Transmission Problem - I Think

[Chancer]

Hi all,
I'm new to the forum and this is my first post as I have come across a problem, so I thought I'd come ask you wizards for some help. Me, I'm pretty mechanically unknowledgable but have a basic idea, my dad was a mechanic for many years and, being Aussie I have a lot of mates who think they know everything about any engine, so I have the help around to do the mechanical stuff - I just need to find out what the problem is!

My Camry is a 94 I4 (SDV10) with an auto trans and recently I blew the transmission up when in transit (there was a cut in the bit the feeds the trans fluid in and it leaked all its fluid and overheated - I didn't hear the problem till it was too late because I was between cities and had the stereo on way too loud like the idiot I am.)

Anyway, I got a local auto transmission shop to source a new transmission and chuck it in, they did this for about $2500 AU (I shoulda just bought a V6 Camry off Ebay for that price ) and ever since they changed the transmission its been slipping a little between gears and has made a slightly hummy noise at around 2000rpm, noticeable only to the trained ear. I took it back to them, they did a band adjustment and some other crap and they assured me it would be alright.

About 5 months later now and its been getting noisier, and all of a sudden its started making a real 'crunk'/vibrating/low growl of a hum instead of the whine that is quite noticeable. It only really does this at around 2000 rpm, usually between what I guess would be 2nd and 3rd gears.

So, I don't want to fork out another $2000+ just for a tranny, and it doesn't SEEM to have blown up yet (fingers crossed!) so I was wondering if anybody has any ideas? Our uneducated guesses all seem to be a 'band slipping' but we don't know what the band adjustment figures are, or how to fix it, etc. so if that is the case could anyone offer some advice/help?

P.S. I notice that a few guys have changed their Camrys to Manuals - this is possible right? Is a manual less likely to have problems than an auto? It sounds like an interesting project, and from what I read it can be done for between $1000 - $2000 and could be the first step in my mechanical learning + mission to making a super Camry.

Thanks!

[terrastrife]

so why didnt you get it fixed (go back to whoever did it) when you started hearing the problems?

you got a 4cyl and manuals are plentiful for ya, go for it, read jetspeeds write up

[Chancer]

Well I did take it back (twice) actually, and each time they assured me "there is no problem its meant to make that noise its fine" and I even left it there (for another week no less due to their 'efficiency') and they claimed they 'tightened it up' and did a band adjustment and whatever else. I bet they just left it sitting there for a week.

So does anyone have any theories to what is wrong with it? Does it sound like the transmission is the problem?

Thanks.

[terrastrife]

take it up with the accc :P or whatever that govening body is

[V6LE_CAMRY]

Maybe theres something wrong ith the fly wheel. Get some one to check that for you.

[mandyfig]

Yeah, good idea, get a 3rd party opinion. But do not let the original vendor off the hook, get your money back.