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January 16th 2003, Dan Campbell and I visited Victoria Transmission for a little tour of the facilities. Peter Block was generous enough to take time out of his busy day to speak with us. Pete showed us some of the equipment used in the shop as well as giving us tips and advice on drivetrains as they relate to off-highway vehicle use.

I've never been to Vic Trans, and I was unaware of how well equipped their shop is, nor did I realize how large the facility is (I've only ever driven past it).

Pete seems very knowledgeable with transmissions, and the shop has several specialists available for other aspects of drivetrain tech. This isn't just your run of the mill repair shop, or as Pete put it, "we like to play". These guys have lots of experience with high performance vehicles, and know what works and what doesn't. They don't just repair and overhaul components but have the know-how and equipment on site to do custom vehicle specific work to meet the needs of everything from a monster horsepower drag car to trucks that have to suffer through and hopefully survive the rigors of rock crawling.

Pete started off by explaining what had gone wrong with Dan's transmission. Earlier in the month, Dan had accidentally taken in some water through his breather hole in the transmission on his '95 Grand Cherokee.

After experiencing problems with shifting, and then finding water in the trans, he had it flushed it out three times. Everything seemed ok, but a couple weeks later the trans died, and died for good this time. I'll do a short write-up on the problem and Pete's explanation of what exactly went on inside the transmission and why it died when I get a chance.

I had no idea that Vic Trans had the capability to modify torque converters, but as Pete showed us, they have a full machine shop in-house just for that very reason. If you have a look around the shop you can see that they appear to do a lot of torque converter customizing. I'm sure I will be in need of this service at some point, and I'm relieved that there are knowledgeable professionals here in Victoria. I was previously under the impression that I would have to send my parts to Vancouver.

Along similar lines, I didn't know that they are fully capable of making custom driveshafts and modifications as well as working on differentials to meet and beat the stresses of off-highway use and racing etc. I guess one can get an idea in their head as I did, and it takes an eye opening experience such as this to shake out the misconceptions.

The shop looks unassuming from the outside, and they do do lots of jobber type work. Hence the long line of everyday consumer and commercial vehicles around the shop in various states of repair. Once you get into the bowls of the shop you come across a lot more than just the average run of the mill repairs. In fact, even some of the non-specialized vehicles get the tricked-out treatment. Pete explained the pitfalls of some OEM setups, and how his crew improves on the design and longevity of the parts rather than just ordering in factory parts that might cost an arm and a leg and leave the customer with the same problem to deal with at a later date. Nope, they take care of the problems they come across with the skill that comes with years of experience in the field.

I can't repeat myself enough. They are named Victoria Transmission, but transmissions aren't their only game. Along with explaining how a torque converter works, showing us a trick heavy duty converter for a Dodge Cummins Diesel (ohh...only about $1700, but might just save you a good $5000 or more by preventing blowing your trans during a heavy haul), Pete also explained to use a bit about driveshafts, u-joints, balancing, and differentials.

All in all it was a very interesting and informative visit for me and I think for Dan too. Some key information was passed on that could potentially save you and me some grief, and maybe even a hard hit to the pocket book. I'll be sharing that information as soon as I can.

A well deserved "thank you" to Peter Block and Vic Trans for the tour and the tips and tricks. Keep an eye out for future tech articles as a spin off from this experience.

Note: Vic Trans is donating gift certificates/coupons to Island4x4 to give away at Island4x4 events. They also provide Island4x4 Supporters and the Nefarious Island Rock Monkeys a trade discount on services and parts.

In essence this support helps Island4x4 continue to achieve its goals. Island4x4 is committed to legitimizing off-highway vehicle use on Vancouver Island through responsible use practices and education. To find out more about how you can support us, please e-mail me at jojo@island4x4.com.

Written by jo-jo