Bought new 42RLE transmission today from Bullripper

I just had my bullripper installed the other day. I had a shop put it in for me. So far so good. Haven't taken it on the highway yet and haven't gone over 60. But the shifting seems fine so far. Ask away for any ?'s you may have.

Any updates on the bullripper, how do you like it? Would you recommend it? I'm needing to get something different here very soon and pondering just a factory rebuild with a hd torque converter or something else
 
Any updates on the bullripper, how do you like it? Would you recommend it? I'm needing to get something different here very soon and pondering just a factory rebuild with a hd torque converter or something else

Mine is in storage now but seemed to run just fine in town and drove well from AZ to CA.

I dealt with some annoyances but nothing that would cause me to change who I went with because I don’t trust the other options to be any better if I have problems (their customer service was good so that goes a ways for me).

It wasn’t bullrippers fault that my torque converter had a slight shake to it after install (new TCs are usually good to go).

I did a warranty right away and had them send me a billet torque converter for my troubles. They believed the TC was fine and the flex plate was bad but my installer predicted and later proved that not to be the case when he replaced the TC. Both TCs were made by precision which is a major TC supplier and who my local installer trusts on his rebuilds so no worries there. My installer was the most legit professional mechanic I came across in Tucson (super smart, experienced, and patient). He’s the only guy in town I’d legit trust touching my Jeep. This quiet no name guy won the national championship for being the top HS mechanic back in like 1991 after doing various things and then taking a written exam in Detroit. I only know this becuase I asked him what that old dusty 5 ft trophy was from. Pretty cool.

Engagement wise, all was 100% good (rather than 95% good) after the second TC was installed. However, I had to pay my installer again and the warranty doesn’t cover the full actual labor cost.

Note: you will re-use your coupler housing (from transmission to the transfer case) when installing the bullripper transmission. I suggest you change the seal while you have easy access. If bullripper ships the transmission with a coupler attached, then know it’s only there for protection during shipping. Remove it even if it’s not tagged to do so. If you don’t trust me on that, call them and they will tell you exactly that. Do this to avoid it leaking and needing to remove your transmission later. My leak was solved on the second install since it already had to come out. Luckily I still had the original transmission. Bullripper’s operations department only sometimes ship the trans with a housing to prevent damage. In my case the housing was paint-matched, RTVd and fully bolted down AND there was no tag or instructions saying to remove it. I let them know that they need to fix their tagging system or include it in the instructions. They agreed. They said that they had a worker quit and issues in production during my build and believed that caused the problem for me. Hopefully won’t be an issue moving forward. And u now have the knowledge to avoid that problem.

Last annoyance, Blaine found that a helicoil was used in a through-hole (that’s uncalled for) after he installed a temp gauge bung for me. The helicoil prevented the pan from mating properly, and Blaine fixed it right bc he’s awesome. I let bullripper know that it happened so hopefully that doesn’t happen in the future.

With all that said I’d have them do the next build bc their customer service handled the mistakes well enough and I have the knowledge/experience on how to better micromanage the build.
I’ve heard ATS diesel sorta tells their customers to kick rocks so based on that I wouldn’t go with them especially when the cost is so much more.

I’ll report back if I have any issues driving it from CA to AZ, off-roading, or from AZ to NV during the holidays, but I don’t expect to. And Blaine didn’t mention any shifting weirdness when he test drove it after his outboarding and steering mods to the rig. He’s not light on the throttle during those tests lol.

Bullripper doesn’t usually sell their transmission with a billet TC. Their normal HD TC housing is stamped steel. Their sales side said it’s got brazen this and that but my installer said that’s been pretty standard since the early nineties and suggested I get a billet. Their production manager found out that I do off-roading and also suggested to go billet, so I had a billet TC installed on the second attempt (the part arrived to me in a couple of days).

The install experience wasn’t too fun, but functionally all seems good and that’s what I care about most. Thankfully I didn’t do the install myself laying in the dirt (twice!). My installer had the credibility and knowledge that I wouldn’t have had.

I hope the install experience will be better for others especially now that we know some of what to look out for.

Edit: words (sorry my phone is jacked)
 
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Hey Mike,
Who is your installer in Tucson?

Aztec Transmissions (owner's name is Eddie).

