Transmission Upgrades

Maximise the Potential of Your Transmission!

If you are serious about your off-roading or towing and have kitted out your 4WD with the best engine and suspension options, transmission performance upgrades should be at the top of your priority list. We have endurance and durability upgrade options available for most 4×4 vehicles, including Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Mazda vehicles. At Rowell & Searle Auto we know how to make your transmission tow stronger, run cooler and perform better on or off-road.

Valve Body Upgrade

Upgrading the valve body in your 4WD will give you added confidence when tackling heavy off-road driving or towing by providing crisp shift points and reducing the flaring and gear hunting in your transmission.

At Rowell & Searle Auto we can provide various options for valve body upgrades depending on what you are hoping to achieve with your vehicle. A Valve Body Upgrade re-calibrates the hydraulic valve body to provide shorter duration shifts while under load. This is achieved by increased pressure and volume to enable the clutch packs to apply quicker and with greater clamping force, resulting in reduced wear and tear on the clutch packs. Valve Body Upgrades can also provide better lubrication, decreases in transmission temperatures, less hunting, improvements in the transmission’s ability to provide engine braking by approximately 10% and improvements to fuel economy.

Nomad Valve Body

The Heavy Duty Nomad Valve Body Upgrade handles the additional pressure placed on your transmission by towing, heavy loads, performance chips, exhaust upgrades or other performance modifications. This transmission valve body is designed and manufactured in Australia to suit our climate and terrain. The Nomad Valve Body Upgrade will give you the extra confidence for towing and off-roading with your 4WD.

For more information on this upgrade, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.

Temperature Gauge / Scan Gauge

The main cause of transmission failure is overheating. Excessive heat will damage the internal seals and cause the clutches to slip and burn. Don’t let overheating catch you out!

A transmission specific temperature gauge is the best way to constantly monitor the operating temperature of your transmission. Here at Rowell & Searle Auto we can provide a vehicle specific option for you. You can rely on the easy to read, live data reading rather than waiting for the red light to appear on your dash once the transmission oil has already overheated.

By adding a transmission temperature gauge to your vehicle, it can offer peace of mind while towing your caravan or trailer, particularly on hilly terrain. If your temperatures reach an excessive level of around 150 degrees, you can select lower gears or pull over and leave the engine running to allow your transmission to cool down before it causes internal damage. Optimal operating temperatures should be below 100 degrees C.

We can either install an analogue temperature gauge or a Scan Gauge to your vehicle, depending on compatibility. For more details on the scan gauge read here: https://www.unclutchables.com.au/2018/01/30/scangauge-ii/.

Service Requirements

Even with all of the various transmission upgrades available, we can’t stress enough the importance of maintenance!

Repeated heat cycles with an average count of four shifts per km during normal day-to-day city driving, can lead to contaminated and oxidized transmission fluid. The lubricating and heat dissipating additives in the oil quickly depletes and the oil can become abrasive.
Typically the transmission doesn’t get serviced while the vehicle is under new car warranty. As all oils have a service life, the fluid is usually well past its use-by date by the time the manufacturer’s warranty expires.
The cost of repairing a transmission is worth avoiding, not only because of the costs involved, but also the inconvenience of a break down!

Nothing beats regular fluid changes.

We recommend transmissions are serviced at least every 40,000 km.

Rowell & Searle Auto, the trusted name in transmissions. We know our transmissions, we know how to make them run smoother, tow stronger, perform better on or off-road. Book your obligation free consultation today! (08) 8221 6694