Piston Slap: A Beast of a Reaction Shell
TTAC Commentator Azure Ape writes:
I’ve got an odd one compared to the normal repair/fix stories. I’m a twenty-something in the Midwest with his first real job and a mountain of graduate student debt who is currently driving a 2002 Chevy Tahoe LT 4WD. I’ve been borrowing it from my parents because I couldn’t afford my own car and they just gifted it to me as my own. It currently has 72,000 miles and has been in the family since 24,000; I’ve been driving it since about 52,000. I recently had leaking front axle seals and a lower ball joint boot replaced. I change the oil when the oil life indicator says so and otherwise maintain it well.
I’ve read that the transmission on these is prone to failure. Should I have the transmission fluid changed before the recommended 100,000 miles? How often thereafter? Anything else I should keep my eye on/do preemptively? Oh yeah, my current commute is 120 miles round trip every day (when I’m not able to carpool or it’s my turn to drive). I’d like something more fuel efficient but it’s hard to argue with a free car, even if it is one that swills gas.
Sajeev Answers:
Damn right you aren’t arguing about a free Chevy Tahoe. Keep the beast until your debt disappears. Then again, this is (arguably) the best vehicle in its class; people love the Tahoe for a million valid reasons. You might find yourself keeping it long after the memories of college fade away, as this will be a fine second vehicle for your future.
Here’s what you do, check the transmission fluid’s condition. Odds are there will be tons of black stuff mixed in with pink fluid with a slightly sooty smell. At this mileage, I would have no problems flushing the fluid and changing the filter. Note that I said to do both a filter change and flush the tranny using the proper flushing machine. The filter change is needed for obvious reasons; the flushing ensures that every drop of bad fluid in the torque converter is flushed out. This is also important in vehicles without a drain plug on their torque converter.
Plus this is a GM product: durability and performance transmission upgrades are very easy to find. And just to prove my point, a quick search of Google found the Tahoe’s “reaction shell” is a fail point. Another quick Googling of that component found a hot rodding solution that looks a beast of an upgrade, so to speak. At $56 for the replacement, a transmission rebuild (with a shift kit too) looks mighty enticing. Hell, I’d start doing neutral drops right now to speed up the process!
Long story short, change the fluid/filter and start snooping around for a reputable transmission shop, preferably one that knows a thing or two about building GM autoboxes for drag racing. Then you’ll be set, when the inevitable(?) happens.
Send your queries to mehta@ttac.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry.
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I really appreciate all the useful comments! Here's some more information to add some clarity to the situation: Mike66 is right about the conditions of accepting the vehicle. If I take it, I have to keep it; I can't just flip it for money or use as a trade-in. I wish I could move closer to my job but that's not possible for a variety of reasons. I've been trying to find a job around where I live but the Great Recession has made it even harder. The only reason I have this commute is because I couldn't find any other job in the nine-ish months I was looking before I finally took this one. Gotta pay the bills somehow. Here's another piece of the puzzle: we have three large dogs and have to fit them in a vehicle often. A couple to several times a year we have to make long journeys to see family, and we have to take the dogs with us. My girlfriend has a CR-V that just cracked 100k miles and is running strong, so we can use it, but having a second car that could fit them would give us more flexibility. I've looked at a variety of used wagons and hatchbacks (I hate crossovers) and I've been trying to find a cheap Mazda6 wagon. I've also been eying Lancer Sportback Ralliarts. If I keep the Tahoe it's basically free but costs a lot in fuel. If I don't keep the Tahoe I can buy a cheap-ish vehicle that uses less fuel than the Tahoe but will cost me upfront to purchase. Thanks again in advance.
Keep the Tahoe. Great truck. DO NO FLUSH the transmission. In fact, GM advises against doing so, as it can cause transmission damage, especially since the fluid (and wear particles) have been in there so long. Do several pan drops and refills in a short amount of time. Maybe use an additive inbetween those short change intervals. Can't beat the highway ride or the comfortable commute in these trucks. Make sure you keep a clean air filter. You may want to invest in a freer flowing exhaust - will improve mpg a little. But, if you're easy on it, you can get 20+mpg. My Yukon XL can get 22mpg highway when I baby it (and stay the speed limit). If you properly maintain this truck, it will easily last another 200k miles.