List for new parts rebuild.

[Darrin]

I keep getting beat over the head by because I didn't use new parts on a refresh that I did on a transmission from another vendor that had serious problems.

Here is the exploded view of one of these transmissions with a parts list for what comprises one.

www.bcatransmissions.com\explo dedtranslist.pdf (http://www.bcatransmissions.com\explo dedtranslist.pdf)

Whoever wants to buy all these parts to build a transmission with I will let you use my account at Ford for the discount and will assemble the transmission completely free of charge. You just pay for all parts.

Look at it. Price it out if you want to piss off your parts guy.

I will happily build you a transmission for free using new parts if you provide them for me. I will do that for anyone as many times as you want to do it.

Heck, I will even throw in a NEW transmission case for free for the first one who wants to do it.

So, any takers?

Darrin

[CBT]

What does EFITO stand for.

[O's Fan Rich]

page load error Darrin....on the pdf..... I might want to save that!

[MM2004]

page load error Darrin....on the pdf..... I might want to save that!

Came up fine for me Rich??

Mike.

[Darrin]

What does EFITO stand for.


It's a private internet bulletin board.

Darrin

[Darrin]

I just cut and pasted the exploded view of the transmission with parts list from the 2004 Ford service manual and made it a pdf.

I can email it to anyone that wants it.

Darrin

[GetMeMyStogie]

Some of the slashes were incorrect. Try this link:
http://www.bcatransmissions.com/explodedtranslist.pdf

[Darrin]

So who is going to be the first to get a transmission built from new parts?

Remember, I am offering to buy a brand new case for the first one that goes through with it. That's at least a $400 value.

Darrin

[GetMeMyStogie]

Has anyone ever offered different gear sets for this transmission? Something like a higher-ratio 1st and 2nd gear. That way, you'd get better low end without sacrificing cruising mileage. If 1st and 2nd were high enough, you could use a lower-ratio diff gear for improved top speed without needing a fancy super-mega-balanced driveshaft.

'course, gears and DS are probably way less $$, unless you already need a new transmission maybe (?)

[O's Fan Rich]

Came up fine for me Rich??

Mike.

Still not working for me. Seems like the kind of exploded view I'd like to save....

[O's Fan Rich]

Some of the slashes were incorrect. Try this link:
http://www.bcatransmissions.com/explodedtranslist.pdf

Got it!!!

Thanks GMMS!

[FordNut]

I keep getting beat over the head by because I didn't use new parts on a refresh that I did on a transmission from another vendor that had serious problems.

$1800 for a REFRESH. And it worked better before it was touched! What a deal.

[CBT]

Would it be over 15 thousand dollars?

[Spectragod]

So who is going to be the first to get a transmission built from new parts?

Remember, I am offering to buy a brand new case for the first one that goes through with it. That's at least a $400 value.

Darrin

I'll bite.... how much are the parts? How bulletproof is this, or is it just a stock build? Does this deal include a install as well? :confused:

[Darrin]

$1800 for a REFRESH. And it worked better before it was touched! What a deal.

Brain,

With all due respect, you are not being at all fair and you know it.

I thought we covered this all before. This post pretty much sums up my total opinion on your issue.
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showpost.php?p=671396&postcount=56

I still can't help it that you are pissed that nobody could ever make you happy with the transmission that was in your car. And you need to stop taking it out on me. I gave you what I could with what you were willing to do. IF the converter failed that isn't my fault. If there was some other underlying problem that isn't my fault either.

I have tried and tried to explain to you why I had to use what I did to keep the parts that you made me keep in that transmission. I wanted to start over and build you one of mine, you wanted me to keep the parts that you had paid good money for. I called you telling you that it was going to cost more than I had initially told you and you were not happy at all. I felt that I was being put on a budget and had to re-use whatever I could. I tried and it apparently failed.

Maybe if I had been given the chance to make it right. Maybe if I would have been let to build you what I wanted to by doing it my way....

Everyone else go back to this thread for the whole story as much as it has been told.
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=45758&highlight=Ordered+Trans

I never said I was using new parts and the parts that were pointed out as being inferior or whatever were required to use the old Lentech stuff. There was no option on that one bushing in particular that he was having a fit about. It is part of the kit for the oversize Lentech stub shaft.

Why doesn't someone go price a new pump assembly(core part number 7A103), reverse sun shell(7A019) and center support(7A130). Then we can add the cost of all new frictions and steels (which I did replace regardless of claims). Put with that the new seals and soft parts then add in the labor to do the work.

Then we can talk about what was paid for the torque converter portion, which all went directly to someone else and wasn't anything that I made any profit from, and perhaps you all will get a better and more accurate perspective.

But even then, go find me a shop that will rebuild a transmission for a car with as much power as Brians has for even $1800. What does Lentech want for theirs again? How about FB, Art Carr or Performance Automatic?

And how many really have these transmissions in fully automatic, daily driven 9 and 10 second vehicles?

It is a well known fact that nobody can please everyone. Unfortunately nobody was able to please Brian with his old transmission. Not even that guy that went through it after I did. What was his name again???

Darrin

[Darrin]

I'll bite.... how much are the parts? How bulletproof is this, or is it just a stock build? Does this deal include a install as well? :confused:

I priced it all out once just for S&G and you would just be better off buying another low mileage Marauder.

I am not putting my parts guy through that ever again though. You can feel free to print off that list and cost it out if you want. Please make sure you get the right multiples on parts like clutch frictions and steels. It's a WHOLE lotta parts.

But for now I just want someone to price out the 3 parts in my above post. Someone is apparently playing a game for some reason, so let's all work together to find it all out, add it all up and see what makes sense and what doesn't. We can start with those 3 part numbers I gave you and work our way through it step by step. It should be fun.

