Trans Digest 12
Trans Digest 12
FEBRUARY 2012
SmartShell
FROM SONNAX
The Sonnax SmartShell is the first and only kit
to prevent damage to the 4L60 shell as well as the
captured bearing in the rear planetary assembly.
OE Sun Shell
SmartShell
OE Sun Shell
Thrust load passes from
shell through sun gear,
then overloads the small
captured planetary bearing.
Color Key
Shell Carrier
Race Key
Sun Gear Bearings
Thrust Load Path
SmartShell
Thrust load passes directly to
the carrier from the shell through
the large bearing & race, bypassing
the small captured planetary bearing.
77749-02K
Patent Pending
PERFORMANCE
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#FMMPXT'BMMT
7564"
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Sonnax is an
Employee-Owned Company
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FEBRUARY 2012
Labor of a Lifetime
On The Cover
Showpower 2012
You can find technical and
management information to help
you thrive during these tough
economic times along with the
latest tools, equipment, products
and services in Dallas.
Page 14
Page 4
Technical
Technically Speaking: . . . .8
The cause of a solenoidperformance code in a
41TE can be elusive.
Business
Its Your Business . . . . . .42
Dont let your customers
control your business.
Up to Standards . . . . . . .34
Torque Converter
Tech Tips . . . . . . . . . . . .44
CERTIFIED
Transmission Digest (ISSN 0277-8300) is published monthly by M D Publications, Inc., 3057 E. Cairo, P.O. Box 2210, Springfield, MO 65801-2210. Advertising inquiries are welcome, by mail or telephone,
(417) 866-3917; Fax (417) 866-2781; [email protected]. Advertising rates furnished upon request. Advertiser and agency agree to indemnify and protect the publisher from unauthorized use of any
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U.S. funds only. Single copy price $4.75 plus shipping for current or back issues (as available) except the Annual Buyers Guide which is published as the March issue.
Copyright 2012 by M D Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Advertisements and Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Transmission Digest or its management. Editorial contributions
welcome, but return of manuscripts, models or other artwork not guaranteed unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Information contained in Transmission Digest has been carefully
compiled from industry sources known for their reliability, but M D Publications does not guarantee its accuracy. Other M D Publications: Undercar Digest, Tech/Talk, and Short Line. M D Show Division:
TRANSMISSION/UNDERCAR EXPO 2012, March 29-31, Dallas. Periodicals Postage paid at Springfield, Missouri, and additional entry offices.
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Transmission Digest, P.O. Box 2236, Springfield, MO 65801-2236.
February 2012
TRANSMISSION DIGEST
M D Publications, Inc.
(417) 866-3917
From the
Publisher
Executive
Carol Langsford
President
By Bobby Mace
Michelle Dickemann
Vice President
Se Habla:
Bobby Mace
Publisher
[email protected]
Editorial
Gary Sifford
Editor
[email protected]
Wayne Colonna
Technical Editor
Terry Greenhut
Business Editor
Mike Weinberg
Contributing Editor
Art Department
Jay Young
Creative Director
Lonnie Bolding
Art Administrator
Circulation
Dudley Brown
Circulation Manager
Mike Turner
[email protected]
Advertising Sales
Mike Anderson
[email protected]
Accounting/Credit
Muriel Lincoln
Credit Manager
Donna Blackburn
This month in T r a n s m i s s i o n
A u t o m o t i v e
T e c h n i c a l
N e w s l e t t e r s
Showpower 2012
Hyatt Regency Dallas
March 29-31
Bob Jacobsmeyer
Exhibit Manager
[email protected]
Founder
Les Langsford,
19281993
Transmission Digest
rowing up on a farm in
northern Utah where his
family raised dairy cattle
and sugar beets, Keith McCulloch
learned to work hard and put in
long days. At age 14 he left the
farm for a job in the city, and almost 70 years later hes still putting
in full days rebuilding automatic
transmissions.
Transmission Digest
Circle No.
1 on Reader Card
dont see a lot, but we still see castiron Powerglides and some of the
cast-iron Cruise-O-Matics.
GM 700-R4 and 200-4R and Ford
AOD units are still popular with
street-rodders in the area, he said.
Other than a few rear-wheeldrive units, Keiths doesnt rebuild
automatic transmissions for inventory, Ray said. We build them as
they come in because of the electronics and the ratios. If someone
wants to preorder something we
will go ahead and put something
together for them, but thats very
rare. Almost everybody just redoes
the originals. Like everybody,
weve got a few of the basic rearwheel-drives on the shelf. As far as
front-wheel-drives we dont try to
pre-build any of those, because between the differential ratios and
the sprocket ratios, the electronics
changing, theyre just hard to
stock.
