Manual VB W/Ratchet Shifter vs Auto VB

DaveMatthews said:
Yes yes. I think I've heard that before. Its just not for me. I am going to build my own. Just the way i want to handle it. I like knowing certain parts in and out. I've also already rebuilt one diesel auto. A 94 ford with the 7.3 in it. Last time i ran into the guy i sold it too he was still hauling round bails with it. That was 6 years ago. Plus its just easier that way for me. No shipping to colorado, floriday, or where ever. I have plenty of time to study whatever i need. Take it apart stock and put it back together as many times as i have to. Then start adding billet this and that. Just me, but thats what i'm gonna do.
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Isn't the point of asking for advice, listening to said advice? You're wanting to build a transmission for a race truck, not a stock 7.3


$.02 Let somone who know's; build it, so it'll work. I know you're wanting to run 10's or something, but please be willing to listen.
 
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tcalvin said:
Isn't the point of asking for advice, listening to said advice? You're wanting to build a transmission for a race truck, not a stock 7.3


$.02 Let somone who know's; build it, so it'll work. I know you're wanting to run 10's or something, but please be willing to listen.
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I'm more than willing to listen. Doesn't mean I'm going to shell out 10k on a tranny. Just to run it for a season and have to send it back to have a 200 dollar part replaced.

I have a tranny builder here that is going to walk me through it. Surely you didn't think I was just going to tear it apart in my garage. I'm not an idiot.

I'm also going to have the drum sent off and done professionally. Everytime I want to do something my self. Every single person says no. I understand your concern (I guess that's what it is). But not to be rude, its my dough and my rig. Besides, its part of it for me. If I can't wrench on my own rig I'm not gonna compete. Plain and simple. Now there are alot of limitations. I don't have a computer controlled CNC, or anything like that. SO there's gonna be things that I can't do. But I've yet to run into one within reason.

I tell ya what. I'll make sure and take tons of pics for you. Next year I'm sure I'll see you at an event, and you can judge for yourself if it was a mistake.

By the way, nice runs in amarillo.
 
Well. I found a whole slew of DIY threads. Gonna take me a week to read em all. Also just ordered a atsm manual. Gotta say. After reading literally hundreds of post on diff forums. I'm more certain now, than before.
 
I'd take note of the guys who have been there done that with trying to build their own trannies and ended up spending the fat cash later to have SC/Garmons/Goerend build it for them and they're kicking themselves for not going that route in the first place.

It's your money bro, I work in the shop and you can bet your ass i'm not touching anything inside of my 47, I'm letting Ernie do it from start to finish!
 
Krazeeun said:
I'd take note of the guys who have been there done that with trying to build their own trannies and ended up spending the fat cash later to have SC/Garmons/Goerend build it for them and they're kicking themselves for not going that route in the first place.

It's your money bro, I work in the shop and you can bet your ass i'm not touching anything inside of my 47, I'm letting Ernie do it from start to finish!
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I'd love to talk to anybody thats tried it and failed. Just haven't found em yet. In fact have found the opposite. So far anyway.
 
Best of luck to you.. PS I'm not a salesman nor do I get any sort of kickback, this is me telling you some things should just be left to the pro's and should be done right the first time.

I forsee that tranny on your shop floor a lot, especially if you're planning on making the power your saying... perhaps a rebuild kit and a billet input is enough for 400hp or so but try putting 7-800hp thru a garage build and..... put it on the trailer.
 
Krazeeun said:
Best of luck to you.. PS I'm not a salesman nor do I get any sort of kickback, this is me telling you some things should just be left to the pro's and should be done right the first time.

I forsee that tranny on your shop floor a lot, especially if you're planning on making the power your saying... perhaps a rebuild kit and a billet input is enough for 400hp or so but try putting 7-800hp thru a garage build and..... put it on the trailer.
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I will agree and disagree with this.

My 2 cents as follows:

Ive previously built transmissions for a dealership for about 2 1/2 years. Building a stock trans is not hard...hell if you could teach a monkey to read he could do it. My personal opinion is as follows, if you do not understand 100% how an auto trans works, you will have a hard time making one hold power. If you cant read a hydralic schematic, understand how a convertor works, know what causes all the various issues, you will struggle. However, while your trans will never be at the level of a serious builder (Garmon, Suncoast, ATS, etc,) if you do understand all of this stuff, it is possible to build a decently strong transmission.

Just remember, its your money. One payment to a qualified builder may be more now, but could end up alot cheaper in the long run. This is not a personal knock on anyone, but if you have to ask about how to make one lockup, shift to OD, etc etc, then its most likely not for you.
 
