copb8

I don't think they have any ability to bench test the transmission. They do rebuild a LOT of torque converters and have the equipment for it.

Follow-up question. I don't believe the shop has done this and was wondering if doing so would eliminate the torque converter as the issue. Couldn't they mount the flex-plate and torque converter, and bell-housing, but not the transmission, and then run the engine to see if there's a vibration? Or would the torque converter be too unstable without the one end inserted into the transmission case and therefore not a reliable or feasible test?

2 questions. Would alignment still be considered a possible issue if the vibration happens while standing still and revving in neutral? Should the transmission rest firmly on the frame cross-member?

Thank you. That was the answer I was looking for. I actually did remove the transmission last year and replace all of the seals but it still leaked a bit and shifted poorly so I figured I go to someone who was expert and had experience in old transmissions. The the shops credit the transmission is dry as a bone and shifts and operates beautifully now, with the obvious exception of the vibration.

Before I talk to these guys again today can someone answer whether you can physically remove the transmission from the car without unbolting the torque converter? It seems that if space wasn't an issue you could pull the transmission and bell housing straight back far enough to clear the input shaft of the transmission from the converter and drop the gearbox BUT is practical terms I believe the bell housing would hit the transmission hump well before you'd be able to clear the units? Am I right?

Thanks vicfreg. You know, now that I think of it, they told me they noticed that the flexplate mounting was off on the SECOND time they pulled the transmission. Well it would've been impossible not to pull the transmission and converter the first time they rebuilt it so id HAD to be their tech who clocked it wrong putting it back the first time. Only way that wouldn't be the case is if they somehow pulled the transmission off while leaving the converter in place. Not even sure if that's possible and even if it where it would mean they didn't rebuild the converter the first time when they said they did.

Exactly. And that was my thinking as well. Thanks for the confirmation.

When I say I'm no expert in this please know that I'm even less than that. My understanding is the flexplate weight is to counterbalance the engine only. That is you upgrade your engine to be internally balanced, no weight is necessary at all on the flexplate. They showed me the old flexplate and torque converter and laid the plate on the converter clocked where they said they found it. You could see a small dent/dimple where the drain bolt dented the plate. Now I can't say if they did that on the first install or not. Maybe that's why the vibration changed after the second go-around?

Thanks Newstang. Follow up on your response. Since the current flexplate was installed when they had the empty bell bousing installed and the engine ran 100% smooth, wouldn't that eliminate the flexplate from consideration?

In December I brought my car into a reputable transmission shop in Dallas that's been in business over 50 years and has people very familiar with FMX transmissions. I wanted the following done to my transmission: Seal all leaks Fix issue with hard shifts Fix issue with always starting out in 2nd Clean up the entire unit When I picked up the car there was a very obvious vibration at around 3000-3200 rpms which cause a cycling drone as your drove down the highway. VERY obvious and irritating. All of the other items on my list were fixed and the transmission shifted beautifully for the first time I'd owned the car and didn't leak a drop on my garage floor. I called and talked to my contact and we agreed to return the car to the shop. Once there they seemed to be looking for outside reasons this was happening. There was a lot of talk about the rear-end, suspension rubbing, etc., etc. While I waited they put it on the rack and said there were some rubbing issues with the exhaust and body, that rear suspension components were to close to the exhaust, etc. etc. All these items were very minor and adjusted right then and there. As I suspected while driving home the vibration was unchanged. All the items they mentioned were in place when I got there and the car didn't vibrate before then. Again I returned the car and again there still seemed to be some talk of outside interference and possibly the engine had a vibration. I told them that there was never any vibrations prior to the rebuild and that it had to be something to do with the transmission. Also, you could clearly feel the vibration when the car was in neutral and revved to 3000+ Rpms. They took the car for another week. They pulled the transmission and said that they found that the flexplate was installed incorrectly from a previous repair and that they put in a 'new' flexplate and another rebuilt torque-converter in. They also said that while the transmission was out they installed a bell housing and ran the car with no transmission installed. It ran 100% smooth with zero vibration from the motor! However when I went to pick up the car and rev'ed it in neutral there was still a very clear vibration from just off idle all the way to 4000+ where it smoothed out a little. It was a bit different but obvious and they recognized this as well. I left the car there. So, after my long story, I have these questions: Since they ran the car with the original flexplate and bell-housing doesn't that 100% eliminate either of those as any source of vibration? Since the vibration happens with the transmission mounted and while the car is stationary and in neutral doesn't that 100% mean it's either the torque converter or the transmission pump? Is there anything else spinning in the transmission when in neutral? Doesn't all of this 100% indicate that there's an issue with the transmission and nothing else on the car? I like the guys at the shop and I believe they're trying to do the right thing but I also believe they'd like to see this car gone and that the issue not be theirs. Thoughts?

Pulled the rear wheel today and found I have 28 spline rear axles. Thanks for helping me not make a bad purchase.

That's exactly what I'd expect from a reputable shop.

Thank you. This is very useful. Off the top of your head, do you know if you can see enough of the end of the axle just by removing the wheel and brake drum? Or is the drum brake backing plate blocking everything?

I'm considering moving to 3.0 gears from my current 3.5 to improve my highway cruise speed a bit. Making this change would mean I could cruise at 80 mph at the same RPM's I current do at 70 mph. I know I'll lose some pop off the line but I'm not really drag racing the car anyway. I've been looking around for a used 3.0 with limited slip and came across this ebay ad: 3.0 Posi Rear What are your guys thoughts on this item. Says it's out of a truck, does that matter? Is there anything in the pictures that makes you concerned? Can I assume 31 spline is ok for my car?

What has been their online reputation? Have you looked at their BBB listing? There's no way they shouldn't have contact you to let you know that the written estimate they provided was being so grossly exceeded and give you an explanation as to why. As a professional shop they should be able to estimate their work far closer to the actual hours than what they did. It seems like a bait and switch job to me.

Even if he loves the look I'd have had you guys cut the grill and fabricate it so that the panels in front of the lights could be unscrewed and removed. It could've been done without visually impacting the look he wants and considering the money spent so far I can't see it being that costly.

Maybe it's something to do with me because it still says private. Can anyone else see the video? Attached is the GT3. Have owned it 10 years next month. Not sure I'll ever get rid of it.

Still says video is private. Maybe copy the URL and post again???

Video won't play for me. Says it's private. Can't imagine holding a phone while being thrown around the car on a tight track like Hallett. I have an 07 911 GT3 that I track.

You don't see much reference to the Hallett track. Great little track. I've run it a couple of times but wish it were a bit closer. Apparently the Shelby club gets there ever so often.I'd love to see in-car video of a classic mustang running it.

I'm sure that's what he wanted but man, he's going to regret that once a light goes out. BTW, been following this thread since the beginning. You folks do amazing work.

Grill looks good but is that legal?

Barrett, you bring up an excellent point that I hadn't considered. Had I had the center stripe made I would've definitely overlooked the fact that the crown would narrow the outside edges as compared to to the outside narrow stripes. I think at this point I'm going to buy a stencil and have a professional shop spray it.

RR, I've been following the work you do and you're way above my skill level. I don't suppose anyone would recommend using a rattle can for this kind of job?

Thank you Vicfreg! It's funny but in my google searches NPD never came up, and that's after a lot of time searching. I see they have the outer stripe and numbers but don't see the center wide one. I'm going to give them a call and ask about that and whether they're flat or shiny. Fingers crossed!