
below and had my wife start the engine. I did not take much probing to determine
that the noise was coming from the chain drive at the rear of the transmission.
I called Jim Bounds and explained what I had found. “That is not good” was his
reply. “The transmission will have to come out.” The stress level goes up
another notch. Then he made the following statements. “Do exactly as I tell you.
Do not do this any other way. It will only cost you more money in the long run.
Call Manny Travao and get a rebuilt transmission.” I had heard of Manny and I
knew that he was rebuilding transmissions and that he had given seminars at
rallies. I had read some of his writings.
The guys at the Speed Lube were excellent. They did not want anything for the
twenty minutes that we were there so they were rewarded with a half dozen of
world’s best chocolate chip cookies baked by my wife the previous day.
We drove about two miles to Parker’s RV Park. I was met by Wiley Parker. I
explained my problem. He replied “ let’s just leave the bill open until you know
how long you will be here.” He did not care about a credit card at that point in
time. He explained that they had wifi and that the first hour was free. I parked
the coach and noticed that the motorhome next to me had an Internet satellite
dish on the roof. My wife took the dogs for a walk and I got on the computer. I
was able to connect to my neighbors wireless system. I got on the GMCNET and
sent out a request for help. It was about 4:00 PM. This was the Sunday at the
end of the GMC International rally in Rayne, Louisiana. I figured many of the
regular GMCNET contributors would be on the road.
I then called Manny. I explained the problem. He figured that a clip holding one
of the spockets in place in the chain drive had let go, allowing the sprocket to
move on the shaft and in turn, rub on the inside of the cover. We talked about
what my options were. I had been considering a change to the final drive ratio
and now had the option of changing the ratio with a sprocket and chain kit.
Manny explained that he had purchased the rights to those kits from Caspro.
Manny said that he had heard of someone driving about 500 miles with a similar
problem. We were one thousand miles from home. He said that if I ordered it the
next day, Monday, he would ship it on Tuesday. I told him that I would talk to
him the next day. By this time my mind is spinning with options. Remember that I
still do not have any idea of who could change the transmission if I have Manny
send one.
I checked back with the GMCNET throughout the night. I received a couple of
suggestions of people to call in the area. I also received a couple of replies
confirming that Manny was the best choice. I made one call and left a message
with Buddy Mhoon. Buddy returned my call but was not able to offer a
recommendation for a transmission shop. I called John Richardson, as I knew he
has the 3:50 sprocket and chain in one of his coaches. He had a couple of
suggestions for help with the transmission and he stated that he was very happy
with his 3:50 system. I also called Dave Lenzi, as I knew that he too has the
3:50. I left a message on Dave’s voice mail. I called David Marchiando, a GMC
owner and mechanic in Chicago, thinking that if we decided to try and drive home
we could get help in Chicago if need be. David said he would be glad to help.
Somewhere around midnight I had had enough and went to bed.
A check of the GMCNET the next morning brought nothing new. I went to the office
and met Greg Parker, the owner. He suggested that I talk to the owner of
Jordan’s RV service located right next to the RV park. I walked over and met
Brian Jordan. He explained that they did not do drive train repairs but he would
help find a shop that could. He made several calls and found Affordable
Transmissions in Kirbyville, Arkansas about 25 miles north of us in Harrison and
20 miles south of Branson, Missouri. The owner told him that he could do it.
I went back to the coach and informed my wife of the findings. She was holding
up well but was concerned about what was going to happen. I called Affordable
Transmissions and spoke with the owner Terry Filczar. He explained that he had
been in the business for thirty years in Chicago, had moved to the area about
two years ago and built a 10,000 square foot shop. He also mentioned that you
could eat off the floor. He gave me directions and I told him we would be there
shortly to check it out. We took the Jeep. The roads were paved all the way but
the last couple of miles were up and down some very steep hills. His shop is in
a very rural area. We met Terry and he gave us a quick tour. I was very
impressed with him and his shop. It was very clean and organized. He asked why I
was going to have a transmission shipped in, as he was more than capable of
rebuilding it. I explained that if I had one shipped in, he could replace it the
same day and I would not have to stay somewhere else. Besides, I had decided to
go with the 3:50 ratio change. I told him I would be in touch and we left.
While driving back to Harrison, we decided that we would drive the coach the 50
miles to Table Rock State Park in Branson so we would at least have something to
do while we waited for the transmission to arrive. I called Manny and ordered
the transmission. I told Manny that I had a Ragusa pan on mine. He said that
would be no problem. He would put one on and I could send him my old one along
with a check when I got home. I also asked him to use synthetic oil. He was very
accommodating. I was planning on taking the old transmission home in the back of
my Jeep. We checked out of Parker’s, thanked Greg Parker and our neighbors for
allowing us to tap into their wifi and headed for Table Rock State Park. The
road was mostly four lane and slightly hilly. The transmission temperature
stayed fairly low for most of the trip. The last five miles were two lanes and
the hills were more substantial. By the time we reached the campground, the
temperature was at 230 degrees. This was higher than it had ever been in five
years and 40,000 miles. It was a stressful ride wondering whether we would make
it. But we did and settled into a campsite. Table Rock is a nice park with lots
of good walking to get some exercise. A good stress reliever.
