Yesterday wasn't the greatest. First it took forever to get to the car show. Got there late and missed out on the beans & cornbread lunch. Luckily they still have some hotdogs or we'd have went hungry.

Today we're headed to Church. I notice the trans in the 1993 Dodge Shadow is doing funny things. Like making the engine stall?????

I checked the trans fluid. Added a little cause it seemed low. We went to Wally World for groceries and headed home the car does not want to stay at speed. I was in front in my '57 Wagon. So I turned around. Debbie says the car is acting wierd?

So it looks like the O/D trans is finally giving up.

I am grateful it seems to have been one of the better O/D trans Mopar used behind the 3.0 V6 engines. If compared to the trans in my '94 Shadow is has been. I've put two new rebuilds in it so far.

Don't really have the funds for a replacement trans for the '93 Shadow. I may try to change the fluid & filter and see if maybe we can get a few more miles out of the car before I part it. (not real happy about doing that)

If we can get Deb's '81 LC Monte back in to operating order for little money I guess we'll go that route? With winter coming I hate to put it back on the roads right now. Battery, fix broken brake line, change fluids, tighten tilt steering column, and license plates should get it back out on the roads.

Sure wish things would let up for a while.

 

...Hi R.J.,
Sorry to read about your problem(s), but really, it is minor compared to the major problems in our World....

Auto Investments always cost $'s to maintain because like us, they wear out with time : ) Sure hope that a filter/fluid change will give it more life...Tell Debbie to get a better paying `job LOL, or you will have to trade her in ...

Good Luck R.J., *& we wish you better days, and happy miles..

 

That really sux about the trans RJ. Hope the bit of maintenance will at least help it till springtime.

 

I was going to say... it seems like you have had lots of problems with mopar transmissions. You should stick to your Chebies! You can just about buy one of those cars to use as a beater for what it would cost to rebuild that transmission. Does that '81 have many rust issues? If it already has rusted out quarter fenders or something, it might be worth it to put it on the road for the winter, then clean it up and restore it later. If not, then you certainly don't want to mess around with it in the winter!

 

So far with Deb's '81 Monte the doors are the only thing that has rust issues. (bad design is why. 4th gen doors go for big bucks...... IF you can locate good ones)

I went to AZ today and bought a new trans filter, pan gasket, & 4 qts of trans fluid.

I'm on vacation this week so time constraints aren't there.

There was a plan to get a few '57 Chevies out and hold my own, personal car show in the backyard one day this week. Before they get put away for the winter. HOPEFULLY, I can still do this.

If I could get my camera to communicate with the computer, I'd post a couple pics of my pink/white 4-door Sedan. First she's been out of the barn in 2 yrs. I put 20 miles on her. She now has 81,850 original miles on her. Maybe in 2012 she might pass the 82,000 mile mark?

 

UPDATE:

Just thought I'd let you guys know my progress today.

At 10:am I got the '93 Shadow in to the barn. Got it on jack stands and proceded to remove the transmission pan. That went sort of well. Not TOO many spills. Most of the old trans fluid was caught in the roasting pan I keep under my 4-door '57. (old powerglide trans like to burp trans fluid after setting a while)

The pan had this mud like stuff in the bottom of it. I got that cleaned out in a few minutes. Cleaned the magnet they stick in the pan @ the factory. (no shavings at all so maybe a good sign?)

The old gasket came off the trans housing in one piece. Looks like someone was in there before? They didn't tighten all the pan bolts is why I say this.

I let the trans leak out of a while. Like 45 min of so. I had to pry the old filter loose from the trans.

Installed the new pan gasket on the pan and started all 10 bolts in to the gasket. So I could put anti-sieze compound on the bolts. These transmissions have a reputation for stripping the pan bolt holes out. Anti-sieze is just a little cheap insurance in my book.

Got the pan back on. Filled the trans with 3 qts of fluid like the motor manual stays. started the car and let it idle for about 6 minutes. ( time for me to go use the bathroom)

Checked the fluid with the car on the ground. Poured more fluid in to bring the level up. I got in the car and tried to transmission in all greas. Nothing. I was depressed!!!

After a few seconds I felt the trans catch and after that, all the gears worked like normal. I let the car set on my floor jacks with the front tires off the ground and put the trans in drive. To see if once it got hot, would the gears still be there?

Another check of the fluid. Set the car on the ground, and took it around the block.

SO FAR............ SO GOOD!

I'll drive the car close to home a little more before I venture farther out. "Just In Case."

Thanks for letting me ramble on. You guys are the greatest.

 

Did you put a little saw dust in there with it??? :-D

 

YEP!!

lol

 

Hopefully you are good to go for many more miles.

 

I "Hope" it's not like '94 Shadow a couple years ago.

Trans started slipping. Almost completely out before I could drive it the 2 miles to the trans shop. They said the filter was clogged. New filter & fluid = $15x bucks. The shop told me, "You need a new torque converter. The furnace coating they put on them in what clogged the filter up. It's coming off the converter." So........... I paid $700 to have a new converter put in.

Not 100 miles later, and while we were out on I-75 in the car, the transmission starts acting up. Before I can get off the exit ramp there is no transmission again. Lucky I had triple A at the time. the tow only cost me $13 back to the trans shop.

They check the trans for codes. Tell me 2nd gear is out. That I should look for a used O/D trans for the car. Only one I can locate is $300 with no guarentee it's good. Plus the shops $400 to install it. I'm looking at alomst $1,000 and the trans could go out later the day it's installed.

Trans shop says they'll re-build my trans. 12 mths/ 12,000 warranty for $1,900.
I have my dad call the local Mopar dealer. They want $2,000 for a re-man trans 3yr/ 80,000 warranty. No brainer here.

In the end it cost me $2,700 to get my car back on the road. And the trans shop did a "Rip Me Off" right in my face. They were going to keep the new torque converter they changed me $700 for since the re-man trans came with a new converter. the shop forman also told me he wouldn't charge me any more then $350 to remove/install the trans. No, they charged me $450 instead.