auto tranny parts replacement suggestions?

[cyclonekid77]

i have a 92 laser rs turbo fwd. i have never driven the car and the engine is curently being rebuilt. the car has 120,000 miles on it. it has an automatic tranny and i was wondering what commonly goes wrong with these transmissions so i can freshen/build it up while its out. i dont want to get it all together just to find the tranny needs work. i already replaced the filter and the pan gasket. There was no metal in the pan when i pulled it so thats a good sign. I was thinking about replacing the end clutch with one from ipt? any help or suggestions would be great. thanks

 

[DSM1G90]

Auto trannies are the most fragile unit on any car - being that it has so much gadgetry along with buttons and whistles inside to make the unit function. You've GOT to keep up on the maintenance of these units.

Any auto tranny can last indefinitely if you just keep the fluid changed and kept in the operating temperature range. Heat will kill a tranny in a sudden heartbeat and it's not fun being on the freeway when your tranny goes out due to overheating.....been there and done that.

If fluid, being new looks like a nice cherry red, get to where it loses its color and smells a little 'iffy', better do the tranny flush promptly.

DON't EVEN THINK ON USING "Dextron" "Type-F", "motor oil", or any similar off-breed fluids. If you do so, kiss that tranny goodbye in a heartbeat.

Only fluid that goes in the DSM trannies is the DIA SPII fluid, or a Chrysler fluid ATF +4. Castrol also has a fluid that is SP II compatible that you can use, in as well as AMSOIL Universal Transmission Fluid can be used.

Make sure that the radiator is continually filled with coolant since the tranny fluid also goes through the radiator to keep the fluid at an operating temperature. If you plan on doing any towing behing your DSM, definitely get a transmission cooler attached inline with the hoses to keep that fluid in the operating range.

But, the one minute you have a boilover, or run the radiator low or even dry, the fluid cooks up real quick, burns and looses its viscosity real quick and the clutches in the tranny will suffer horribly. DSM auto trannys are not cheap to repair- over 2 grand for a rebuild, why you keep care of it.

ALSO, DSM turbos that have the auto, don't have the power and get up and go as does the 5ps versions due to the smaller turbos along with smaller injectors. 180hp for the auto against 195 and 210 with the manuals at a certain RPM an torque range.

Actually, any 4cyl car with an auto is a marriage that really wasn't made in heaven since the tranny hogs up so much torque from the motor along with an auto tranny is never 100% in connection with the motor.

Good luck - DSM

 

[the_mork]

End clutches are the common thing to go wrong but you don't need to pull the transmission to change them (at least in a 2g) so I wouldn't bother. It may be worthwhile to get the IPT upgraded shift kit (valve body modifications) while it is easy to get at the valve body.

Also you should use ATF +4 or you can use a product called "Lube Guard Black" if you have to use +3.

I'm also not sure why you (DSM1g90) are so down on the auto, the power issues are easily fixed by anyone that cares about making real power and they are fun as hell plus you never have to spool the turbo again between gears. They are also much more reliable than DSM 5spds.

 

[cyclonekid77]

i looked at the ipt shift kits also. how hard are they to install? i read that they also make the tranny last longer because the clutch plates dont slip as much. is that true?

 

[DSM1G90]

Just that you have the 100% motor/axle connection with the manual -and you can control in what gear you want the most torque to your advantage.

No, not to mean to dice autos (sorry on that) for some just don't like to shift gears - just shove it into D and romp on the pedal.

'Sides, manuals can save tonnage on brake wear when slowing down due to the fact that the motor helps immensely in this area when you let off the throttle.

Myself, I like the manual simply that I'm in control of the car and I can use the gear ratios to my advantage.

I looked at the IPT shift kits also...

Not familar, nor used any form of shift kits, thus someone else will have to chime in on this sub-topic.

 

[cyclonekid77]

yea, i enjoy driving a manual transmission car also. im just using what i have right now. im not trying to start a debate on wich one is better. i just want to know what i should check/replace before i put it all together.

 

[rbwtrans]

The shift kit is a Trans-Labs shift kit. These guys did a lot of research and this is a really great kit. As far as "Just put it in drive and go". Not necessarily... the "1" and "2" are dor manually shifting. Just try to think of it as driving a four speed stick without having to use your clutch, not to mention the fact that you don't blow off when shifting because you never lift, just bump the shifter! As far as engine braking goes, the same applies. Downshift just as if driving a four speed stick. Not to come back too hard, but you've obviously never driven a "set-up" auto DSM.

