Monster Transmissions

93 Krawler · 01-02-2013, 03:04 PM

Has anyone on here used this company?

Back in early 2011 the trans in my 2007 Chevy Express cargo van went out completely. I removed the trans with the plan to rebuild it myself. After I got the trans apart, many parts had broken and destroyed just about everything including the case. So I ordered a heavy duty towing trans and torque converter from Monster Transmission. It took over a month to get it.

In Jan. 2012 I lost 2nd and 4th. Talked with Monster about the warranty and the said to ship it back on my dime and they would look at it. I figured it was the 2-4 band, and if so, it would be cheaper to fix myself than pay the shipping charge. I tore it apart and it was the band like I thought. Got a new band locally from Trans Star and compared the two bands. The new one was beefier than the one Monster used. The area where the apply pin hits the band was a lot thicker. That's where the old one failed. Put it back together and all is good.

Another year later, Jan. 2013. When I got back from the hangover run yesterday, I was backing up in the driveway it felt like it slipped. Didn't really think anything about it till I went to work today. I got about 5 miles from my house and I started loosing gears fast. 4 3 2 1 nothing.... Now it won't move. :mad::mad::mad:

Now tell me how a $2,000 heavy duty trans built to tow dies with less than 25,000 miles and 2 years old. I tow my rig about 3 times a year no further than Big Rock.

I bought the 3 year extended warranty and should have around a year left. What would you do... Pay the shipping back to them and let them fix it, and wait for another year for it to die again, or have it rebuilt? In my case, I would do the rebuild.

I say Monster Transmission sucks!!!

twiztedzuki · 01-02-2013, 03:13 PM

dont sound good, i rebuild my own th350/400s and i modify or change to tci valvebody for more pressure and use red clutches for offroading with minumal troubles. i kind figure ur paying for name monster. Dtt built me a trans for cummins with 600hp and i had zero troubles from it, i towed and did john force burnouts withit constantly. mite look into them

fordman00 · 01-02-2013, 03:24 PM

Dtt builds good trans, i heard there backed up though. If it were me and ypu knew what you were doing id buy all the parts and rebuild it myself.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

humpy · 01-02-2013, 03:31 PM

I got a guy in bethel that does all our transmissions and he is best in business.. Don't pay for monster name... Is 4l65 or 4l80e?

93 Krawler · 01-02-2013, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordman00

Dtt builds good trans, i heard there backed up though. If it were me and ypu knew what you were doing id buy all the parts and rebuild it myself.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Not a professional by any means, but I have rebuilt about 10.

Quote:

Originally Posted by humpy

I got a guy in bethel that does all our transmissions and he is best in business.. Don't pay for monster name... Is 4l65 or 4l80e?

It's a 4l65e. I thought I was buying quality, not junk. If the case hadn't have been junk, I wouldn't have ever called them. The van was only 4 years old at the time, so finding one in the junkyard was not going to be easy.

humpy · 01-02-2013, 04:01 PM

Look into converting to 4l80e I'm sure it can be done... Mine has 261k on it and still goin strong

itbrokeagain · 01-02-2013, 04:18 PM

At 4 years old should have been covered under warranty the first time it went out right? Cottman in eaatgate rebuilt mine at200,000. I have 310,000 now and tow a lot. No problems

93 Krawler · 01-02-2013, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by humpy

Look into converting to 4l80e I'm sure it can be done... Mine has 261k on it and still goin strong

That's what I was thinking or an Allison if it's possible. We have a 3/4 ton 2011 express at work with a 4.8 and an Allison 6 speed. That would be sweet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by itbrokeagain

At 4 years old should have been covered under warranty the first time it went out right? Cottman in eaatgate rebuilt mine at200,000. I have 310,000 now and tow a lot. No problems

We bought it used with 95,000 miles. Must have been a fleet vehicle. They treated their drivers well. It is AWD, fully loaded, and has rear air/heat.

Hope Springs Hauler · 01-02-2013, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93 Krawler

That's what I was thinking or an Allison if it's possible. We have a 3/4 ton 2011 express at work with a 4.8 and an Allison 6 speed. That would be sweet.

