Cheryl Slocum; 1948–2007 - ATRA

POWERTRAIN INDUSTRY NEWS
Hot Flush Extends
30-Day Trial Program
Hot Flush Inc., the leading innovator
in cooler flushing technology,
has announced that it will extend its
thirty-day trial program because of the
overwhelming response they received.
Hot Flush has implemented their own,
in-house financing that will simplify
the process for those who wish to take
advantage of the tax benefits of a dollar
buyout lease.
The Hot Flush machine itself
has seen some recent improvements:
Swiveling 90 degree turrets have
replaced the quick coupler ends on the
panel of the machine, increasing flow
and allowing the operator to adjust the
angle of the hoses to accommodate
each individual application.
And three new Quick Coupler
Fittings have been added to the fitting
kit: the Allison T-1000, Ford 4R100,
and Volkswagen fittings are now available.
The changes to machine and the
additional fittings are the direct result
of Hot Flush taking the feedback it
receives from its customers, and building
their suggestions into its products.
The result is a product that reflects the
requirements in today’s modern transmission
shop.
For more information, contact Hot
Flush at (800) 852-5713 and be sure
to visit its web site at www.hotflusher.
com.
GEARS does not endorse new products but makes this new information available
to readers. If you have a new product, please email the press release information
with applicable digital photo or drawing to pressrelease@gearsmagazine.com or
send by mail to GEARS, 2400 Latigo Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93030.
New Kit from Sonnax
Solves Allison
Engagement Problems
A harsh or
delayed bump
on forward
engagement is a
common problem
on Allison
1000/2000/2400
series transmissions.
Now you
can correct this
problem with the
Sonnax updated
C1 Backfill
Valve and Seal
Kit, Sonnax P/N
37000-05K.
The OEM
C1 valve has a fixed flow rate and no
seal at the large spool to prevent hot
fluid loss. The Sonnax valve changes
the fixed flow rate to regulated, reducing
wear of the C1 clutch hub. And
the Teflon® seal prevents C1 oil from
leaking to exhaust. This is a drop in
replacement, with no bore modifications
required.
For more information about this
or other Sonnax solutions, stop by the
Sonnax web site, at www.sonnax.com.
ZF Launches Parts
Program for 6-Speed
Automatics
ZF — a leading automotive supplier
of driveline and chassis technology
— announced the immediate availability
of 6-speed automatic passenger
car transmission parts, kits and fluid
for select ZF 6HP automatic transmissions.
ZF introduced the first 6-speed
automatic transmission for passenger
cars in 2001 and in 2006 celebrated the
production of its 10 millionth automatic
transmission for passenger cars. With a
large population of 6-speed automatic
transmissions coming out of warranty,
ZF Sales & Service NA, LLC is posi-
tioned to provide a full line of genuine
replacement parts to the aftermarket.
Available only from ZF Authorized
Distributors are genuine parts, kits and
fluid for ZF 6HP19, 6HP26 and 6HP32
transmissions. These transmissions are
commonly found in late model Audi,
BMW, Jaguar and Land Rover applications.
ZF is a leading worldwide supplier
of driveline and chassis technology.
Headquartered in Friedrichshafen,
Germany, ZF is among the 15 largest
automotive suppliers in the world. The
ZF Group North American Operations
Headquarters and Technical Center is
located in Northville, MI, USA. For
more information, stop by the ZF web
site, at www.zf-group.com.
PDQ Introduces Fix for
5R55N Torque
Converter Rattle
PDQ Transmission Parts, Inc. is
pleased to announce a comprehensive
update for the 5R55N/S/W torque converter
piston rattle.
Torque converter rattle is a common
after-rebuild problem with 5R55N
torque converters. The cause? Broken
or stressed antirattle retainers on the
68 GEARS July 2007

converter clutch gear.
Until now, there haven’t been any
replacement parts available to the aftermarket
to correct this problem. But now
PDQ has reengineered the piston and
damper configuration, which eliminates
this problem area completely. What’s
more, the improved design increases
lockup holding capacity.
PDQ Transmission Parts, headquartered
in Sacramento, California,
is a leading supplier of torque converters
and transmission components to
the transmission aftermarket. For more
information or to find a qualified distributor
near you, call PDQ’s customer
service at 800.852.3351 or visit PDQ’s
web site at www.pdqparts.com
ATRA Chooses
Heffernan for Health &
Life Ins.
Heffernan
Insurance Brokers,
with offices and
services nationwide, has been chosen to
offer group Health, Life and Retirement
insurance as an ATRA Member Benefit
in the United States.
“The Heffernan Group has worked
with ATRA for several years to provide
Garage Liability, Property and Vehicle
insurance to our members,” said Kelly
Hilmer, ATRA’s membership director.