Manny called on Tuesday to inform me that the transmission had shipped and
should arrive in about five days. We felt good about a Manny transmission and
Affordable Transmissions doing the change out. We relaxed and enjoyed the
Branson area. Dave Lenzi returned my call and agreed that the 3:50 was a good
choice. One day while driving around Branson we came to a dead end and an RV
park. We went into the park to turn around and spotted two GMC’s. It turned out
to be Paul and Joan Smith and Ken and Jeanne Robinson of Traverse City,
Michigan. They were on their way north from the Rayne rally. We visited with
them for awhile. We saw them again the next day. It was good to see some
familiar faces.
We celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary while there. I teased my wife telling
her there would be no gold or diamonds this year. She was getting a new
transmission.
The transmission took a little longer than expected to arrive. It came in on the
following Tuesday. We scheduled for installation the next day. I was concerned
about the hills getting into the transmission shop. I could just imagine the
transmission failing on one of those hills. But we made it and the temperature
was once again at 230 degrees.
I helped Terry get the coach ready. I jacked up the front end at the center of
cross member, placed the jack stands behind the front wheels, disconnected the
battery, removed the wheel liners and removed the engine hatch. We had already
covered the floor and furniture with plastic. I asked him how much time he
needed. He said about five hours if all went well. We left in the Jeep and went
touring the countryside.
When we returned five hours later the coach was down. It had taken him four
hours and there were no issues. He had waited for me to start it. I connected
the battery and started the engine. I had brought some extra oil and added about
three quarts. The oil lines, factory cooler and auxiliary cooler had been
flushed which accounted for the extra oil. I took it for a road test about a
mile up the road and back. Anything further would have put me into the hills
again. Everything seemed fine. We checked for leaks and checked the fluid level
one more time. I put the engine hatch back and reinstalled the wheel liners. We
put the old transmission in the shipping crate and loaded it into the back of
the Jeep.
Since it was about 4:00PM, we decided to return to Table Rock State Park for the
night. We did not tow the Jeep. The coach climbed the hills with no problems. I
stopped for gas when we reached the four lane highway. Everything seemed fine.
As soon as I started down the highway, I realized that the transmission was not
shifting correctly. Every time I tried to accelerate past 45 mph, it would kick
down into 2nd gear. I would let up on the gas and it would shift back into 3rd.
I fought this the 20 miles to Table Rock. The stress level starts going up
again. We picked a campsite and I started making calls. First to Manny. He
thought it might be the kickdown switch under the dash that is connected to the
gas pedal and that I should disconnect it. I called Jim Bounds and he agreed
with Manny. I really did not think that was the problem as it had worked fine
before the transmission change but I was willing to try their suggestion. So I
disconnected it but waited for the next day to test it.
The next morning, we attached the Jeep and headed north toward Springfield,
Missouri. There was no change in the shifting. The stress level goes up another
notch. We are one thousand miles from home, have spent lots of time and money on
a new transmission and it does not work properly. After about 20 miles, I exited
the highway and parked next to an antique mall in Ozark Missouri. It was warm
that day so I started the generator and air conditioner. I called Manny. He
asked if I could go back to the shop that had installed the transmission. I said
there was no way I was going to turn around and travel fifty miles back into
those hills. He said that I needed to pull the transmission pan and fix a
problem with the detent (kickdown) solenoid. He felt that oil was leaking by the
solenoid. I could not argue, as my knowledge of transmissions was minimal. I
told him I would call him back. I got out the Black list and found two people in
Springfield. I called and left messages. I borrowed a phone book from the
antique mall and began making phone calls to transmission shops. Everyone was
too busy. The owner of an Ammco Transmission shop said that he had not seen one
of “those” in eighteen years. I called Jim Bounds. He suggested that I exchange
the governor with the old one and if that did not work, exchange the vacuum
modulator. I then called Terry at Affordable Transmissions. He could understand
my reluctance at returning to his shop. He suggested that I adjust the vacuum
modulator two full turns counter clockwise. This is done by removing the vacuum
hose from the modulator and inserting a small screwdriver into the hose fitting.
