I need a trany for my 95 ls400, well, that is what the motor trans combo came out of anyway. I have the worst luck with auto transmissions, so I am looking for a place that rebuilds them RIGHT. I would love one that is built to handle a bit more weight if possible. any suggestions?

some statements to try to ward off some of the expected comments: yeah i'm sure I need a new trany. no I can not convert to a 5 speed though that would be awesome. I am in Denver Colorado area.

Thanks for all input.

 

Find a low miles car the correct year. You should be able to buy that car for the price most places would charge to redo yours.

 

look at this:
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5077688074.html

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5031117572.html

 

Good find Billy, for a cheaper alternative than a rebuilt transmission plus all the other nice parts you will get.
You could stick the old one back in the parts car and then probably sell it for what you got it for.

 

The first link is to a first gen.

 

I will just throw this out since i am in the Denver Area as well. I had this place rebuilt my W58 manual transmission when i swapped my old 87' Toyota Cressida over to a 5-speed... The transmission was flawless afterwards, however i bought it from a junkyard and didn't know it's condition prior to getting the work done, but they totally gutted it and redid all the innards:

https://www.highcountrytransmission2.com/

I don't know their quality of work with automatics, but there seemed to have plenty of them there, and the staff were very friendly.

 

How much did it cost?

 

If i recall, i think the complete job was about $350-400..... but that was also with me just bringing the transmission straight to them with it being taken out of the car as well.

I imagine an automatic would be a tad higher..

 

thanks Yoshi, I have heard about this place as well. It is an option for sure. I would have to bring them the trany anyway so that would work out.

I am on my 2nd used transmission, and I do have a search set up on craigslist that alerts me to ls400s that are posted so i did see those cars. Great input though.

There does come a point in life, when money is not the issue and you just want something that works. a "good one" so to speak. others have great luck with used stuff, me no so much. i go to great lengths to get as lucky as others do on accident! usually does not not happen.

I need a good trany that i can trust. To replace the trany for my situation means dragging the engine out as well, so it is labor intensive. so paying some extra money to be sure of one done right is money well spent.

if only there was an new old stock trany setting someplace! I trust toyota FAR more than any trany shop.

 

Its the nature of mechanical stuff, well electrical too, nothing is perfect, a brand new NOS transmission could fail too. All it takes is unseen porosity in an iron seal ring it breaks and there goes the pressure. I know because I had that thing happen one time to a Borg Warner automatic transmission. Bad parts can make anyone look like a bad tech or mechanic. Still the best deal is a low mile used car. Or find someone that will go slow and check it out nice doing the rebuild slash overhaul. Most tranny outfits are wham bamming it, going as fast as can be, that is how the techs make the big bucks. And that is why anyone can have bad luck with automatic transmissions. In my years of cars and trucks I've had way more problems with bad design manual transmissions. These LS transmissions will outlast the engine if taken care of, don't know why you have so much trouble.