Call Evan at Inglewood Transmission and ask who his dealers/installers are in your area. I know of a few down there, but they are a few hours from you. Best just get the info from the source.
Looking for Allison build/install options near Virginia.
- Thread starter johnmyster
- Start date
Call Evan at Inglewood Transmission and ask who his dealers/installers are in your area. I know of a few down there, but they are a few hours from you. Best just get the info from the source.
You might be getting the full transgo kit for the 5 speed mixed up with the jr kit for the 6 speed. I think a lot of people got away from installing anything other than the jr even on the 5 speed though. I know I quit a long time ago because it would cause a very harsh 4-5 shift.
Dustin doesnt have his shop anymore but I see him active on facebook and he's still in the game. I would hit up Inglewood as others have said, he shipped me a trans to VA Beach and I had a local shop install it. Rudys Diesel is in NC and could help you out as well. Maryland Performance diesel is a good shop too.
It's been a bit, but thanks to those that gave pointers. I'll update on how it all turns out, but for anyone else looking for solid trans options between NC and MD:
1) George is very much in business and has been a pleasure to talk to. He sounds like a great option, 250 miles away. Sounds like he's setting up a new shop soon to better balance work/life.
2) Dustin was also a pleasure to talk to. Also sounds like a great option. Similar distance.
3) Randy at Maxxed Out (Mt. Solon, VA, 75 miles away) came highly reccommended. We didn't yet get too far into the details but it sounds like he builds a great transmission.
4) A local diesel/diesel performance shop quoted a Revmax R&R. Says that's the only Allison rebuild they would use. They are convenient, but price prohibitive. There is one other typical diesel performance shop I can ping but don't expect much different.
5) Another independent diesel mechanic (local) had a good conversation. Promised to call back. Never did. I guess not interested.
6) A local trans shop said he'd rebuilt a few Allisons, but was hesitant to discuss any upgrades over stock spec. He said they never break, so why would you? It was pretty clear I was out of his comfort zone.
7) A truck fleet shop next to my office is an Allison dealer and will quote a few rebuilt options. I have a feeling the warranty would be great but also cost prohibitive. (I drove 5000 miles last year. A two year warranty is just about meaningless to me.)
George, Dustin, and Randy all offer "stock plus" builds. Some of them offered al-la-carte upgrades if there were specific areas I wanted to strengthen for my application. All of them were willing to split the transfer case and address pump rub (with a kit, or a case half) while it was out of the truck.
On one hand, I could probably get away with putting a converter in the truck and continuing to drive it. On the other hand, it's got lots of miles on it and if we do it, it'll be done.
1) George is very much in business and has been a pleasure to talk to. He sounds like a great option, 250 miles away. Sounds like he's setting up a new shop soon to better balance work/life.
2) Dustin was also a pleasure to talk to. Also sounds like a great option. Similar distance.
3) Randy at Maxxed Out (Mt. Solon, VA, 75 miles away) came highly reccommended. We didn't yet get too far into the details but it sounds like he builds a great transmission.
4) A local diesel/diesel performance shop quoted a Revmax R&R. Says that's the only Allison rebuild they would use. They are convenient, but price prohibitive. There is one other typical diesel performance shop I can ping but don't expect much different.
5) Another independent diesel mechanic (local) had a good conversation. Promised to call back. Never did. I guess not interested.
6) A local trans shop said he'd rebuilt a few Allisons, but was hesitant to discuss any upgrades over stock spec. He said they never break, so why would you? It was pretty clear I was out of his comfort zone.
7) A truck fleet shop next to my office is an Allison dealer and will quote a few rebuilt options. I have a feeling the warranty would be great but also cost prohibitive. (I drove 5000 miles last year. A two year warranty is just about meaningless to me.)
George, Dustin, and Randy all offer "stock plus" builds. Some of them offered al-la-carte upgrades if there were specific areas I wanted to strengthen for my application. All of them were willing to split the transfer case and address pump rub (with a kit, or a case half) while it was out of the truck.
On one hand, I could probably get away with putting a converter in the truck and continuing to drive it. On the other hand, it's got lots of miles on it and if we do it, it'll be done.
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EDIT - if someone is looking at this in the future, Logan Lewis @ Diesels Unlimited (MD) also does transmissions. I haven't spoken with them, but someone else to add to the list for the region.
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Who did you settle on? George does build a stock plus build, I can tell you it is stout. I have it in my LBZ and I beat the piss out of it. When he first did the trans it was only getting a 100hp tow tune. Then it need head gaskets and got 60 overs, a 66mm VGT and a max effort tune with the same trans. Put 50k on it and multiple sets of tires so far 
Between Kennedy's fan clutch and Dipper, you have some axes to grind.
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As a follow up, two camping trips and about 1000 miles in, I'm happy with the trans. No converter slip, solid shifts, and mostly the confidence to drive it without having to babysit. Converter lockup can sometimes be abrupt but has gotten better since initially installed.
George recommended his "HD-Stock" build but let me talk him into going a little further. It's not a typical performance build - he used OE type clutches but raised clutch counts where appropriate. We splurged on the Goerend converter and George did an aluminum case half to address the unknown state of the transfer case.
Thanks to this forum pointing me towards George. The best part of the deal was interacting with him. There's a good bit of duramax history that he's been a part of. He spent a great deal of time talking through the options, didn't mind driving me to pickup a rental car, stayed in communication, etc. I had to bring our dog with me on my pickup and George welcomed having the pup at the shop for a bit. It was well worth the drive and his charges were fair vs other options I had quoted. It was good to discuss and make arrangements with the person that had his hands in it.
George recommended his "HD-Stock" build but let me talk him into going a little further. It's not a typical performance build - he used OE type clutches but raised clutch counts where appropriate. We splurged on the Goerend converter and George did an aluminum case half to address the unknown state of the transfer case.
Thanks to this forum pointing me towards George. The best part of the deal was interacting with him. There's a good bit of duramax history that he's been a part of. He spent a great deal of time talking through the options, didn't mind driving me to pickup a rental car, stayed in communication, etc. I had to bring our dog with me on my pickup and George welcomed having the pup at the shop for a bit. It was well worth the drive and his charges were fair vs other options I had quoted. It was good to discuss and make arrangements with the person that had his hands in it.
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This is what we do in our "OEM+" builds rated to 550whp as well (tune only/stock fuel/stock air) and it's done very respectably and held up much further than the 550whp it's rated for. You got a solid setup and George knows how to build an Allison that's for sure.