Keith rebuilds a lot of the rear-
Transmission Digest
you need
s
it
k
e
s
a
c
transfer
Getting thebe left to chance.
shouldnt
of the curve.
NOW BRINGSYOUTHIS...
PUMP ORIFICE SUPPORTS
ZF6HP19/X
ZF6HP26
ZF6SHP26
82952
(EARLY)
NO TAB
HERE
NO TAB
HERE
82718
(LATE)
NOTICE TAB
HERE
NOTICE TAB
HERE
Old plastic supports may become brittle and break over time or during transmission disassembly. ZF discontinued early style
and retrofits the late one. But the only way to retrofit is to change the entire pump since there is a stop-tab that meets with a
stop on the late pump (see photo). If you choose to re-use the early pump, the late orifice support will be misaligned due to
stop-tab interference. Which is why we offer both if you re-use the original pump. Both supports require a 37320 and 37330
seal each that are available in our kits or bulk.
As the technological leader in transmission repair for over 30 years, Precision International delivers the highest quality, most
reliable and cost-effective solutions backed by the best tech support in the business. We keep looking forward to the future,
which can help ensure a better one for you.
14 Todd Court Extension, Yaphank, NY 11980 (631) 567-2000 Fax (631) 567-2640
Toll Free: 800-872-6649
Florida Office: 6790 Hillsdale Point, Boynton Beach, FL 33437
(561) 734-2332 Fax (561) 734-2375
E-mail: [email protected] www.transmissionkits.com
Circle No. 10 on Reader Card
TECHNICAL TRAINING
Technically Speaking
Author:
Subject:
Essential Reading:
Rebuilder
Unit:
Shop Owner
41TE
Center Manager
Vehicle Applications:
Diagnostician
R&R
Low/Reverse-Solenoid Circuit
Fault
Transmission Digest
Technically Speaking
10
NGC
GPEC
C103
T11
C101
T11
C115
T20
C113
T1
40/41TE
62TE
To GPEC
To solenoid
body T4
Transmission Digest
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Circle No. 20 on Reader Card
Technically Speaking
6
S183
S190
S199
Valvemanifold
flow
S181 C115
S101
C103
Positive battery
remote post
S191
Negative battery
remote post
Starter wiring
Powertrain
control module C2
Generator
Generator
eyelet
S172
Transmission
wiring
S192
A/C-compressor
solenoid
Throttle
body
S171
2.0/2.4L
Transmission
Assembly-line Transmissionrange sensor
solenoid/pressure-switch
pressure
assembly
sensor/variableforce solenoid
12
Input-speed
sensor
Output-speed
sensor
C115
T20
yellow/orange
Transmission Digest
Checking In
Hyatt Regency Dallas
at Reunion
300 Reunion Blvd.
Dallas, Texas 75207
214-651-1234
14
Transmission Digest
Extra Events
2:10 3 p.m.
6 - 7 p.m.
7- 8:15 p.m.
February 2012
onnax spends
a lot of time
talking with transmission specialists
and shop owners.
They often know about the Sonnax approach
to testing and repairing valve bodies but have
lots of questions about how exactly it all
works. Last year Sonnax rolled out its
Roadshow, a series of free seminars that present valve-body diagnostic and reaming techniques to transmission rebuilders across the
country. After a successful first year, the
Roadshow is back with 15 seminars planned
for 2012, including at events like Showpower.
The Sonnax Roadshow focuses on live instruction in cutting-edge valve-body repair: diagnostics and bore reaming. Although many
rebuilders know the basics behind vacuum
testing, they may never have received formal
instruction and are unsure how to make these
techniques work in their shop. Bore reaming
an innovative repair method used by the industrys top transmission rebuilders, specialists and large valve-body remanufacturers
also can be challenging without firsthand experience. These are topics the Roadshow is designed to address, making it a great way for
anyone to truly advance their knowledge and
skills.
At each Roadshow event, Sonnax introduces methods for identifying the root cause
of transmission problems, plus repair techniques to completely restore and/or upgrade
units. The Roadshows live testing and reaming station is the cornerstone of the seminar.
Participants see valve bodies tested and repaired right in front of them, plus get a birdseye view of the details thanks to a large
overhead video screen zoomed in on the
equipment. Participants are encouraged to test
and ream units at the workstation themselves
to get a feel for the process while receiving further hands-on instruction.
