Out Of The Ashes: Sussex Auto Services by Paul Morton Hailsham, East Sussex, United Kingdom If you think your own particular struggle in the transmission business has been akin to pushing a large rock up a hill, consider the task of the man who first had to fashion that rock so it would roll in the first place. I think here in the United States we sometimes take things for granted that those in other areas of the world cannot. Alan Gadd, Director of Sussex Auto Services and Sussex Auto Parts in Hailsham, East Sussex, United Kingdom, knows this struggle first hand. Sussex Auto not only plays a major role in the rebuilding of automatic transmissions in England, and the sales of transmission parts throughout Europe, they have been a significant 12 GEARS June/July 2002
Alan Gadd force in helping to shape the industry itself as it has emerged in his country. Acceptance of the automatic transmission in the United Kingdom (UK) is a relatively recent phenomenon. Manual transmissions have been the norm there, as they have been on the European continent, since the development of the automobile. This has begun to change over the last 20 years or so, though the transition has not been a quick one. To pave the way towards creating the means by which those automatic transmissions could be rebuilt, an entire infrastructure of technical training and parts availability had to be constructed. Hence my earlier analogy of having to first create the rock before it could be pushed up the hill. Alan Gadd began his career as a mechanic in 1973. In 1979, he began repairing automatic transmissions at the facility he would one day own with his partners. In the early 1980s, the operation was destroyed by a catastrophic fire and ceased to exist as a business. GEARS June/July 2002 13
Sussex x AutA uto Services Alan Gadd, along with Steve Roberts and Geoff Allchorn, purchased what remained in the ashes, and set about reconstructing a viable business. What emerged was the present day Sussex Auto Services and Sussex Auto Parts. As work on automatic transmissions became more common, Sussex worked to develop parts sources and technical guidance. Alan Gadd explained that parts availability in Europe has always been more difficult than what is typically experienced in the U.S. Many parts are simply not available, and workshop manuals are only available to franchised dealers, he explained. The parts Sussex sought had to be sourced from suppliers worldwide. But the problem is beginning to ease, he said. This is slowly changing, for example ZF, probably Europe s largest transmission manufacturer, has been reducing the price of their OE parts and are more open with information. As a ZF Car Parts Dealer we have a good working relationship with them. We also have good sources of parts for VW/Audi, Ford, and Mercedes (but) still purchase the majority of our parts from the USA. That initial search for parts in the U.S. directed Alan Gadd and Geoff Allchorn to their first ATRA-sponsored exposition in Detroit, Michigan, in 1991. He said they were impressed with what he found there, and began building relationships with various parts suppliers, as well as several of ATRA s staff, and other ATRA members. Over the intervening years, the parts inventory at Sussex has grown large enough to allow them to serve as a parts supplier for other rebuilder shops throughout the UK. Alan Gadd commented on the change from being parts-shy to parts-supply: We thought why not just invest all our savings, and go into it properly? As a result, Sussex Auto Parts grew quickly, with daily deliveries being made throughout the south east of England, and as far north as the Midlands. Traffic on British roads does not lend itself to the quick and efficient delivery of any product. The situation for Sussex improved when they teamed up with Royce Power Transmission. Royce is the largest manual transmission parts distributor in the UK, with facilities in Harlow (just north of London), Northallerton in North Yorkshire, and in Glasgow, Scotland. 14 GEARS June/July 2002
OUR SEALS CAN GO THOUSANDS OF MILES WITHOUT A LEAK. What aggravates you more than seeing a rebuilt transmission leave your shop only to return with a leaking seal? Precision International can help you avoid this type of messy scene. That s because we rely upon the same trusted manufacturers who supply the OEMs; thoroughly inspecting every incoming parts shipment for size, fit, material and appearance. Beyond that, we constantly monitor the OEMs for product changes or updates. Then there s our technical advisory group; transmission repair experts who test our kits out on the latest transmission designs, before they go to market. As a result we ve been able to solve inherent transmission design problems even before the OEMs discover them! Every Precision kit comes with great reading material. Making your job easier means making our kits easy to use. So we take the time to pack our parts into sub-kits, making sure the parts that go together, come together. These kits also contain An important update from Precision International easy-to-understand bilingual instructions, how-to guides, product updates and other helpful hints. If you have additional questions, A604 LATE DESIGN SOLENOID REPAIR KIT there s our toll free Tech Line, manned by rebuilding experts who can Chrysler redesigned the A604 solenoid in mid-1999 to help you solve virtually any problem. simplify construction and decrease