I have UK Law on my side. They guarantee all parts are cleaned, inspected and tested. the mechanic made no such guarantee, and it's not his responsibility to guarantee the part works, just to fit it.
Out of curiosity, when you say “they,” do you mean that the salvage yard guaranteed they’d do all of that prior to shipping out, or that UK law requires it of ANY used part?
@Bing: Would you quit washing your %$*& horse on a Sunday? Don’t you know there’s a LAW?!?
I wonder if this is a two cable gear shift control system and there is a problem with one of the cables. What was the problem with the original transmission?
u have 3 trans? Why not take a pic of shifter linkage on trans? Just for giggles. Have u even tried to shift linkage on trans #1? Or is it gone? How about #2?
@asemaster; I didn’t mean that they should guarantee that the part will last 50k miles, just that the part works. It’s one thing to put in a used alternator and have to pull it back out because it doesn’t charge, and another to do an entire tranny exchange twice.
Wouldn’t you expect a working tranny!!!
Maybe the guarantee that it has been tested should be limited to items over X dollars.
Yosemite
Re: salvage parts, I can’t speak about English laws, but I do know the Danish laws. I’ve been working on a junkyard several years.
A licensed junkyard in Denmark has to provide at least 3 months warranty by law on mechanical parts (driveline, wiper motors/systems, alternators, axels - you know the drill). Non mechanical parts (bodyparts, seats - all that stuff) is sold as approved by customer either by diy or over the counter. As an example - you need a windshield which is glued in. WE don’t take it out of the wreck, YOU do, You pay up front - around 30 bucks regardless of car/model, now its Your windscreen or Your broken glas. With mechanical parts, each and every part would be tested thoroughly by us - both on the road and in the workshop - oil pressure/comp./camshaft (ohc), leaks, alternator output under load etc. Better we turn an engine or gearbox or … into a boat anchor than a customer does.
Mind you, here only licensed junkyards can buy wrecks from insurance companies and owners of old worn out cars cannot get the scrapping refund from the government (right now around 270 USD).
A refund is only possible if we can’t supply another part, no labour is covered.
The letters from the mechanics would be to say that they would have fit it the same way, and that the damage would not have been spotted by them either.
The supplier (of used and new parts, not a scrap yard) has a guarantee that all their parts are inspected, cleaned and tested. Even if they didn’t, but they sold me a part that they claim is working, and it arrives broken, they are at fault.
If they guarantee a part works, and as a result of that guarantee being believed, there are additional costs, the dishonesty/incompetence of the supplier is the reason for those additional costs, and they have to reimburse me under the “sale of goods act 1979”.
If, however, it worked for a brief while, with no warranty, and then broke, after it being explained to me that it was used and worn, I would have to suffer the costs of it breaking.
As it is, I have done no wrong and any who think I should be the one who loses out are lacking a grip on reality, let alone basic morality or basic law.
Equating my buying something second hand which is guaranteed to work with it being justified that I, rather than those at fault, suffer the financial damages is an egregious logical and ethical error of embarrasing proportions. Mentioning no names 
I now have 3 gearboxes-
Heck, you oughta be able to put one good gearbox together with all those parts.
It’s one thing to put in a used alternator and have to pull it back out because it doesn’t charge, and another to do an entire tranny exchange twice.
Exactly! Given the cost and effort required to do this job I would think the safest and best practice would be to use new or rebuilt parts from a reputable transmission shop. Not used parts with unknown and unverifiable history from a salvage yard. I’m a gambling man but even I wouldn’t take that bet.
Wouldn’t you expect a working tranny!!!
Eh. My experience with used transmissions had been about 50/50. Meaning that about half of the time they’re not working properly right from the get-go. As a result it is so very rare that I install used transmissions. And when I do, I want the job paid in full before we start and the customer has a written invoice that states there is no guarantee of any kind that the transmission will work when it’s installed, and that as such if the part is no good the customer will pay the labor again to replace it, until one that works is found. That pretty much discourages anyone from going down that road.
As it is, I have done no wrong and any who think I should be the one who loses out are lacking a grip on reality, let alone basic morality or basic law.
The shop installing the transmission didn’t do anything wrong–that is, I assume the installation of the part was done properly and professionally. They deserve to be paid for their labor. The business that sold you the transmission is providing a replacement part under the terms of their warranty, and I assume said warranty it limited to the part and not labor or incidentals. So they are holding up their end of the bargain. I don’t necessarily think you did anything wrong other than trying to save a few bucks (or quid, or other slang for pounds), but the gamble didn’t pay off. It’s your car and ultimately your responsibility.
I take warranties on used parts with a grain of salt, like the restaurant that guarantees they have the best steak in town. How are you going to prove it?
Any disagreement over a faulty used part that is provided by the customer is between the customer and the salvage yard or individual who sold them the part. The mechanic is completely off the hook on something like this assuming there is no error due to installation.
One would think that if an individual bought a used transmission from a salvage yard and the counter guy says “It’s guaranteed good with a 30 day warranty” the obvious response to the counter guy would be, “Well, how do you know it’s good? Have you driven the car before the trans was pulled?”.
That should lead to some stammering and wandering eyes…