It's a small hole-in-the-wall place and super easy to miss. If you head east on Grant (coming from I-10) make sure to look to your right as you pass Fairview. The little white building is on your right. I came from the University area (opposite way) so I headed west on Grant towards I-10 then did a U-turn at Fairview.

Screen Shot 2022-11-13 at 11.45.28 PM.png


At some point, Eddie will be moving his shop to the nice taller blue building NE of his current location (just giving you the heads up). Pretty sure he's just waiting on the seller to move his things to the smaller blue buildings across the street.

Eddie initially states that he'll only do an OEM rebuild, but he will install a billet TC if you ask, and he will do the valve reem as part of the job (pretty sure). I burnt my transmission up to the point of boiling the fluid so we both felt it would be best for me to get a different unit rather than having him rebuild it. He's honest and quietly sharp as a tack.

Tell him I said hi if you ever talk with him (Michael with the Jeep and tiny Aussie mix). He's a good one.
 
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Mine is in storage now but seemed to run just fine in town and drove well from AZ to CA.

I dealt with some annoyances but nothing that would cause me to change who I went with because I don’t trust the other options to be any better if I have problems (their customer service was good so that goes a ways for me).

It wasn’t bullrippers fault that my torque converter had a slight shake to it after install (new TCs are usually good to go).

I did a warranty right away and had them send me a billet torque converter for my troubles. They believed the TC was fine and the flex plate was bad but my installer predicted and later proved that not to be the case when he replaced the TC. Both TCs were made by precision which is a major TC supplier and who my local installer trusts on his rebuilds so no worries there. My installer was the most legit professional mechanic I came across in Tucson (super smart, experienced, and patient). He’s the only guy in town I’d legit trust touching my Jeep. This quiet no name guy won the national championship for being the top HS mechanic back in like 1991 after doing various things and then taking a written exam in Detroit. I only know this becuase I asked him what that old dusty 5 ft trophy was from. Pretty cool.

Engagement wise, all was 100% good (rather than 95% good) after the second TC was installed. However, I had to pay my installer again and the warranty doesn’t cover the full actual labor cost.

Note: you will re-use your coupler housing (from transmission to the transfer case) when installing the bullripper transmission. I suggest you change the seal while you have easy access. If bullripper ships the transmission with a coupler attached, then know it’s only there for protection during shipping. Remove it even if it’s not tagged to do so. If you don’t trust me on that, call them and they will tell you exactly that. Do this to avoid it leaking and needing to remove your transmission later. My leak was solved on the second install since it already had to come out. Luckily I still had the original transmission. Bullripper’s operations department only sometimes ship the trans with a housing to prevent damage. In my case the housing was paint-matched, RTVd and fully bolted down AND there was no tag or instructions saying to remove it. I let them know that they need to fix their tagging system or include it in the instructions. They agreed. They said that they had a worker quit and issues in production during my build and believed that caused the problem for me. Hopefully won’t be an issue moving forward. And u now have the knowledge to avoid that problem.

Last annoyance, Blaine found that a helicoil was used in a through-hole (that’s uncalled for) after he installed a temp gauge bung for me. The helicoil prevented the pan from mating properly, and Blaine fixed it right bc he’s awesome. I let bullripper know that it happened so hopefully that doesn’t happen in the future.

With all that said I’d have them do the next build bc their customer service handled the mistakes well enough and I have the knowledge/experience on how to better micromanage the build.
I’ve heard ATS diesel sorta tells their customers to kick rocks so based on that I wouldn’t go with them especially when the cost is so much more.

I’ll report back if I have any issues driving it from CA to AZ, off-roading, or from AZ to NV during the holidays, but I don’t expect to. And Blaine didn’t mention any shifting weirdness when he test drove it after his outboarding and steering mods to the rig. He’s not light on the throttle during those tests lol.

Bullripper doesn’t usually sell their transmission with a billet TC. Their normal HD TC housing is stamped steel. Their sales side said it’s got brazen this and that but my installer said that’s been pretty standard since the early nineties and suggested I get a billet. Their production manager found out that I do off-roading and also suggested to go billet, so I had a billet TC installed on the second attempt (the part arrived to me in a couple of days).

The install experience wasn’t too fun, but functionally all seems good and that’s what I care about most. Thankfully I didn’t do the install myself laying in the dirt (twice!). My installer had the credibility and knowledge that I wouldn’t have had.

