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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
4.30.07