And below is the reading off the cardinal valves. The primary valve is so bad that you can even notice the freeplay of the valve in the bore!

They should return a minimum of 18 inches but, I was getting abysmal 11 to 12 inches! There is no way this valve body will keep a vehicle on the road. That was one of the reasons it kept burning clutches. Unfortunately, these valves are not part of the rebuild kit. They will need oversized valves. Now, I know the parts to order for the valve body.

Kashif:
And below is the reading off the cardinal valves. The primary valve is so bad that you can even notice the freeplay of the valve in the bore!

They should return a minimum of 18 inches but, I was getting abysmal 11 to 12 inches! There is no way this valve body will keep a vehicle on the road. That was one of the reasons it kept burning clutches. Unfortunately, these valves are not part of the rebuild kit. They will need oversized valves. Now, I know the parts to order for the valve body.

Oh Boy! You are dead serious!! Tell me have you ever found that Sonnax at any of the transmission rebuild shops you have dealt with before?

I know this rebuild will a success because getting trained and using proper test/measurement equipment and quality rebuild kits means return to factory specifications!

I need to get my pen and special jotter for wonderful class

IdaraCHODB:


Oh Boy! You are dead serious!! Tell me have you ever found that Sonnax at any of the transmission rebuild shops you have dealt with before?

I know this rebuild will a success because getting trained and using proper test/measurement equipment and quality rebuild kits means return to factory specifications!

I did not see any of them with vacuum test stand. None even has a torque wrench to start with. Those guys do not have the tools or basic training. They don't know there are clutch/brake/band apply charts. You cannot troubleshoot without them, in case of repairs. There are torque and clearance specs. Do they have them? Can they measure them? The answer is no.

A Rebuilder in Ibadan asked to be paid 120k to repair my transmission. No problem, but when asked for warranty, he went blank. Their proficiency lies in their ability to remove transmission parts from the back, mix them all together and then couple. Once they are able to do that, they are gurus.

One of them that is respected told me how a man that came from the US with a new transmission was directed to him. He said the man was shocked to realise he doesn't have air compressor, despite all the hype. They are trying, given their very limited tools and training. I still wonder how they get some transmissions back on the road.

Parts being ordered....

Kashif:


I did not see any of them with vacuum test stand. None even has a torque wrench to start with. Those guys do not have the tools or basic training. They don't know there are clutch/brake/band apply charts. You cannot troubleshoot without them, in case of repairs. There are torque and clearance specs. Do they have them? Can they measure them? The answer is no.

A Rebuilder in Ibadan asked to be paid 120k to repair my transmission. No problem, but when asked for warranty, he went blank. Their proficiency lies in their ability to remove transmission parts from the back, mix them all together and then couple. Once they are able to do that, they are gurus.

One of them that is respected told me how a man that came from the US with a new transmission was directed to him. He said the man was shocked to realise he doesn't have air compressor, despite all the hype. They are trying, given their very limited tools and training. I still wonder how they get some transmissions back on the road.

Happy you know they are trying. Mechanics have been fixing fuel pressure related issues without a fuel pressure tester, what they do is dive into the job and replace fuel pump. Same thing they would have done if given the access to gear box rebuild kits, without testing they would just replace "most" parts, and pray for a good outcome.

What a patient Nigerian.

bookmarked, saving for future reference..

kudos bro, i admire ur guts and ur drive.
i pray 1 day, more nigerian car owners will b like u...............strike that...more nigerians.diy rock!!!

A 1992 model automatic toyota camry drives very well but it refuses to reverse. According to the owner the mechanic had tried working it but all in vain. What couod be the problem? Could it be transmision problem?

Sorry guys. Got caught up with so many things - work, family etc.

Now, the main challenge is determining which valve body repair kit that works best, economically. The best of them seems to be expensive but, the puzzle is that they all have different parts in their kits. You will find some (two prominent ones) with check balls, different valves, springs, plungers, sleeves. We know what different spring properties do to transmission - shift timing and quality but, can they make up for worn valve/bore? YTBD!

Indeed, this transmission, and his cousins are a pain in the industry when they age but, no retreat; no surrender! No matter what it takes, this transmission is coming back to spec!

Working on the gearbox itself is easy, because the kits are standard, and we know exactly what to replace. I worry not about it at all. It's brain (the valve body) is a different kettle of fish!

earthrealm:
kudos bro, i admire ur guts and ur drive.
i pray 1 day, more nigerian car owners will b like u...............strike that...more nigerians.diy rock!!!

Yeah bro, win we will!

