The Blue Turd(le)

[Deaf Bob]

Oh man! Hate when that happens!

[Runner1972]

I had the same issue with the 72 and a local transmission shop. I had to have the car towed 3 times to the shop and finally got everything together and a few months later, they closed up.

So now, if i have any issues with the transmission, i got a turbo 350 from summit racing in my wish list.

[68scott385]

This guy has been in business for 15 or 18 years and just bought a larger shop this year. He supplies many of the local racers. I've been dealing with this guy over seven years. I doubt he'll close up any time soon...at least I hope not.


I had similar issues with the TCI 700r4 I bought in 1998, the 200-4r in the wagon has a better warranty.

[68scott385]

I got the car back today. All fixed up. They found a split seal in it somewhere, I forget now. New torque converter, trans shifts real good, nice firm shifts.

So I'm driving it home through the curviest road I can. I get to a 1000ft straight stretch and running in 4th gear I floor it. The trans drop into 3rd, it's pulling good, running at nearly 4000rpm which is tight for a bbo, and just as it should have shifted, THUNK, and nothing, no 4th gear so I manually drop it into 3rd, no 3rd gear, so I let it coast as far as I can to a flat, straight area, pull of the road some and call AAA. I left it in the road so AAA would consider it a priority. I've been a member for 18 years, I shouldn't have to wait "until they get to it".

Back at the trans shop they determine that I've ripped the splines out of the new converter.


When did AAA move their call center to India or BFE? Goofy phone answering SOBs & their Google Maps.....I know everything changes and that the only constant is change but why does everything ALWAYS have to change for the worse?

[Scott Liggett]

Every state has their own AAA. Their insurance doesn't cross state lines either. Seeing how you are in Kentucky, I am guessing they hired foreigners for their call center so people could understand their English.

[Shelty]

I got the car back today. All fixed up. They found a split seal in it somewhere, I forget now. New torque converter, trans shifts real good, nice firm shifts.

So I'm driving it home through the curviest road I can. I get to a 1000ft straight stretch and running in 4th gear I floor it. The trans drop into 3rd, it's pulling good, running at nearly 4000rpm which is tight for a bbo, and just as it should have shifted, THUNK, and nothing, no 4th gear so I manually drop it into 3rd, no 3rd gear, so I let it coast as far as I can to a flat, straight area, pull of the road some and call AAA. I left it in the road so AAA would consider it a priority. I've been a member for 18 years, I shouldn't have to wait "until they get to it".

Back at the trans shop they determine that I've ripped the splines out of the new converter.


When did AAA move their call center to India or BFE? Goofy phone answering SOBs & their Google Maps.....I know everything changes and that the only constant is change but why does everything ALWAYS have to change for the worse?

that sucks man. Ive not had that bad of luck with mine, just a cranky grumpy engine that is probably due to vacuum leaks and lack of tuning.

im also trying to call in favors with someone I know to have my floorpan fixed, been waiting over a month for an answer. i know ppl are busy, but seriously, at least a call, but nothing....

this is why I hate relying on other people

[Deaf Bob]

How do you rip splines on a warmed over tranny with a basically stock motor? Must have been a chinese one!

[68scott385]

He told me the converter was a Grand National unit. IDK if that meant it was a stock GN replacement or what exactly.

As far as the motor is concerned, the only non-stock item is the carb, carb adapter and distributor. According to the Chilton's manual it's torque rating is 350lb/ft @ 2600rpm, this happened at ~3900rpm. It is (supposedly as I haven't verified it) '74 model engine, so the rating would be net. I'm not running A/C but the alternator & power steering are still there so how low could the net really be from maximum output? >> rhetorical >> Wouldn't think there'd be more than 20hp or 20lbft difference. Even if the tune I have on the AFB & "hot" EFI were spot on I wouldn't think it'd gain more than 20hp or 20lb/ft.

[68scott385]

Every state has their own AAA. Their insurance doesn't cross state lines either. Seeing how you are in Kentucky, I am guessing they hired foreigners for their call center so people could understand their English.

It was more of a rhetorical question. In my early days with AAA I could tell them where I was and they acted like they knew what I was talking about. Now they act as if I'm on another planet. Just makes me think that the call center is not local anymore. Anyone familiar with Louisville would know exactly what you meant if you said you were in Kroger's parking lot on south Dixie. That is a recent scenario with the F'Mazda. But now they wanted nearest cross street, address of the business as if it was posted on the building, "is that a business or residence" (does Kroger's parking lot say I'm at a friends house to you?), year, make, model, engine size, and interior color. Maybe not engine size or interior color but I felt as if I was being primed for a car jacking for the parts value.

There have been years that I used the towing feature of my membership to its fullest value. In the last five or six years I've used it maybe three times, definitely twice. The membership cost is like a get out of jail free card in Monopoly only it has an expiration date. I'd much rather have it & not need it than to need it & not have it, doesn't mean the service is any better.

[Scott Liggett]

It may well not be the problem of AAA, but down the pipeline to whom the towing companies are hiring these days. Typical of today's business models, AAA is probably paying less and less on calls to towing companies, which means the towing companies have to lower their costs, which means they lower their standards and pay to their employees, these numbnuts couldn't find their asses with both hands and a map, which means AAA needs much more info in order for said numbnuts to find you.

Case in point. I call AAA at my doc's office because car won't start. I tell them I am in the parking garage and not, repeat not, to send rollback because the roof clearance is barely above the minivans. The towing company sends them twice. I yell at AAA, they tell towing company, dumbass dispatcher at towing company has hearing problems, head up ass, or is stoned. Or, all three. By the time they get the right tow truck there, I have figured out it's just a clogged fuel filter and bypassed it and got my car started.

