Although it is not something for an unskilled individual to take on, with the right tools and mechanical skills, it is possible to save a considerable amount of money if you rebuild your own transmission. The secret of doing this lies in purchasing the best automatic transmission rebuild kits and following directions to the letter.
Mechanics charge hundreds to rebuild an automatic transmission, with a little time and decent mechanical skills this money can stay in your pocket.
Special tools:
Although it makes the task easier if the car is elevated on a lift, the transmission can be removed with a simple hydraulic jack. Once the transmission is out of the car, taking it apart and putting it back together can be accomplished with basic hand tools that would be found in any DIY mechanics tool box. To make the job go easier and to ensure there are no errors there are a couple of specialty tools that should be purchased, in some cases they can be rented. The retaining springs that keep the low gear and reverse gear piston and spring in place can best be dealt with using a spring compressor. Although this tool is not an absolute necessity, if an attempt to do this task with nothing more than a couple of flat screwdrivers can result in damage.
Get the best automatic transmission rebuild kits:
The biggest mistake you can make is to buy the rebuild kits based solely on price, ensure you buy the best, in this way you can rest assured it meets OEM specifications. Most people that are rebuilding their transmission will get a complete kit that includes all the gaskets and seals, clutches, bands, etc.
While you have the transmission disassembled it is always a good idea replace the transmission fluid filter and perhaps the gears in the fluid pump.