We bought it used with 95,000 miles. Must have been a fleet vehicle. They treated their drivers well. It is AWD, fully loaded, and has rear air/heat.

I don't think that the Allison Trans ever came in the Vans due to the ENORMOUS size of the trans. The DMAX vans came the the 4l80E. The new trans that GMA has for gas vehicles is a 6L80E or 6L90E depending on GVW.
The 6L90 with the tapshift is being retrofitted into some older trucks and should be awesome.

biggin69 · 01-02-2013, 06:34 PM

I would not deal with this Monster trans place anymore if it were me. Sounds like you know how to rebuild an auto so I would go that route and use quality parts.

timido · 01-02-2013, 06:35 PM

A great transmission guy to check with also is Jim Widener.

Widener Automotive
704 East Pearl St
Batesville, IN 47006
(812) 932-2025

93 Krawler · 01-02-2013, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hope Springs Hauler

I don't think that the Allison Trans ever came in the Vans due to the ENORMOUS size of the trans. The DMAX vans came the the 4l80E. The new trans that GMA has for gas vehicles is a 6L80E or 6L90E depending on GVW.
The 6L90 with the tapshift is being retrofitted into some older trucks and should be awesome.

You're right. I didn't know GM had a 6 speed tap shift tranny.

I'll have to check the length of the 6l90e. The 4l80e is longer than the 60 so some mods will have to be done. I'd like to find a AWD 1 ton express cargo van with a Duramax and power windows/locks/mirrors. Is that asking too much...

itbrokeagain · 01-02-2013, 09:25 PM

Yes because the duramax never made it to the vans because of deck height.

Hope Springs Hauler · 01-02-2013, 09:35 PM

They do make a DMAX van, but I don't think that they can come as an AWD. That and they aren't a real DMAX 'cause they are only 265 hp and maybe 400ftlb of tq at the motor with the gas truck trans. Kinda wimpy for what you'd expect from a diesel. Open the hood and it looks like a solid chunk of plastic.

With that and fuel prices, I'm pretty sure my next truck will be a gas motor....

comanchedude · 01-02-2013, 10:14 PM

Idk. They have 26 bbb complains in last 3 years. That's one per month but I don't know how many trans they sell per month.

http://www.bbb.org/west-florida/busi...le-fl-90008419

Did you talk to them about the small band? If it cost more to get a replacement then a rebuild kit guess you have your answer. Stuff like this sucks ass. Did you ask them what makes the trans they sold you )HD? Maybe they sold you a std unit by mistake? ..give them hell !

93 Krawler · 01-03-2013, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comanchedude

Idk. They have 26 bbb complains in last 3 years. That's one per month but I don't know how many trans they sell per month.

http://www.bbb.org/west-florida/busi...le-fl-90008419

Did you talk to them about the small band? If it cost more to get a replacement then a rebuild kit guess you have your answer. Stuff like this sucks ass. Did you ask them what makes the trans they sold you )HD? Maybe they sold you a std unit by mistake? ..give them hell !

They quoted me around $400 to ship it back to them so they could "look" at it. It cost me less than that to replace the band. If I rebuild it, the parts and torque converter will cost me a little more than $400. No telling how long they would keep it either.

This is the trans I ordered.
http://www.monstertrans.com/store/pr...%252d2009.html
And one of their heavy duty towing converters.

93 Krawler · 01-03-2013, 11:39 AM

When I got home last night, I started the van to see if it would move and it did. It moved in drive and reverse. I pulled it in the garage and checked the fluid, and it smelled a little burnt. So now something is causing it to overheat. Something happened to it when I backed it in the driveway. At least it isn't total junk, and should be rebuildable. I'm thinking a seal blew or the converter is fried.

itbrokeagain · 01-06-2013, 09:10 PM

Maybe time for an auxillary tranny cooler?

93 Krawler · 01-07-2013, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itbrokeagain

Maybe time for an auxillary tranny cooler?

I put one on it when I replaced the trans the first time.

Tool Man · 01-09-2013, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93 Krawler

I put one on it when I replaced the trans the first time.

