I don't administer the SoCal928 site, so I can't do much for you as far as admin issues. I will pass on a note to the site admin. We were blasted by spammers shortly after the site was brought online. Since this is a hobby, the admin didn't have the schedule aailable to do the continuous monitoring needed to keep things free of clutter. So it was just closed to new members.

 

Hey Dr. Bob,

Thanks for the reply, yeah, if you can pass on some info to the site administrators, that would be great! They should just let other trusted people administer the site, to keep it growing.

I'm giving Greg a call.

Thanks again everyone,

Vinh

 

Hi Vinh since you found the edit link might you also add any other info about your car like transmission ( i know in this case its and auyo but nxt time it will have to be asked) also any other options , colors.
Good Luck with GB , it might not be the least expensive place but, this may open other doors for you and the money should bring a nice return to your investment

 

Hey Thanks Mr. Merlin for all of your help! I have a April 2nd appointment with Greg Brown.

 

Vinh, since your a member dont forget to check out the off topic and for sale areas.
I hope that your car is returned to perfect running condition

 

I think a 928 specialist who is reliable & good is never going to feel very affordable - just the nature of the niche...

Alan

 

If all you are worried about is the money, order the parts from 928 Int'l, including a filter and sump gasket service kit. The o-ring on the connecting pipe between the reservoir and the transmission should be added too, if that's where it's leaking. The fluid is Dexron, and any name-brand Dexron will work fine.

Problem with trans leaks is that any leak seems to cause fluid everywhere, so what appears to be a reservoir leak may be a torque coverter seal, hose connection from the cooler, sump gasket or drain plug leak, and the fluid is blowing back onto the reservoir area. If the sump itself has been warped by an overzealous wrench jockey, it is possible sometimes to get them straight again but isn't totally reliable. Advantage to Greg, who has the knowledge/experience/skill to identify and repair the actual source of the leak, and has perhaps the largest collection of 928 parts locally at 928 International just a very short drive away, assuming that he doesn't have that stuff on the shelf already.

I have the luxury (or the curse...) of doing the work on my own car myself. So far (knock on wood...), my simple skills have been sufficient to keep the car happy. Comfort comes from knowing that there are experts around to backstop my efforts. They may not be "cheap", but I know that when Greg tells me something there's a very high probability that he's right. He does more 928 work in a week than I'll do in years (hopefully), and he has to be good at it. I've never heard anyone complain that they didn't get good work from him.

 

dr. bob - I have yet to get "good" work out of Greg I seem to always get "excellent" work out of him

 

Thanks for all the kind words, guys.

Interestingly enough, I have found that our bills are significantly less than the bills I see from other shops, which are not 928 specialists. I charge only the time we spend on a particular vehicle...I generally use "flat rate" only for a maximum charge.

I think that our familiarity with the 928s makes tracing problems and fixing them much faster than if a mechanic needs to "figure" out how a 928 system works.

Of course, there are always those "problem" cars that have several things wrong, all at the same time. These cars will always take more time to fix...but at least we can fix them, instead of them getting sold for scrap. I've had cars that have had every piece that you can imagine "replaced or tried", one at a time, which actually had multiple problems, which required some pretty clever "thinking" to fix.

One thing we don't do is cut corners. This excludes us from doing work on cars that are "being flipped". It seems really silly to take apart an automatic transmission and "skimp" on a few pieces that are slightly worn...or have hot spots. Rebuilders that are building these units on a "flat rate" basis will always leave these pieces in...it increases the profit! Instead, I quote the labor for a job (like this), and then give the customer an average cost of the parts. If I get in there and it needs something else (in order to last another zillion miles), I'll discuss it with the customer and give them the option of replacing the piece or not. This results in very high quality repaired items. While I certainly don't make as much money as the guy that replaces only what is absolutely trash, the customer isn't out looking for another shop to re-rebuilt the transmission, in a couple of years.

"You get what you pay for" might be overused (and can also be used by every crook in this business), but it is really the case, here.

 

Hey guys, thanks again for all the advice. I'd love to work on my 928 as a hobby, but frankly, just don't have the time, but thanks Dr. Bob for writing all that about transmission leaks.

Greg, I'll be seeing you on the 2nd, and I can't wait to get my car running again!