I am buying an 04 LB7 3500 with 140k miles... Dont plan on doing a whole lot to the truck but I know the stock tranny wont like anything... What is the best way and cheapest way to go?

Best and cheapest shouldn't be in the same category.. :D

I would recommend a Suncoast III or equivalent if you plan on putting any power to it.

Yep...SCIII would be the way to go...talk to BigDipper I think he's the closest trans builder to you.

if your looking to do it on a budget but still get a good trans and you have mechanical skills then you can try this: find the kit you want as well as a seperate stock allison. take your time in building it and do it right. you will still have your truck up and running while you build your trans. when you get it all buttoned up just drop your stock allison and bolt the built trans up. afterward, sell your stock trans and you will have paid about half of what it would normally take to build a trans.

if your not mechanically inclined and dont have the time or resources then talk to some of the big name builders and see who will cut you a deal.

Step 1. Buy an ATSG manual on ebay or through a vendor here.
Step 2. Familiarize yourself with that manual
Step 3. Call a vendor here and ask for a price for a Suncoast or PPE or Equivalent Kit.
Step 4. Research about torque converters, Percision ML, Suncoast, etc.
Step 5. Purchase your tranny kit and torque converter, and extra fluid (some kits come with filters)

Step 6. Install your tranny over a weekend.
Step 7. Enjoy!

A wise man once told me that kits were designed to upgrade low mileage transmissions. At 140k, it might need more than clutches. Call BigDipper and ask him, then make your decision. A cheap phone call could save you alot of money.

Step 1, call one of the major ALLISON gurus. As was said most kits are meant for trannies in low milage good condition. High milage units will require a few more pieces. And also, buying from one of the bigger ALLSION gurus means you have tech support at your disposal. I need to get out to the left coast one of these days and buy Mike L a case of beer and something for his herd for all of the help he has given me.

I did mine at 190,000 and all I had to buy was the kit, nothing else.

I did mine at 190,000 and all I had to buy was the kit, nothing else.

That's great for you but as has been said with higher miles comes more wear and tear on other parts that the kit doesn't replace. Torrington bearings, nylon spacers, seals, ect often need replaced on higher mileage units.

If it were myself, and I was on a REAL tight budget...

I would go with a Transgo shift kit and a set of new Alto clutches & steels, along with a new seal kit for the whole thing, ASSUMING your converter's ok. Might be able to get done for less than $800-900 if you do it yourself.

The biggest problems in these trannys (from what I've seen- I'm no expert) has been slipping clutches and burnt steels. Replacing all your clutches with Alto's will replace anything damaged with upgraded parts (each section can be had on ebay for $45-100; you need at least C1-C4), and the Transgo kit will help a lot on shifting and holding.

That being said, I was in the same position you're in a couple years ago; was thinking about doing the cheapest kit possible to hold more power, but I've waited till now to save up some money so I can afford a suncoast kit. Worth the wait, IMO...

We have GREAT prices on Allison high performance/Rebuild kits. Pm if interested. Thanks

Dan

cheapest way to build a tranny is the right way the first time lol thats why you should call Mike L. and BigDipper etc thats what im doing im saving to have Mike L. to do my trans

It's alot of fun doin' it on your own if you can, however after the 3rd upgrade it became a drag. I 1st dumped an ATS 5 star and higher pressure relief valve for the pump section.
2nd time the transgo full version. then 3rd time out the PPE c3 back plate W/added clutch and steel and relief valve for torque converter lockup pressure. if I had to do it all
over again I would save and buy a suncoast unit complete and be done with it forever


what a dumb ass i am

sorry hope this helps

That's great for you but as has been said with higher miles comes more wear and tear on other parts that the kit doesn't replace. Torrington bearings, nylon spacers, seals, ect often need replaced on higher mileage units.

This guy said cheapest & best. I simply stated that most likely that just the kit will do. 140,000 miles is not even that many miles. Last year @230,000 miles I replaced all the torrinton bearings, And most of the seals. All of them were still in good condition, I only changed them because they aren't even that much money less than $100 dollars if I recall, from Suncoast.
Thanks

You're right....140k is not A LOT of miles for a normal use truck. When you demand that much more performance and expect reliability, the few hundred dollars spent is well worth the peace of mind and predictability.

Seals may look good and not even show signs of wear, but they do harden over time and through heat cycles. The Allison was designed to go the distance, there is no arguing that, but it doesn't get used in the same manner it was originally designed by most of us......

I know my 01 only had 162K on it when it was built last summer, but the seals in it were as hard as a rock and many of them cracked, tore, or crumbled during disassembly. Also I found some bushings in it that were wore way past the serviceable point, yet the tranny was still shifting fine. The guys that build these day in and day out can tell you what to check and what parts should be done to save you down the road. Pay a little more now, or alot more later is the way I looked at it.

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=247190

I haven't heard of anyone who has done this yet, but it might be something to consider. When I get my tuner I'm going to try real hard not to limp my trans, but I'm sure I will eventually. This might be the route I go down as my wife will be mad enough that I need to rebuild my trans on the truck I said I'd leave stock. :D

suncoasts new kits come with all the seals

suncoasts new kits come with all the seals

If you order the -3 kit. The -2 kit doesn't come with the gasket kit and the -1 kit is the clutches only for a refresh. So you can order it either way and they would also sell you a gasket set with an old school Stage IV kit.

Might be an option to gain a little performance is if your trans has never slipped which is likely if it has never had a chip in it, is to put a 06 and up torque converter and the full transgo kit in it., with the trim valves, drilling the plate and the upgrade to the c2 hub, but since your already all the way in there I would get the clutches too. but with the sciv kit there is a convertor flowvalve and a main pressure relief valve mod that is done just some things to think about.

We have GREAT prices on Allison high performance/Rebuild kits. Pm if interested. Thanks

Dan


Dan I tried to PM you but your box is full, let me know when you get time to empty it out, and I'll PM you again.. thanks

Dan I tried to PM you but your box is full, let me know when you get time to empty it out, and I'll PM you again.. thanks


My Pm box is ready send away!