Oh, and why doesn't someone call some local transmission shops and price out a rebuild for their stock transmission. Not a performance job or anything, just a run of the mill rebuild including torque converter and minus R&R labor. Ask them how much more it would be to get a new Ford reverse sun gear, center support and front pump assembly added into the price.

Darrin

[FordNut]

$1800 and it was worse than when he started!

[Darrin]

Brain,

Prove that statement please. I have the old burnt up Lentech parts. I also have Lonnie who heard and saw it all.

Darrin

[FordNut]

It worked in all 4 gears and the converter locked up just fine before Darrin worked on it. The converter didn't work after he finished. The only problem with functionality before was that it didn't lockup on shifts as firmly as I would have liked it to.

$1800 and it was worse than when he started!

[FordNut]

Oh yeah, did I say:

$1800 and it was worse than when he started!

[Darrin]

I didn't build you any torque converter Brian.

Lets talk about the transmission, not the torque converter.

Darrin

[Darrin]

So since he wants to talk about the torque converter, lets subtract about $380 from that $1800.

I was only the go-between on that part of the deal and all he can say is that the torque converter didn't work. I can't have messed up on the converter since I DIDN'T do anything to the torque converter at all.

So, lets take it out of the equation. I did not build or provide a torque converter for Brian. I only helped him out by getting it re-done for him.

And, I didn't build a transmission that I wanted to. I had to work within the owners constraints. I gave him the best I could under those circumstances. And, I woudld have done my best to straighten it out IF I had been given the chance to do so.

But the torque converter wasn't mine to diagnose or repair. I have no facilities or capabilites to repair torque converters.

Darrin

[FordNut]

Darrin,
Maybe you did some good transmission rebuilds for some people. And I'm sure Lentech has done some really good jobs for some people too. But I wasn't one of them and I won't forget it. I suggested a partial refund awhile back since I figure the transmission I got back from you was worse than the one I sent you. You don't wanna do that, then fine. I'll be happy to repeat the story of my experience to every perspective customer I can give fair warning to.

[FordNut]

Oh, yeah:

$1800 and it was worse than when he started!

[Darrin]

And Dennis and Jerry told you to send that converter back to Chris. What was it that Chris found when you sent it back to him again???

Darrin

[Darrin]

I have to go to bed so I am not going to wait for a response.

Even though he was told to, he NEVER sent the converter back to Chris and he NEVER called him to let him know there was any problem.

Just like he was told to call me and talk about his 'problem' but he called only once and never gave me the call back that I asked for. He just went on and moved in another direction. I was left thinking the problem had been sorted out because I never heard back. I didn't know anything else until he started his bashing.

But again, the converter wasn't my part of it. I didn't build any torque converter for anyone ever at any time in my whole life.

Darrin

[FordNut]

No, Darrin didn't say "I've got a guy who will make your converter better than PI could ever do it". And then when it took several weeks instead of a few days to get it back, of course that's not Darrin's fault. No, let the blame slide on off your back to somebody I never wrote a check to or even talked to on the phone. That's slick.

oh, and he charged me:

$1800 and it was worse than when he started!

[FordNut]

I need a bigger font

[FordNut]

Darrin likes to bring up somebody else's work. I'll tell this: Dennis removed & reinstalled the transmission 3 times. Jerry built it 2 of the 3 times. Dennis loaned me a car to drive from Florida to Tennessee and back. If that ain't bending over backward to try and get it right, I don't know what to call it. And he charged just a few hundred $$ over what Darrin charged for a single rebuild that I had to pay for shipping and install. And it worked for a few hundred miles, rather than Darrin's buildup that NEVER worked.

Heck, yeah after 4 times in & out in a couple of months, I decided to go in a different direction. Only a fool would keep trying the same thing over & over and expect a different outcome.

[Darrin]

Brian,

Your Lentech transmission itself didn't work when I went through it for you? Or was the issue with the PI torque converter not locking up? All I was ever told by you is that there was a problem with the torque converter.

And you already said a couple of times that you drove the one I put together for you for about 1000 miles, right?

Darrin

[Darrin]

What needs to be perfectly clear here is that this wasn't a transmission that was built by me. This was essentially an attempt to repair a transmission built by another vendor. The transmission had parts in it that required certain other parts to stay in place for them to work. The owner of the transmission wanted me to keep those parts since he had paid so much for them

Perhaps he should have just paid the $900 deductible on the warranty from that manufacturer and the shipping costs to and from Canada to have them try and fix it.

And you are not being told that I was asked to stay in the middle on the torque converter part of this. I told Brian that the converter had to be gone through and yes, I suggested Chris. With the burnt up clutches in the transmission, the torque converter had to be gone through. There was no option on that. But, I gave Brian the option of talking to Chris himself for this and he asked me to handle it.

I suggested who he have do it, but I didn't insist, demand or force him to do anything. Brian could have taken it to PI if he wanted to. He owned the stuff, not me.

Lets start from the beginning though.

Brian had originally come to me asking me to straighten out issues he was having with his transmission. I offered to do that for $500 and he accepted. When I got the transmission apart I found that it was burning itself up and had to have much more work done to it than I anticipated from what I was originally told.

At that point I called Brian and told him where things stood and gave him some options. I could build him one of my transmissions or I could take this one and replace all of the stuff I was worried about. The negotiations began at that point and I was told to leave the Lentech stub shaft in place. I expressed my concerns, but apparently something was lost in translation. He obviously understood that I didn't at all like what lentech did because he has made it clear to all of you reading this stuff that I made that clear to him, so I don't know what I didn't cover.

To keep the Lentech stub shaft you have to use their direct drum and sun gear. The stub shaft is larger in diameter and to fit it they cut the center of the direct drum out and weld in their own part. That part is larger in diameter and won't fit into a stock bushing, so they cut down a bushing and fit it in the sun gear. That all makes it impossible to use any of the parts without keeping the rest.

