Transmission/Torque Converter Issues AGAIN

InsuredByBeretta · November 1

I know this topic is getting beaten to death but I'm just trying to get all of the facts before I bring it back to the transmission shop

I have a 2016 Silverado 1500 with the 6 speed transmission. Around 94,000 miles, and exactly a year ago last week, my transmission blew after dealing with the shudder, late shifts, weird down shifts, etc. Everything I read on forums was saying that the stock torque converter is trash and eventually spits out bits of metal into the transmission and that's what causes it to go.

I had the transmission rebuilt and the torque converter replaced - I don't know how transmission shops work or what their guys know, I'm sure there are some TSBs out there about this issue, but I told them this seems to be fairly common and that it's my understanding that the torque converter causes the issue so I asked them to not replace it with an OEM one.

My original transmission and torque converter lasted 7 years and 94,000 miles until I started experiencing the bad shuddering and terrible shifts. This rebuild has lasted me 8,000 miles and 1 year and I'm experiencing the same exact thing now. The work came with a 1 year warranty so I took it to the original shop I had it towed to. This shop isn't a transmission shop but it's the only guy in town I've ever dealt with, so they outsourced the work to a transmission shop to be serviced. When I took the truck to them last week, they had it for 4-5 days .. Initially they told me that it wasn't throwing any codes but they needed to "relearn" the transmission, to which I asked if that should have and was done when the transmission was rebuilt. He said it was and I said what would cause this to randomly happen now then? He had no answer. After they "relearned" it they called me and said it was ready to pick up.. So I go to grab it and I asked if the relearn helped. He said, "not really, but it seemed to drive fine before." I said why did you do the relearn then? He said he wasn't the one working on it

I took the truck to another shop to have them take a look at it. They told me again, it's not throwing any codes, but the torque converter is causing the hard shifts and engaging too early or something to that effect.

All I know is this is EXACTLY how it felt shortly before my transmission blew last year, and I explained that to everyone I spoke with at all of the shops.

I called the shop that did the original rebuild and explained everything to him. He seems like he doesn't believe me, but wants me to drop it off Monday so he can take it for a drive.

So is there a certain torque converter that can fix this? Is it something in the computer that is causing it? Is it the transmission? If I somehow get this guy to cover a rebuild again, or at least a torque converter replacement, is there something specific I should ask for?

I don't think this thing will last me another month, and I dropped $4,600 on the original rebuild, I can't swing that again less than a year later..I need this thing done right. Any tips?

64BAwagon · November 1

I am for sure no expert on transmissions but it sounds to me like the main problem is a lack of competent transmission techs in your area. Theres a lot of interpretation about what a "rebuild" means. Theres a guy on Youtube thats in Texas, he used to have a shop called Precision transmission. Check out this video of a so called "rebuild"

newdude · November 1

2 hours ago, InsuredByBeretta said:

I had the transmission rebuilt and the torque converter replaced - I don't know how transmission shops work or what their guys know, I'm sure there are some TSBs out there about this issue, but I told them this seems to be fairly common and that it's my understanding that the torque converter causes the issue so I asked them to not replace it with an OEM one.

I took the truck to another shop to have them take a look at it. They told me again, it's not throwing any codes, but the torque converter is causing the hard shifts and engaging too early or something to that effect.

All I know is this is EXACTLY how it felt shortly before my transmission blew last year, and I explained that to everyone I spoke with at all of the shops.

I called the shop that did the original rebuild and explained everything to him. He seems like he doesn't believe me, but wants me to drop it off Monday so he can take it for a drive.

So is there a certain torque converter that can fix this? Is it something in the computer that is causing it? Is it the transmission? If I somehow get this guy to cover a rebuild again, or at least a torque converter replacement, is there something specific I should ask for?

I don't think this thing will last me another month, and I dropped $4,600 on the original rebuild, I can't swing that again less than a year later..I need this thing done right. Any tips?

Just want to preface this with I'd have gone for a GM reman unit because 3y/100k mile warranty that's good nationwide at a GM dealer and you wouldn't be dealing with a 1yr warranty from a transmission shop and the hesitation you are getting on them fixing it potentially. We install the GM ones all the time at work, very few come back. Of those that did they all had another 90k+mi on them and or never were maintained. The company GM uses does 120,000 transmissions a year in a very nice facility.

As for converter, the shop probably just used a reman converter from their regular supplier, so who knows what you got. We did it once for a Dodge we couldn't get a Mopar one for, big mistake. It was bad right out of the box.

