If dropping the pan doesn't help and you go to rebuild the trans you can always buy a rebuild kit and do it yourself (if you have the parts). Before I got my 06 monte I had a 1996 Ford Thunderbird that was slipping when it went to 3rd and 4th gear. The car had sat a long time before I got it so all the rubbers and seals and what not were shot. My girlfriends dad had all the parts and what not so I took a few days off work and rebuilt the trans with him. It took about a day to get the trans out since one...it was a ford and 2 because the trans was a monster lol (same trans that is used in the f150's). After we got it out I went up and got a manual that talked us through pretty much every step in the process. It took us about 3 solid days of pulling all the clutch packs and what not out and replacing those along with all of the old seals and everything else that was in the rebuild kit. I also went out and got a new torque converter just because and replaced that. Took us about 5 solid days from the point we took out the trans to the time we got it back in. When I took it for a test drive the difference was night and day. My car also had a lot more *** behind it and had alot more get up and go and on top of that I saved myself like $600 or more worth of labor. If you have the parts and look to do a rebuild I would recommend doing it yourself. It wasn't really hard, you just have to pay attention to the book and where things go and make sure you don't forget any parts. All in all honestly it is alot of fun. And if you ever have a chance to look inside a trans, they are really really cool. Sorry for the rambling, hope this helps.

 

After driving it around today I can say it has gotten a whole lot better! It no longer slips or shifts prematurely. It still is some what hesitant to shift into 2nd when you slam on the the gas but even that got a little bit better. Thanks for the advice guys!

 

Thanks iMuf! If it does come down to it I will probably end up trying to do it myself. I absolutely hate to pay anybody for labor on my car. Anything that's been done to it has been done vy me and I usually go to YouTube to figure it out! Lol they have videos for everything. Do you think it would be any harder to do a FWD trans?

 

I had my pan dropped and fluids changed and what not the other day and when I had looked at least from what I saw it was fairly similar to what it looked like in my Thunderbird when I did pan drops nd whta not so I don't think there would be a huge difference. Only thing would be getting it out. In the Monte Carlo I think it would may be a bit tougher. I havn't really paid attention on how it sits, But as I think about it you may have to pull the engine to in order to get to the tranny, that is if you can trop it right down like you can on RWD cars. As far as rebuilding it though, I don't think it would be a ton different.

 

You do NOT have to pull the engine to pull the tranny. I've had mine out of the Intimidator SS 3x now, not for tranny problems, but for broken flex plates and/or torque convertor problems. It's not an easy job, not not impossible. I wouldn't do it without a transmission jack, about $140 at Harbor Freight.

2 hard things to do, get the axles free from the hubs if the've never been out, and that bolt that comes in from the front of the engine, the bolt you can't see.

You support the engine from the top by one of several methods, and proceed to drop the cradle.

I can have the tranny out in about 4 hrs, and about 5 to put it back in. By myself. And I'm a toolmaker, not a mechanic. Not a job for the squirmish!

 

Well today the trans finally went out. Something shot out of the pan :/. I purchased a used transmission with 40,000 on it for $150 (could pass that kind of deal up). And I am going to have my friend/mechanic help me put it in. Could anybody give me like a complete list of things such ad gaskets and stuff I may need? Also a list of problems that I can expect to run into would be fantastic.