And, because of the runout on that part that was welded into place on the direct drum, when the transmission was running at higher rpm it was apparently forcing closed the clearance on the whole assembly and eating the thrust washer which damaged the pump. So, I had to replace the pump.

To use the parts he wanted me to keep, I attempted to correct all of these issues to the best of my ability. I took the direct drum to a local machine shop and had them straighten it to get it in spec. When I put it in the lathe and spun it after I got it back, it looked fine. And, from what I see of the pictures where it was later taken apart again, I managed to straighten out that issue for him.

All of this took much more labor than what was originally talked about and then I had to buy hard parts and pay a machine shop for their work. Plus, the torque converter had to be shipped to and from between Indiana and Texas and paid for. That alone was almost $400.

Within what I was made to work with, I did the best I could. I would have loved to have built Brian a transmission that I could call my own and stand behind, but he didn't want to pay for that.

I didn't make these choices. I wanted to do something very different. I want that to be crystal clear to everyone.

Having said that, if this problem was in the converter we still would have ended up where we are now I think. I didn't supply the torque converter. If I would have provided the transmission and torque converter as a package using the parts I wanted then we would have been talking about a whole different situation.

Then, after he decided to go in yet another direction, Brian was instructed by Dennis to send the torque converter back to Chris. Guess what, Brian didn't do that either. Instead he just decided to post up about how crappy a job that Chris did for his torque converter and say that Dennis had problems with work from Chris. Dennis didn't see it that way when I asked him.

Don't believe me, call Dennis.

Now Brian, I have stayed civil throughout and tried to talk this over with you honestly and professionally. I wish you would extend the same courtesy.

Darrin

[FordNut]

Brian,

Your Lentech transmission itself didn't work when I went through it for you? Or was the issue with the PI torque converter not locking up? All I was ever told by you is that there was a problem with the torque converter.

And you already said a couple of times that you drove the one I put together for you for about 1000 miles, right?

Darrin

It worked ok, just didn't shift firmly. All the gears and tc lockup functioned just fine, just soft on the shifts. I wanted to get the converter checked out while the tranny was being redone, you told me you had a guy that would do a much better job with the converter than PI.

I drove yours for about 1000 miles with no locking converter. It never locked up on your build.

[FordNut]

Perhaps he should have just paid the $900 deductible on the warranty from that manufacturer and the shipping costs to and from Canada to have them try and fix it.

I agree with this 100%. The bottom line cost would have been less and I would still have a warranty.

[Darrin]

Yeah but Brain, that was a torque converter issue. What did the transmission do wrong?

Darrin

[FordNut]

There you go again, passing on the blame... The WHOLE job was yours. You have to accept responsibility for all of it.

[captain]

My 2 cents.
I run into this every single day.
The fault is the vendor.
You should have backed out of the sale.
Brian is right...You have to take responsibility.
When you agreed to his demands, you bought the farm.
Better to lose a sale than a customer(s)
An angry customer can do much damage.

[Darrin]

Brain,

I asked you if you wanted to take care of the converter and you then asked me to take care of it. I did not offer and I made no money from it. I did it only as a favor to you and I made that completely clear up front. You sent me the converter. I didn't ask for it, wasn't expecting it, didnt' want it and didn't offer to do anything at all with it other than try and help you out by sending it in for you.

And you know it, so please make that clear to everyone else.

But what about the transmission? Did the transmission itself perform worse after you got it back from me?

Darrin

[Darrin]

My 2 cents.
I run into this every single day.
The fault is the vendor.
You should have backed out of the sale.
Brian is right...You have to take responsibility.
When you agreed to his demands, you bought the farm.
Better to lose a sale than a customer(s)
An angry customer can do much damage.


I was not the vendor and that is the whole point. I had a converter dumped on me and was asked to do something with it. I have zero ability to do anything with those converters and I told Brian that. He sent it all on his own and I was surprised to see it in the transmission on the pallet when it showed up.

I never wanted anything to do with the torque converter and I don't offer any sort of service for them.

Darrin

[FordNut]

Maybe I should add this to my signature, not just here but at all the other forums I participate in too:

$1800 and it was worse than when he started!

[Darrin]

Brain,

I was hoping that you could have a civil discussion that was honest and open.

I was unfortunately wrong and there hasn't been any way that we can talk about it without you resorting to doing it the wrong way.

I wish it were different. God have I tried to make it different, but I can't do it on my own.

I only hope that one of these days you honestly look yourself in the mirror and think about this. I hope you will think about your motives and think about how you are not properly representing what went on only to make me look bad because I am available and you are pissed off that you spent so much money having so many people who couldn't satisfy you on that transmission.

I know what happened and I can sleep soundly and look myself in the mirror and feel good about myself. I know that I tried to help you and never wanted or tried to do you any harm.

I am fine with things. I was however hoping that we could talk and resolve the issue honestly for a change.

Darrin

[Shora]

First, I am sorry that you both have to go through this. I would not want to be in any of your shoes in this matter.

This is non of my business but it is posted here publicly so I am following allong trying to see what exactly is going on.

The main issue I am trying to understand is why Brian would spend big money and tons of time putting in a Transmission from a Lightening if the one he received from Darrin is 100% perfect.

Wouldn't he have just bought/ rebuilt his converter if that was the only issue?

Again, I am just trying to understand what's going on since you are both taking the time to post your sides.

[Darrin]

Yeah, I know it's tough to follow when you aren't being told the whole story.

The transmission was gone through again after it left me. That was done at Dennis Reinharts shop.

Apparently the issue was that the torque converter wasn't locking up. I haven't heard any complaints about the operation of the transmission other than that and I haven't been told about any "AH-HA" when it was taken apart where anythign was found that I missed or screwed up on that caused this issue.

Brian had an entirely different converter installed that day 'just in case'. I am guessing that eliminated the real 'problem'.