Did the shop that did the install put in the lower temp bypass valve? Or did you have installed at any point the bypass delete kit from SureCool or did the pill flip? Did the rebuilder replace the pump halves? Did they replace the 4-5-6 clutches or upgrade them?

Edited November 1 by newdude

Grumpy Bear · November 1

1.) Sounds like you want to keep your truck from many more miles because if you don't then personally, I'd follow @newdude's advice. It will be over 200 K by then and you will have a chance to evaluate you situation again.

2.) However, if this is the truck you take to the boneyard all used up and you hope that is a very long time from now then-

Okay, you have a local you trust to do an R&R, correct? The have him buy a Remanufactured unit on a pallet from GM and use this billet converter: (Even Florida will not warranty a rebuilt factory converter, it is junk)

https://www.floridatorqueconverters.com/Torque-Converter-77-JMBXSD.html

Fill it with Red Line D6 or AMSOIL ATF and use the lower TBV or flip the pill. If you tow install more cooler.

I expect you would have a hard time getting a GM shop to use a Florida Billet Converter AND keep the warranty but perhaps not. @newdude would know. However, you would get to keep you transmission alive.

You might cringe at the price but the extra couple of hundred is way cheaper than what you are doing now, right?

newdude · November 1

23 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

1.) Sounds like you want to keep your truck from many more miles because if you don't then personally, I'd follow @newdude's advice. It will be over 200 K by then and you will have a chance to evaluate you situation again.

2.) However, if this is the truck you take to the boneyard all used up and you hope that is a very long time from now then-

Okay, you have a local you trust to do an R&R, correct? The have him buy a Remanufactured unit on a pallet from GM and use this billet converter: (Even Florida will not warranty a rebuilt factory converter, it is junk)

https://www.floridatorqueconverters.com/Torque-Converter-77-JMBXSD.html

Fill it with Red Line D6 or AMSOIL ATF and use the lower TBV or flip the pill. If you tow install more cooler.

I expect you would have a hard time getting a GM shop to use a Florida Billet Converter AND keep the warranty but perhaps not. @newdude would know. However, you would get to keep you transmission alive.

You might cringe at the price but the extra couple of hundred is way cheaper than what you are doing now, right?

Yea, warranty on GM for the aftermarket converter would be a problem as its not a factory part that was installed in the reman to begin with. The converter on the GM remans are typically marked with the GM part # on a broadcast tag on both sides and they are just bare, unpainted.

Funny you posted Florida Torque Converters as that's where we got that Ram HD gas converter from for a 66RFE with a Hemi...the local Dodge dealer had the truck as they were waiting for a factory converter which was backordered. We managed to get the one from Florida TC, they put it in and it came right back out with all of 30 miles on it at a local transmission shop.

Grumpy Bear · November 1

5 hours ago, newdude said:

Yea, warranty on GM for the aftermarket converter would be a problem as its not a factory part that was installed in the reman to begin with. The converter on the GM remans are typically marked with the GM part # on a broadcast tag on both sides and they are just bare, unpainted.

Funny you posted Florida Torque Converters as that's where we got that Ram HD gas converter from for a 66RFE with a Hemi...the local Dodge dealer had the truck as they were waiting for a factory converter which was backordered. We managed to get the one from Florida TC, they put it in and it came right back out with all of 30 miles on it at a local transmission shop.

They made it right, correct? Or is it still sitting there.

Don't like them? Then Circle D.

Edited November 1 by Grumpy Bear

newdude · November 1

Just now, Grumpy Bear said:

They made it right, correct? Or is it still sitting there.

Don't like them? Then Circle D.

Transmission shop we took the truck to didn't even bother actually. Put one from whoever he gets them from. We did send it back though and explained what all happened.

InsuredByBeretta · November 1

8 hours ago, newdude said:

Just want to preface this with I'd have gone for a GM reman unit because 3y/100k mile warranty that's good nationwide at a GM dealer and you wouldn't be dealing with a 1yr warranty from a transmission shop and the hesitation you are getting on them fixing it potentially. We install the GM ones all the time at work, very few come back. Of those that did they all had another 90k+mi on them and or never were maintained. The company GM uses does 120,000 transmissions a year in a very nice facility.

As for converter, the shop probably just used a reman converter from their regular supplier, so who knows what you got. We did it once for a Dodge we couldn't get a Mopar one for, big mistake. It was bad right out of the box.

