CHOICE OF GEARBOX ADVISOR

A few tips to help you make your choice if you need to have your gearbox repaired.

There are several solutions when it comes to repairing an automatic gearbox, each has its specific advantages. Your choice depends on various factors such as cost, quality and the repair time.

Brand new

Brand new gearboxes are not available at car dealerships or elsewhere. They are only used in the production of new vehicles.

If you buy a gearbox from a car dealership, then it's certainly a remanufactured or refurbished one. This is an important factor to consider when assessing the cost of a transmission.

Refurbished / reconditioned / remanufactured

A refurbished, reconditioned or remanufactured gearbox is the same as a brand new gearbox except that the work is done in a specialized plant. There are two common practices used in the remanufacturing process. The first uses a team of technicians specialized in a specific part of the remanufacturing. One person tears the transmission apart, another handles parts washing, others restore and assemble specific components and a final technician reassembles the entire transmission.

The second method is to use a single specialized technician in a single transmission model or family. For example, one technician will remanufacture all Ford transmissions, another will remanufacture the Gm models and so on. As a result, the same technician who will do the work from start to finish.

The remanufactured transmission will then be tested by a dynamometer. Finally, it will be sent to the customer with a product certification.

Used

Today you have the option to have a used transmission installed on your vehicle. Used transmissions have become an attractive option because insurance companies often report a total loss just because airbags have been deployed in a minor accident.

The rest of the vehicle can still be in very good condition with little mileage. A used transmission could cost hundreds of dollars less than a remanufactured transmission, but in general, it has less warranty coverage. It's a compromise.

Reconstructed / rebuilt

A rebuilt transmission is a transmission that has been completely dismantled for inspection to replace worn, broken or damaged parts and reassembled in accordance with the manufacturer's standards while replacing the seals and gaskets and other friction components (clutch disks and belts) necessary for proper operation.

The term rebuilt is generally used in workshops where the vehicle's transmission is removed, repaired or rebuilt and then installed on the vehicle. This is a customary procedure, usually done by a specialist technician. The following terms are often used for the same work:" Reconditioned, repaired in its entirety". All these terms mean the same thing!