jtmunk
10-08-2002, 10:14 AM
I would like to share my experiences with anyone who is considering buying a transmission from or having some work done by Jim’s Performance Transmissions (JPT) located in Eaton Rapids, MI.
I’ve been building a mustang for the street/strip and I wanted to have the C4 freshened that was in the car when I bought it. I wanted to take it to a shop that was performance oriented instead of taking it to a local transmission shop that hadn’t dealt with many race transmissions.
I first took the transmission to JPT on 1/31/02. Jim, the owner, rebuilt the transmission himself while I waited. From this point on I have had multiple problems with the transmission. I made two more trips to JPT to try and solve a leaking problem that I was experiencing but they never could solve it. Discouraged with the service I was being provided, my friends and I found the problem and fixed it ourselves. The problem was an interference between the bellhousing and the transmission case. Shortly after this, it began leaking from a different location. I again took it to JPT to have the problem fixed for a 4th time. JPT could not explain the leaking problem and when I received the trans back it no longer had 2nd gear. I explained this to JPT and took it back to them again for the 5th time. After getting it back, I discovered that I had lost the clearance required between the torque converter and the flexplate. After talking with JPT several times they could not identify the problem. I made one phone call to Dynamic and they told me it sounded like the pump drive gear had been installed upside down. After disassembling the pump myself and confirming that it had been installed upside down, I contacted JPT to explain what the problem had been. Jim was now very defensive and insisted that they had not installed the gear upside down. Jim could not explain why my clearance that I was missing came back as soon as I flipped the gear over. After reinstalling the transmission back in the car I found that 2nd gear still did not work. I contacted JPT again and explained that I was disappointed with the transmission and the service that I had been receiving and requested that my money be refunded. Jim, again very defensive, responded by telling me that I was somehow installing the transmission incorrectly and that he would spend $50,000 on lawyers not to have to refund my original $500.
After talking with Dynamic again at the NMRA race in Bowling Green and explaining that all of the gears work in my car except 2nd they believe that the problem may be in the valve body. Dynamic offered their services and asked me to send the valve body to them and they would check it out. He said it sounded like it might be something as simple as a part missing from the valve body, which JPT had last taken apart.
Jim at JPT is quick to tell you that he builds 500 C4 transmissions a year and that he’s been doing it for 20 years. He’ll be telling you this while you’re trying to explain to him the problems you’re having with the transmission he rebuilt for you. If you need some service work performed or are considering purchasing a new transmission I would recommend a competent shop that seems eager to help and who also supports the racers by attending the drag racing events. Use Dynamic Racing Transmissions.
Please respond with any feedback.
Thanks,
J.T.
I’ve been building a mustang for the street/strip and I wanted to have the C4 freshened that was in the car when I bought it. I wanted to take it to a shop that was performance oriented instead of taking it to a local transmission shop that hadn’t dealt with many race transmissions.
I first took the transmission to JPT on 1/31/02. Jim, the owner, rebuilt the transmission himself while I waited. From this point on I have had multiple problems with the transmission. I made two more trips to JPT to try and solve a leaking problem that I was experiencing but they never could solve it. Discouraged with the service I was being provided, my friends and I found the problem and fixed it ourselves. The problem was an interference between the bellhousing and the transmission case. Shortly after this, it began leaking from a different location. I again took it to JPT to have the problem fixed for a 4th time. JPT could not explain the leaking problem and when I received the trans back it no longer had 2nd gear. I explained this to JPT and took it back to them again for the 5th time. After getting it back, I discovered that I had lost the clearance required between the torque converter and the flexplate. After talking with JPT several times they could not identify the problem. I made one phone call to Dynamic and they told me it sounded like the pump drive gear had been installed upside down. After disassembling the pump myself and confirming that it had been installed upside down, I contacted JPT to explain what the problem had been. Jim was now very defensive and insisted that they had not installed the gear upside down. Jim could not explain why my clearance that I was missing came back as soon as I flipped the gear over. After reinstalling the transmission back in the car I found that 2nd gear still did not work. I contacted JPT again and explained that I was disappointed with the transmission and the service that I had been receiving and requested that my money be refunded. Jim, again very defensive, responded by telling me that I was somehow installing the transmission incorrectly and that he would spend $50,000 on lawyers not to have to refund my original $500.
After talking with Dynamic again at the NMRA race in Bowling Green and explaining that all of the gears work in my car except 2nd they believe that the problem may be in the valve body. Dynamic offered their services and asked me to send the valve body to them and they would check it out. He said it sounded like it might be something as simple as a part missing from the valve body, which JPT had last taken apart.
Jim at JPT is quick to tell you that he builds 500 C4 transmissions a year and that he’s been doing it for 20 years. He’ll be telling you this while you’re trying to explain to him the problems you’re having with the transmission he rebuilt for you. If you need some service work performed or are considering purchasing a new transmission I would recommend a competent shop that seems eager to help and who also supports the racers by attending the drag racing events. Use Dynamic Racing Transmissions.
Please respond with any feedback.
Thanks,
J.T.