Boss you have refused to react to my question

Godiskind:
A 1992 model automatic toyota camry drives very well but it refuses to reverse. According to the owner the mechanic had tried working it but all in vain. What couod be the problem? Could it be transmision problem?

Godiskind:
Boss you have refused to react to my question

Sorry, I am not familiar with that transmission. And yes, it is a transmission problem.

You are doing an amazing job, this is taking time to know what should be known

Waiting patiently for the next episode

mastro:
Waiting patiently for the next episode

My employers seem to know what am doing, and have been bombarding me with record workload. . So much I broke down! Even as I recovered, my drive for triumph over this knows no bounds.

Here is the challenge:

Training does not tell you how to fix valve bodies, but tell you what to look out for - dos and donts. Things like, ensure the valves drop by their weight, ensure the bores are clean, ensure solenoids are not mixed/sticky, solenoid performance tests etc. This transmission of mine failed after atf change! On taking the valve body apart, I made some discoveries - the full wrath of clean atf in a dirty transmission!

Yes, the primary and secondary pressure regulator valves/bores are worn but, why did the transmission not fail before the atf change, given same condition? It showed no sign of malfunction!

I will make up my mind soon on which kit to go with. I have been spending some time studying the hydraulics of this valve body, and Aisin is not letting the industry have information! Some valve body rebuilds will need you to drill some new holes, or block another; very straight. This is a different kettle of fish.

Patience.....

My bro weldone o!

Î juss dey jealous this kashif man. Kudos brother.

Now tell me why Nairaland is not the best forum in Nigeria. Especially with car talk

Friends, I apologise for leaving this thread dry for a long time. The only way out would have been to duplicate myself. It has been that demanding!

Mod, thanks for sticking this to the first page.

Apart from the time factor, determining the correct kit for the valve body has been a challenge. I had stated earlier that Sonnax has a very different approach than the others. The elders have not been forthcoming with brand recommendation so, I have had to do my analysis myself! I could not get the hydraulic diagram for this transmission either.

I have spent hours in the last week studying the valve body, to justify spending $280 on VB kit going the Sonnax route. My analysis showed that the pressure regulators (primary and secondary) do not need absolute seal. Once the engine is running, they are at work, sharing a common feed straight from the pump. Leakages are source of concern where absolute seal is required. This is not the case here.

I am glad that the VB kit I have ordered has all the valve seals covered just like snx, but without the burden of reaming. The transmission rebuild kit has also been ordered. I hope the kit gets the clutch clearances within spec, as it contains a plate for each clutch.

Cheers!

Pls I need advise on what to do
My E class 320 V6 12plugs had issue with the radiator and was mixing the gear oil with the radiator water,I got the radiator changed and changed the gear oil plus filter,but I notice the gear won't select more than one and two,I got computer to diagnose and it complained of valve body,I'm left wit option of changin the valve body or entire gear,but friend advised I should not,but rather fix thevalve body.before I stumbled on this thread,and like he said that its after I change the gears that I will realise dey are all same but just valve body which is mostly try n error and omo ibo will be using my car to test their valve body.
Pls anyone know a good gear specialist for benz around lagos?I know mine is a minor thing with good hands

kkulaja:
Pls I need advise on what to do
My E class 320 V6 12plugs had issue with the radiator and was mixing the gear oil with the radiator water,I got the radiator changed and changed the gear oil plus filter,but I notice the gear won't select more than one and two,I got computer to diagnose and it complained of valve body,I'm left wit option of changin the valve body or entire gear,but friend advised I should not,but rather fix thevalve body.before I stumbled on this thread,and like he said that its after I change the gears that I will realise dey are all same but just valve body which is mostly try n error and omo ibo will be using my car to test their valve body.
Pls anyone know a good gear specialist for benz around lagos?I know mine is a minor thing with good hands

I am afraid your friend is wrong this time. What code did you get?

Kashif:


I am afraid your friend is wrong this time. What code did you get?

I really did not pay attention to the code,just rememba D guy was showing me a diagram of the valve body with a red line pointing to where the fault is.
@ kashif do u advice I change the entire transmission?I don't want to do money wise pounds foolish,I hate having to deal with kazeems,I am taking my time so I do the best and get over with the prob once and for all

Kashif:
As some of you may be aware, I had a problem with my transaxle in January this year, which eventually led to the transmission being replaced twice. The thread is: https://www.nairaland.com/2096734/rav4-2007-v6-transmission-problem

I called many established auto shops, and none of them rebuilds transmissions. Everybody said 'replace the transmission; you are wasting your time trying to fix it'. I found it hard to stomach, especially when I hear '13 pin cannot be repaired; anybody that tells you he can fix it is trying to rip you off!'. My technical part kept telling me there is no mechanical equipment that cannot be repaired, albeit at card level.