So I got out a mat to lie on and crawled under the right side of the coach just
behind the front wheel. I could just reach it without jacking up the coach. I
made the adjustment and we went for a test ride. It was better but not good
enough. I went back to the same parking lot and turned the adjusting screw out
another two turns. After several miles I determined that it was working much
better but still not right. It would kick down occasionally for no reason and
upshifting was also not right. When upshifting, I would have to let up on the
gas to get it to shift, otherwise it just kept revving higher and would not
shift. But I felt that it was good enough and that if I stuck to the interstates
I could probably get home and deal with these issues later. All I wanted now was
to get home. We had been two months on the road and had had enough. But we could
not go directly home. It was late March and the entire Midwest was in a cold
snap. Marquette, Michigan, a town 60 miles north of our town Gladstone had just
gotten 4 feet of snow in three days. Gladstone had somewhat less but we did not
want to drive into snow and road salt. So we traveled about 150 miles and
stopped at Osage Beach State Park in Osage, Missouri. We spent four days there
bringing down the stress level and waiting for the weather to improve up north.
Manny called to check on us. I explained what I had done and what my plan was. I
told him I would call him when we got home.
We left Osage and headed for Hannibal, Missouri, the boyhood home of Mark Twain.
It was another 150 miles. The coach was shifting the same. We pulled into a
Wal-Mart in Hannibal and a very disturbing grinding sound came from the engine
compartment. Up goes the stress level again. I shut down the coach and went into
the store for supplies. The morning low temperatures for the next few days were
forecasted to be about 20 degrees. I was not worried about freezing water lines
inside the coach but I was concerned about the macerator pump. So I bought some
antifreeze and planned on dumping the holding take and then pumping some
antifreeze at the next stop. Just what I needed, something else to contend with.
When I started the coach to go to historic downtown Hannibal, the grinding noise
was gone.
We left Hannibal later that day and traveled into Illinois. The grinding noise
would appear at times. The weather was clear and cool (some of you would say
cold) and the roads were dry. We had to travel a two lane road for a while to
get to the interstate. While on that road, a car crossed the centerline and was
coming at us. I started to react and then the other driver also reacted. I do
not think I could have gotten out of the way in time. It was close enough to
make my heart race a bit when it was over but not so close as to need a change
of underwear. Mary says that she quaked for a while.
We stopped at Argyle Lake State Park in Illinois, I put in the antifreeze and
decided it was time to change the governor. Perhaps it was the governor that was
making the grinding noise and also not allowing the transmission to shift
properly.
The next morning I removed the top of the crate in the back of the Jeep and
luckily the governor was on the top and easily accessible. Changing it is easy.
We stayed another day because the weather up north was still lousy. We wanted to
get home but did not want to fight the weather. The next morning when we left, I
could tell almost immediately that the shifting was better. In fact, it seemed
normal. The grinding sound was gone. This was good news. We traveled about ten
miles to town and made a stop. When we came out of a store, I saw fluid dripping
under the coach. I figured that it had to be transmission fluid coming from the
governor. I pulled the engine hatch and found no oil leaking at the governor. I
pulled the coach ahead so I could look at the oil spots. It was final drive oil!
What now? I figured some seal had been compromised in the changing of the
transmission. Up goes the stress level again. Mary went across the road to an
auto parts store and got directions to a Valvoline oil change shop. They would
not allow me to go into the pit but I could see fairly well leaning down. The
service tech said it was coming from the differential. I had him check the
level, which was only slightly low. He also checked the bolts on the Ragusa pan.
They were not loose. I decided to drive on and check it every so often. About 50
miles up the road, I looked underneath and there was no leaking. It did not leak
again for the remainder of the trip home. I have since remembered that the final
drive has a vent hole. I now suspect that it was venting the oil but I do not
know why. It was about 20 degrees that morning but I have driven in colder
weather and not had it vent oil. I will ask others and see what I can learn.
This was certainly a variable that I did not need at this point in time.
We made it to the interstate and continued north. Nasty weather was being
predicted for Wisconsin and Michigan and we were trying to get in ahead of it.
We were about 400 miles from home. We stopped for gas and a lunch break. We
pulled into a Target parking lot and suddenly the grinding noise was back. How
could this be, it had gone away when I changed the governor. I shut down, we had
lunch and when we started off again the noise was gone. About 50 miles later,
the fan clutch locked up. I tapped the brake to disengage the cruise control and
slowed to 45 mph. The fan stayed on and we drove about ten miles to the nearest
town. All I could think of while driving that 10 miles was time I met a GMCer in
a Wal-Mart parking lot. He had a failed fan clutch and it was about to go
through the radiator. Up goes the stress level.
We pulled into a Wal-Mart and Mary went in for directions to the nearest auto
parts store. The lady told Mary where and said that we better hurry because the
stores closed at 7:00PM. It was 6:45PM on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. It
turns out that the auto parts stores did not close until 9:00PM. We found an
Auto Zone first but could also see an O’Reilly just down the street. While I was
checking the GMCMI parts list for the replacement options in the Auto Zone
parking lot, there was a knock at our door. A man had overheard my wife’s
conversation at Wal-Mart and had followed us. He wanted to make sure we were
okay. He asked if I had the tools that I needed. I said that I did, thanked him
and he left. There are good people everywhere. Auto Zone had two choices both
made in China. O’Reilly had a heavy duty Hayden made in the US so I bought it.
