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Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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2/14/2003
17:42:04
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 Subject: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Ok, my tranny went out a few days ago. I was noticing a clicking noise over the past week, then while in a 5mph cruise through a parking lot I heard a clunk and my truck went outa gear. And hasnt been in one since. AAmco Tranny in Gainesville Fla told me about 1100 bucks to rebuild. Talked to them today and now it $2000. Said I need a new torque converter, and a list of other quickly read off parts. Im not a tranny. Donno but this seems alittle steep. What do yall think. Oh yeah, Im in college and have a very small supply of money.
Should I look of a donor truck, go to junkyard, or have AAMco fix my orig. tranny? Please help me out and give me your expierences.
Joe E.
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sandman
Dodge Dakota
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2/14/2003
18:40:29
|  RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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I would try a slavage yard. You should be able to get a tranny with 50,000 or less miles on it for $65 to $350 dollars. You could also try loacal parts stores. Advanced Auto Parts has some of the cheapest prices on trannys I have ever seen. Try to get a tranny with nice red fluid not burnt smelling. $1100 is going price to rebuild tranny. A factory recertified trany is 100 times better then a rebuilt trany and they can often be had for $1300-$2000 and come with a 3 year 50,000 mile warranty. Their is one last place to try. Try calling 1800ACDELCO if your truck is old enough you caould steep into a recertified tranny for(Remanufactured) for about $900 and you would be getting a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty I belive.
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durtydog
GenIII
2/14/2003
20:15:46
|  RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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joe the trans seals and valve body went bad on my at 50,000 miles it was a 1,500. dollar job.
i would rebuild the one in the truck you never know what you will be getting from the junkyard!
thank god i bought the extended drive train warrenty it only cost me 100.bucks.
98 club cab sport 5.2 4x4
busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest
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Deep Purple
Gen III
2/14/2003
21:02:23
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Joe, I would be worried about the price change and added parts. They may be right, but it would bother me. Sandman had some good ideas especially if money is tight. But if you want to keep the truck and have reliable transportation, have yours rebuilt. Do get a second opinion on it's condition and what parts you needed. Good luck.
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Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2003
00:06:23
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Thanks guys for the info. I was greatly shocked about it. It started out at about $1K. Then like nothing, I have to replace the torque converter, the pump, and all kinda other crap Ive never heard of. I am just worried that if I put 2k in the tranny, being the A500, that it will choak on me again in the future. I plan on running at least 31x12.50 and 33x 12.50 in the near future. Do you guys know of any performance parts I should inquire about to have put in the tranny instead of just replacements? I hate to be billed 2000 but if Im gonna do it, I want it done to last! So I dont have to deal with that for a long time. The AAmco Tranny guy said there were no upgrades for my tranny avaliable. Is this true?
Again thanks for the help. And have a nice weekend. I wont. Im worried sick about my truck!!!
Later, Joe E.
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Lab Rat
GenIII
2/15/2003
01:08:19
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Forget AAMCO, they're a bunch of crooks in my book. Start here, check with B&M as well:
http://www.tciauto.com/amc_chry/amc-chry_torqueflite.htm
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Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2003
01:18:33
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Thanks again all. I am still not sure what to do. Is a rebuilt tranny as good as a new one? Can you even get a new A500? Im not a tranny person so all the facts and stuff listed in the above website mean little to me. I need one of you to put it to me straight.
Where can I get a good tranny for a good price? And is there anything I can do to build this one up so it doesnt blow again ever very soon? Thanks. Your help is great!!!
Joe E.
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durtydog
GenIII
2/15/2003
08:40:28
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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i second the second opinion and for problems in the future make sure you get the tranny flushed at every 30,000 miles.these transmisions are very delicate to heat thats why the recomend +4 trans fluid for all there transmisions.try lee myles or even the dealership.
the dealership rebuilt mine and 30,000 miles later no problem at all.
98 club cab sport 5.2 4x4
busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest
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Deep Purple
Gen III
2/15/2003
08:43:02
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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A rebuilt trans is as good if not better than a new factory one. Dodge probably can get a new trans, but for a whole lot of bread$$$$$$$. Your in Gainsville area, there should be some independent trans shops in the phonebook that can get a rebuilt trans shipped in overnight or even rebuild yours. Are you going to change the trans yourself or have a shop do it? Your close to KRC performance, give them a call. maybe they could recomend a shop nearby. Good luck.
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trannyguy
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2003
09:57:47
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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I run a transmission shop, so I can give you a little info here.