[68scott385]

It may well not be the problem of AAA, but down the pipeline to whom the towing companies are hiring these days. Typical of today's business models, AAA is probably paying less and less on calls to towing companies, which means the towing companies have to lower their costs, which means they lower their standards and pay to their employees, these numbnuts couldn't find their asses with both hands and a map, which means AAA needs much more info in order for said numbnuts to find you.

Case in point. I call AAA at my doc's office because car won't start. I tell them I am in the parking garage and not, repeat not, to send rollback because the roof clearance is barely above the minivans. The towing company sends them twice. I yell at AAA, they tell towing company, dumbass dispatcher at towing company has hearing problems, head up ass, or is stoned. Or, all three. By the time they get the right tow truck there, I have figured out it's just a clogged fuel filter and bypassed it and got my car started.

And you have now found my major downfall in life. I expect everyone to have the rationing ability that I have. I judge what a man can do by what I can do by myself. I am not average size and apparently have greater than normal ability, (or as PW put it, "redneck engineering", not something I came about because I could but because I had to) and it has bitten me more than once. I never have considered my self of greater than normal intelligence but the closer I get to 50 the more I wonder about what I see the majority doing. I am by no means a hero in my own mind, quite the opposite in fact, I just make do with what I have or what I can scrounge, like most of us here at BS seem to do. Maybe it's that I'm a car guy and they aren't "normal".

[STINEY]

The great unable masses make us look exceptional in comparison................we are 40ish and are seeing this more and more everyday.

[Shelty]

And you have now found my major downfall in life. I expect everyone to have the rationing ability that I have. I judge what a man can do by what I can do by myself. I am not average size and apparently have greater than normal ability, (or as PW put it, "redneck engineering", not something I came about because I could but because I had to) and it has bitten me more than once. I never have considered my self of greater than normal intelligence but the closer I get to 50 the more I wonder about what I see the majority doing. I am by no means a hero in my own mind, quite the opposite in fact, I just make do with what I have or what I can scrounge, like most of us here at BS seem to do. Maybe it's that I'm a car guy and they aren't "normal".

thats your first mistake right there. people these days, their life doesnt extend past their iphones and their lattes. my one brother is one of those people, the "cant think for them-self" kind of person. I remember in high school my parents got me and my brother AAA in case our cars broke down. I never used it, I always knew how many smacks on the starter it took to get my POS 86 buick to turn over. my brother on the other hand, used AAA to change a tire for him because he didnt know where the spare tire was. hint, it was in the trunk in the factory location. same brother also cooked the engine in his 1996 Grand Am because he ignored the Temp gauge and the flashing CEL light on the dash because he was running late to go somewhere.

now my other brother, he is more like me, you hand him a wrench and he can do something with it. He's had his motorcycle apart like 15 times and never has a problem getting it to work right again.

[Runner1972]

I got the car back today. All fixed up. They found a split seal in it somewhere, I forget now. New torque converter, trans shifts real good, nice firm shifts.

So I'm driving it home through the curviest road I can. I get to a 1000ft straight stretch and running in 4th gear I floor it. The trans drop into 3rd, it's pulling good, running at nearly 4000rpm which is tight for a bbo, and just as it should have shifted, THUNK, and nothing, no 4th gear so I manually drop it into 3rd, no 3rd gear, so I let it coast as far as I can to a flat, straight area, pull of the road some and call AAA. I left it in the road so AAA would consider it a priority. I've been a member for 18 years, I shouldn't have to wait "until they get to it".

Back at the trans shop they determine that I've ripped the splines out of the new converter.


When did AAA move their call center to India or BFE? Goofy phone answering SOBs & their Google Maps.....I know everything changes and that the only constant is change but why does everything ALWAYS have to change for the worse?

Jesus, my dad did the same thing in the 72' back in the day.

[68scott385]

I had hoped this would be a glorious addition to this dark cloud with an imagined silver lining. Okay, so I may be over stating my disgust, but only a little bit.

The good part is that I got the car back earlier this week. I haven't had time to drive it any more than the trip home through one of my favorite curvy back roads. It does have some suspension upgrades and I like to use those as often as possible.

The transmission problem, this time, was the splines twisted off the forward clutch hub. I have pictures & will post them when I get them uploaded & resized. We agreed that the previous owned probably did the damage for a couple of reasons; I'm not making much power, the motor is stock, and I haven't taken it out spinning tires. (The previous owner had the transmission in his race car and upon blowing up his motor, decided to quit or build a new car). Not that I don't spin tires occasionally but this pig still has an open rear end. That was at the coaxing of the trans builder due to the idea that my wife would drive this car and may not be able to handle the posi unit. I got news for all the doubters, and now that I've jinxed myself...my wife has been driving my '97 C1500 with posi & 3.73 gears for several months and hasn't wrecked it yet. Now to find a deity and converse with it. Anyhow, now the car drives good, shifts are positive, quick, and firm. I'm finally happy with the transmission and torque converter selection. Some of the efforts put into this tub are starting to get enjoyed.

The bad part is that I wanted to use the car tonight but when I went to use the windshield wipers / washer, nothing. Harness is connected to the wiper motor so I checked the fuses. Sure enough, the wiper fuse was blown. Stick another fuse in and it instantly blows. Hmm. I disconnected the last thing I wired in just for shits & giggles then installed another fuse. Again, instantaneous blow. That's when I realize the has just become a sunny day car. At least its drivable at this point. So I grab the factory wiring diagram and bring it in the house to look at later.