Did the shop that did the install put in the lower temp bypass valve? Or did you have installed at any point the bypass delete kit from SureCool or did the pill flip? Did the rebuilder replace the pump halves? Did they replace the 4-5-6 clutches or upgrade them?

Unfortunately at the time of the rebuild, I had no idea the issue was this involved. All I knew is I have a 45 minute commute each way and I need to get my truck back as soon as possible. I've never had serious work done like this on a vehicle before. They didn't ask what transmission I wanted to use, they didn't ask what torque converter I wanted to use, I'm sure they didn't do any of that other work you mentioned.

superdave160 · November 9

I have an Edge CTS3 display in my truck so that I can monitor (among other things) the current gear and TCC status. I recommend that you get something like this to connect to your truck so that you can see exactly what is going on. What you may be feeling is unexpected gear shifts, shifting multiple gears at the same time, or TCC activity. Most decent code readers can display the same thing as well. You could also have a sensor that is not working correctly that is causing the transmission to act in an unexpected manner. It may still be a bad transmission, but I'd feel alot better about pulling it after verifying that the sensors are functioning as expected.

Dangelo · Wednesday at 03:06 AM

On 11/1/2024 at 5:47 AM, InsuredByBeretta said:

I know this topic is getting beaten to death but I'm just trying to get all of the facts before I bring it back to the transmission shop

I have a 2016 Silverado 1500 with the 6 speed transmission. Around 94,000 miles, and exactly a year ago last week, my transmission blew after dealing with the shudder, late shifts, weird down shifts, etc. Everything I read on forums was saying that the stock torque converter is trash and eventually spits out bits of metal into the transmission and that's what causes it to go.

I had the transmission rebuilt and the torque converter replaced - I don't know how transmission shops work or what their guys know, I'm sure there are some TSBs out there about this issue, but I told them this seems to be fairly common and that it's my understanding that the torque converter causes the issue so I asked them to not replace it with an OEM one.

My original transmission and torque converter lasted 7 years and 94,000 miles until I started experiencing the bad shuddering and terrible shifts. This rebuild has lasted me 8,000 miles and 1 year and I'm experiencing the same exact thing now. The work came with a 1 year warranty so I took it to the original shop I had it towed to. This shop isn't a transmission shop but it's the only guy in town I've ever dealt with, so they outsourced the work to a transmission shop to be serviced. When I took the truck to them last week, they had it for 4-5 days .. Initially they told me that it wasn't throwing any codes but they needed to "relearn" the transmission, to which I asked if that should have and was done when the transmission was rebuilt. He said it was and I said what would cause this to randomly happen now then? He had no answer. After they "relearned" it they called me and said it was ready to pick up.. So I go to grab it and I asked if the relearn helped. He said, "not really, but it seemed to drive fine before." I said why did you do the relearn then? He said he wasn't the one working on it

I took the truck to another shop to have them take a look at it. They told me again, it's not throwing any codes, but the torque converter is causing the hard shifts and engaging too early or something to that effect.

All I know is this is EXACTLY how it felt shortly before my transmission blew last year, and I explained that to everyone I spoke with at all of the shops.

I called the shop that did the original rebuild and explained everything to him. He seems like he doesn't believe me, but wants me to drop it off Monday so he can take it for a drive.

So is there a certain torque converter that can fix this? Is it something in the computer that is causing it? Is it the transmission? If I somehow get this guy to cover a rebuild again, or at least a torque converter replacement, is there something specific I should ask for?

I don't think this thing will last me another month, and I dropped $4,600 on the original rebuild, I can't swing that again less than a year later..I need this thing done right. Any tips?

I had purchased my truck about almost two years ago and before I went to go look at my 2017 sierra with the 8 speed it was at the transmission shop getting a rebuilt transmission. So being me I was excited cause I thought I was going to get a truck and never have to worry about the transmission going out or experiencing the hard shifts these trucks are known for. Knock on wood my transmission hasn’t gone out yet Thank God but I do have hard shifts going into 1-2 gear and once in a blue moon when it shift down but very rare on down shifts but I noticed and this is just me and My Opinion on the matter but I feel like if I baby the gas pedal and slowly work my way to a start instead of putting the lead on it and taking off abruptly I feel like it helps avoid the hard shifts. I can go days without the hard shift if I baby that pedal but I’m taking my truck in tomorrow to change out the transmission oil and filter and also have them flip the pill on the TBV so I’m hoping that helps me out a lot.. but Im pretty sure when they had this truck at the transmission shop they used the OEM Torque converter and never even touched the TBV.