How Much Does a Transmission Rebuild Cost?

Have you noticed that your transmission isn’t performing as it should, sliding gears or shuddering despite changing the fluid? Perhaps a transmission overhaul is in order. However, how much does a transmission rebuild cost? We’ll find out in this article.

One of the most important components of our automobiles is transmission. All those seamless shifts are made possible by the transmission. If your gearbox isn’t working correctly, it’s time to rebuild it.

A transmission rebuild will increase the longevity of your gearbox and make it last much longer. The transmission rebuild is essentially a procedure carried out by a trained technician with extensive knowledge of gearbox repair.

Determined by the amount of the damage, transmission rebuilds might cost the same as a replacement. The highest end of the spectrum is often used for transmission replacement or a total rebuild following a serious mechanical breakdown on a high-end car.

This operation must be completed flawlessly for your gearbox to operate correctly again. If it isn’t done correctly, the transmission will continue to slide gears, resulting in a terrible driving experience.

What Is Transmission?

The transmission, often known as the gearbox, is a complex piece of technology with over 800 moving parts that keep it running smoothly. It’s also an important component of your vehicle’s engine.

The gearbox is in charge of all torque delivery abilities. The transmission transfers the crankshaft’s rotational torque into torque energy, which allows you to drive your automobile from a stop.

Automatic Transmission by Vestman / CC BY 2.0

The energy is applied appropriately to the road, and the gearbox ensures that no power is lost. In other words, the transmission assists you in delivering smoother shifts at the proper RPM levels to avoid damaging the engine and wasting gasoline.

The gearbox ensures that the appropriate amount of energy is delivered to the wheels. This enables you to drive fast, haul huge loads, and achieve maximum RPM without bursting into flames.

What Is Transmission Rebuild?

A transmission overhaul, often known as a transmission rebuild, entails removing the gearbox from the chassis and dismantling it piece by piece. Each component of your gearbox is meticulously removed and examined during a transmission rebuild.

Understanding the origin of the problem is a vital part of transmission diagnostics, as it allows you to make an educated choice about whether or not a transmission rebuild is necessary. The following are typical steps in a transmission rebuild:

• Dismantling and removing the gearbox from your car

• Using a component washer to clean the transmission chemically

• Any faulty gearbox elements, as well as all gaskets and washers, are replaced

• Electrical repairs are carried out as needed

• Since you bought your automobile, there may have been advancements in gearbox technology and parts. If that’s the case, these new parts could be installed to boost your transmission’s effectiveness and lengthen its life.

• Finally, your vehicle’s repaired gearbox is reinstalled

A rebuild entails removing the transmission from the vehicle, opening the case, and physically checking all of the components. Then they replace any elements that are no longer functional.

A gearbox repair may be far less expensive if you do it yourself. All you’d need is a rebuild kit and some automobile equipment to get started. Rebuild kits often range in price from $50 to $300, based on the components included and their quality. In most circumstances, you can do it yourself for less than $500, but you’ll need expertise and the ability to do it well. If you know there will be a lot of damaged parts, you should get a repair kit for your automobile.

A rebuild kit includes a selection of the most commonly replaced gearbox components during a rebuild. The majority of the time, the components you require will be included with the kit. However, this is not always the case.

When Is Transmission Rebuilding Necessary?

Transmission rebuilding is a type of transmission repair that requires a lot of time and effort. Most repairs aren’t as complicated, so it requires a lot to force a rebuild.

This is for gearboxes that have been entirely shot, entirely overheated, or otherwise destroyed to the extent that the majority of the gearbox no longer operates correctly. Rebuilds aren’t just done on wrecked transmissions.

Transmission by arbyreed / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

When the reason for your condition isn’t apparent, you may require a transmission rebuild. While your transmission is still in the chassis of your car, you may be able to reach some portions of it.

These components can be accessed. Your transmission, on the other hand, has a lot of inaccessible elements. Several of these invisible elements may malfunction when a transmission has issues.

A transmission overhaul enables specialists to look for and replace problematic components as they are discovered.

How Much Does It Cost to Rebuild a Transmission?

To contextualize the relatively high expense of a gearbox rebuild, you must first understand the entire procedure. A transmission rebuild might cost anything between $2500 and $5000.

Utilized transmissions cost between $1000 and $1500, rebuilt transmissions cost between $1000 and $3000, and remanufactured transmissions cost between $1200 and $3500.

When a problem with your automobile is determined to be caused by the gearbox, the very first step is to remove it and dismantle it.

A gearbox is a very complicated and intricate component of a vehicle. As a result, disassembling it necessitates several processes.

Emptying the gearbox oil and dismantling the top, gears, bearings, and a slew of other minor but critical components are among them.

The technician who conducts the work determines what constitutes a remanufactured transmission.

In most situations, a rebuild entails a transmission examination, cleaning, and the installation of new components.

A transmission rebuild cost is normally rather expensive. The transmission rebuild cost will be determined in part by the degree of the gearbox damage as well as the labor and components necessary to produce a fully functional transmission.

It’s worth mentioning that you should strive to choose a reputable business with extensive expertise in rebuilding transmissions similar to yours because some businesses specialize in truck gearboxes while others specialize in automobile transmissions.

Even if the gearbox is rebuilt, there is no assurance that it will perform correctly for a long period. It’s worth noting that automatic gearboxes are incredibly sophisticated machines that demand a great deal of skill to replace.

The removal and disassembly of the transmission take a long time due to the complexity of the procedure. As a result, labor will account for a significant portion of the cost.

The transmission rebuild cost is also determined by the severity of the damage and the number of parts that must be rebuilt.

