Hey guys, the reverse took a crap on my '04 F-150 FX4 5.4 4wd. I was backing out of my driveway one day, and there was a 'bang,' and I had no reverse.

It will work once in a while, but after about 10 miles of driving, it will be gone again.

Anywayyyy...my question is, what's a 'good' price on a remanufactured trans? I found one, that comes with a 3yr/30k mile warranty, for $1200.

Which leads me to my next questions...how much do these transmissions weigh? I heard 250lbs, is that correct? And are the dimensions 2'x3'x4'? Reason I ask is, do you think it could fit in the trunk of a car? It would be a pretty big trunk ('08 Taurus). The thing is, I only live about an hour from this place, so if I could pick it up/bring them my old trans, I'd save about $250 from shipping costs.

What say you?

Thanks!

 

They weigh just under 140lb without the converter. I lift them myself almost daily. And they do fit in the trunk of most cars. Won't clear the entrance into a Mustang though. Not sure on a Taurus.

And that's a great price. On the ones I do I have enough money in parts that there isn't enough included in that price to cover labor.

Since I get parts at a great price because of the volume, I've gotta wonder. I mean, book time on a stock rebuild is 7 hours. I end up with at least 10-12 hours in mine minimum because I'm so picky and want mine to work all the time, every time. So with an average shop hourly rate of $80 (2015 US average was $80-$100/hour) that's $560 for the labor portion. Then lets say you do it right and have just over $600 in parts. Your total for just the work is almost that sales price. This is considering that you have perfect cores that don't need hard parts. Ask me how often that happens.

Then you have a warranty to consider. Those can't be offered without building them into the sales price.

We've seen a whole lot of cleaned up and painted junk yard pullouts recently being sold as reman with a heck of a warranty. This is a big game in our industry. They are selling them between $900-$1500 and make great money doing it because they are getting the transmissions with either a 3 or 6 month warranty for around $250 total because they have people going to the you pull it yards and getting them cheap. If one doesn't work when installed then they swap it out for you and hit you for a fairly high price on shipping.

Please make sure the place is reputable and has been around for a long time. What we've been seeing in the transmission groups I belong to is a good warranty term and disappearing shops or shops changing names or not actually being a legal entity for business so there is no recourse down the road.

An honest price to get an honestly built transmission for that with an honest warranty is going to be around $1500 including a stock reman converter.

D

 

Thank you so much for the reply, it was a big help!

Yea the price normally is $1450, which includes shipping the trans to me, and having my core shipped back to them. He said if I bring them the core and pick up the new one at the same time, he'd knock $250 off the price since he doesn't have to ship it. I just wanted to make sure it would definitely fit in the trunk of the car, since that'd be the only way I could get it.

I will definitely look into their reputation, thanks. From a quick search of their eBay feedback, which includes over 200 transactions (all transmission sales), they have 100% positive feedback. Pretty good I'd say.

Thanks again, you were very helpful!

 

There is a problem with eBay feedback. It's not long term and there is no way to come back later and update if there is any problem. All you are really going to learn there is about product delivery and how things go initially.

eBay is a crapshoot. Particularly when it comes to something that needs to hold up over time and things that people can't inspect inside and out to see if it is what is advertised.

Not saying anything about any particular seller. This is just a general statement.

D

 

I was forwarded the auction for that transmission and I see many problems.

I edited this to add that I did research this specific ebay seller and definitely know who it is. It's a family that keeps changing their company name. They have an F rating with the BBB and there are posts all over the internet on their bad business practices.


So please everyone, be aware and informed. Take all the time you need to research and know who and what you are dealing with. The only hurry you need to be in is from whatever pressure there is on your end. If you get pressure from whoever you are trying to do business with about their timeframe then move on. There are a LOT of reputable places out there who are there to honestly take care of you and your needs on your timeframe. Helping you with your needs to be all about your needs.

The first issue I see with this one is that it says "NO CORE CHARGE" in the header. Then when you read into the auction you see the following.
"CORE DEPOSIT
We require the old transmission to be returned
Listing price is based on the exchange of your original unit. **All transmissions are subject to a refundable core deposit** (Please message us for details) We are a volume re-manufacturer not a backyard or small shop. Rest assured we will be here when you need us. We offer a quality unit at a fair price. No smoke and mirrors or bait and switch."

That right there is the exact definition of smoke and mirrors and bait and switch.

Then
"WE HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 30 YEARS LET US HELP YOU WITH ALL YOUR TRANSMISSION NEEDS."

Followed by
"ACT QUICKLY PLEASE ONLY A FEW LEFT, WE SELL A LOT OF UNITS DAILY. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED THIS ASAP. THANK YOU."

How is that exactly? Particularly when they claim to be the "NUMBER 1 SUPPLIER TO THE USA AND ABROAD!" I would think that the number 1 supplier would have a whole lot more than just a few. It's not at all like there is a dwindling supply and these are becoming scarce. And, if they have been there for 30 years and will be there later if you need them then why the hurry? What exactly is going on that you have to buy this right now or else?

Look, I am not a fan of bashing. But I'll sure chime in if I think I can help people not get hurt.

I'm pretty sure I know who this seller is. But regardless, there are good sellers out there. None of them will do what I see in this ad. A good seller will not start out with a bait and switch by getting you to look at their ad with something like a no core charge statement then, as you read, you find that there is a core required. Nor will they build themselves up with claims that are unbelievable about how they are the number 1 supplier. They definitely won't try to create a sense of urgency to get you to buy their product now by making you fear that you will miss out if you don't.

Real, honest companies don't do any of that. A real, honest company tells you the truth, tells you who they are and wants you to take all the time you need to research both them, and their products, to make sure you are completely comfortable with your decision. They are there for you, not the other way around.

Sorry for the rant, but I'm getting really sick of seeing some of the things I am seeing recently. I am part of a larger group of good guys in this industry and it's stuff like this that has created a distrust that we have to fight against daily. It's gotten really bad recently.

Be informed. Take the time YOU need. Choose wisely.

D

 

Also, just did a search for transmission companies in Woodmere, New York. Just not seeing a facility that could be huge number 1 worldwide supplier there.