I hope the install experience will be better for others especially now that we know some of what to look out for.

Edit: words (sorry my phone is jacked)

Thank you for sharing your experience, im thinking from what I've gathered the last few weeks il just get my factory trans rebuilt. I am wanting a HD torque converter installed tho . Are there many options you guys are aware of that I should ask my builder about or anything else I should ask or have done at the same time?
 
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Thank you for sharing your experience, im thinking from what I've gathered the last few weeks il just get my factory trans rebuilt. I am wanting a HD torque converter installed tho . Are there many options you guys are aware of that I should ask my builder about or anything else I should ask or have done at the same time?

ATS Diesel and Recon are the only billet converters that I've found so far
 
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Thank you for sharing your experience, im thinking from what I've gathered the last few weeks il just get my factory trans rebuilt. I am wanting a HD torque converter installed tho . Are there many options you guys are aware of that I should ask my builder about or anything else I should ask or have done at the same time?

The cursive "Precision" logo in the link below matches my memory of the name on the TC box that I saw in my installer's shop.

Give Precision a call and ask them if they have a billet TC for your year. The link to Precision shows the TC for the 2.5L Wranglers on the left, the later model 4.0L Wranglers in the middle, and the early model 4.0L Wranglers on the right. If it's the same Precision that I know of (and it probably is), then just know that they sell a stamped steel housing version and a Billet housing version. The previous links appear to go to their OEM replacement (so call and confirm if this is their billet version or stamped housing version).

Alternatively, you can call transmission exchange in Portland (Bullripper is a division of transmission exchange that does full builds). This is who supplied my Precision billet TC for the second installation.

Hope that helps.
 
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Well, I made the move but didn't go with Bullripper or ATS although I apreciate everyones feedback. I went with street smart. My decision was swayed by two things. Street smart had a very good warranty. Street Smart had an office in the Central FL area so if I have issues I can walk in the front door. I had a local (reputable) shop put it in as that way Street Smart covers labor in their warranty as well. Rear main was leaking so I asked them to change that out while on the rack. Drives, shifts good. Tested in the local neighborhood at the shop. Bad news is I decided to give it a run on the interstate for a few miles on the way home at 70 mph. Threw a code P0171 bank 1 lean. Got to the house and checked again for leaks and have two. One looks like it's at the front of the transfer case. The other looks like the rear main. I put in a B&M supercooler and transmission guage as well. At least that part looks to be solid, cooling and working. I'll be bringing it back to the shop this week. If it's the transfer case I can't really blame it on the shop. The seals are 16 years old. The rear main on the other hand..........and now O2 sensors or catalytic converters. It's like the Jeep and I are line dancing. One step forward and two steps back, slide to the left!

@Grote care to update how your street smarts transmission is working out? I too am in need of a transmission rebuild and looking at their transmission reman option.
 
Yes, Chris and I talked about these guys and ATS diesel a while ago. Please do post your observations on how you like the new 42RLE.

I got one from them about 6 months ago it did fine out the gate then had t.c lockup issues and now wont move and goes forward in reverse amd neutral. And sofar they have dont nothing to assist in fixing it.
 
I got one from them about 6 months ago it did fine out the gate then had t.c lockup issues and now wont move and goes forward in reverse amd neutral. And sofar they have dont nothing to assist in fixing it.

Who did you get yours from?
 
Sounds bad, since it broke down and they aren’t responding to fix it.
 
No, but thinking that it won’t be long before I will have to do something. Get some rough shifting from 1st to 2nd once in a while.
 
I got one from them about 6 months ago it did fine out the gate then had t.c lockup issues and now wont move and goes forward in reverse amd neutral. And sofar they have dont nothing to assist in fixing it.

I did not have a positive experience with ATS diesel too. Online reviews are 50-50 for good vs bad. There are coupe folks on this forum who have have good experiences with them. As always, it boils down to the person doing the rebuild and how much they care about their work irrespective of the company name they work for.
 
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I did not have a positive experience with ATS diesel too. Online reviews are 50-50 for good vs bad. There are coupe folks on this forum who have have good experiences with them. As always, it boils down to the person doing the rebuild and how much they care about their work irrespective of the company name they work for.

Fair enough. Im leaning towards doing a nv3550 swap