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I've got a series 2 PM35 and I can tell you now that getting a new valve body isn't as easy as it seems. It might just be that I'm in the NT but my valve body has died on me and it's been a massive job trying to find a new valve body for the car.

Only recently I found out that the valve body in a pm35 box has a mechatronic unit that needs to be programmed with the vehicles VIN number to work. Next was trying to find a new valve body assembly, couldn't find a shop in australia that could sell me one to suit my car. I finally found a company in Vic that had a contact in Japan, they found the part number I needed however nissan don't sell the valve body assembly anymore. The contact in Japan is now going to the manufacturers of the valve body and asking if it would be possible to get 1 more unit made.

I don't know if anyone else has had this problem before but it's definitely putting me off keeping my stagea.

I doubt anyone else would care much, as they would simply fit a second hand box or repair the one they had.

I don't get what the issue is, it's a 10 year old car after all, and I am sure your box only has a small issue needing repair. You don't buy a rare JDM import and expect gearboxes to be in stock locally, or any parts for that matter.

I would go a second hand box if there was someone here that could program the mechatronic unit. Nissan have told me they don't want to program anything unless I buy the whole box from them

I would go a second hand box if there was someone here that could program the mechatronic unit. Nissan have told me they don't want to program anything unless I buy the whole box from them

I think they call that blackmail.

Is this reprogramming the mechtronic really a thing. Sounds like the biggest load of shit. Maybe if you were trying to put a box from a different model car. But surely if you are putting in a second hand stagea box it will be all good. Maybe I am wrong, but just doesn't sound right.

^That's what I thought, sounds like the perfect time to go manual. If you're lashing out a ton of cash you might as well get some fun out of it once the dust settles.

Was highly considering going manual but would be a massive stuff around changing the foot handbrake to a normal one. Also getting a manual centre console and dash to fit from a v35 might not fit

I never understood how people claim the Autobox in the turbo 33 and 34 skylines are "good up to 300kw". All 3 I've owned have had slip on a completely stock car just with a boost increase to 10 psi. At 7psi they hold, any more than that I can feel the engine pulling more than the actual car is accelerating. People say just buy a new auto box they are cheap but the used ones do the same thing. Maybe I was unlucky or maybe people just cant tell when a auto box is slipping and just think its "good". It will last for many years slipping but you are just wasting power not putting it to the wheels.

It seems pointless to me to just keep throwing stock auto boxes in unless the car is completely stock power wise. The only thing I haven't tried is one with a shift kit, but I was quoted over $1500 to have one installed and at the time it was cheaper to just replace it with a used one but doesn't seem to be the case as you are just spending money for the same problem. The clutch packs in the stock auto box just don't hold on hard enough imo. Afterwards I figured shift kit actually press the clutches together harder thus allowing more power to be transferred to the wheels and preventing wearing out the clutch packs. I think I figured this out too late as I assumed shift kit just makes the autobox transition from one gear to the next faster, i.e "slam the gears", not able to make it hold more power. If that's the case this is how they should come factory as in stock form the they are really lax.

I never understood how people claim the Autobox in the turbo 33 and 34 skylines are "good up to 300kw". All 3 I've owned have had slip on a completely stock car just with a boost increase to 10 psi. At 7psi they hold, any more than that I can feel the engine pulling more than the actual car is accelerating. People say just buy a new auto box they are cheap but the used ones do the same thing. Maybe I was unlucky or maybe people just cant tell when a auto box is slipping and just think its "good". It will last for many years slipping but you are just wasting power not putting it to the wheels.

It seems pointless to me to just keep throwing stock auto boxes in unless the car is completely stock power wise. The only thing I haven't tried is one with a shift kit, but I was quoted over $1500 to have one installed and at the time it was cheaper to just replace it with a used one but doesn't seem to be the case as you are just spending money for the same problem. The clutch packs in the stock auto box just don't hold on hard enough imo. Afterwards I figured shift kit actually press the clutches together harder thus allowing more power to be transferred to the wheels and preventing wearing out the clutch packs. I think I figured this out too late as I assumed shift kit just makes the autobox transition from one gear to the next faster, i.e "slam the gears", not able to make it hold more power. If that's the case this is how they should come factory as in stock form the they are really lax.

If the clutches and bands are genuinely slipping, its hard to imagine it lasting years in that state. You'd be wearing the friction material off, like riding the clutch in a manual.

There is lucky to be half a mm of material on the clutches, one good slip and she's toast in most cases. I know as I have been there twice now, and building an auto isn't cheap.

A shift kit is like increasing the tension on a manual clutch pressure plate springs, much less likely to slip, but when it does there is even more heat involved. A built box includes placing extra clutch plates (power clutch packs) to help increase the surface area, similar to installing a twin plate manual clutch.

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