Sandman has some good suggestions. But, the chances of you getting a GOOD used A500 for $350 is slim. It will then become very difficult to find someone who will be willing to install it.
A PROPERLY rebuilt tranny from a good shop is just as good, or not better than a factory reman. But, many shops do shoddy work.....
Were you quoted the $1100 up front, or after an internal inspection? I suspect it was qouted up front. This would be for what is called a "soft parts" overhaul, which is clutches, seals, gaskets, etc. It would include no hard parts, such as pump, converter, planets, drums, etc.
If that was the case, it should have clearly stated and explained what the $1100 did and did not include.
Most proffesional shops will not quote a price until an internal inspection has been completed, for the very reasons you have encountered.
No one can give you an accurate price until an internal inspection has been completed. Expect to pay 250-400 dollars for an internal inspection.
$2000 is a little high for an A500, but not unrealistic. Every unit and parts need is different, and I could not tell you otherwise without seeing a parts list.
Be careful if you consider buying a unit from a parts house. I have many customers whom have had major warranty issues. You must still have someone install it, and the suppliers tend to be very quick to deny warranty claims should you have a problem. Not counting the fact that any warranty issue will be painfully slow. The manufacturer, not the parts house has to make the warranty decision.
Hope this helps. E-mail me if you have any more questions.
Chad
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sandman
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2003
10:35:26
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Trannyguy had some good points. Joe I figured you would be doing your own work and checking the trans at the yard. I get transmissions for their core value or their aluminum value from local recylers/slavage yards so my price reflects that. I can tell you right know that most older trans are $800-$1000 cost to dealers and shops from AC/Delco and most newer Reman units from GoodWrench run in the $1200-$1800 area. This is before tax and core. For that money you get a reman unit with all hard parts checked or replaced, new soft parts includeing steels, new pump and remaned converter new valve body.You also get all design updates inclued for nothing. You are also getting a good warranty. If you want a performance rebuild on a well maintained tranny a private shop is the way to go but for good warranty and assurance that hard parts were checked OEM is the way to go. Their are alot of really bad shops that do a soft overhaul and charge you for a rebuild. If they are not replaceing sprags, converter,pump, rollers, planetary gears, machineing drum etc... then they are not rebuilding your trans just overhauling it. Any shop that charges more then $400 for a soft over haul is a pack of thieves unless they are really checking all of the other parts with more then an eye ball inspection. Soft kits run $65-140, reman converters run $99-$150, reman valve bodies run $65-$200, sprags are $15-$25, Solanoids are about $12-$35, planetary gear sets depending on the new or used and number of pinions you get run from $25-65. Bands are like $6-$24. You can expect to pay anything from $40-$75 an hour for labor and then you need fluids as well. Some shops have a flat rate. I wanted to agree to second opinion! Tranny guy was absolutely right about warranty work it can be a nightmare. The warranty information/stipulations that comes with some of these engines and transmissions is insane and crazy. I also agree that rebuilding yours is usualy the best bet if you can get away with a soft rebuild and a new converter anymore then that and the trany shop will kill you with parts and labor costs!!!
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trannyguy
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2003
11:41:40
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Sandman is right about parts. Soft parts and converter are about 150-300 bucks for most units. Solenoids and hard parts can add another 150-200 bucks. That's on A500's. Many modern units are outrageous on parts. Planet sets for Nissan's are over 600 bucks new, if you can't find used ones. Sprags are almost 200 bucks on Ford 4R70W's(Ford Trucks).
Labor on an A500 overhaul in a 2WD Dakota is 12.9 hours. At our hourly rate of $68(Houston) thats $877 in labor plus parts.
One thing to keep in mind on prices. It's not just parts and labor. Cost of doing business(insurance, rent, expenses, equipment, etc.) have to be figured in, as well as warranty. Warranty is an assumed liability, and has to be charged for in prices. BELIEVE ME, labor does not cover all of that. Every business must also make profit, in order to operate. Prices can be considerably different depending on a particular shops location(overhead). A new shop in a high visibilty/major road location will charge more. They have to.
I can tell you that a typical REBUILD in my shop for an A500 is about $1400-$1700.
Chad
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Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2003
14:28:55
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Wow, you guys are great. I want to thank you for the enormous help your giving me. As for doing the work myself, I dont think thats gonna happen. I know very little about trannys as is shown above.