Fix it now k k kevin

93 Krawler · 01-10-2013, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tool Man

Fix it now k k kevin

Ok t t t timmae...

93 Krawler · 02-01-2013, 08:25 PM

The rebuild parts and fluid was $570.00 Been driving it for a few weeks and all is good.

I checked the clutch pack tolerances as I tore it apart and found the 3-4 packs way off. They were about 30 thousands over the max. There was some wear on the packs, but not that much. I know this would have worn the 3-4 clutches out well before they should have. The steels between the frictions got super hot. I compared the 3-4 clutches to the new heavy duty ones I bought and there was 1 less friction and steel. I fit 7 frictions in to their 6. All I had to buy to make them work was a slightly thinner retaining ring. That gave me a nice gap right in the middle of the max/min.

I never did find any reason for the metal shaving in the pan, or why it just quit working that day. It had to be the torque converter.

When I first put the new trans in, the 1-2 shift was very firm. Firm enough I felt that if the van was 2wd, it would have chirped the tires. I emailed Monster about it and never got a reply. The extra hard shift is gone now.

Let it be known, Monster transnission SUCKS!!!

01-02-2013, 03:04 PM	#1
93 Krawler >>>PMC<<< - CORE Member - - Administrator - Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ross, OH Posts: 2,069 Images: 1268	Monster Transmissions Has anyone on here used this company? Back in early 2011 the trans in my 2007 Chevy Express cargo van went out completely. I removed the trans with the plan to rebuild it myself. After I got the trans apart, many parts had broken and destroyed just about everything including the case. So I ordered a heavy duty towing trans and torque converter from Monster Transmission. It took over a month to get it. In Jan. 2012 I lost 2nd and 4th. Talked with Monster about the warranty and the said to ship it back on my dime and they would look at it. I figured it was the 2-4 band, and if so, it would be cheaper to fix myself than pay the shipping charge. I tore it apart and it was the band like I thought. Got a new band locally from Trans Star and compared the two bands. The new one was beefier than the one Monster used. The area where the apply pin hits the band was a lot thicker. That's where the old one failed. Put it back together and all is good. Another year later, Jan. 2013. When I got back from the hangover run yesterday, I was backing up in the driveway it felt like it slipped. Didn't really think anything about it till I went to work today. I got about 5 miles from my house and I started loosing gears fast. 4 3 2 1 nothing.... Now it won't move. :mad::mad::mad: Now tell me how a $2,000 heavy duty trans built to tow dies with less than 25,000 miles and 2 years old. I tow my rig about 3 times a year no further than Big Rock. I bought the 3 year extended warranty and should have around a year left. What would you do... Pay the shipping back to them and let them fix it, and wait for another year for it to die again, or have it rebuilt? In my case, I would do the rebuild. I say Monster Transmission sucks!!!

01-02-2013, 03:13 PM	#2
twiztedzuki Join Date: May 2008 Location: Waverly ohio Posts: 586	dont sound good, i rebuild my own th350/400s and i modify or change to tci valvebody for more pressure and use red clutches for offroading with minumal troubles. i kind figure ur paying for name monster. Dtt built me a trans for cummins with 600hp and i had zero troubles from it, i towed and did john force burnouts withit constantly. mite look into them __________________ SMITH BUILT PERIOD

01-02-2013, 03:31 PM	#4
humpy Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 573	I got a guy in bethel that does all our transmissions and he is best in business.. Don't pay for monster name... Is 4l65 or 4l80e? __________________ S10 with a few air shocks..

01-02-2013, 04:01 PM	#6
humpy Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 573	Look into converting to 4l80e I'm sure it can be done... Mine has 261k on it and still goin strong __________________ S10 with a few air shocks..

01-02-2013, 04:18 PM	#7
itbrokeagain Just Empty Every Pocket - CORE Member - Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Amelia Posts: 1,435	At 4 years old should have been covered under warranty the first time it went out right? Cottman in eaatgate rebuilt mine at200,000. I have 310,000 now and tow a lot. No problems __________________ 91 fj 80 on 37 Nitto Muds with a 10k winch. Cage and sliders coming soon.