That transmission didn't make him happy either and only lasted a couple of hundred miles according to what Brian is saying. That is why he is going with a 4R100.

Darrin

[Shora]

...only lasted a couple of hundred miles according to what Brian is saying....Darrin

So, according to Brian, the transmission did fail. Lasting only "a couple of hundred" miles is not a 100% perfect transmission.

Again, I am not trying to do anything except understand.

[Darrin]

As far as I know, the transmission that I redid was working but the torque converter wasn't locking up.

The one that was done after I did it only lasted a couple of hundred miles, not the one I redid.

Darrin

[Shora]

As far as I know, the transmission that I redid was working but the torque converter wasn't locking up.

The one that was done after I did it only lasted a couple of hundred miles, not the one I redid.

Darrin

Oh, he had "your" transmission redone by Dennis. So, if all he did was have Dennis change out the converter, all might have been well?

Am I now on the right track?

[Darrin]

Getting closer, but I don't think so for the long haul. There was something that went through the transmission between when I put it back together and when it was taken apart again from the looks of what I saw in pictures.

I honestly don't know what it was or whose 'fault' it should be called. But, something was wrong and Brian once again had to spend more money and I know that had to REALLY suck for him. You can tell how much by the way he is after me for it.

Darrin

[FordNut]

Part of it is the fact it had to be re-done again. Part of it is the lack of support which led me to another shop to have it re-done. And the denial of knowledge or responsibility is really irritating.

Before the process started, I discussed a previous experience where one shop built a tranny for me with high performance parts from another shop, then it was tuned by a third shop. When it broke I got stuck in the middle of a 3-way finger-pointing contest. I didn't want to get into that again, and stated so to Darrin in the beginning. So he was going to take care of the converter and tranny too. Why the mystery and surprise when the tranny showed up at his shop with the converter?

Darrin claims to not have anything at all to do with converters, but another customer told me of the delays and excuses from Darrin when he was waiting for the converter to come back. I still have the PM's from him, but don't want to drag him into this. Darrin sent the converter off in this case too, but now he claims he has nothing to do with converters.

Now that I have had problems, even with the concerns with finger-pointing and having everything done at one shop, Darrin shifts the blame. It was Circle D's fault. It was Lentech's fault. It was Brian's fault. Anybody but Darrin is responsible. And when the pictures of the parts that came out of the transmission were posted, he essentially called me, Dennis, and Jerry liars. He didn't put those parts in my tranny. I guess they magically appeared inside of it.

Before we get on to the one-stop shopping subject, I'll say I had originally intended to have them tune the car, too. I sent my tune file and had expected some tranny parameters that would be safe. Then I was told I would have to bring the car to them to tune it (they don't even have a dyno, so it would have to be scheduled thru another shop). They have never tuned a setup like my car (nobody had at the time, even Jerry had some troubles), so I was a bit leery but then when they told me they wouldn't even give me a copy of my tune file I really got concerned. Even later, I found that other people who they had tried numerous times to get the tranny tune working right had given up and are now very happily running a Zack tune. So no, I didn't follow thru with the one-stop shopping plan I had originally intended to do. But that's neither here not there.

Since Darrin's build, every rotating part has been replaced. The case has also been replaced. And it still screwed up again. I suspect either the solenoid valves or the valve body are the problem areas. No matter, after 4 times in & out in less than a month I had already decided that if it had to come out again it was getting replaced with a 4r100.

I try to ignore Darrin's boasting comments about how everybody loves his transmissions and he's never had a bad one. When he points out "the one customer who will never be satisfied" I'm happy to comment that I'm not satisfied with a transmission that doesn't work.

[Darrin]

I never said that I won't ship a converter for someone. From past history, even before yours Brian, I don't like to at all. That is why I make it perfectly clear when I do it that I am not in any way responsible for anything related to it. It has a huge potential to put me in a situation like this one.

And yes, you are the one and only. But, it wasn't a BC Automotive transmission and it wasn't a converter that I had anything to do with other than put it in a box and ship it off at your request.

Again, I had NO idea that there was going to be a converter coming with your transmission. But you already knew that.

And I never said it was Circle D's fault. I have NO idea what the problem was because I didn't get the opportunity to find out what it was. Neither did Circle D.

Why, because regardless of being asked to talk to both Chris and myself, Brian chose to do it his own way.

I love how some people like to play with words that others say to attempt to shift perception. I did say that I don't offer any service for torque converters and I don't. I cannot service a torque converter.

But, I do stand behind one if I sell it and that is entirely different.

Darrin

[sd8683]

I never said that I won't ship a converter for someone. From past history, even before yours Brian, I don't like to at all. That is why I make it perfectly clear when I do it that I am not in any way responsible for anything related to it. It has a huge potential to put me in a situation like this one.




Darrin


Are you gonna stand behind the torque converter that I recently purchased from you?

Sean

[Darrin]

And that's what Brian is after. Putting question in peoples mind.

Yes, absolutely, positively. If anyone bought theirs through me then I will cover the part for a reasonable amount of time and any damage it does to the transmission for an equal or even more reasonable amount of time.

I didn't sell Brian a torque converter at all and that is the WHOLE point. His situation was VERY different than pretty much everyone else's

Are you having a problem with your torque converter? If so then lets show people how I deal with it.

Darrin

[merc]

And that's what Brian is after. Putting question in peoples mind.

Yes, absolutely, positively. If anyone bought theirs through me then I will cover the part for a reasonable amount of time and any damage it does to the transmission for an equal or even more reasonable amount of time.

Darrin

Really....I must be confused.

[TooManyFords]

Darrin, do you have a machine you bolt transmissions up to after a build to test them?

[TooManyFords]

After reading the whole thread, that is 5 minutes of my life I want back.

Regardless.