“Their personal service and competitive
prices have been a great member
benefit. Now we can offer a full range
of Health and Retirement programs for
ATRA members; it’s just one more reason
to join ATRA.”
For more information on Heffernan
Insurance products, please call Jani De
La Rosa or Shauna Gilbert at 1-800-
234-6787, or send an email request
to janid@heffgroup.com or shaunag@
heffgroup.com.
Whatever It Takes
Opens Indiana Store
Whatever It Takes (WIT) has just
announced the opening of its 15th store,
located in Indianapolis, Indiana. With
the addition of Indianapolis, WIT will
not only service the area overnight, but
will now offer daily deliveries to the
area.
In a little over 7 years since its
inception, Whatever It Takes has
become the fastest growing transmission
parts distributor in the country.
WIT attributes a large part of its rapid
growth to customer loyalty, built by a
relentless effort to combine top notch
customer service, quality parts, innovative
products and services, with a
knowledgeable sales staff.
WIT has partnered with Pat Mills,
formerly of Dacco Transmission Parts,
Inc., to manage the operations at the
Indianapolis location. Pat brings almost
9 years of parts and warehouse experience
to the team.
For more information about
Whatever It Takes, stop by their web
site at www.wittrans.com.
Zoom Announces New
Tranx 2007 Update
Zoom Technology of West Berlin,
New Jersey, has announced the release
a new TranX 2007 update module.
The new module, P/N TX2006A
replaces the existing EPROM and features
support for 28 new transmissions.
The new processor handles late-model
transitional shift states, sequential
shifting transmissions, and improves
frequency control for newer transmissions.
Some of the most requested tests
include:
• Ford 5R55W/S/N
• Chrysler 45RFE
• Allison 1000/2000
• ZF 5HP19/24/30
• 4 & 5 Speed Mitsubishi units
• Mercedes 722.6
• JF506E
Zoom Technology indicates the
update, available through authorized
TX2006A distributors, can be installed
by the end user, decreasing down time
and eliminating unnecessary shipping
costs.
For more information, call Zoom
Technology toll free at 800-443-8130,
extension 20, or visit their web site at
www.zoom-tech.com.
Parts Ordering
Guide from Brown
Transmission Books
B r o w n
Transmission
Books has just
announced the
release of their
latest product: Transmission Parts
Ordering Guide. Frequently ordered
transmission parts (with the supplier
part number) are arranged in a laminated
flip chart. Parts Ordering Guides
are available with Transtar, Dacco and
Whatever It Takes part numbers.
Here’s a list of the Parts Ordering
Guides available:
• Transtar English
• Transtar English/Spanish
• Transtar/Axiom English
• Transtar/Axiom Spanish
• Whatever It Takes English
• Whatever It Takes English/
Spanish
• Dacco English
• Dacco English/Spanish
Salespeople benefit from the Parts
Ordering Guide because it provides a
list of parts to suggest to their customers.
Transmission shop managers (or
parts buyers) benefit from using the
Parts Ordering Guide because it will
prevent omitting a critical part from
their order.
Brown Transmission Books also
produces Transmission Rebuilder
Notebook and Transmission Pricing
GEARS July 2007 69

POWER INDUSTRY NEWS
Guide. Both of these books help improve
work flow in transmission shops.
For more information about these
products call Patsy Furr at 1-877-957-
7606 or visit their web site at www.
browntrans.com.
RadioTek 3rd Edition
DVD Great Tech is Just
a Mouse Click Away!
The RatioTek 3rd Edition DVD
from Transmission Times is a complete
technical library on a single disk: over
115 tech books with thousands of pages
of data that isn’t available anywhere
else.
The new DVD includes ZF5HP19,
6R60, 5L40E and AW55-50SN, A4AF3,
ZF6HP26, 4T65EV, 722.6/W5A580
and A650. It provides hours of MPEG
movies and much of the existing information
has been updated. The new
DVD even includes easy instructions
for using a Snap-on scanner.
There’s nothing to learn; just click
the trans type. The information you’re
looking for just pops on screen. Find
connector pins, solenoid identification,
checkball and orifice locations, and all
resistance specs. And it prints pages in
color or black & white.
Just a simple mouse click takes
you instantly to the information you
need. The DVD is copyright protected
and will be registered to you. You can
copy it to your shop computer, laptop…
even your home computer.
For more information, call (256)
830-2199 or stop by our web site at
www.ratiotek.com. Ask about special
ATRA Member discounts!
NAPA Bearings and Oil
Seals Awards Restored
1969 Camaro
NAPA Bearings and Oil Seals
awarded Grand Rapids, MI native,
Dave Helmholt, a fully restored 1969
Dave Helmholt and his team
of technicians surround his
grand prize 1969 Chevy Camaro
SuperSport. Dave won the Camaro
for participating in the NAPA
Bearings and Oil Seals Muscle Car
Giveaway promotion.