01-02-2013, 03:24 PM	#3
fordman00 Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 433	Dtt builds good trans, i heard there backed up though. If it were me and ypu knew what you were doing id buy all the parts and rebuild it myself. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

01-02-2013, 06:34 PM	#10
biggin69 Really??? Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Cincy Posts: 678	I would not deal with this Monster trans place anymore if it were me. Sounds like you know how to rebuild an auto so I would go that route and use quality parts. __________________ One Country, One Flag, One Language... LIKE IT OR LEAVE IT!!!

01-02-2013, 06:35 PM	#11
timido Student Driver Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 197	A great transmission guy to check with also is Jim Widener. Widener Automotive 704 East Pearl St Batesville, IN 47006 (812) 932-2025

01-02-2013, 09:25 PM	#13
itbrokeagain Just Empty Every Pocket - CORE Member - Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Amelia Posts: 1,435	Yes because the duramax never made it to the vans because of deck height. __________________ 91 fj 80 on 37 Nitto Muds with a 10k winch. Cage and sliders coming soon.

01-02-2013, 09:35 PM	#14
Hope Springs Hauler Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Hamilton, OH Posts: 431 Images: 16	They do make a DMAX van, but I don't think that they can come as an AWD. That and they aren't a real DMAX 'cause they are only 265 hp and maybe 400ftlb of tq at the motor with the gas truck trans. Kinda wimpy for what you'd expect from a diesel. Open the hood and it looks like a solid chunk of plastic. With that and fuel prices, I'm pretty sure my next truck will be a gas motor.... __________________ 1988 Suzuki Samurai on propane FJ 40 axles (4.10) 5.14 tcase 36" TSL SX

01-02-2013, 10:14 PM	#15
comanchedude COMANCHE NUT Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ross Twp Posts: 166	Idk. They have 26 bbb complains in last 3 years. That's one per month but I don't know how many trans they sell per month. http://www.bbb.org/west-florida/busi...le-fl-90008419 Did you talk to them about the small band? If it cost more to get a replacement then a rebuild kit guess you have your answer. Stuff like this sucks ass. Did you ask them what makes the trans they sold you )HD? Maybe they sold you a std unit by mistake? ..give them hell ! __________________ just don’t get stupid and stick a Chevy engine in your Jeep. Man I hate that

01-03-2013, 11:39 AM	#17
93 Krawler >>>PMC<<< - CORE Member - - Administrator - Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ross, OH Posts: 2,069 Images: 1268	When I got home last night, I started the van to see if it would move and it did. It moved in drive and reverse. I pulled it in the garage and checked the fluid, and it smelled a little burnt. So now something is causing it to overheat. Something happened to it when I backed it in the driveway. At least it isn't total junk, and should be rebuildable. I'm thinking a seal blew or the converter is fried.

01-06-2013, 09:10 PM	#18
itbrokeagain Just Empty Every Pocket - CORE Member - Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Amelia Posts: 1,435	Maybe time for an auxillary tranny cooler? __________________ 91 fj 80 on 37 Nitto Muds with a 10k winch. Cage and sliders coming soon.

02-01-2013, 08:25 PM	#22
93 Krawler >>>PMC<<< - CORE Member - - Administrator - Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ross, OH Posts: 2,069 Images: 1268	Update The rebuild parts and fluid was $570.00 Been driving it for a few weeks and all is good. I checked the clutch pack tolerances as I tore it apart and found the 3-4 packs way off. They were about 30 thousands over the max. There was some wear on the packs, but not that much. I know this would have worn the 3-4 clutches out well before they should have. The steels between the frictions got super hot. I compared the 3-4 clutches to the new heavy duty ones I bought and there was 1 less friction and steel. I fit 7 frictions in to their 6. All I had to buy to make them work was a slightly thinner retaining ring. That gave me a nice gap right in the middle of the max/min. I never did find any reason for the metal shaving in the pan, or why it just quit working that day. It had to be the torque converter. When I first put the new trans in, the 1-2 shift was very firm. Firm enough I felt that if the van was 2wd, it would have chirped the tires. I emailed Monster about it and never got a reply. The extra hard shift is gone now. Let it be known, Monster transnission SUCKS!!!