Project LBZ Part 2

Transmission Rebuild

Custom Auto and Brendle are known for their abilities to dive deep into Duramax engines and tweak the most horsepower possible out of the trucks. To handle the increased power, we wanted to ensure our transmission would be up to the challenge. When discussing the transmission there was only one name that came up time and time again for the job and that was Dmitri Millard.

Constantly being on the road traveling from shop to shop, Millard was a difficult professional to get, but we were willing to wait as we trust the reputation and quality of Millard’s work from first-hand experiences. Before opening No Zone Diesel in Utah, Millard worked for Custom Auto and the relationship between Brendle and Millard have produced some of the most powerful and impressive Duramax trucks in the industry.

Millard’s passion for his work is only overshadowed by his larger-than-life personality. While dissembling the tranny amid a flurry of bolts, clutch plates and gears, Millard is acutely aware of the perception of his work. After constructing countless transmissions, Millard works like a man possessed, positive that his craftsmanship will outlast any parts.

From the moment he walked through the door and began to assess the work before him, Millard wasted no time breaking down the Allison transmission. Millard’s eye for detail and experience was more than readily apparent as he precisely eyeballed the stacked gear and clutch plates, measuring them as accurately as a micrometer. Millard was able to dissemble, strip, and clean the transmission in minutes. After accounting for all of the parts and reviewing their quality, he began the process of rebuilding the transmission. His hands flew—never once did he stop talking—and in a few short hours he had reinforced the transmission to handle the new compound turbo setup.