failure rate. Our kit part # K31900-6 includes the necessary For hundreds of thousands of leak-free seals, call the Problem Solvers. Viton O-rings for the internal solenoids, new filters, Precision International offers a complete range of automatic transmission kits for virtually every new pressure switch springs, new solenoid to make of car, truck and marine vehicle, foreign or domestic. And, no matter where those vehicles transmission case gasket as well as the original design go, their transmissions are assured of being virtually leak free, thanks to our world-class quality. electrical connector seal and pressure switch cups. Please note: this kit will not repair the old design If you never want to see another seal that leaks, then call or write Precision International today. solenoid, still use Kit # K31900-2 for the old solenoid. The Problem Solvers. When retrofitting the solenoid you must replace the original design gaskets (2 pieces of our # 31798) with the new design (1 piece of our # 31982). 210 Knickerbocker Ave., Bohemia, NY 11716 (631) 567-2000 Fax (631) 567-2640 2880 N.E. 14th Street Causeway, Suite #501, Pompano Beach, FL 33062 (954) 783-2100 Fax (954) 783-2190 Toll Free: 866-783-2190 E-mail: sales@transmissionkits.com www.transmissionkits.com
Sussex x AutA uto Services Royce vans now carry Sussex parts as well as their own, helping to address the problem of efficient parts delivery. Sussex Autos also found another means to address a serious problem they were experiencing in the UK. When a new transmission appeared on the aftermarket, its complexities had to be mastered by breaking it down and examining its function. Always of particular interest to Sussex Autos and their technicians have been problems and issues related to electronics and the proper diagnosis of electronic-related problems. Photographs recorded the details, and attempts to purchase the technical data from the manufacturer were made often to no avail. Membership in ATRA opened the door to much-needed technical training, and access to information about new and difficult units. Technicians from Sussex attended training seminars in the U.S. where and when possible, but it proved to be more practical and cost-effective to bring the ATRA seminars to an even broader audience in the UK. Several of ATRA s top past and present seminar presenters have since traveled to England to provide the needed information, and share tips, insights, and the latest fixes on the newest transmissions. Dennis Madden, Glenn Troub, Randall Shroeder and Vince Fischelli have all appeared at seminars that have drawn more than two hundred attendees from the UK and the European continent. Today, Sussex Auto Services/Parts occupies a 19,000 sq.ft. factory in Hailsham, near Eastbourne, on the southern coast of England. Here, six lifts keep a team of men occupied with the removal and reinstallation of transmissions. The R&R team then passes the transmissions along to the heart of the business: a large, well-lit rebuilding shop that has plenty of room for future expansion. Eight transmission rebuilders currently work in the nearly antiseptic building area, and produce between 30 and 40 rebuilt transmissions each week. The unused area is ready for an additional four rebuilders, their benches, and additional parts cleaners. There is a diagnostic room adjacent to the rebuilding shop, where the bench-testing of solenoids and other electrical components is carried out. Oscilloscopes, multi-meters, solenoid and speed sensor testers are just some of the diagnostic equipment found here. This section also contains test equipment for checking CVT & CTX secondary units, which are currently in high demand in the UK market. Another part of the building houses the testing plant where an Axi-line 16 GEARS June/July 2002
COMPLAINT: Also: Low reverse pressure Burned 1-2 Band CAUSE: These complaints may be caused by the continuous reciprocation of the 1-2 (Forward) and Reverse servo boost valves wearing the valve body bores CORRECTION: This oversized anodized aluminum valve restores the hydraulic integrity, and has increased valve-tobore contact to prevent leakage. This valve requires the use of a Sonnax reaming tool kit. DELAYED ENGAGEMENT, FLARED 1-2 SHIFT OVERSIZED 1-2 (FORWARD) & REVERSE SERVO BOOST VALVE 4T60, 4T60-E & 4T65-E Servo Boost Valve Spring End Plug Retaining Pin TM Part No. 84754-40K COMPLAINT: Also: Unable to clean shaft Plugs not available CAUSE: Shaft feed is not properly cleaned when plugs are not removed, missing or large orifices decrease lube at critical planetaries CORRECTION: This pilot has a reduced orifice, and endplug allows the shaft I.D. to be cleaned and a replacement plug installed. Part No. 22171A-02K POOR LUBE OIL CONTROL, RE-CONTAMINATION OF NEW PARTS Pilot INTERMEDIATE SHAFT PILOT & ENDPLUG KIT 42-46-47RH/RE Intermediate Shaft Endplug Featured product of the month: 4L60 (700-R4) P/N: 77917-08 ELEVATED PRESSURE REGULATOR SPRING Also available from Sonnax TM : 47RH/RE P/N: 22005A-01K STATOR SUPPORT SHAFT BUSHING AOD P/N: 76831-SP A SERVO SPRING Visit our website dedicated to assist & guide transmission rebuilders www.sonnax.com Sonnax Automatic Drive P.O. Box 440 Bellows Falls, Vermont 05101-0440 USA 802/463-9722 800/843-2600 fax: 802/463-4059 info@sonnax.com and visit our website: for Sonnax reamers & other tools. TM See your nearest Transmission Specialties distributor & ask for Sonnax quality engineered products.
