Transmission / Overdrive: Automatic Transmission Shifter

[lworden]

I had my 1955 Studebaker Coupe automatic transmission rebuilt . The cost was $2,899.57. This was more than the quote. The car backed out of their shop fine but took several tries to get into drive, park, neutral, low, park then finally into drive. The owner just said to move gear shift around a little. After 200 miles the shifting is much worse.
My Question is:
Should the transmission shop have repaired the linkage when they had the transmission apart?
Should I take it back and cause a problem?
Should I take it somewhere else to get fixed?
The job has a one year warranty. Does the linkage come under the transmission warranty?
Will transmission have to be taken out again to fix linkage?
At this point I don't know exactly how to approach the problem. The car was hard to get out of park besides other transmission problems, when I took it in.
Larry

[Gunslinger]

The shop is responsible for everything they touched in any way related to the work. They should have fully test driven it and if not correct should have corrected it before allowing you to take the car. If there was something they couldn't fix or couldn't do so in a timely manner, you should have been contacted and given the option of how to continue.

You should take the car back and give them the opportunity to correct it without your becoming a "problem customer". If they don't honor their work and warranty, then all bets are off...complain to the owner or area supervisor if a franchise operation, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (usually not very effective), a complaint with any local consumer watchdog agency or local television station that has a consumer reporter.

If you paid by credit card most credit card companies will withhold payment until it's resolved.

When I was in the auto repair business I found that the customers with the most legitimate complaints were usually the easiest to work with...they only wanted what they paid for. Customers who came in yelling and screaming generally wanted something for nothing or get to the head of the line before others.

[ROADRACELARK]

Did this problem exist BEFORE you took it to the tranny shop?? If it did, then mabe it's a linkage problem up in the steering column. If it WAS NOT doing this before you took it to the shop, then obviously it was something they did wrong in the reassembly of the transmission, and/or the related shift linkage and its adjustment. Good luck, and I hope they stand behind their warranty.

Dan Miller
Auburn, GA

[shifter4]

Be sure that the transmission mounts are in good condition.

[Flashback]

You said after 200 miles the shifting is worse. Do you mean finding a gear with the lever, or the actual shifting of the transmission after it's in gear? After a three grand bill, I would be back in less than 200 miles. Be careful driving a lot at much speed. You might not be getting in drive if the linkage is bad. AND, don't buy the "You haven't got it broke in yet" junk.

[lworden]

I took all of the advice and have an appointment with the transmission shop tomorrow.
The rubber motor mounts are cracked but the spacer is on the driver's side mount.
The trouble is finding a gear with the gear shift. From reverse to drive or from park to drive takes several tries.
Before the transmission rebuild, the shifter was hard to get out of park but the the shifting to neutral, low, drive and reverse were o.k.
Thanks for the help.
If the shop wants to charge for fixing the linkage, I will probably go elsewhere, or try fixing it myself. My fixing the linkage may take some time. I'm a 70 year old retired cement finisher.
Larry

[avantilover]

In a typically blunt Australian way I would say the job you got for that price is Bullshit. I have a quality Auto trans place here in Adelaide that take the car for a drive to establish what it is/isn't doing, fix it then drive again to make sure it's fixed. You said you had the same kind of difficulties when you took it there and those issues haven't been addressed. A competent shop would fix it or else recommend someone with more experience with older vehicles. Sounds like a pretty poor job, as someone said get advice from the consumer body in your area, they should be able to advise and broker a solution.