If your transmission is in need of some maintenance, then you’re most likely going to need a rebuild kit. Unless you’d like to reuse old pieces and clean them yourself, this is highly recommended. When your transmission is being disassembled, old, dirty, or broken pieces need to be replaced for optimum performance from your transmission. These are just precautionary measures taken to avoid any future complications with your transmission. The last thing you want, after taking your car to the shop for transmission issues, is to have to come back again. These kits will come with certain pieces that aid in that optimum performance. Different pieces come with different kits, so you need to be sure which kit you’re buying. The pieces that kits will come with, depending on the one you ordered, include: bands, seals, steels, clutches, gaskets, O-rings, modulators, filters, bushings, and washers. Again, purchase a specific kit, because purchasing a kit without the pieces you need is an annoyance you could have avoided.
So, now that you’re sure of which piece you need, it’s time to head online and look up kits and their respective companies. As awful as it may sound, cheaper isn’t always better. Purchasing from big brand companies is a safer bet than purchasing from a company offering a cheaper product. You always get what you pay for and if you want to avoid another trip to the mechanic, then you should definitely invest in a quality kit. On top of having high quality products, they also offer quality customer service. Well, higher quality than a company you haven’t heard of. There’s a reason why they are big name companies and that’s because they’ve proven time and time again that their products and services are amongst the best. Another added benefit from purchasing from these companies is your kit should come with a warranty. If it doesn’t, then you can usually find a kit from a different company that offers one with the kit, or it can come as a feature that you can purchase.
You should expect to pay $50 – $300 for your kit. If you have a higher end or luxury car, then your kit will cost more. I definitely don’t recommend doing the disassembly of your transmission on your own, but if you feel up to the task then you could potentially save a lot of money. Depending on if you’re going to the mechanic for a repair or a replacement, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1000 – $3500 for the job. That is quite a bit more expensive than buying the kit and doing it yourself. However, if you are a novice when it comes to automotive repair, then you definitely run a higher risk of causing more harm to your transmission. Doing so will leave you with no other choice than to completely replace your transmission. Make sure you are completely prepared and ready if you take on the project yourself. If not, then call your local mechanic and set up an appointment. You can’t beat experience.