Well...the Eriksson-rebuilt tranny is now installed, cooler flushed, overhauled torque converter, upgraded A basket, new clutch fiber plates, bearings, seals, filter, fresh fluid (Esso, @ $26. a quart, per Eriksson), new rubber isolation mount...and NO CODES! Runs so nice; tight, noted the shift was a bit less 'slushy' than the one that was in there...and noted that at cruise, the mileage along the same stretch of highway (PA Turnpike) was about 2 mpg better than before...thinking fresh clutches, everything freshly overhauled...less slop (o/h torque converter).

So...enjoying, yet again, the ride.

Butcher's bill for the work:
Tranny: $2500
Esso tranny fluid: $52.00
Isolation mount: $68.00
R&R: $700.00
TOTAL: $3320 (3yr/100K warranty on box)

Not bad.

 

Well, after a week (and about 600 miles of combined highway commute, and around town driving giving my '12 VW Jetta wagon a respite...), couple things, all good:

1. The initial noticeable shifting has settled down to the normal, barely noticeable slide from gear to gear. Thinking all the freshly overhauled pieces have mated/polished in and are settling down having 'found their level' in the box.

2. Gas mileage went up about 1.5 miles per gallon. Not a lot, but, noted in passing. Thinking all new clutches and such have removed some of the lost motion between the flywheel and the drive shaft. Cruise @ 60 is a needle width under 2K on the tach; 70 is about 2250-2300 or so...

3. No other issues (he says, knocking wood) to speak of.

I guess I can stamp "Paid" on this particular issue. Feeling pretty good about the experience...and there is nothing like the feel of the car at around 75 or 80 down the Turnpike (it's a pretty clear stretch for the last segment I'm on it west of Valley Forge...and that's the flow speed for the traffic). Enjoying the ride.

 

Glad to hear it has worked out.

I have a well respected transmission shop in my area that I have used over the years for a couple of high mile Lexus vehicles in need of transmission rebuilds. He also does the Benz box and the ZF's. I don't know exactly what the Benz box or the ZF would cost .. he has charged me around 2k for the Lexus vehicles. With the availability of a full ZF rebuild at $2500.00 and 3 years warranty ... I would follow your path. worth the extra money.

What does shipping run? .. just curious .. I guess on a pallet?

 

Eriksson delivers direct...they load up exchange boxes, pick up the cores, cost (in central NJ) $85 USD for them to deliver the exchange (nothing to pick up the core, truck was in the area, and picked it up a week before dropping the box off on their normal run, I guess)

YMMV, depending on whether the shop is one of their customers, I guess. I consider myself lucky that my friend's shop is a long-time customer.

Nice bonus is that Eriksson is a factory-authorized shop, so, you get the latest parts, and all service instructions applied. That, in my mind, accounts for something, which a local shop may not necessarily have insight or access to.

For the price, I don't think it was a bad deal, considering what I've seen other people have been quoted.

 

I did not know they operated this way -- I did use them years ago in NYC. Always seem to have good reviews.

My experience is that the local rebuilders -- do the soft parts and only fix the damaged hard parts. So they don't remanufacture .. they fix. On my Lexus fleet vehicles -- at 200k I'm not looking for another 200k .. make 50k

 

What impressed me was that they handled it through Joe (my mechanic) after I put the order in, but gave me a phone call to let me know when they were picking up the core, had started building up the box, and then when it was going to be delivered. I'm pleased with that level of customer service...with all the boxes I'm sure going through their shop, to take the time to call someone they have never dealt with before and explain each step of the process (and then call last week to make sure that I was happy with the rebuild) goes a long way in my book. Hey, it wasn't a blueprinted race engine I just dropped 100K on...it was a lousy $2500 tranny for a 15 year old long-out-of-production car...but they called anyway.

That is "Customer Service".