Sussex Auto Services dynamometer tests rebuilt transmissions the first in Britain. From here, many of the units find their way to the storage shelf until purchased by a retail customer. The storage area for these rebuilt units contains scores of transmissions, but their number has actually declined in recent years. Much of the stock consists of the A4LD, 4R44E, CTX, and CD4E, with just a handful of other types. The top ten transmissions seen by Sussex are, in descending order of frequency, the Ford CD4E, Ford A4LD, Rover CVT, Renault AD4/AD8, Ford CTX, Mercedes-various six-bolt pan, GM 4L80E, ZF5HP18, ZF4HP14, and the Mazda G4A. Alan Gadd said that other parts of the UK may see other vehicle and transmission types. Their area, located on the south coast of England, is where many people choose to retire. Small cars with variable transmissions are preferred by some, and Jaguars and BMWs are preferred by those who may be a bit more affluent. Sussex has found that, more often than not, they rebuild the customer s own transmission to maintain best-possible compatibility. They also run a dismantling operation where large quantities of old cores are stored in a 5,000 sq.ft. warehouse. If hard parts are required from these units by the rebuilding shop, or a parts customer, the rebuilder locates the needed transmission and removes the parts he needs. The partly dismantled unit is then passed on to a technician who finishes the tear-down, and will clean and rack everything from complete casings to nuts and bolts. Torque converter rebuilding plays a large and growing role at Sussex Auto. Unlike many operations in the United States, very few shops in the UK rebuild their own converters. Though the actual numbers might be small by American standards, the weekly output of around 150 torque converters makes Sussex a major player in the European market. 18 GEARS June/July 2002
Sussex x AutA uto Services Get Ready to Shift Gears! REMIUMS THAT WILL EDUCE YOUR INSURANCE COSTS, FROM A EWLY ENDORSED BROKER, READY TO ELIVER PRICE & SERVICE YOUR TRANSMISSION BUSINESS. IABILITY, PROPERTY, AUTO COVERAGES & MORE! For more information and a quote call Brant Watson, Rachel Lavin or Erin Trevethan, Toll Free at 1-800-234-6787. Heffernan Insurance Brokers License # 0564249 Much of the company s continuing success can be attributed to their attention to detail, and insistence on the highest possible quality. Meticulous records are maintained to link the transmissions rebuilt with their builders, as a direct form of quality control. The effort quickly identifies problems a specific builder may be having with a particular unit, and the situation can be corrected. This system also enables the company to determine whether the unit failed at the testing stage, because of installation, or because of something the customer may have done. In a previously published article supplied by Sussex, co-owner Geoff Allchorn commented about the company attitude concerning after-sales customer care: We don t like to think that we re going to have a warranty claim, or something go wrong no rebuilder does. And of course, we try to keep that to a minimum. But, if things do go wrong, we move heaven and earth to get it sorted out. Frankly, we have built, and continue to build, our reputation it. That attitude gives confidence to our customers, be they trade or retail. I think if people know that if they do have problem, and you will sort it out no matter what, then they will keep coming back. Though the vast majority of new vehicles sold in the United States have automatic transmissions, such is not the case in the United Kingdom, where only about 15% of the new cars are equipped with an automatic transmission. As a consequence, most auto repair shops in the UK leave the work 20 GEARS June/July 2002
on automatic transmissions to specialists such as Sussex Autos. This, of course, generates a great deal of work for Sussex. In a direct departure from how other shops price their work, Sussex many years ago decided to produce a detailed, all-inclusive price list for circulation among customers. This brochure has become an industry standard, and many transmission shops use this annual publication as a quick pricing guide, or as an index that correlates a specific vehicle model to transmission type. Alan Gadd commented about the role their price list plays in the industry. Of course, we never intended for it to become a guide to everybody else about what to charge. And we quickly realized, after we first started publishing it, that it would enable people to easily undercut us. But it really hasn t worked out like that, and I think we d get lynched if we suddenly stopped putting it out every year! As soon as one is printed, we start work on the next, updating an ongoing list of new vehicle types, or changes to existing models. This industry-supportive attitude is one that has helped Sussex expand its customer base, and has placed the company in a position of industry leadership. Not bad when one considers that just 20 years ago, the business was nothing more than a pile of ashes. Brian Johnston, Vice President Michael Weinberg, President Trust the experts in Manual Transmissions and Transfer Cases. Only the experts at Rockland Standard Gear can help you take your business to new heights of profitability, with: Ordering experts spec your needs and find the right parts The best warranty in the business - One year parts and labor OEM quality Manual Transmissions, Transfer Cases and Parts Great prices, great inventory and selection Technical hotline Full line of LuK Clutches, Differential Ring and Pinions Fast order turnaround, overnight delivery & guaranteed 3-day FedEx anywhere in the Continental U.S. for the price of ground We road test our transmission parts at 160 mph. SHIPPING FROM 8:30 A.M. TO 5:30 P.M. E.S.T. MON. - FRI. 1-800-227-1523 1-845-753-2005 (alt.) Fax 1-877-774-3294 (toll free) We carry: Aisin Warner Borg Warner Chrysler Dana Ford GM Isuzu LuK Clutches Mitsubishi New Process New Venture Nissan Peugeot Precision Gear Ring & Pinion Spicer Suzuki Toyo Kogyo Toyota Tremec ZF GEARS June/July 2002 21