A Transmission Rebuild’s Total Cost

Here’s a short breakdown of how much a transmission rebuild costs:

• Parts: $1,500-$3,000
• Labor: $1,000-$2,500 (average transmission rebuild takes 8 to 15 hours)
• The total cost of transmission rebuilding, including labor, can range from $2500 to $5000.

The level of transmission damage and the location of the transmission are the two most important factors that impact the overall price of a transmission rebuild.

The removal and disassembly of the transmission take a long time due to the complexity of the procedure.

As a result, labor will account for a significant portion of the cost. The cost is also determined by the severity of the damage and the number of elements that can only be replaced.

The transmission rebuild cost, including labor and components, is often high. This is true for major rebuilds, although depending on the item under rebuild and the automobile type at issue, the price may be higher or lower.

Because most automobiles with a rear-wheel transmission have a more reachable gearbox, the position of the transmission has a considerable effect on labor costs. This is because most front-wheel-drive vehicles include a transaxle.

A transaxle is made up of many otherwise self-contained parts. The gearbox, differential, and axle are all part of this system. This implies that dealing with transaxles takes longer, resulting in a higher total cost.

One of the most costly automobile repairs is replacing the gearbox. Replacing the old transmission, repairing your present one, or reprocessing it are the three possibilities when it comes to transmission replacement.

Some shops have gearboxes that they have rebuilt or remanufactured on their own and then sell to automobile owners who have a broken transmission.

The total cost of a transmission rebuild is something from $2500 to $5,000, including labor and parts.

The Cost of Transmission System Components

Here are some of the important components of a transmission that will need to be rebuilt when there is a transmission failure and their prices.

The Clutch

If your transmission requires a new clutch, for instance, you should budget between $800 and $1,500.

The Gearbox

It is made up of several pairs of gear wheels. These send the available energy from the crankshaft to the clutch at various rates. A gearbox costs between $500 and $1000.

The Propeller Shaft

The price of a propeller shaft ranges from $300 to $1,300. If you’re going to buy the drive shaft yourself, make sure it’ll work with your vehicle’s model, engine, and transmission.

The Differential Rings and Pinion Gears

The cost of a differential ring and pinion gears ranges from $1000 to $1500.

The Live Axle

A live axle is an axle that transfers energy from the engine crankshaft. The live axle costs $880 to $950.

The Torque Converter

Your vehicle’s torque converter permits your engine to continue to function while the transmission is disconnected. A torque converter ranges in price from $600 to $1200.

The Brake Band

The cost of the brake band ranges from $1000 to $1500.

An Oil Pan

An oil pan may range in price from $500 to $1000.

A Valve Body

The cost of a valve body ranges from $200 to $1,000.

A Planetary Gear Set

A planetary gear set costs $500 to $1,000.

Oil Pump

Depending on the type and model of your vehicle, a new oil pump might cost anywhere from $100 to $300.

What Is the Average Time to Rebuild a Transmission?

The vast majority of people would like to get back on track as soon as possible. But, it differs; it might take as little as one day to finish, whereas the normal is two to four days.

Another auto repair shop routinely disconnects the gearbox to make a day-long overhaul more manageable.

Bringing your car in for an inspection, repair, refurbishment, or restoration typically takes four days.

When you choose to address a less serious issue, it may take over a week to correctly discover difficulties.

When all the other aspects are taken into account, like how long it takes the customer to make a choice, the severity of the problem, and finding the root of the problem, the time required to fix your gearbox might compound.

Transmission Rebuild, on the other hand, generally requires less time. After all, most of the components are changed, so there’s no need to investigate issues.

Your car repair shop should give you an estimate and a price. If you’re doing it yourself, it will cost less but probably require more time depending on your level of competence.

Is the Transmission Rebuild Worth the Cost?

A transmission overhaul may cost a lot of money depending on the vehicle’s brand, type, year, and transmission.

While it may cost a lot of money in the near term, it will save you money in the long run and spare you from having to buy a new automobile.

A transmission overhaul may be worthwhile for you but not for your friend; everybody’s budget is different.

Of course, you’ll want to hire a professional who has the necessary knowledge and understands how to rebuild a transmission. This isn’t something a new mechanic should attempt.

Transmission Rebuild vs. Replacement

When it comes to repairing your gearbox, replacing it is the most expensive alternative. In many circumstances, this is referred to as “re-manufactured.”

This simply means that the manufacturer will substitute defective components with modified parts. If the gearbox is too destroyed to even contemplate a rebuild, this is a possibility.

The gearbox is rebuilt in a factory setup, which is something to bear in mind while replacing it. The benefit of having this done is that the personnel who work on it will be trained, particularly for that transmission.

The gearbox you’re replacing will be manufactured to factory specs. Depending on your desired aim and how badly your transmission has failed, this might have favorable ramifications.

In the vast majority of circumstances, a transmission rebuild is the best alternative. This implies that only the pieces that have failed are being replaced.

You are replacing specific pieces, but not in a factory setup, as you would with a replacement. To get this done, you’ll want to go to a well-known repair shop.

Summary

The expense of rebuilding a car’s gearbox is considerable. This, however, can vary significantly depending on parameters such as the vehicle’s type, motor condition, and labor costs. Only the pieces that aren’t functioning correctly are replaced when a gearbox is rebuilt.

As a result, the price will be directly proportional to the transmission’s condition and the amount of labor required.

Transmissions are complicated, and removing, disassembling, and installing one will take many hours. When the cost of the labor is added to the cost of the replacement parts, the total cost is generally high.

If purchasing a new gearbox is not an alternative, remanufacturing it may be the best alternative because it will come with a decent guarantee to safeguard your expenditure.

It will take longer to fix a transmission that is insured by a warranty package. The warranty must go through several hurdles, including a review of the guarantee and approval of the repair. There are several phases to this process, all of which require time for the warranty provider to finish, so don’t anticipate it to be fast.