My Experience with TCI.

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Fisher

Old Guy with a Cool car.
Joined
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Location
Regina Sask Canada
When i put this car together, TCI seemed like the logical choice. My local speed shop set me up with everything, 3500 stall converter, full reverse pattern valve body, deep pan etc.
Being an old Chevy guy, i was used to the large opening from the inspection pan, and you could look up and see everything. So i bolted it all together, and drove the car about 400 miles in total over 3 years, lol. Well the trans leaked since day one, and i could not find the leak. It pissed me off to the point where i parked the car, and said hell with it.

We pulled out the transmission, and found that the TCI converter was not made properly and bottomed out in the crank as well as against the pump. It galled the shaft, and tore the babbitt bushing out, that worked its way past the converter seal and tore the seal. So thats where the leak was.
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So after i go to the machine shop, buddy there is a Mopar guy and he builds transmissions. I send email to TCI, i get a call back from Ondra who wanted to cover some costs? So after a conversation he said he will give full warranty and send out a new converter on their next shipment to Canada free of charge. He said keep the old converter. So my machinist buddy dais he can clean up the inside of the converter and it can be reused. Nothing had gone through the converter or trans, no metal was found anywhere. I said cool.

Fast forward. Converter arrives. It is junk, nothing more than a stock converter, or at least the outward appearance it is. Plus the fins are welded in the wrong direction, and someone dropped it look at the ring gear. Tiny *** bolts that will not stand up to the HP and TQ i am making. The pads are tack welded at best. They must have felt like i was just some fool, send him this pile of crap we had sitting on the shelf and get him out of our hair.

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So after a second email and second phone call, he got pissed off at me and said have the speed shop refund my money and he wants both converters back now. Well my buddy already cleaned up the other converter, so i shipped them back they paid for shipping and i got my money back. Last time i ever deal with TCI.
 
Fast forward again, while this is all going on, i pick up the phone and call Paul at TCS here in Langley BC Canada. He builds a lot of great racing and street converters i found out. I wish i had heard of him first. After 3 calls and emailing him my dyno sheet, he sends me out his 9.5" 3200 stall bracket master unit. was a $900.00 unit, but well worth the money.

What a nice piece, the engine side is a one piece machined unit, no welding at all, the rest of the internal goodies are built to handle what i am making for power. I got it shipped here in a timely fashion, he has Emailed me several times to ensure i give him good feedback once i get it in the car and get it running.
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It's never changed, unfortunately. You would think after all of the "crap" they've put out & the money they have had to refund that they would get their act together.
 
Fast forward again, while this is all going on, i pick up the phone and call Paul at TCS here in Langley BC Canada. He builds a lot of great racing and street converters i found out. I wish i had heard of him first. After 3 calls and emailing him my dyno sheet, he sends me out his 9.5" 3200 stall bracket master unit. was a $900.00 unit, but well worth the money.

What a nice piece, the engine side is a one piece machined unit, no welding at all, the rest of the internal goodies are built to handle what i am making for power. I got it shipped here in a timely fashion, he has Emailed me several times to ensure i give him good feedback once i get it in the car and get it running.
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when you buy a new part, and it doesn't work, it's a real nightmare.
I'm interested in knowing more about your gearbox specialist
 
That’s good to hear about your experiences so far with TCS in Langley. That’s a short drive for me and I think i’ll be in the market for a new TC in the next year or so.
 
Having worked there I don't recall anyone speaking French, but we did have a good number of customers in European countries.
 
T.C.I. sucks had one of their transmissions years ago lasted 1 week..we refer to them as..Total Crap Incorporated!!
 
TCI is overrated, but I've never seen a pump bushing spin without low fluid level unless it wasn't staked; even then, it never stuck to the converter. Lack of oil. Somebody ran that one dry. If the fluid doesn't reach the filter, it fries the bushing after a few minutes. Seen it too many time; guys wait for the trans to warm up to top off the fluid; couple quarts low and screech.
 
TCI is just overrated garbage. I will never use any of their junk!! Turbo Action Dynamic FTI ATI and even Edge are alot better in quality and longevity. Oh and lets not forget PTC.
 
TCI is overrated, but I've never seen a pump bushing spin without low fluid level unless it wasn't staked; even then, it never stuck to the converter. Lack of oil. Somebody ran that one dry. If the fluid doesn't reach the filter, it fries the bushing after a few minutes. Seen it too many time; guys wait for the trans to warm up to top off the fluid; couple quarts low and screech.
Whatever you say.
 
We pulled out the transmission, and found that the TCI converter was not made properly and bottomed out in the crank as well as against the pump. It galled the shaft, and tore the babbitt bushing out, that worked its way past the converter seal and tore the seal. So thats where the leak was.
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So are you saying that you checked for fitment of the converter into the end of the crank, and engagement of the hub into the pump splines prior to final assembly, and that after the trans was bolted to the engine that it all was fine? That you had the proper distance from the converter bolt pads to the flex plate etc? That type carnage just doesn’t happen if those areas are checked and verified. Very peculiar to say the least! Costly regardless
 
So are you saying that you checked for fitment of the converter into the end of the crank, and engagement of the hub into the pump splines prior to final assembly, and that after the trans was bolted to the engine that it all was fine? That you had the proper distance from the converter bolt pads to the flex plate etc? That type carnage just doesn’t happen if those areas are checked and verified. Very peculiar to say the least! Costly regardless
No i said i am a Chevy guy and F8cked up, i couldnt see **** with the mopar bell housing. The converter was seated correctly into the pump, so i just bolted it to the flex plate. This time i test fitted everything before it all went together.

The TCI converter pilot was not chamfered it did seat all the way into the crank. but it was too long overall .It created side loading on the pump and that tore the brass bushing out. It wasnt a babbitt bushing like i first thought. Anyway lesson learned and the trans is back in the car.
 
Oh I understand. I'm the same way when I'm working on a Chevy and they sell me the wrong part, I just jam it all together, and when it phuxx all up I just push it off a cliff.
 
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