When I started to coach to drive two miles to a campground, the fan clutch had
disengaged.
The next morning, I changed the fan clutch. It took about an hour and was not
difficult. Upon inspection of the old clutch, I could see a bearing failure. So
as it turns out, it was never the transmission making the grinding noises but
rather the fan clutch. But the fan clutch starting to fail at almost the same
time as the transmission change added yet another variable. The fact that the
transmission was not shifting correctly helped to reinforce the thinking that
the grinding was transmission related. It was only coincidence that the clutch
stopped making noise for a while after changing the governor.
We left Dixon Illinois Sunday morning and drove the rest of the way home (400
miles) that day. The coach ran great and we had no issues. We arrived home at
about 5:00PM. It was so good to be back, to garage the coach for awhile and
relax. But it was also sad to have another journey come to an end. Even with all
the problems, it was still great to get away from a Michigan winter and to be
down South. We will be back again the winter.
I know this is a long story so let me summarize.
There was an issue with the shifting of the rebuilt transmission. It turned out
to be the governor. If you recall from early on in this story, I adjusted the
vacuum modulator and improved the shifting problem. I believe that this just
compensated for the governor problem. Since returning home, I have set the
vacuum modulator back to its original setting and the shifting is fine. These
two devices obviously interact with each other. I certainly know a lot more now
about transmissions.
If you recall also early on, Manny wanted me to drop the oil pan and remove the
kickdown solenoid. These solenoids are obsolete from GM or any other source.
Manny is having them manufactured. Of course they are made in China. I do not
know if that is good or bad from a reliability standpoint but I know that today
it is sometimes the only option. It turns out that Manny is experiencing some
failures of these solenoids due to tolerance variations in the manufacturing. It
causes shifting problems. That is why he suspected my problem to be the same. I
am glad that I tried other things first because they were easier and of course
it turned out not to be the solenoid but I can sure understand Manny’s logic. I
can not say enough good about Manny. He got the transmission to us as fast as
possible and he followed up many times during our trip home. He has a test stand
that he uses to check out all transmissions before he ships them but it is not
the same as putting them in a 12,000 pound motorhome. You can not ask any more
than that. Plus his price was very good. I will not give the cost as it varies
depending on shipping costs and whether or not a core exchange is possible.
Thanks Manny.
I will tell you that it cost $600.00 for Affordable Transmissions to change it
out. That included a thorough flushing of the coolers. This is a must when
changing the transmission. I have been told that that was a good price. I was
very happy to have paid that to Terry. His expertise was a real comfort. Thanks
Terry.
These projects are difficult enough when we are in familiar territory, but when
we are so far from home and know no one, it is far more difficult. You just do
not know whom to trust. That is why the Black List is so very important. We must
all work together to help each other through these stressful times.
I must also thank Jim Bounds. He is always there for us in time of need. If you
are not a member of his Coop, I highly suggest that you join. He is an excellent
friend of the GMC community and I am proud to call him my friend. Thanks Jim.
At the end of last season I installed a Jim Kanomato/Jim Bounds 4 bag system.
After this past 4000 mile trip, I can now say how thoroughly satisfied I am with
it. The handling is greatly improved. I highly recommend it. Thanks Jim K.
I would also like to thank my wife. She remained calm throughout the ordeal and
that was a great help to me. We had a great time together.
And what would life be without a couple of dogs. Hobby and Gracie our English
Setters are always fun to have along. They travel well and I think they enjoy
new experiences as much as we do.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank and introduce you to Hank
Leach. We met Hank last year while visiting the wonderful village of Grand
Marais, Michigan. Hank spotted us in town and stopped to introduce himself. He
had purchased a 1974 GMC that spring in Arizona. He spends his summers in Grand
Marais and winters in Sedona, Arizona. Hank was a Service Training Center
Instructor for Cadillac in the 70’s. I spent quite a bit of time on the phone
with Hank during the saga of the transmission. Please make Hank feel welcome and
if you are near Grand Marais, make it a point to stop. It is located on a
beautiful stretch of beach on Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In
fact Grand Marais is on the eastern end of the Pictured Rocks National
Lakeshore. It is a great place to visit from May through October. There is a
township campground in town on the beach. No reservations but it is not usually
full. Thanks Hank.
So there you have it, a long and tragic story with a happy ending. I can not say
that I particularly enjoyed reliving it but I hope that there was something
learned that can help some of you in your travels. Actually, I hope none of you
have to go through it, but if you do, remember that we have lots of help out
there.
See you down the road and hopefully not along side of it.
Rick Williams