Anybody Have A Mechanic Recommendation In Phoenix Az?

[MischaT]

I'm looking for a competent mechanic in Phoenix/Scottsdale area to help me finish off a transmission swap that a shop I took it to was only able to half complete.

It was a trans swap in a 77 Toyota truck camper from a 4spd L43 to a 5spd W50. The trans is in and I need someone that can help with some simple mods (cutting a shifter hole, notching a crossmember and bolting it all back together) to make finish putting it in fully.

Let me know if anyone knows a decent person that works on cars and will work on an old Toyota camper anywhere in the greater Phoenix area!

Thanks,

Mischa

[linda s]

Asked a friend who lives near there and has a Toyota RV. Let you know if he gets back to me. Don't know if he's ever had any trannie work done though

[Bob C]

If the shop did not finish the job properly, I hope that you didn't pay them unless it was understood before they started that they would not finish the project.

[MischaT]

I most definitely am not giving these guy any of my money. Totally incompetent and disrespectful.

[Derek up North]

If I was looking for a shop to make mods like you are, I'd ask guys driving jacked up, modded offroad Toyotas. It's not every mechanic who's used to making stuff not originally installed work together.

[zero]

If I was looking for a shop to make mods like you are, I'd ask guys driving jacked up, modded offroad Toyotas. It's not every mechanic who's used to making stuff not originally installed work together.

Not the case. That W50 DID come originally installed in that year truck. No big mods needed. That's the whole point of using the W50. It was a factory installed option. It just so happens the person who tried to do the install is an idiot. And I'll note - no shortage of them in the "off road" world either. I have done two of these swaps - so on a relative scale - I guess that makes me an authority on the subject.

[MischaT]

That's actually exactly what I did... Called a 4x4 shop and told them the deal and they recommended me to a shop that does custom fabrication. Mind you I don't NEED fabrication, because JD you are right that it shouldn't be that complicated, but these guys seem like they will be more competent that the yahoos at the transmission shop I was at that I believe ALL they know how to do is put a brand new, exactly the same transmission in where they took one out and charge someone an arm and a leg for it.

For the mean time it seems hopeful!

-Mischa

[zero]

Good luck. I have witnessed no correlation between skill-level and type of shop. Some general repair shops have people working that are more competent then in specialty shops - and vice-versa.

There have been many times when I needed some info on something and hoped to get it from a specialized forum - like exist for Toyota off-roaders. Most of the time I got back bad info. Heck - I've been on the phone several times for a company that manufactures gears for places like Marlin Crawler and the info they gave me was wrong. Generally speaking - off-roaders and custom builders often deal with issues not related to a motorhome driven on the road.

Specific to your question about the rear transmission mount. The W50 is a four-bolt mount and the L43 is two-bolt. As I recall I made a plate-steel adapter plate for mine. But - if you can get the cross-member from the truck your trans came out of - that would make things easier.