concealer404

iTrader: (3)

I'm having a problem. There's a transmission in Middleboro, MA that i'm wanting to purchase, will need to be shipped to Indianapolis.

I thought the cheapest way to ship would have been on a pallet. Got the measurements and weight yesterday, Fedex spit out a number of $392.42. That's outrageous.


Anyone have any solutions? I don't have a business address, but i'm perfectly willing to pick up at a hub/terminal/whatever. Seller can drop the transmission anywhere in Brockton or Boston.

Never shipped anything this big/heavy before.

Oscar

iTrader: (2)

Greyhound?

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Dunno why i didn't think of that. That looks to be $100, much more reasonable.

Schuyler

iTrader: (1)

I shipped a Torsen in a very sturdy cardboard box (bought it at a corrugated cardboard place for $2), and they threw in a flat sheet of corrugated that I wrapped the torsen in. Cost me like $62 to ship it via Fedex. Just throwing that out there, never had to ship a transmission.

matthewdesigns

iTrader: (8)

Fedex ground will be a LOT less than the freight charge. The limit with ground is 150#, and you are way under that. Have it boxed up well, and I bet it'll be around $100.

We ship trannys all over CONUS this way.

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

I think I read on here a good while back about someone buying a rubbermaid container that fit the transmission. They then put the trans in, then taped the **** out of it so the top would not come off. Then shipped it Fedex that way.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, i know... we're a little leary of that. This ain't no Miata transmission and i've had too much **** shipped to me damaged recently due to shitty packing jobs. I don't have time for a "do over" at this point.

I'd rather trust him to just put it on a pallet and use an entire roll of industrial shrink wrap.

Schuyler

iTrader: (1)

I've also read of people wrapping it in bubble wrap or brown paper, putting it in tupperware or a nice box, and filling the rest of the free space with spray insulation, to basically make a mold to hold it stationary in the box.

I will say this though, I've had MUCH better experiences with my packages being taken care of in transit with FedEx than with UPS or USPS.

matthewdesigns

iTrader: (8)

Contact a different freight company directly for a better rate, FedEx freight is horribly expensive comparatively. We usually use R&L. You can request liftgate service at both ends to make moving it easier, too.

If you do the Rubbermaid container packer with spray foam, you have to be sure the trans is completely wrapped...that stuff is a bitch to remove from metal once it's cured.

What kind of trans is it?

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

It's a.... 89-92 Vulcan Probe 5spd transmission.


I think we're going the Greyhound route. Just need to figure out 1) If they'll take a half pallet and 2) If i have to be there right when it arrives or if i have 24 hours or whatever. There's no way shipping it in an enclosed package via ground is going to be cheaper through anyone else.

duffbuster243

iTrader: (1)

Those H type transmissions are getting hard to find I bet? I never understood why Mazda went away from the H Type and used the G type throughout the 90's. The H was way more durable.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

I dunno. I have 2-3 spares. I don't really have a problem finding them, it just involves finding another car to strip and crush.

What IS hard to find is the Vulcan Probe H-type specifically, which is what i need/want to make a weird hybrid trans. I want that 3.85 final drive, and might look at brewing up a fun mix of 2-3-4 gears. I wanna go 180mph.


The only reason the H-Type existed was because the F2T was munching on G-series transmissions during development. Nothing else came after the F2T that made the sort of power/grunt to munch a G-series driven halfway sanely inside of 100k miles. You could say the MSP, but that was a coin flip as to whether or not the trans or the motor was going to go first, so i don't count that.

duffbuster243

iTrader: (1)

Having 2 MSP's I always said that car would have been way more popular is they put an fe3 with h type trans in it, I would even settle for a BP. I think the H type Would have been been a better option mated to a KL too. I destroyed 3 G series NA with Bolt-ons when I had my Probe Gt.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

They would have had to re-design the entire block of the KL to get an H-Type on it. Because enormous bolt pattern.

duffbuster243

iTrader: (1)

They had to fit that larger clutch in there somehow.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Yeah.... actually uses Turbo II clutchs. o_O

aws140

I have shipped two transmissions via Fedex or UPS, and both times it was around $100 or less.

Then again, both were 4 speed 79' RX7 transmissions.

Grey Hound seems like such a hassle. Especially if you or the buyer doesn't have a depot near by.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Luckily he works in Boston, and i live in Indianapolis. Not much hassle, unless they require you to be there right when it arrives.

aws140

Oh yeah, just a little FYI since the TII relationship was brought up here.

That series of trasmission was shared around quite a bit in the 80's. Due to this, old Mazda B2600 bell housings can be coupled with the TII transmission and bolted to a wide block 4G63, a G63B I believe.

This allows for some creative swap options.

aws140

What's the final cost via Grey Hound? Also, do you know the shipping weight and dimensions?