A8 ZF Gearbox servicing

[tintin]

I think it's just because they're proper old-fashioned engineers who like to do things properly, and are happy to share the knowledge - and it's not as if they're short of work either...

[tc4332]

The big problem here is that all these service bays, both Dealer and Indie, claim that they know all about the transmission and are able to do the requisite service and we end up with at best lumpy gear changes.
Personally I am so glad that we have Guy.

[Dave McB]

I have to say, I know the Mackies guys very well. Wouldn't go anywhere else tbh.
They actually build valve body recon machines for high profile auto box reconditioners all over the world and have designed and built their own machines to refurb valve bodies.

The only question I would ask from the gearbox recon guy on here is
(he sounds knowledgable) - do you replace the torque converter clutch pack when you refurb a gearbox?

[daviesbike]

Hi Dave,

Perhaps we are getting our wires crossed, I do not recon the gearbox, that is a totally different ball game, " And frankly out of my Remit"

What i am offering is simply a solution to the known Hard Shifting issue that some Zf Boxes suffer from,

Mackies do indeed offer a mechatronics Testing Rig that they build in house and it is the best on the market, £35000 to be exact if you want one,

just to clarify i do not remove the gearbox from the car and i do not change the above mentioned item,

to sum it up we do the following,

Drain gearbox oil,
Remove Sump,
Remove filter ect,
Remove the mechatronics unit completely,

And then we refurbish the mechatronics unit alone not the gearbox,
Replace all Solenoids and Seals
strip and clean the Two halves of the Unit to remove any varnish that can cause sticking,

Then we re assemble in reverse order using all new gaskets and re fill with fresh 6HP-26 or 19 variant Lifeguard 6 Oil, we then perform an adaptation drive for 50 Miles,
You should expect to pay in the area of £3000+ to have the entire gearbox refurbished,

Absolutely agree that Mackies are great, but for those in the south its sometimes difficult logistically to get all the way to Glasgow

Here is whats involved, without going into too much detail











Following all of that it gets a soak in a detergent for a set period of time to de- varnish it all ect ..

[Borys]

Awesome, thats a gearbox oil service
I just wonder how Germans at ZF do all above for 450 euros?

[Joe2.0E]

Yes, €450 is great value for such a top class service.
Surely the parts/fluid would come to at least €350.
Its a great pity that none of their international agents seem to offer an equivalent service.

[briang9]

Originally Posted by tc4332

The big problem here is that all these service bays, both Dealer and Indie, claim that they know all about the transmission and are able to do the requisite service and we end up with at best lumpy gear changes.
Personally I am so glad that we have Guy.

Mackies are the only UK based "A" rated ZF agent, I have been on a factory tour which is very impressive and these guys do know what they are doing (and I am not having a dig at Guy either, its great they are willing to help him I think

[notorious]

Originally Posted by Borys

I just wonder how Germans at ZF do all above for 450 euros?

About 550 euro incl VAT in 2015 prices in my D2 example. This included mechatronics removal, but without changing solenoids since my were perfectly normal.

From: http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=10365


From my ZF invoice:

"Das hydraulische schaltgerät wurde ausgebaut, zerlegt und gereinigt. Dichtelemente und filter wurden erneuert. Scahltgerat wieder montiert und eingebaut, getriebe mit ol befullt"

"The hydraulic switching device has been removed, disassembled and cleaned. Sealing elements and filters were replaced. Switching device again assembled and installed and transmission filled with oil"

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by daviesbike

The fix is to referbish the mechatronics unit and replace all solenoids and replace all worn seals and gaskets, replace ball bearings. followed by a flush of the system and new filters and fresh oil ect.
.
.
.
We charge £785 including parts and labour and VAT. We put a 24 week warrenty on the work and it will come back to you silky smooth the work takes 24 hours + adaptation drive of 50 miles and we do have curtacy cars.

Do you offer a similar service for D2's (5HP24A box) or is it not relevant?
If it is, what would the price be?

[tc4332]

Hey Guy, I recognise that gearbox!!!
I would think that the main difference in price is down to Dortmund being able to bulk purchase parts/oil. They service all makes (Audi, Merc, BMW and others) that use ZF boxes. A lot of the seals, gaskets, solenoids and ball bearings fit most of the versions.
A bit like the ECUs that we have, they are all Bosch, the same model but just different software, which we then change to remap the beast.
As for price, remember that for us to use Dortmund we would have to factor in the journey there and back, and even as a young man I would have had to have at least one overnight stay.
AND don't forget the beer and wurst costs.