The Dallas Roadshow takes place in the
Hyatt at Reunion, 5:15 p.m. on Thursday,
March 29. To register or to see the complete
schedule of all upcoming 2012 Roadshow seminars visit www.sonnax.com. Upon arrival,
participants in the Roadshow should report to
the events registration desk, adjacent to that
for Showpower 12.
15
Thursday Seminars
Thursday Schedule
7:30 - 8 a.m.
Badge Pickup
8 a.m.
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Registration
2 - 3:20 p.m.
Seminars Session I
Refreshment Break
3:40 - 5 p.m.
Seminars Session II
Cash Call
heres absolutely
nothing better than
winning a little cash
unless its winning a lot
of cash. During the Top
10 luncheon on Friday
and then hourly during
exhibit-hall hours both
Friday and Saturday,
there will be drawings
for a $500 check. Toward
the end of the day on
Saturday, the prize pot
will increase to $5,000.
Your chances to claim
a prize are excellent, but
you must be present to
win.
The cash prizes are
provided on behalf of
the exhibiting companies
as an added incentive for
Showpower participants
to visit with them in the
exhibition hall. Check
out the booths each day,
as many of those exhibiting suppliers have additional daily prize
drawings within their
display areas.
Helping Handouts
16
Transmission Digest
articipants should
note that Fridays
Transmission University
sessions start earlier than
do the management and
Undercar sessions to provide extra time for diagnostic guru G Jerry
Truglia. Gs plan calls for
tips on developing a diagnostic strategy for predominantly Asian
vehicles.
The popular
Transmission Digest column TASC Force Tips
comes to life with a presentation from Bob
Warnke, Sonnax vice
president of technical development. Bobs session
covers valve-body control
of the TCC in units including ZF 6HP, AW6
FWD, Ford 5R110,
Mercedes 722.6, GM 6L80E and others.
Friday management
sessions bring a pair of
AMI-qualified sessions
from management trainer
Maylan Newton.
Maylans first session has
some motivational aspects as Success or Struggle explores the way in
which personality and attitude can shape a businesss success.
After a coffee break, Maylan continues with a
valuable session named Confident Selling Do
You Believe? Nothing is more important to the
success of a business than the ability to communicate with the customer and close the sale.
February 2012
Fridays Schedule
8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Registration
8 - 9 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
Transmission Seminars
Session III
9 - 10:20 a.m.
Refreshment Break
Seminars Session IV
2:30 - 7 p.m.
Showpower Exhibits
5 - 7 p.m.
Best In Show
17
Friday Seminars
Saturdays Schedule
7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Registration
Continental Breakfast
8 - 9:50 a.m.
9:50 - 10 a.m.
Refreshment Break
10 - 11:30 a.m.
Seminars Session VI
Passport Lunch
1 - 5 p.m.
Showpower Exhibits
5:30 p.m.
6 - 9 p.m.
SpeedZone
Becoming Fast
Friends
Saturdays Line on
Lunch
18
Saturday Seminars
s on Friday, Saturdays
Transmission University seminars start 30 minutes earlier than
other sessions. The extra time will
allow industry-renowned trainer
John Thornton to more-fully explore diagnostic issues and procedures on VW 01M and 09G units.
John focuses on use of the VDCS
using lab-scope patterns that support the scan-tool discussion. He
also will cover TCM coding, KOEO
bidirectional control tests, basic
VDCS settings and how to log data.
The days second session features a different John, John
Parmenter, who appears courtesy
of the Precision International
Advisory Board. Johns session is
always called The Builders
Bench and features tips and pitfalls John has discovered during
the past year working for Precision
or at his Long Island shop.
Y, una sesin mas: The technical
seminars conclude with a discussion all in Spanish of various problems fielded by ATSGs hotline.
Jos Garca will conduct a session
designed exclusively for Spanishspeaking technicians.
The management track offers an
equally impressive lineup, including Undercar Digest Business
Editor Tom Langer moderating as
shop owners Rich Fearing, Rick
Bettger and Rick Stephenson share
the decisions they made to take
their shops to the next level.
ASAs Bill Haas is next with a follow-up to last years seminar on
working with generations X and Y.
Nationally known motivational
speaker Sid Hurlbert ends the day
with an amusing but informational talk on making
money and having fun at the same time.