 

[cyclonekid77]

ok, so the shift kit basically makes your tranny semi-auto i guess you could say? your right (rbwtrans) ive never driven a dsm with a set up auto, the only one ive driven is my non-turbo laser i bought and drove for a couple of weeks . is the kit hard to install?

 

[toofast82]

If you want to enhance the capabilities of your trans do the following:
Translab shift kit
End clutch kit
Upgraded tranny cooler
Roadsurge shift box(push button, 100% line pressure, 100% manual shifting)
The shift box can be switched off via a switch and it will shift stock again. You can also run it without the tcu but you have to manually shift all the time. You can even mount buttons on your steering wheel
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...l-shift-box-automatic-dsms-freakin-sweet.html
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/automatic-tranny/276470-manual-shift-box-automatics-2.html
YouTube - 2 Button Manual shift box
100% line pressure shifts are very hard and very fast and shortening the shift time actually helps the clutches stay cooler and lessen slip.
One of the fastest a/t dsms runs 9.4 with a virtually stock trans
If youre really a cheap ass you can do this like i did. You still need to keep your tcu though. it is also switchable
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...iews/286205-diy-1g-clutchless-manual-mod.html
And definitely run the correct fluid!
Everyone will envy the way your car shifts at 100%

 

[DSM1G90]

Is the turbo tranny, the same F4A22 tranny used in the NT DSM versions?

Quite interesting, in the YouTube video, of just pushing a button to shift manually.

True, that is one thing auto trannies got for them is the 100% shifting between gears without loss of engine power.

-DSM

 

[the_mork]

There is an install for the shift kit on the VFAQ, if you are competent with hand tools then it should not be outside of your skill range. It does look like a somewhat long and slightly complicated process but it seems like if you can keep your head in the game then the individual steps are pretty easy.

Not that we need to debate stick vs. auto, but I have an auto in my Eclipse and I have a manual in my Wrangler, I wouldn't want an auto in my Jeep (though I wouldn't turn down an auto Jeep) and I wouldn't want a manual in the Eclipse, it is just a matter of the way that I drive and I am please to have the extra safety disconnect (clutch) when I'm offroad as well as another method of crawling control. It goes both ways.

 

[rbwtrans]

Is the turbo tranny, the same F4A22 tranny used in the NT DSM versions?

-DSM

No. The turbo auto tranny is the F4A33. In the same manner as the 5 speed, the auto trans is basically a 6 cylinder n/a trans with a 4 cylinder bell housing. I also wanted to add that some of the best knowledge available about setting up your auto is in the instructions for the shift kit. Like I said before, the guys at Trans-Lab (the shift kit maker) put a lot of time and research into the making of this kit. Our KM-series tranny's valve body is the main source of problems (internally) and this kit goes way beyond just fixing them.

Not to blow my own horn, but I'm a factory trained transmission specialist (Chrysler) and have rebuilt hundreds of these.

 

[toofast82]

No. The turbo auto tranny is the F4A33. In the same manner as the 5 speed, the auto trans is basically a 6 cylinder n/a trans with a 4 cylinder bell housing. I also wanted to add that some of the best knowledge available about setting up your auto is in the instructions for the shift kit. Like I said before, the guys at Trans-Lab (the shift kit maker) put a lot of time and research into the making of this kit. Our KM-series tranny's valve body is the main source of problems (internally) and this kit goes way beyond just fixing them.

Not to blow my own horn, but I'm a factory trained transmission specialist (Chrysler) and have rebuilt hundreds of these.

The fwd turbo tranny is f4a33 and the awd tranny is w4a33. the km transes are manual. The end clutch is a big weak link as well

 

[rbwtrans]

You are definately correct about the W4a33 being our AWD, although I've never heard the manual series called "KM" the autos are definately the KM 175 (na) and KM177(turbo) with no real designation between 2 or AWD. Back to the original question. The end clutches are always weakest, the valve bodies suck ( but the shift kit fixes them), the TCU's caps leak just like our ECU. The easiest thing that should be done is fluid/filter change, pump seal replacement, and axle seal replacement. If you really want to be thorough, you can flush or replace your cooler.

 

[GalantGreg]

While the motor is being rebuilt, you should definately rebuild that transmission. Check out my build thread. I am currently building a motor for my automatic turbo 1g. I had my F4A33 tranny rebuilt, I had an IPT Translab shift kit installed, and I had the torque converter stalled to 3500.