Chevy Camaro SuperSport as part
of the NAPA Bearings and Oil Seals
Muscle Car Giveaway promotion.
Helmholt was selected from over 5000
entries. Participants entered the contest
by sending in a coupon or purchasing
select NAPA Bearings and Oil Seals
products.
“This is truly one of the greatest
surprises in my life,” said Helmholt
when handed the keys to the meticulously
restored Camaro. “I just can’t
wait to go cruising!”
“The NAPA Muscle Car promotion
was one of the most exciting NAPA promotions
we’ve presented lately,” added
Ed Vance, Director of Sales, NAPA
Bearings and Oil Seals. “We received
an overwhelming response that generated
a lot of excitement among NAPA
car care centers, stores and distribution
centers. We’ll look to continue this
excitement with future promotions and
incentive programs.”
Helmholt owns and operators Ed
& Dave’s Automotive in Grand Rapids,
MI. A technician for 30 years, Helmholt
has been a member of the NAPA Car
Care Center group for more than 15
years. With 13 bays and four employees,
Ed and Dave’s services about 50
vehicles a week.
For more information about NAPA
Bearings and Oil Seals and SKF, visit
www.vsm.skf.com.
Raybestos Powertrain
Offers Exclusive
Warranty on Electrical
Components
Raybestos Powertrain has
announced that it is now offering
the only warranty on electrical
components in the aftermarket
industry. The warranty states
that each electrical component
manufactured or supplied by
Raybestos Powertrain will be free
from defects in material or factory
workmanship for five years or 50,000
miles from the date of sale. (Please
refer to Raybestos Powertrain's website
— raybestospowertrain.com — and
catalog for details and limitations.)
“This warranty is exclusive to
Raybestos Powertrain, and it’s exclusive
to this type of component,” said Al
Avila, general manager of Raybestos
Powertrain. “We’re able to offer this
warranty because of our confidence in
the innovative design, superior manufacture
and rigorous testing of our electrical
components.”
Raybestos Powertrain’s electrical
components include solenoids and
speed sensors. Raybestos solenoids are
validated by hot oil testing beyond a
million cycles and are durable under
the most severe operating conditions.
Raybestos Powertrain has developed
input and output speed sensors, which
are superior even to OE. The company’s
patent pending design is completely
impervious to moisture, as all internal
components are fully supported and
protected from outside contaminants.
Raybestos Powertrain is one of
the largest distributors of transmission-related
friction products in the
world, supplying the next generation
of OE-quality aftermarket products for
automotive and heavy-duty use. For
more information, visit their web site at
www.raybestospowertrain.com.
Alto Announces
Opening of European
Headquarters
Alto Products Corp is pleased
to announce the opening of its new
European Headquarters based in the
Netherlands.
70 GEARS July 2007

“Driven by the need to service
our growing OEM market within the
European community, we can now provide
administrative and engineering
support locally,” said Mike Halston,
VP of European Sales. “The facility
we’ve established will also warehouse
and distribute product to our European
aftermarket customer base through our
authorized distributors.”
“The geographical position and
multilanguage capabilities of the
Netherlands plays a key role within the
global business network, and boasts
an advanced infrastructure geared
toward transporting commodities,” said
Marlene Rubi, who will coordinate
the Alto sales in the region. “With its
strategic position and having earned its
reputation as the ‘gateway to Europe,’
we will no doubt be successful in offering
better and quicker service to our
customers.”
Alto Products is the oldest and
largest independently owned-and-operated
clutch manufacturer in the world.
For more information please visit www.
altoUSA.com.
BD Announces New
X-Flow Power Intake
Elbows for Dodge-
Cummins and Ford
Improve the underhood appearance
and performance of your 2003-2007
5.9L Dodge-Cummins or 2005-2007
6.0L Ford Power Stroke engine with a
new BD X-Flow Power Intake Elbow
from BD Diesel Performance.
Available in black powder-coated
or polished cast aluminum, the X-Flow
Power features a larger plenum for
increased airflow and smooth radius
turns to reduce turbulence and intake
pressure losses.
Up to three convenient ports (one
pre-tapped) make it easy to monitor
boost and/or inject water methanol,
nitrous oxide or other power adders.
BD Diesel Performance is a leader
in diesel performance innovation for
Dodge, Ford and GM diesel applications.
For more information, contact
BD Diesel Performance, (800) 887
5030, or visit their web site at www.
dieselperformance.com.
WyoTech Awards
TransTec for
Contributions and
Assistance
WyoTech, recognized as an educational
leader within the automotive
(transmission) industry, recently
presented TransTec with an award in
appreciation for contributions and assistance
with its education program. The
award was presented by Mark Millen,
president of WyoTech’s Freemont,
California campus to John Wozniak,
manager of product development and
John Galloway, TransTec national sales
manager for Freudenberg-NOK, the
company that supplies TransTec® brand
transmission kits and components.