Brian and Darrin, I see this being resolved only two ways;

1. Darrin pays Brian back the $1800 in exchange for an agreement that "yes, it could have been handled better" and Brian agrees that this is the last time he will mention it or participate in any conversation that deals with or about Darrin.

or

2. You both keep bickering and Brian is out $1800 and Darrin's name is continually tarnished by this "deal gone bad".

Personally, if I was either of you, I would hope the other party would agree on option #1 and let this fade from memory.

[Darrin]

Darrin, do you have a machine you bolt transmissions up to after a build to test them?

A transmission dyno? No, those are truly a joke. I inspect and test the individual components as I assemble them and then test the whole assembly with an air test plate after I put it together.

I have refined the way I test these over the years and have learned what is and isn't the way to do it.

The dirty little secret is that a transmission dyno is pretty much worthless. The scary part is that unless brand new fluid is used every time, and nobody does by the way, you can get crap spread through several transmissions causing more problems for more people.

Some places like to brag about having one, but they are pretty much impractical and useless for these purposes.

Darrin

[Eric91Z]

Wow, this has been an interesting thread.

I will say this: I have had a few conversations, on the phone, with Darrin. He has always been there to answer my questions, talk about what I need, and even went so far as to 2-day ship me a driveshaft I was going to have him install when I found out my stock one had bad u-joints and needed to be replaced before my road trip to see him next week.

Oh, did I mention that I have yet to pay for that DS or the shipping on it? I have paid a deposit to get the new torque converter he suggested ordered - through him with the understanding it is not his converter, but rather the one he suggested. And he is building the transmission best suited for my application doing it the way he does it.

Only thing being done "my" way will be me bringing him a NIB FRPP tranny cooler to use on the Crown Vic when he installs the new tranny and torque converter.

So far all of my dealings with Darrin have matched all the other opinions I have heard except for this one case discussed in this thread. I am sorry that Brian has ended up having so many issues. That sucks for anyone no matter what.

Just seems not enough people like to point out the good people do any more. Oh, and when I am out there for the install I will have Lonnie tweak my current 89 octane tune I have from him and do a new 91 octane tune for me to take in to account the stall of the new converter, etc...

[Darrin]

As soon as he is willing to bring me back both the transmission and torque converter in the state that they left here so that I can honestly see what went wrong... then I will refund him every penny of what I charged him.

Darrin

[Darrin]

Wow, this has been an interesting thread.

I will say this: I have had a few conversations, on the phone, with Darrin. He has always been there to answer my questions, talk about what I need, and even went so far as to 2-day ship me a driveshaft I was going to have him install when I found out my stock one had bad u-joints and needed to be replaced before my road trip to see him next week.

Oh, did I mention that I have yet to pay for that DS or the shipping on it? I have paid a deposit to get the new torque converter he suggested ordered - through him with the understanding it is not his converter, but rather the one he suggested. And he is building the transmission best suited for my application doing it the way he does it.

Only thing being done "my" way will be me bringing him a NIB FRPP tranny cooler to use on the Crown Vic when he installs the new tranny and torque converter.

So far all of my dealings with Darrin have matched all the other opinions I have heard except for this one case discussed in this thread. I am sorry that Brian has ended up having so many issues. That sucks for anyone no matter what.

Just seems not enough people like to point out the good people do any more. Oh, and when I am out there for the install I will have Lonnie tweak my current 89 octane tune I have from him and do a new 91 octane tune for me to take in to account the stall of the new converter, etc...

Eric,

Thank you for your sentiments. You don't know how much I appreciate what you had to say. And because you bought your torque converter through me, I will stand behind it.

But, and no offense to you at all, I don't want this to turn into a thread where everyone and anyone chimes in with their opinion of the people involved.

Darrin

[Eric91Z]

Eric,

Thank you for your sentiments. You don't know how much I appreciate what you had to say. And because you bought your torque converter through me, I will stand behind it.

But, and no offense to you at all, I don't want this to turn into a thread where everyone and anyone chimes in with their opinion of the people involved.

Darrin

I can understand that. Actually, I thought it was originally about the exploded view of all the parts needed for an all new build of a tranny. Pretty interesting to see, by the way...

[TooManyFords]

As soon as he is willing to bring me back both the transmission and torque converter in the state that they left here so that I can honestly see what went wrong... then I will refund him every penny of what I charged him.

Darrin

So you are setting conditions that could not possibly be met to get a refund? Way to take the high road...

And as for the transmission dyno, I do not see it as a "dirty little secret". Seems to me that the only way the fluid would be contaminated between tests is if you failed to put only clean parts back into a build. Otherwise you would know the status of the fluid and not cause a problem. I can't possibly see how just testing with air would certify a transmission. You're good at typing, educate us.

Just an observation...

[TooManyFords]

And just so everyone else is clear, I have no stake in either side of this argument. I'm going on common sense...

[Darrin]

So you are setting conditions that could not possibly be met to get a refund? Way to take the high road...


And my point is that if it would have been brought to me in the first place then maybe things would have gone differently. Who do you know anywhere that is going to refund something they never even saw doing something wrong? To this day I still have no way to know that there was indeed anything wrong at all with either the transmission or torque converter.

Honestly with talking to the people involved with going through the transmission after I did, what he is saying and what they are saying are 2 different things. What I heard is that a 'carpet bomb' was applied and they replaced pretty much everything involved, including the tune mind you, and it still never worked right for any time at all.

What does that say?

Why should I refund something in circumstances like these? How do I know what the problem was when even they didn't and they had the car?

That is exactly why I am saying that for me to do a refund I would need the transmission and converter as they were when they left me. He could have done that you know, he just chose not to.

Darrin

[FordNut]

Signature updated! Thanks.

[Darrin]

Yes, high road indeed...

But children will be children I guess.

