Transmission lines keep "blowing"

[BJean]

We had a Remco lube pump installed on our 2003 Chevy Impala in summer 2009 & had towed for over 3 yrs w/no problems. Last spring we had a car fire due to a hole in a trans line to the lube pump. We had the car towed to the local (small town) Chevy dealership for repairs. They installed a new line. Within 2 days we were driving when the car slowed & refused to move. There was trans fluid all over the road. Had it towed to same garage. They said that the line they replaced had "come loose" & that it was now fixed even better. We returned last fall to have the rest of the old trans lines replaced with new ones after we had yet another leak. This spring another line developed a long crack, was leaking & had to be replaced. Within 2 days the car again dumped all the trans fluid on the street & came to a halt. We again had it towed to the same Chevy dealer. The hubby insisted that he talk w/mechanic who did work. He stated that the first repairs were done with what they had in stock- which was gas line & vacuum line. This time, he insisted that he obtained the proper high pressure line from a parts store, & used double clamps. He assured us that we would have no more trouble. That was Wed. On Friday all the transmission fluid was on our garage floor. We tried to hook the car to the motorhome to tow it to the dealership in a larger town...the lube pump sprayed fluid everywhere. We called a tow truck for the fourth time (and the sixth repair). My question is: is there any way that the lube pump could malfunction or be hooked up wrong that would cause a high pressure situation that would blow out these lines...and/or is this dealership that incompetent? Any ideas out there? This has been a great car & a great toad...we would hate to blow it up at this stage!

[VW_Factor]

willald wrote:

VW_Factor wrote:
I sometimes think to myself that ya'll are crazy for flat towing vehicles that require extra parts to do it safely.

Yeah, I've thought that sometimes, too.

*snip*

Its just unfortunate, that in a few rare cases like mine and BJean's here, that poor or incorrect installation issues muck things up..

Will

True enough. I don't have a dinghy for towing, however my parents did. I know not everyone prefers a "cheapy" vehicle. My parents found a cheap YJ Jeep Wrangler for theirs. Fun to drive with the top off, and when towed, just toss the T/C into neutral.

Those without such choice, I can understand where they'd invest in the pumps and such. I'm just not sure I would trust it myself.

Everyone has different tastes though in what they are looking for. YMMV.

[ScottMack]

willald wrote:
Then, when you come BACK down to reality, and realize your choices are $1000 for a lube pump to allow an existing (paid for) vehicle you already own to be flat towed, or spend 20 times that or go in debt for a new vehicle that is flat towable without modification.....Suddenly that lube pump, driveshaft disconnect or whatever seems like a very good alternative.

If nothing else, it provides a solution you can use until you'd be purchasing a new vehicle, anyway, at which time you can get one that doesnt require such.

Amen to that!!

That nails it on the head for most the Ford Escape owners who have blown trannys following Ford's instructions only to find out "it ain't so". The hit I would have taken to sell or trade our (paid for) Escape Limited would have been financially foolish, especially considering the additional cost of the baseplate, standalone brake/taillight wiring and semi-permanent braking system.

[willald]

VW_Factor wrote:
I sometimes think to myself that ya'll are crazy for flat towing vehicles that require extra parts to do it safely.

Yeah, I've thought that sometimes, too.

Of course, using this logic, of worrying about any 'extra parts' needed to go camping...Given the zillions of other 'extra parts' on an RV that you don't have on a regular vehicle...You could pretty quickly talk yourself right out of owning an RV at all, and just stay in hotels (or tent camp, haha). 🙂

Then, when you come BACK down to reality, and realize your choices are $1000 for a lube pump to allow an existing (paid for) vehicle you already own to be flat towed, or spend 20 times that or go in debt for a new vehicle that is flat towable without modification.....Suddenly that lube pump, driveshaft disconnect or whatever seems like a very good alternative.

If nothing else, it provides a solution you can use until you'd be purchasing a new vehicle, anyway, at which time you can get one that doesnt require such.

Its just unfortunate, that in a few rare cases like mine and BJean's here, that poor or incorrect installation issues muck things up..

Will

[VW_Factor]

I sometimes think to myself that ya'll are crazy for flat towing vehicles that require extra parts to do it safely.

[willald]

..You already posted on my thread talking about a similar issue.

Sounds like you're finding out the same thing I did - A Remco pump is a great product, and works great, WHEN PROPERLY INSTALLED. When it is not....Welllll, in my case you lose so much confidence in it, you end up buying a new vehicle that is flat towable from the factory. Haha, j/k. 🙂

Seriously, it does sound like your issues are mostly related to installation and are correctable, as mine were. Not really a fault of Remco, directly.

Your first incident, hose to fluid pump busting a leak: Where/how was that hose routed? Too close to a major heat source, by chance, or where its rubbing up against something, chaffing it? I've never heard of the 'input' line breaking, which is why I ask. That hose should almost never have a problem.

Second incident, and the ones after that: All sounds like its a result of a shop just not knowing right way to install hoses that carry tranny fluid under pressure.

My suggestion: Try and find an RV service shop that has technicians that are well experienced in lube pump installations and have done several of them. Have them look over and possibly re-do the entire installation if need be, to get it right. If there is a clog somewhere like a previous poster mentioned, they'll find that (and fix it), too.

Also, like I mentioned in my thread: Look into the possibility of just idling the vehicle when towing, and don't use that lube pump at all. Yeah, it wastes fuel and introduces other potential issues, but at least with that approach, you won't risk frying a transmission.

[teddyu]

The last post by the OP doesn't make sense, but the first thing I'd do is not go back to the Chevy Dealer but to a transmission shop. Second, the transmission shop should check the fluid cooler for clogging.
JM2¢...

[BJean]

The manager of the service dept is trying to blame it on the clamps & the fact that a lube pump is in the system. The original kit came with clamps & they held for over 3 yrs. I'm thinking the original tech (who the service manager says was let go) maybe damaged what he was clamping to. (He also refers to having to "flare" the hose end & get it just right). Are there fittings that can be made to work with the lube pump hoses other than clamps?

[BJean]

Good thought on the restriction in the pump.......but when we hooked it to the car to tow, it sprayed a LOT of trans fluid everywhere very quickly. Would that mean that it wasn't restricted?

[time2roll]

I would take it to a transmission shop. Gas/vacuum hose is shoddy work at best.

double clamps? Why not use the proper fittings? Might need a hydraulic shop to make up custom hoses.

[Home_Skillet]

I would think the lube pump has a restriction.
It is not allowing fluid to flow through to the cooler and the transmission pump is dead heading the fluid pressure.

[ScottMack]

BJean,

Based on what Remco told me when we installed a pump several years ago, I wouldn't think so.

For our Ford Escape, I was told we still had to lower the trans. fluid level as per Ford's instructions for recreational flat towing (strictly a Ford thing) because the Remco pump is not as robust as the when the engine is running in terms of circulating the fluid.

Call Remco and see if Drew Cohoon (800-228-2481) is still there. He was very helpful resolving a few issues we had in the beginning.