When all attempts to repair it failed, I decided to buy another one. That one too, got fried, even though I suspect poor installation job. Another one was procured, and the vehicle eventually got on the road again. The truth? I have never experienced the drive and quietness of my original transaxle. Now, I know where the issue is coming from. If I knew what I now know, it would have been easier.

Before my troubles, I had no idea what a valve body does (believe it or not, I never heard about it! ). When the auto mechanic told me the problem was from my valve body, I started searching the internet. My first forage into the world of automatic transmissions! I was helpless, so are many other car owners; I hate helplessness! So, I devoted resources to study auto transmissions, and enrolled for training.

The truth is that MOST transmissions at Ladipo either have issues, or close to having one. Nobody replaces a working transmission! If you get one removed from accidented vehicle, you are happy, but don't know the effect of the impact on the transmission. The engine is much more tolerant to impact than the transmission, given the fact that the transmiss

---

ion is built to much higher precision.

Okay, no more stories! Lets get to business!

I had told my mechanic to secure my old transmission as I plan to repair it. He never believed me - 'Oga, na dirty work o!'. Two weeks ago, I went and carried it from him, and started looking at it. Sorry I am stingy with pictures, dirty oily hands and a white camera dont mix well. Wifey helped with the shots. Meanwhile, the transmission expert that worked on it told me he had changed the 'fibers' (friction disks), but I have realized I am the first to take off the bell housing

For me, the first place to start is the valve body, as that is the root cause of 90% issues with automatic transmissions. If you don't fix the valve body, you will keep toasting your rebuilds.

In the picture below, the sump has been removed, and the solenoid cables discoected. The filter is to be discarded.

Its from the bolded that makes me give my friend's idea a 2nd thought as I was almost buying another transmission before I saw this thread.2ndly I don't like my friend's maintenance scheme as he prefers to manage rather than replace.pls @ kashif advice or refer me to a competent specialist.thanks

kkulaja:
Pls I need advise on what to do
My E class 320 V6 12plugs had issue with the radiator and was mixing the gear oil with the radiator water,I got the radiator changed and changed the gear oil plus filter,but I notice the gear won't select more than one and two,I got computer to diagnose and it complained of valve body,I'm left wit option of changin the valve body or entire gear,but friend advised I should not,but rather fix thevalve body.before I stumbled on this thread,and like he said that its after I change the gears that I will realise dey are all same but just valve body which is mostly try n error and omo ibo will be using my car to test their valve body.
Pls anyone know a good gear specialist for benz around lagos?I know mine is a minor thing with good hands

Mr, this is cartalk and its a section where matured non tribalistic people meet and share ideas and experiences. Your choice of word is tribalistic. I know lots of Igbo guys who are very honest and I know lots of Yoruba guys who are fraud personified. Pls mind the choice of words you use in a public forum.
Thanks.

kingreign:

Mr, this is cartalk and its a section where matured non tribalistic people meet and share ideas and experiences. Your choice of word is tribalistic. I know lots of Igbo guys who are very honest and I know lots of Yoruba guys who are fraud personified. Pls mind the choice of words you use in a public forum.
Thanks.

Bruv don't get me wrong,I said that naturally with no sentiments,even the ibo boys @ ladipo would say D same to themselves,its just a way of referring to ladipo parts sellers.what makes u think I'm not ibo?

kkulaja:


Bruv don't get me wrong,I said that naturally with no sentiments,even the ibo boys @ ladipo would say D same to themselves,its just a way of referring to ladipo parts sellers.what makes u think I'm not ibo?

No wahala... I'm not Igbo, but I discourage all form of tribalisms.

[quote author=kingreign post=40314745]

No wahala... I'm not Igbo, but I discourage all form of tribalisms.[/quo te]

Yea,so back to the basis,I'm taking my time because of my friend's experience,he just mean transmission change is try n error till u get a good working one,he had used a W203 that's C240 and I know what he faced with several gear change though it was converted,then when I hear valve body I run cos I really pity him.and then the gear costs about 90k I guess,maybe they were not much available as they are now.

kkulaja:
Yea,so back to the basis,I'm taking my time because of my friend's experience,he just mean transmission change is try n error till u get a good working one,he had used a W203 that's C240 and I know what he faced with several gear change though it was converted,then when I hear valve body I run cos I really pity him.and then the gear costs about 90k I guess,maybe they were not much available as they are now.

Since you're in Lagos, you can contact Gazzuzz

www.nairaland.com/attachments/3103856_0c4_jpegaa26308831db92b57c36887f5f34be1a