Undercar sessions include Delphis Dave Hobbs
providing insight into antilock-brake theory, operation
and diagnosis. Those interested in custom exhaust will
want to attend the hands-on bending clinic on the exhibit floor, where they can try out a Huth or Ben
Pearson bender to custom-bend tubing provided courtesy of Atlantic Tube & Steel. Gary Hershberger of
Hunter Engineering follows with a collection of procedures and tips that every alignment technician should
TD
know.
Transmission Digest
Everybody
Does Dallas:
And Youre Cordially Invited:
APRA/Showpower Factory Tour
Technically Speaking
continued from page 12
10
20
Transmission Digest
TECHNICAL TRAINING
Shift Pointers
Author:
Subject:
Essential Reading:
Rebuilder
Unit:
Shop Owner
RE4F03/4B
Center Manager
Vehicle Applications:
Diagnostician
Nissan
R&R
A Hard Shift
Fixed by a Gentle Squeeze
he RE4F03/4B
transmission in
several Nissan
vehicles develops a hard
1-2 upshift as a result of
uncontrolled line pressure. Sometimes code
P0745 is stored for a
problem in the line-pressure-control solenoid
circuit. Replacing the solenoid assembly usually
fixes the problem. But,
the next time this happens to you, or you get
to experience this for the
first time, the fix may be
as simple as gently
squeezing a crimp.
The pressure-control
solenoid is grounded internally through an eyelet bolted to the valve
body (Figure 1). Remove
the bolt and tug on the
wire to see whether the
crimp is clamped down
into the wire properly
(figures 2 and 3). There
are instances in which
the crimping process did
not clamp it down sufficiently and the wire becomes loose. If you
discover a loose-fitting
wire, give the crimping a
gentle squeeze to restore
tight contact. There may
be instances in which a
little solder would be in
order.
Also take a look at the
22
crimp where the wires come out of the solenoid (Figure 4). If this has been lifted up,
give it a gentle push down (figures 5 and
6). This will take tension off the wire, giving it the slack it needs to prevent vibration from pulling it loose again. TD
Transmission Digest
TECHNICAL TRAINING
Tech To Tech
Author:
Subject:
Essential Reading:
Brian Manley
Rebuilder
Vehicle Applications:
Center Manager
Diagnostician
Shop Owner
R&R
n my previous installment
(November 2011), I profiled our
progress of hot-rodding a
part-time sheriffs car for our local
one-fourth-mile drag strip,
Bandimere Speedway.
Our speedway hosts a program
called Take it to the Track, an
initiative aimed at getting young
drag racers off the street and onto
a safer venue, and this 2006 Dodge
Charger just needed its exhaust
system installed before we could
start the engine.
To recap, here is the list of aftermarket, high-performance parts
that we were charged with installing:
A higher-lift roller camshaft and
new roller lifters
A higher-stall torque converter
A cold-air intake and filter
A larger throttle body
Headers and a cat-back exhaust
system
A Diablosport hand-held flash
reprogrammer
A new ring-and-pinion set with
a 3.68 gear ratio
Full engine-gasket set, fluids
and filters.
Two months of part-time volunteer labor had been invested in this
police car, and we were itchin to
hear it run!
Figure 1 shows the cat-back
stainless-steel exhaust with high-
24
louder and better with acceleration. Because we had installed nonMDS valve lifters (Our 5.7-liter
Hemi engine includes a unique
feature - the multi-displacement
system [MDS] that deactivates
four of the eight cylinders when
the throttle is closed or at steady
speeds. This is accomplished
through the use of dual-mode
lifters and four solenoids that reduce oil pressure from 16 psi to 3
psi to close the intake and exhaust
valves on cylinders 1, 4, 6 and 7),
we had a permanently illuminated
MIL (malfunction indicator lamp).
For our purposes, as long as we
knew the root cause of the MIL, we
werent concerned, as this would
not affect the intended purpose of
our vehicle. I dont like having this
situation; however, I am not aware
of a simple way to circumvent this
system and make the powertrain
control module (PCM) happy.
Once I talked our sheriff into letting me test-drive his cruiser, I did
so as much as I could! I have to say
that everyone else on the road
drove extremely well when I was
within sight.
Once I finished having a little
fun with my friends and neighbors, I was able to make some adjustments to the PCM with our
aftermarket flash programmer.
This was my first foray into this
style of aftermarket flash programming, and I was excited to see the
continues page 26
Transmission Digest
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Circle No. 11 on Reader Card
711 Tech Drive, Crawfordsville, IN 47933 USA s Toll Free: 800-729-7763 Fax: 765-364-4573 s Email: [email protected]