“We are pleased to support
WyoTech and tomorrow’s transmission
professionals and appreciate this
award,” noted John Wozniak.
“We are honored to give back to
the industry that has allowed us to grow
and prosper,” said John Galloway.
TransTec has supplied world-class
kits and components to the automotive
aftermarket since 1978. TransTec®
kits are produced in Milan, Ohio by
Freudenberg-NOK, the American partnership
of the world's largest producers
of sealing products. For more information
visit www.TransTec.com.
Caption: Left to right – John
Wozniak, Mark Millen and John
Galloway
TCI Offers New 700R4
Constant Pressure VB
Revolutionary TCI® Constant
Pressure Valve Body avoids incorrect
TV cable installation: the most common
cause of GM 700R4 transmission
failure.
Many racers and street performance
enthusiasts incorrectly install
their transmission with the critical TV
cable — used to set internal line pressure
and part-throttle shifting — either
left disconnected or improperly adjusted.
The result? Total transmission meltdown,
often within just a few miles.
Installation of the TCI® 700R4
Constant Pressure Valve Body avoids
common transmission destruction by
maintaining at least 200 PSI line pressure
at all times. While the TV cable still
needs to be connected for proper transmission
operation, the TCI® 700R4
Constant Pressure Valve provides more
freedom when setting part throttle shift
points. Line pressure is fixed, with no
chance of low line pressure.
For more information about the
TCI® 700R4 Contact Pressure Valve
Body or any other TCI product, call 1-
888-776-9824, or visit their web site, at
www.tciauto.com.
GEARS July 2007 71

POWER INDUSTRY NEWS
SKF E-Catalog CD
Receives 2007 NCMA
President’s Award
SKF recently received the National
Catalog Managers Association’s
(NCMA) 2007 President’s Award for
Catalog Excellence for its SKF E-
Cat CD — “The Power of Knowledge
Engineering” (457007). The comprehensive
E-Catalog CD offers data comparable
to six of SKF’s more popular
catalogs in an interactive format.
“The SKF catalog team is excited
to accept this honor from NCMA,”
said Manuel Lopez, Catalog Manager,
SKF. “The E-catalog CD is unique
to our industry, providing customers
with access to up-to-the-minute information
and technical data. This award
recognizes the dedication put forth by
SKF and its employees to
meet the extreme demands
of today’s industries.”
The SKF E-Cat CD
offers information on SKF
products: application information,
specifications,
interchange listings, images
and technical tips. The E-
Cat CD installs only once
and doesn’t require a CD
for future use or updates.
Additionally, the E-Cat
doesn’t require a dedicated
Internet connection after
installation, allowing portability on a
laptop computer. Data is updated every
30 days via the Internet by simply pushing
an update button.
To obtain a copy of the SKF E-
Cat CD — “The Power of Knowledge
Engineering,” contact SKF customer
service at 1-800-882-0008 and place
an order by product number 457007,
contact your local SKF representative
or visit www.vsm.skf.com.
AES Introduces
Anno Wave Software
Graphical representation of data
is critical to communicate technical
information effectively to your colleagues
and customers. Anno Wave is a
graphics annotation and layout program
that combines key features from image
editing, page layout, vector art, and
presentation programs.
Anno Wave radically simplifies the
creation of high-end annotated graphics
for documentation, web displays, email
and much more.
• Annotate your instrument
screen captures
• Add active measurement cursors
to any image
• Create animated GIFs
• Combine and organize multiple
images
Other features include:
• Antialiasing for smooth lines
• Overlays; create it once and
use it often
• Image captions
• Image effects
• Image transparency
• Image bucket; save related
images to one file
And Anno Wave works with AES
Wave.
Download a 30-day free trial
at www.aeswave.com, or view online
help file at www.aeswave.com/
annowave/helpfile/.
Cheryl Slocum;
1948–2007
It’s with the greatest sadness that
we mark the passing of Cheryl Lynn
Slocum, who died on June 5, 2007
after a lengthy illness. Cheryl was the
wife of Frank Slocum, vice-president
of sales and marketing for Raybestos
Powertrain.
Cheryl was a regular fixture at
ATRA’s annual Expo, where she was a
common sight in the Raybestos booth.
Those of us who had the privilege of
knowing her will tell you she was a
beautiful woman, both inside and out.
From the moment you met her, you
would think of Cheryl as a friend. She
will be greatly missed.
She is survived by Frank, her
husband of 33 years, and their three
daughters: Courtney P. and Kyleigh
A. of Atlanta and Whitney H. of
Crawfordsville.
The family asks that, in lieu of
flowers, a donation be made in Cheryl's
name to the American Cancer Society
or the Crawfordsville Animal Welfare
League.
72 GEARS July 2007