Darrin

[ImpalaSlayer]

this is just god dammned retarted. and here is what i dont understand. if this were about a former vendor this thread would have been locked hours ago........

[FordNut]

Ya know, he called me out. And he's the one that screwed me.

[O's Fan Rich]

I thought there was a "Vendor Review Forum" for this stuff?

Huh..... guess not......

[O's Fan Rich]

Yeah, I was right there is one


http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=104

well what do you know about that?

[Darrin]

Ya know, he called me out. And he's the one that screwed me.


You know, if you would ever actually have made a phone call or still make that attempt so that we could talk man to man, maybe you and I could talk it out.

But, you refused to talk to me after I told you to call me back so I could talk to Chris at Circle D and you haven't returned that call since. Instead, you carry on like this and act childish when it starts to turn anything other than what you perceive to be your way. When the questions start getting tough for you to answer in a way that will not make me look like the bad guy you stop talking and start doing things to distract and steer perspective.

Very grown up.

Darrin

[GetMeMyStogie]

This whole disagreement appears to have been something that a warranty would have covered. Was a warranty offered?
Warranties usually have conditions, such as 'if it fails, bring it back to us', and things like warranty seals, to prove the item hasn't been tampered with while out in the field.

I had an old audio amplifier sent in for repairs once, and that's exactly how it went.

[sd8683]

Are you having a problem with your torque converter? If so then lets show people how I deal with it.

Darrin

No Darrin...... I haven't had it installed it yet....... It's scheduled to be installed on March 25th...... Can't WAIT!

I must say when I spoke with Darrin he was very helpful and gave me great advice to get me what I was looking for out of my car, and he was prompt replying to my PM's also.

Sean

[Darrin]

Yeah, PM's are not the best way to get ahold of me. Some get a lot luckier than others. Email and phone work a lot better. A LOT better.

Darrin

[knine]

Grow up. Everybody. Including those watching and not taking action. Damn kids. :cheesed:

[Joe Walsh]

I thought there was a "Vendor Review Forum" for this stuff?

Huh..... guess not......


Yeah, I was right there is one


http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=104

well what do you know about that?

I'm going to stay out of this mess except to say: You are absolutely right Rich.
I thought that these vendor issues got 'held and reviewed' before being posted on the site...:dunno:

[merc]

As I get older and wiser it’s hard to indorse a vendor or modification because everyone’s experience varies widely. In my locality there are many shops competing for our business. We all like to share information and rely on references from creditable members. In the last 60 days we have taken vendor bashing to a higher level. We are all painfully aware of the economic times of our Nation. Loosening vendor support is a sure way to dim the lights on this site. Personally I have had problems with every vendor on this site. To name a few, Todd Fisher ( Grand Muffler) wielded a steel section on my new Stainless Steel exhaust. I found the error a few months later, but it cost me another trip to Atlanta. Todd made things good and it came at a cost. DR shipped me a system with missing parts. To his credit I received the missing parts the next day.

In my quest to have the best transmission I research about 10 vendors. Zack, Chris Vinning , and Tom recommended BC Automotive. I spend 5 thousand plus dollars for is race solution. Within 6 months I destroyed my transmission at Cecil County Raceway while bouncing off the rev limiter. The transmission was removed and returned to BC for service. Under warranty, Darrin only charged me for the parts. My car ran flawlessly all season after being repaired. I don’t know any vendor that offers a warranty to a race driven car.

We are all searching for reliability, service, and availability in our aftermarket products. Marauder owners are a dying breed. The bridges we burn today will not return. I have made a few friends that will transcend the car. Hopefully you have also.

[sd8683]

As I get older and wiser it’s hard to indorse a vendor or modification because everyone’s experience varies widely. In my locality there are many shops competing for our business. We all like to share information and rely on references from creditable members. In the last 60 days we have taken vendor bashing to a higher level. We are all painfully aware of the economic times of our Nation. Loosening vendor support is a sure way to dim the lights on this site. Personally I have had problems with every vendor on this site. To name a few, Todd Fisher ( Grand Muffler) wielded a steel section on my new Stainless Steel exhaust. I found the error a few months later, but it cost me another trip to Atlanta. Todd made things good and it came as a cost. DR shipped me a system with missing parts. To his credit I received the missing parts the next day.

In my quest to have the best transmission I research about 10 vendors. Zack, Chris Vinning , and Tom recommended BC Automotive. I spend 5 thousand plus dollars for is race solution. Within 6 months I destroyed my transmission at Cecil County Raceway while bouncing off the rev limiter. The transmission was removed and returned to BC for service. Under warranty, Darrin only charged me for the parts. My car ran flawlessly all season after being repaired. I don’t know any vendor that offers a warranty to a race driven car.

We are all searching for reliability, service, and availability in our aftermarket products. Marauder owners are a dying breed. The bridges we burn today will not return. I have made a few friends that will transcend the car. Hopefully you have also.


I don't think it could have been said much better than that. Very well said!

[GordonB]

I second merc's thoughts and statements. Having followed a good bit of this thread, I suggest that we collectively put this thread to rest/bed and vow to seek other avenues in the future to resolve people-to-people, vendors included, ISSUES. I does us no good in life to continuously habor grudges and ill-feelings. Spend your money as you see fit and cherish GOOD relationships. We only pass this way ONCE. You will NEVER get back today once tomorrow comes, if it comes at all.

Peace.
GordonB

[Green96]

I have never chimed in on a thread like this, but I have to throw in my $.02 worth this time.

I have never conducted a business transaction with Darrin, but I did once ask him for his opinion about an issue with my old Thunderbird. I had come out in another site that the maker of the TC I was using was having some catastophic failures and as a result my tuner would no longer support a car with that make of converter. I asked Darrin's opinion since I knew he was familiar with the issue. He could have taken the opportunity to try to sell me a new converter, but he answered honestly telling me that my converter was made well before any of the known "issues" came up, and that he felt that it would be fine. I appreciated his advice and went without any problems. Thanks again Darrin.