Krazeeun said:
Best of luck to you.. PS I'm not a salesman nor do I get any sort of kickback, this is me telling you some things should just be left to the pro's and should be done right the first time.

I forsee that tranny on your shop floor a lot, especially if you're planning on making the power your saying... perhaps a rebuild kit and a billet input is enough for 400hp or so but try putting 7-800hp thru a garage build and..... put it on the trailer.
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I'll be the first to admit it. You can say i told u so. And i won't say a wrd if it wrks like it shld.
 
let someone professional build your trans... i screwed up with that and im still breaking my trans(number 9)... its going to goerend this time and he is doing it(i have his parts but he does more than what he just sells)... i had some smaller shops do parts and such but they cant do it like dave can... i have one of goerends first manual vb's in my truck and im running it with a TCI outlaw shifter... i love it its very easy to drive around.... rachet shifters make daily driving harder cause you have to shift like 6 times to get to first where as the gate shifters are one fluid motion...

on edit - i have never broke anything that i got from dave... its always stupid parts like planetaries, cases, clutches... its getting old and its time to just spend the money and get it right... i have way over what it would of cost to have his built trans over doing it this way
 
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I'm around 600 HP on my homebuilt tranny in a lighter weight truck. I don't doubt I'd have more parts failure if I had 700-800 HP in a heavy 4x4.

I have dropped the tranny 2 additional times, both times were to change the torque converter and since I had it out, I refreshed some of the clutches.

If you're afraid to drop the tranny more than once, don't build a high performance truck.
 
Big Blue24 said:
If you're afraid to drop the tranny more than once, don't build a high performance truck.
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Anything high performance I have noticed always has problems. Just look at Swole. :kick: How many times has his Garmon built trans broke? Not knocking on Garmon but it seems like its always hard parts, the way it shifts, lock-up on the user end that breaks stuff, never really a builder. That is, if have the local yocals build it and they not have a competent builder.
 
I'm not gonna start with inferior parts.
I don't really care if i have to drop it every other weekend. Thats part of the game. POW. LMFAO.

I've already spoken with goeeend. I even know. Some of their secrets. Trying to get em all.
 
Here's another thing. I get this tranny in. It does have a fresh rebuild on it like the guy told me. I open it up, beef up a few things, get my billett shafts, vb, tc installed. And run it. Then later when i'm actually hitting 800. I take it out and send it off to be freshened up:stab:
It realy doesn't matter who builds it. There are too many wear designed parts in there. Its gonna have to be rebuild. Atleast the clutch packs, thrus bearings, tolerances chk'd, etc...
 
It is your build and your money, no need to get your feathers ruffled. I was just offering an opinion, as someone who has made several costly mistakes and learned some hard lessons over the past few years. I hope everything works out like you want it to. Good luck.

And thanks, I wish I could've come more prepared, but if I did, I'm sure Misery wouldn't have red lit. It's always a good time when you get to drive it home.
 
tcalvin said:
It is your build and your money, no need to get your feathers ruffled. I was just offering an opinion, as someone who has made several costly mistakes and learned some hard lessons over the past few years. I hope everything works out like you want it to. Good luck.

And thanks, I wish I could've come more prepared, but if I did, I'm sure Misery wouldn't have red lit. It's always a good time when you get to drive it home.
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No feathers are getting ruffled. I assure you.
And i loved watching two daily drivees put it to that high dollar dmax. I really haven't had that much fun in a long time. Next year will be even better.

I do appreciate the advice. But, don't do it and your wasting ur money is starting to sound like a broken record. I'm sure we all have wins in losses in life that there was somebody telling us no. Failures have always been more informative. More expensive as well.

Besides. There's no fun in just writing a check. Atleast not for me. I want to learn. Irs sure to be intereating.
 
Second pass with manual VB. First pass didn't spin and the shifting was easy.
This pass, not so much and glad I had the rpm limiter set low. I need to work on my shifting speed when the truck spins the tires. All in all, I really like it, adds some fun into it again.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IGvBIJQTPQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IGvBIJQTPQ[/ame]

10.2 @ 137.5mph on second pass for new engine/trans/turbos/injectors.
 
Just got through our first race with the new manual vb. So far so good. There is definately some time involved in learning when to shift, but beats the heck out of tuning a PCS with a laptop and hoping it doesnt crash between rounds. Air shifter coming next.
 
IdahoRob said:
Second pass with manual VB. First pass didn't spin and the shifting was easy.
This pass, not so much and glad I had the rpm limiter set low. I need to work on my shifting speed when the truck spins the tires. All in all, I really like it, adds some fun into it again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IGvBIJQTPQ

10.2 @ 137.5mph on second pass for new engine/trans/turbos/injectors.
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That looked like fun. Nice vid!
 
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