To update the transmission rebuild research...and thanks to all that have helped in my quest to the next 100K!
Contacted Steevo and he was able to source a solid lead for the transmission rebuild - Chino Hills Transmission, in Chino, CA.
I spoke to several owners/techs, and also several members both here and on thenewx who I trust and respect.
To review, at 206,xxx miles, my transmission started to slip in D on hills, and hard shifting (kicking) from first to second gear, mostly on start up. Once warmed up, things get a little better...but problems like this rarely get "better" with age.
I spoke with Dave at LEVEL10 Transmission in New Jersey, after a referral from BulldozerX on thenewx. He was a wealth of information and both confirmed and debunked much of the information I had gleaned from "The Internet." However, after absorbing all of the information from him, the ship time and cost (4-5 days, and an additional $500), this option wasn't viable for me living on The Left Coast.
Next up...I spoke with my new mechanic (who is going to install new timing chain guides soon), who recommended Eliminator Transmission in Oceanside, CA. After visiting with them, while the information I received was good, the $485 quote to remove and evaluate the issues, seemed a bit "open ended" for my taste.
Please keep in mind that all of these shops have 4 and 5 star reviews on Yelp, and in their own right seem to be great shops.
However, after working on/paying for many repairs on the Ghost...you get a feeling when you are talking with a vendor/shop owner...call it a rapport, that eventually builds to trust.
This is what I felt in my first phone call with Greg, the owner of Chino Hills Transmission. Keep in mind this was the sixth shop that I had spoken with about Nissan Xterra transmissions (I won't mention the other three, because those phone calls didn't last long based upon what I didn't hear), so at this point the initial questions were pretty standard. Also, this was a referral from Rugged Rocks owner Steven Lutz, who answered my call on the first ring, and was extremely helpful. People in the Nissan world need to understand how truly nice and professionally helpful Steven can be...he made some calls on my behalf which led to my phone call to Greg.
Greg is currently working on replacing the valve bodies of two Xterras that had suffered the unfortunate fate of the dreaded SMOD. Strawberry Milkshake of Death...for those of you new to the scene...aka the mixing of engine coolant into the trans forming that lovely frothy dipstick syndrome. We spoke for a good twenty minutes, about torque converters, Titan Swaps, gearing, annual transmission maintenance to stretch this build another 100K, types of trans fluids, effects of coolant on the valve body internals (nothing good), and how my first mechanic saved me $6,000 when I personally suffered my personal attack of the SMOD. Suffice to say, Greg knew his stuff, and was able to communicate a succinct plan and budget to rebuild the Ghost's transmission. He also mentioned that I would need to order the valve body from a dealer, and have my VIN # handy, because they code/program each valve body to your vehicle from the factory. Greg finished up by recommending that I drop the X off the night before so they could do a full cold start evaluation of the issues, and that they video the test drive which we could review together to refine the plan of attack.
I will be traveling to Dallas (to meet my new father in law) and plan on dropping the Ghost off before that trip, to coincide with my down time, early September.
I'll get more info on ballpark pricing and estimated down time for the Ghost in my next post, as well as the quotes to repair my timing chain issues and replacement of all of my catalytic converters...yes, again...so stay tuned.