As for the issue being discussed here, based on what I understand it reminds me of a problem I see a lot at work. Someone (Brian) has a job that needs done and they call in the appropriate people for the job (Darrin). Instead of having the job evaluated and recieving a recommended course of action, Brian gave whatever details seam important and requested a specific action be taken. Maybe Darrin should have walked away from it or voiced more concerns about the method of repair. Maybe Brian should have listened more closely to any concerns Darrin voiced or gone into it without a specific plan already set in his head and just listened to what Darrin had to say.

I saw it recently at work. A system was needed, someone gave the vendor a half-baked spec of what the system needed to be capable of and then specified how the system should be set up. The vendor voiced concern several times that the system that was being specified would not do what we wanted it to do. 2 years later, I don't know how many modifcations, reconfigurations, and budget overruns it finally works. The vendor stuck by us because we kept him in the loop so that he could make it right, but it cost us more money in the end because we were the ones that insisted on the wrong course of action from the begining and had to pay over again to make it right.

Bottom line - Communication should have been better up front and after problems came up.

I have nothing against either one of you and have never met either one of you so please don't take any offense. This was just my opinion.

Patrick

[FordNut]

Alright, here's the deal... Dennis has already offered to sell the transmission for me for $1600, and he'll swap the last 2 parts that haven't been changed (the solenoid valves and valve body) at his own cost.

Instead of having Dennis do it, I'll offer the deal to Darrin. Buy it for $1600, go through it and re-sell it. It is better than it was when you had it, it now has a new case without helicoils, it has a 4r75w pump (stronger, more contact area), it has 4r75w gearset (stronger), still has the forced tailshaft lube mod (and it doesn't leak any more). The clutch plates, steels, and bands are all new heavy-duty stuff. The accumulator valves and springs are setup by Jerry (I think same as you had done it). The only things that have not been replaced are the valve body and solenoid valves. You can re-do the valve body yourself at minimal cost. The solenoid valves are what I really suspect to be the problem. It has about 1000 miles on it and one pass on the 1/4. That's the transmission only, no converter, same deal that I had with Dennis.

And then we'll call a truce and I'll drop it. Financially it makes little difference to me. Whether Darrin or Dennis gets it for re-sale they will make a profit. I'll still be out about $2500 for the lessons I learned but that's better than $4k. Hopefully Dennis doesn't get upset if I sell it out from under him.

[Darrin]

You are right, it shouldn't matter who sells it. Let dennis make the money on it and save everyone the cost and hassle of shipping it.

Obviously that makes a WHOLE lot more sense, right? I mean, you will still be getting the exact same amount of money back.

Darrin

[Darrin]

Look guys, I do what I can to do the best that I can. It's obvious that you can't please everybody.

I am going to clearly say this again.

On the work that I do when I am allowed to do it the way that I know needs to be done, I absolutely stand behind my work and my products. If you call me and ask me to build you a transmission or sell you one of my products, then I stand behind it. You have no worries. I am here for you. All you have to do is pick up the phone and call me. I have a long proven track record. I am an honest and straightforward guy. I may not always be able to tell you what you want to hear, but I absolutely will treat you fairly as long as that is given in return. My customers will tell you that I usually do well more than should be expected of me as long as they are willing to work with me. And I am not just talking about situations where there are problems either. There are FAR fewer problems that you might think.

Obviously I can't be responsible for certain things. Usually these are performance parts we are talking about after all. Like pretty much every other performance vendor, I can't just warrant everything without question or requiring proof of what went wrong. I have to know that I did something wrong and know what it is so that I can try and improve either the product or the process going forward. I will be the first to tell you that I am always trying to do it better. If you get the products installed by me then I will cover the labor to remove, repair and reinstall it if the reason for any problem is due to any fault of mine. If you bring the vehicle to me even if I didn't originally install the products I sold you and we determine that any problem was my fault then I will remove, repair and reinstall it for no charge. If you cannot bring the vehicle to me, unfortunately I cannot cover labor.

If the product is not brought to me for inspection to show what the problem was, unless we talk and the problem is obvious or I simply agree otherwise, you can't expect me to take responsibility for something that I have no idea what is what with. That just isn't fair and I can't see how anyone woudl think that it is.

But as any of the customers who have bought my products will tell you, I honestly do bend over backwards to try and help with pretty much anything regardless of what it is, problem or advice. If there is a problem I try to help. If someone needs advice I offer what I can. I am only one person and there is a lot that goes on around here from time to time so I may not be able to answer PM's or emails instantaneously. Particularly PM's because I don't have notifications turned on pretty much anywhere or I would spend all my time answering questions instead of actually doing anything for anyone. I would love to be able to do that but nothgin would get done and I woudl go out of business. But usually when you call me you can reach me. The phone is always the best way.

I have absolutely zero history of ever leaving anyone who has bought one of my transmissions or products that I sell with a problem where I didn't work to do everything possible to find a solution that satisfies the customer. And, I have never left anyone who has bought one of my products in a situatuon where they tell me they are dissatisfied. I always ask if I did enough and ask what I could have done better in their eyes. My customers are all I have and I know it.

The VAST majority of people out there have very reasonable expectations and are easy to work with. Unfortunately there are always a few that have unreasonable expectations and will do their best to try and trash you because you will not bow to their demands. A lot of time these people like to threaten you that they will trash you on the internet. To which I tell them to have at it. Yes, there will be those who won't understand what is going on because they weren't there for the whole thing, and there will be people that take sides because of loyalties that are not founded on the situation at hand. That is the internet though folks. Love it or leave it.

All we honest ones can do is stand up to that and continue to move forward. Keep doing the things that we have done to build up our reputations and not give in to the demands of those who try to hold you hostage.