About the soft parts. I was quoted a price of $850.00 all parts, laobr, and taxes out the door. The manager said all "hard parts" are above that price. He said that my tranny, since nothing in it worked except for P, probably would have damage inside it. But Neither he nor I expected the cost to double. A few of the parts he quoted me were a new torque conv, about $300., a new pump, pressure plates, plantearys, and a continuing list that seemed to go on and on and on. Probably do to my shock of being a college student, making about $500 a month working, and having a 2K car bill!
I am also having a TransGo shift kit "Performance kit" installed. Thats $125.00 of the cost. And the total he gave me was like $1809. plus tax. Which I figured to be almost 175.oo.
He also said he could have it done in 2 days. Which is a plus. Do you have any info on AAmco shops, like thier warrenties, etc, that is not good, or IS good? And other things to see about.
I am very limited on moving the truck. It cost me $50 to have it towed there to begin with. If I do that another time or 2, I might as well have Aamco do it now.
Thanks again and have a nice day.
Joe E.
Yall are great!!!!
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tom
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2003
16:35:54
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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I almost feel like an expert on this one i've been through four rebuilt A-518's. needles to say i have a really hard time trusting tranny guys. i would fix them myself if i had half a clue and the tools necessary. If you go rebuilt try to find a shop that dyno's there trannys, and maybe that extented warranty will be worth it. Cash is short? most offer payment plans! If you plan on keeping your truck, do your tranny right the first time. and about that shift kit, while it is very cool to get those first and second gear screaches, it is very hard on your driveline. I've killed a couple of rear axles also. the tranny i had a shift kit on was done by ammco, when its inside exploded it sent metal through the entire case. they accused me of neutral droping the tranny and did not want to honor their warranty. They did end up rebuilding it again sans shift kit, it then lasted 1 year. I was really considering a LEVEL 10 tranny but they a very expensive. instead I went to a company called certified transmision, they dyno test their trannys, it has been in for three years now. I will stop short of saying all tranny shops are bad, but the good ones are very hard to come by.
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Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2003
23:46:50
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Thanks for the replies.
Where can I get ahold of these other tranny sales people? Just search the web or what?
I just moved to my current home about 6 months ago for school. So I dont know any local shops that are good or bad. No one seems to either. Ive asked around and everyone says they have never have to deal with a tranny problem. I know there are numeras ones cuz I checked in the phone book. But as for quality, I have no clue.
About the shift kit. I dont really dog my dak that much. I never rev her out and seldom spin the tires or donuts. Basically, my dak doesnt have the power to! UNfortuantely. I have been told that these shift kits will extend the life of my tranny. Is this wrong? Another Q I have is about a tranny cooler. Would it be worth installing or is that mainly for towing or diesels?
Thanks for the help. You guys have really keep my brain going on this. Thx
Joe E.
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Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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2/16/2003
11:23:55
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Been thinking. I am leaning twords having my tranny rebuilt by AAmco. There are simply too many problems that come with buying a new one, SHP, then installiation. So I am really thinking just have AAmco rebuilt it for the $1809.00 +tax.
What about a tranny cooler? Worth it or not? Thanks again guys and have a nice day.
Joe E.
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tom
Dodge Dakota
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2/16/2003
13:37:07
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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ammco... sigh..... I hope your luck with them is much better than mine! I hope it was just the one i went to that was bad. I would get the tranny cooler. If you live in hot weather have them hook up the tranny cooler after the radiator. put it before the radiator if you live in cold weather. I would still check around, ask about warranties, payments and the conditions of them. If you dont drive it to hard i guess the shift kits should extend the life of the tranny with quicker shifts, less slipping of the clutches and such. best of luck to you!
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Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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2/16/2003
17:46:21
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Thanks for the reply. So bad expeirence with aamco huh? Many people say thats not the most relaible place to go. I wish I knew someone around who has hade tranny work done.
Im at a disadvantage I guess. So the tranny cooler sounds good huh. What type should I ask about and about what price should I look for?
Thanks again for the help. You guys have been wonderful.
Joe E.
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Kyle
Dodge Dakota
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2/17/2003
00:13:25
| wheels
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Can someone tell me if I can put a set of stock wheels from a newer dakota on my '93 Dakota? I've heard you can but you can't use the centercaps. Can ANYONE help me out?? Any info is greatly appreciated !!
