Transmission - What Should I Do?

[evillecutter]

Plus, you'll just fall in love with it again on the way home and keep it anyway!

this is what im afraid of!!!!!

[gunbarrelvx]

I hate you guys sometimes. Just called and said to get the parts ordered and work underway.

I am half tempted to sell it after the transmission. This emptied all my savings and summer spending money. Plus, the engine problems associated with this car has me spooked.

Maybe I will have my girlfriend drive it home so as not to fall in love with it again.

[IndianaVX]

I am probably not far behind on the transmission rebuild/replacement. but, I am curious. I have searched on threads about transfer case with no luck. my transmission is slipping going from 3rd to 4th. could the transfer case cause any slipping? I changed fluid in transmission, and shifts are smoother, but still slipping. I haven't done anything with transfer case....not sure how to change fluid on it. found the drain plug, not sure where the fill plug is.

[evillecutter]

I am probably not far behind on the transmission rebuild/replacement. but, I am curious. I have searched on threads about transfer case with no luck. my transmission is slipping going from 3rd to 4th. could the transfer case cause any slipping? I changed fluid in transmission, and shifts are smoother, but still slipping. I haven't done anything with transfer case....not sure how to change fluid on it. found the drain plug, not sure where the fill plug is.

tcase should have nothing to do with your shifting problems - if your 4lo works and you get no add nooises when turning i would check the tcase fluid , make sure its topped off, and forget about it -the borg warner tcases we have are supposed to be extremely reliable i have no idea what happened to mine - i think im just unlucky - as far as changing the fluid we use transmission fluid in the tcase not gear oil - and the fill plug should be above the drain plug somewhere i dont have the vx at my house or i would check for sure but i remember it was not difficult at all to add/change fluid - basically take out both plugs, drain, replace bottom plug, fill till it pours out of top plug, and replace top plug - im pretty sure you do not have to have the vehicle running like when you add trans fluid

[gunbarrelvx]

Paid for the job yesterday. Kind of excited. I spent a half hour at the transmission place learning a lot about the transmission.

I took a bunch of pictures of the project. The owner (Dave) broke down the piece by piece process of how he is addressing the transmission. He used to manage a fleet of Isuzus and could rattle off every update and upgrade to make the transmission last.
He is so familiar that he even had some spec's drawn up from working on this transmission in the past that he is running additional parts on a CNC mill to address the weaknesses. He also cited a lot of the problems people have with sourcing parts for the transmission. Very cool guy.

I have renewed faith after learning so much from someone who has spent this much time working on Isuzu transmissions.

[eternal21]

If you can baby it along for a little bit longer, I'd start sourcing the parts for a manual swap and get it over with.

Another alternative is to pick up a tranny like this one for a few hundred, http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ptd/3793025619.html , pay a shop to go through it to make sure all is well, and then swap it in. That will buy you some time and save you some $.

But no matter what, I'd still be looking at a 5MT as the long-term solution.

[nocturnalVX]

I bought mine for almost $30,000 (not counting interest), and have dumped a bunch more cash in mods/repairs over the years. The only question is "Do I want to keep the VehiCROSS?"... If your answer is yes, then you have we'll over $20k to spend before you catch up to me.

[HeckaTrebeka]

Looks like it needs a complete rebuild at a total for everything at $2700. The mechanic seems very fond of the 430L transmission. He said he can rebuild it with updated, stronger, and better spec'd quality parts than what came from the factory. Also, it will come backed with a 20,000 mile warranty.

Man, I'm in the same exact boat as you are, my friend(though, I do not know of anybody fond of the 4L30E trans around here). Unfortunately, I do not have $2700 in savings to put into my VX.... I do, however, have a line of credit... but should I rebuild? I'm more inclined to just let the my trans blow up and then swap out for an AR5 MT.

[gunbarrelvx]

Hecka, I would be going the same route with the manual trans if it wasn't for this shop. If you think the trans is on it's way out, I would start stockpiling parts for the build now. After this is over, I will probably spend the winter doing the same for the future.

[Mile High VX]

Paid for the job yesterday. Kind of excited. I spent a half hour at the transmission place learning a lot about the transmission.

I took a bunch of pictures of the project. The owner (Dave) broke down the piece by piece process of how he is addressing the transmission. He used to manage a fleet of Isuzus and could rattle off every update and upgrade to make the transmission last.
He is so familiar that he even had some spec's drawn up from working on this transmission in the past that he is running additional parts on a CNC mill to address the weaknesses. He also cited a lot of the problems people have with sourcing parts for the transmission. Very cool guy.

I have renewed faith after learning so much from someone who has spent this much time working on Isuzu transmissions.

What shop are you using? Fair number of VXers in the Denver area and we might need their expert service someday...but hopefully not...

[IndianaVX]

I made a mistake by going over to the planet, and found a PDF file on rebuilding the transmission. spent last night going thru the file, looking at the pictures, and my vx service manual...Yup, Looks pretty straight forward....Rebuild kits are not too crazy expensive....I could probably find the time.....the guy who wrote it considered himself a shade tree mechanic from Switzerland and he was successful......

Please someone, talk me out of this.....ha!

[IndianaVX]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...t82tso5Ca-DNRQ

[CowboyErik]

The general motors 4L30E that all VX's have is a nightmare, I've said it before, say it again, the 4L30E was never meant for 4 wheel drive all the time; it was meant for light duty passenger cars known as a 4L30, then hardened a little and stuck in VX, everyone will have to rebuild; I've seen the insides of mine, went thru total rebuild last year, EVEN MY CASE had to be replaced cause of worn grooves or input shafts/seals had grooves worn in them; I'm good now, and it drives great, 1 year warranty; spent nearly 2K; nice thing at the time was the entire exhaust had to come off so I spent days sanding, finishing and then painting all the parts, used stainless steel bolts to put it back; everyone should call and ask shops in their area "HOW MUCH TO REBUILD A 4L30E"? Do not tell them you have an Isuzu, if the shop is smart they will know what a 4L30E is and give you a flat rate price, they will put in a master rebuild kit, and all the surprises will still be in your flat rate price; have them give you your exhaust system, clean it, get seals from autozone or napa, screws and all and use high temp paint to preserve your VX, some oem parts are avail

[CowboyErik]

and our intercoolers that are part of the radiator? they are a joke, I saw one, it offers no cooling, get a new radiator, cap the intercooler and install a real tranny cooler infront of and behind grill of your VX to really cool tranny fluid!

[evillecutter]

it cant help that what seems like half of all vx's have had hitches fabricated on them and tow things that the vehicle was never intended tow - VERY hard on a transmission that was not designed for that - even more so on a trans that has problems on its own