And yes, I choose to let everyone speak. To which I will always honestly reply and hope that those who are really paying attention will see through to what is actually going on. I also ask that those who are just showing up to defend me please step back and let me handle it because regardless of whether it is going to end well or not, its my job and not theirs. That gets tough sometimes because you don't want to offend them for caring enough to step into a hornets nest for you.

One thing is for sure, I NEVER ask anyone to defend me. That is a job best left to me.

I do the best I can. If you honestly research it you will find that out.

Darrin

[FordNut]

After reading the whole thread, that is 5 minutes of my life I want back.

Regardless.

Brian and Darrin, I see this being resolved only two ways;

1. Darrin pays Brian back the $1800 in exchange for an agreement that "yes, it could have been handled better" and Brian agrees that this is the last time he will mention it or participate in any conversation that deals with or about Darrin.

or

2. You both keep bickering and Brian is out $1800 and Darrin's name is continually tarnished by this "deal gone bad".

Personally, if I was either of you, I would hope the other party would agree on option #1 and let this fade from memory.


As soon as he is willing to bring me back both the transmission and torque converter in the state that they left here so that I can honestly see what went wrong... then I will refund him every penny of what I charged him.

Darrin


Alright, here's the deal... Dennis has already offered to sell the transmission for me for $1600, and he'll swap the last 2 parts that haven't been changed (the solenoid valves and valve body) at his own cost.

Instead of having Dennis do it, I'll offer the deal to Darrin. Buy it for $1600, go through it and re-sell it. It is better than it was when you had it, it now has a new case without helicoils, it has a 4r75w pump (stronger, more contact area), it has 4r75w gearset (stronger), still has the forced tailshaft lube mod (and it doesn't leak any more). The clutch plates, steels, and bands are all new heavy-duty stuff. The accumulator valves and springs are setup by Jerry (I think same as you had done it). The only things that have not been replaced are the valve body and solenoid valves. You can re-do the valve body yourself at minimal cost. The solenoid valves are what I really suspect to be the problem. It has about 1000 miles on it and one pass on the 1/4. That's the transmission only, no converter, same deal that I had with Dennis.

And then we'll call a truce and I'll drop it. Financially it makes little difference to me. Whether Darrin or Dennis gets it for re-sale they will make a profit. I'll still be out about $2500 for the lessons I learned but that's better than $4k. Hopefully Dennis doesn't get upset if I sell it out from under him.


You are right, it shouldn't matter who sells it. Let dennis make the money on it and save everyone the cost and hassle of shipping it.

Obviously that makes a WHOLE lot more sense, right? I mean, you will still be getting the exact same amount of money back.

Darrin

Sounds like he's chosen option # 2, John.

[MM2004]

Brian and Darrin,

You two need to work this out privately instead of going back and forth on a public forum.

We all can see this isn't going anywhere nor is it productive for either party involved.

Please see what you guys can do in private to get this resolved.

Mike.

[Darrin]

Sorry Brian, I am not going to be bullied. You always had the chance to do the right thing and you have continually chosen to do otherwise.

I am a man of principle and morals, something that apparently not everyone understands. I will not participate in paying anyone to shut up.

Do you have any idea how wrong that is?

I am done with this for good over the internet. You can continue to act however you wish. I have faith that people will see through it.

If you have anything further to say about this to me then pick up the phone.

Darrin

[bigmerc2003]

DR leaves so finally I thought there would be less bickering, oops now you are here and bam there goes the bickering and attacks on Zack, are you releated to DR?

Wow, I am off for a few days and all hell breaks loose. Another "vendor" on the loose.

[Darrin]

DR leaves so finally I thought there would be less bickering, oops now you are here and bam there goes the bickering and attacks on Zack, are you releated to DR?

Wow, I am off for a few days and all hell breaks loose. Another "vendor" on the loose.
I have been here for quite a while honestly.

I am not at all mad at you and I am not trying to bash you in any way, but with all due respect, you just complained about this stuff happening, right? I wonder how you could feel that adding more accusatory and inflammatory statements might do anyone any sort of good whatsoever? Did posting like that really add to anything in a positve fashion, help in any way or provide any means to a resolution of... anything?

My point is, that if you are going to complain about things like this going on and unhappy that it happens, then... Well, I guess I don't understand the motivation for a post like you just made.

If you want it to stop then the best way to do it, in my opinion, is through doing your part to help provide a means to that end. Not by throwing any more fuel on any fire you see.

I am however very sorry that you feel the way you do. Letting it move you enough to lash out like that. It's very unfortunate. I am sorry that it got to you and I apologize to you for my part of it.

Just please remember that you can't really know what all has gone on or might be going on when you are only reading the small part that you see on the internet. It is truly impossible to 'know' anyone and know what the reality of the situations are if that is all you go by.

Take care

Darrin

[bigmerc2003]

You are right, but I think that you need to show more respect to the members here, if you have a beef take it up on the side. Zack has done a lot for the members here I have noticed including bringing to lite information that has caused several vacations! :bs: That being said I respect Zack more because he is willing to take punishment so that the truth can be heard! And in some of your posts you act like a child just as the mods are by locking every thread. The site is becoming more and more of a zoo:mad2:

[Darrin]

I am going to have to respectfully disagree wth you. I don't feel that I have been disrespectful to the members of this site, nor even you.

And judging on your other comments it sounds like you have a bone to pick from an entirely different chicken. Zack has nothing at all to do with this thread, why did you even mention him?

At this point I have to honestly stop and wonder what your motives are for posting in this thread at all. I hope it isn't just more pot stirring. We have had well enough of that for a while I think.

Darrin.

[bigmerc2003]

No pot stirring just tired of the zoo here. Its not much fun to log in anymore with everyone pissed at each other and calling everyone names. Maybe I will just quit coming here....