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Wayne440
Dodge Dakota
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2/17/2003
01:15:10
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Contact www.apsprecision.com they can get you a New Transmissions or make you a custom one
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Tom
Dodge Dakota
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2/17/2003
02:13:02
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Lots of different coolers out there. I have one mounted on the front of my AC condenser. I would like to get a different one, because i think it blocks to much airflow. Theres some with fans and others that mount along the frame. Go check out some different shops a long time ago I owned(god forbid)an s-10 that i killed the tranny on. I was in high school and very short on funds. I found a small shop and the guy let me help him out cleaning parts and his shop to cut my cost. If you can find a shop that will work with you check levelten.com for some parts! If i had 3 grand I would buy one of their trannys, I have heard nothing but great things about their trannys. sorry for the novel
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Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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2/17/2003
13:05:24
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Thanks for the help guys. I have had to make a snap decision. Monday AM came and I hadnt not been able to get ahold of any new tranny shops. So I called AAmco and had them go ahead with the rebuild. They are installing the TransGo Performance shift kit, and I am talking to them about the tranny cooler. Not sure about it yet. I dont pull much. Just my jumpen aroung tranny due to my oversized 31in tires. Im not sure about cost to benefit ratio on that. Thanks for all the help and Ill let you know when I get it back and how it goes.
Joe E.
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Tom
Dodge Dakota
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2/18/2003
00:42:26
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Good Luck, check out extended waranty see what it covers, might be worth it! I did let aamco try to rebuild my tranny twice,once under warranty, the third time i went elseware even though it was still covered. couldnt let them dick with my truck anymore. Get the cooler cheap insurance! but i wouldnt pay more than sixty bucks for it, you can put one on later, cheaper! might screw with the warranty though? again Good Luck!
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Jesse T.
Dodge Dakota
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2/18/2003
10:19:53
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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I just instaled a tranny in my 98 dak, I am also i college and cant afford it,here is what I did,I went to car-part.com and found a tranny for $300 and I only had 30k on it, ordered it and then cleaned her up and got me a new torque converter and did the work myself with my brother, I wasnt that hard at all. If you want the number for a good torque converter, these people do you right.
Wades 214-742-4229
The tranny worked out real good. and I only spent $380 in total.
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Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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2/18/2003
15:33:01
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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They are working on mine right now. Should be done tomarrow. I dont think Ill deal with the ext. warrenty at all. I ve hread they dont like to back them much. I am hoping that they can get mine together and not screw it up. It costing too much to dick around with. But Ill let yall know the results.
Joe E.
thanks for the help...
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Joe
Dodge Dakota
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2/18/2003
21:04:04
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Make sure they clean out your Trans cooler , This is one of the biggest reasons trannies fail after a rebuild , If there are metal pieces in the trans after the rebuild what was in the cooler goes right back in your new trans and Well I dont need to tell you . It will break again . Atleast metnion it to them and make sure they do it ! A cooler flush that is :)
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trannyguy
Dodge Dakota
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2/18/2003
21:23:24
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Make sure the cooler is flushed for sure. Hopefully, they have a heated "pulse" style flusher. Also enquire about a magnetic filter on the cooler return hose. Even with the best flusher, you cannot get all of the contamination out. This filter will catch the rest. If you ask, they should throw it in, or not charge more than $20.
Chad
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Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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2/18/2003
22:07:42
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Hi again. Joe, the tranny cooler is band new. I didnt have one on before. Probably should have huh. But aw well. Whats done is done...
I will ask about the tranny cooler type and about that magnetic filter. Does it just connect to the hose, or what? Thanks.
Joe E.
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Joezzzzzzzzz
Dodge Dakota
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2/18/2003
22:24:25
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Your truck has a cooler from the factory , Its in the radiator , MAKE SURE IT IS FLUSHED !
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Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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2/19/2003
19:31:57
| RE: Tranny rebuild help asap!!!
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Sorry Joezzzzzz, I see what your saying now. Im alittle slow sometimes!!! hahahaha.
Went to pick her up today. Total $2,075.48!
Heres a list of work done:
Rebuild Kit
New band
filter
fluid $290.00
Torque Converter $329.00
Set of Steels
Bushing Kit
TransGo Shift kit
Bearing kit
L/U solenoid
oil spray
rebuilt pump
recond. forward drum
thrust washer kit
external tranny cooler system $779.00
Labor $560.00
Tax $117.48
Total $275.48
Donno if this was good or bad as far as cost. Seems alittle expensive but I didnt want to move it to another shop. More towing, hastle etc. Drove it a minute earlier. Going back tonight with a friend to pick it up. Ill ask about the internal tranny cooler flush tomarrow.
Thanks for all the help you gave me and I hope you guys never have to bother with tranny stuff like this. Have a nice evening.
Joe E.
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