The valve body is one of the most complicated pieces inside the transmission. It’s responsible for activating the gear changes that get you down the road. However when it comes to valve body replacement, you have to be careful. There are several options out there to suit different budgets. But you have to be extremely careful or you’ll wind up with more problems than you have now. So let’s take a look at some of the most common options for valve body replacement and see which one is right for you.
What Transmission Do I Have?
Valve body replacement options
Used valve body – If you really don’t want to spend a lot of money, you could have your mechanic go to the local salvage yard and pick up a used valve body. You might luck out and get one from and low mileage vehicle. But you really don’t know how that vehicle was driven or treated, so it may actually have more valve body problems than you have now. And don’t forget, that 30 day junkyard warranty will only get you a replacement valve body. It doesn’t cover the labor cost to install the new used valve body.
Rebuilt valve body – If you’re having valve body problems, getting a rebuilt valve body is a very logical solution. A mechanic will replace all of the bad parts, clean it up, put it back together and give you a rather minimal warranty. However given the complication of a valve body, the functionality and lifespan of your rebuilt replacement valve body largely depends on the skill of the mechanic rebuilding it. There are a ton of tiny little parts that go into the valve body, and each one has to be in the exact right position. Many of these little valves should be totally replaced and not just cleaned. Plus, most mechanics don’t have the equipment needed to test for things like tensile strength and metal thickness. These are very important if you want your rebuilt valve body the last at least as long as the original version of it did. Oh and the warranty they give you; it may only be good at one or a small handful of shops in a small local area. So if you are on a road trip and have valve body problems, you could be paying to fix them yourself.
Remanufactured valve body – Just like the name implies, a remanufactured valve body has been completely reengineered in an actual transmission factory. One mechanic doesn’t just replace a few broken parts. The entire valve body is taken apart, cleaned, and the metal bits are measured to ensure that they meet the OE specifications for thickness and tensile strength. The entire valve body is also inspected for warping and cracks. Any valve bodies that do not meet the desired specifications are immediately discarded. The valve bodies that do measure up, continue down the assembly line to complete the remanufacturing process.
Companies Like Street Smart Transmission, have an 80,000 square-foot factory that utilizes the latest state-of-the-art equipment to ensure a quality product that is worthy of their generous warranty. Throughout the remanufacturing process, multiple quality inspections are performed. Each solenoid is bench tested prior to installation, to ensure that it will function properly. If any upgrades or modifications are needed to correct factory design flaws, they get performed on the assembly line. This will often allow a reman valve body replacement to outlast its OEM counterpart.
Once the remanufactured valve body is complete, it’s tested on a special dynamometer using a bespoke program known as C.A.R.S – Computer Aided Road Simulation. This puts the newly built valve body through a number of real-world scenarios to ensure that it performs properly in any given situation. Once the technicians are satisfied with the performance, the remanufactured valve body is crated for shipment.
What Transmission Do I Have?
Thanks to the thoroughness of the remanufacturing process, every Street Smart Transmission remanufactured valve body replacement is backed by a 3-year/unlimited mile warranty that is honored nationwide by any licensed repair shop in the continental United States. That protects your transmission and your wallet no matter where you go. And it’s transferable to a new owner if you decide to sell your vehicle during the warranty period. To learn more about valve body replacement options from Street Smart Transmission click here.
