Restoring a Gear Box
Simple, I was a commision-paid Transmission Shop Manager for four years. This Article is going to be written from my experiences as a Transmission Shop Manager ... who quite often ... had to explain many particulars about how much to rebuild a transmission to my customer. Even some Men ... needed a little crash course ... in the ways of Transmission operations when it comes to having the thing underneath you rebuilt.
That's really a key point: "The thing underneath you all the time". Like most things that we don't see all the time ... we tend to take them for granted. That transmission of yours is used everytime you accelerate. And, it always has alot going on inside with every shift it makes ... whether we are talking about a standard transmission or an automatic. So ... like all machines ... with every bit of use you have associated with it ... it begins to slowly wear down. That's just the nature of everything on the planet. So, don't let it "shock" ya' too bad ... if someday without warning ... you have transmission troubles. It happens! For those of you prone to keep your vehicles a long time ... you've probably already factored in ... that one day you will need a transmission rebuild.
That when you walk into the front door of your local transmission shop, you are a little more prepared and knowledgeable on what you may begin to expect once you are greeted by the Transmission Center Manager.
Ok ... I'm educating you already on things that make up a good shop ... and how it should look. That way you can begin to recognize good shops. Just make sure that if you use them for your transmission job ... that they come highly-recommended from experience from a very good friend or family member ... and that the transmission that was built for them worked for them for a very long time after the job.
Let me cover some other good things that make up a good shop. (Maybe even some nice reading matireal, clean chairs, and perhaps even fresh coffee made ... at least in the morning),
Also things to look for in the Public Office Area are: Mats / Welcome Mats, Pictures/Plaques of the Shop belonging to the community, Pictures of their favorite rebuilds, Transmission Rebuilders Trade Association Emblems, and some kind of poster promoting the products they use (means they do enough business to have sales reps of transmission related products to call on that particular shop to also make money in the sales that are generated from said shop). There should be some kind of basic information near the service desk bragging about their Shop, and Some kind of description of the Warranties they offer (because they offer a great warranty which can be compared with other leading shops in the area.
Here's a very real tip from someone who has been in the business about the points I mention above: A Shop Manager (Transmission Shop terms are mentioned below) is going to want to slip and slide along the floor and end up killing themself on an extended piece of metal on the ground. There still are things that you can notice that are the makings of a Good Shop!
The Owner is the man brave enough to stand behind the work of his people. Proud enough of what he/she does to warranty a very complex piece of machinery, And, Proud enough of his company that he is willing to spend a few extra dollars to look sharp, look professional, stand out from the crowd, or meet the "visible" standards of a good operating shop site. There are reasons for everything the owner does ... you should be able to notice it from the minute you enter the parking lot. That goes into the kind of people he has working for him. The kind of business he is seeking. And the kind of quality he projects, etc. You get the point.
There can not even really be an average price that a shop could throw out to you with an average number to help ease your concerns. Do you think all those vehicles were engineered exactly the same ... and have exactly the same problems when they go to the shop? I can say that there are literally a couple hundred of separate parts inside your transmission.