transmission? - Dodge Dakota Forum

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Nick Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/10/2003 12:59:26	Subject: transmission? IP: Logged Message: I own a 97 dakota sport, V8 5.2L automatic 139,000 miles. The trans slips between 1st and 2nd. I still drive it everyday and one of the trans shops said that my engine will go next if I dont get it fixed right away. Is there any fact to this or was that guy just giving me a line? When I drive it I let off of the gas right before it goes into 2nd and give it a second to shift, this way it dosent slip, then the rest of the shifts are fine. Since I drive it that way shouldn't the engine have no idea that the trans is bad? I have this truck up for auction on ebay if you want to check it out,it's Item number: 2447337202 the reserve is $6,000.00 which is a good deal espeicially if you know how to rebuild a trans yourself. I didnt want to fix the trans before I sold it cause, 1 i'm broke and 2 the warranty would be void on the rebuild if I sold it.
vern Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/10/2003 14:10:21	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: no driving it won,t hurt the motor your price is to high with the mileage and bad trans i could have bought a 98 4x4 slt excab with 89,778 mi v8 auto for $7800 dealer
Nick Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/10/2003 15:52:39	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: Hey vern, thanks for responding to my transmission question. As for the price, I think it's right, in fact I think it's cheap. Don't go by my "buy it now" price of $7,500.00 that's just there to stop the auction for someone who really wants it. The reserve is $6,000.00 so that's what I'm really asking for it. I came up with that price because the blue book value of is around $7,500.00 even with the high miles and that doesn't even include the $1,000.00 cap that's on it or the alarm and keyless entry with remote starter. So I took off $1,500.00 from $7,500.00 to cover the cost of getting the trans fix. As for that 98 you brought up, you should of bought it cause that's a really good deal. Even the blue book value of that truck with 89k and totally unloaded is $8,600.00 and I see 97s at the dealers around here going for $8 or $9k. I also have a 98 dakota slt up for auction 72k V8 4X4 "Buy it now" price is $10,000.00 and the reserve is $8,500.00, blue book value is around $10,000.00. So I think that's a good deal check it out on ebay if you want, item number 2447330956. There's nothing wrong with that truck except that the foglight is missing, (just the lens is missing, I would have fixed that but the dealer wouldn't give me just the lens only the whole set, wiring harness and everything. Which cost $130.00) Thanks for your reply
RadioMan Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/15/2003 08:55:32	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: My suggestion, get rid of the truck! Why? Getting a good rebuilt tranny is hard to find even if yours is rebuilt by your local tranny shop. There seems to be NO ONE that knows how to rebuild one! Even factory rebuilds are junk! You are MUCH better off to find a tranny out of a recked truck that has not been rebuilt. But it's your money... You'll see what I mean if you let a tranny shop touch it.. Get the warranty in writting.. You WILL need it!
hemichuck Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/15/2003 12:57:27	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: Why are you guys having so much problem with a simple trans job? I had my 518 rebuilt and put over 200,000 on it afterwards.They are really no different than the old 727 or 904/999 except for the OD unit.In fact it's pretty easy to swap in a non-lock up 727 or 904/999 into any Dakota.I've done it several times and never had any problems.
gen1dak Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/15/2003 19:27:19	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: Nobody knows Mopar overdrives, or so it seems. It's true, they seem pretty pityful. Unless you go to someone like John Vinson of JVX (and he ain't cheap, but it's tip-top quality), good rebuilds are slim. Soooo, that's why I got the manual and video from ATSG. A small price to pay for the lowdown on these things. The video actually shows the teardown and rebuild. It's astounding how simple they are, as compared to what I expected. Now, I have this 46RE that's gonna be retrofitted with 46RH parts (yes, it can be done) and some HD clutch disks and kevlar bands while I'm in there. It'll either work, or it'll be one helluva BANG! The tranny was essentially free with the engine, so what the hell! Never been in a tranny, but it won't be the last time. Aside from a couple of wrenches, and a couple of picks for manipulating the little retention springs, and that's pretty much all you need. Also, you will need access to a hydraulic press to open the overdrive geartrain section. There's a very heavy spring in there (takes about 800 lbs pressure to relieve the spring pressure and will remove your head if you try any other way). All-in-all though, it's not that bad. You just can't trust most shops to do it right, especially when they tend to not update to newer pieces that have been modified for better oiling, or greater strength. Give it a try. Can it be any worse than what you've been getting?
Robert Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/15/2003 23:48:02	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: For all those mechanics out there!!!!! I have a 98 dakota, recently it startedt to shift hard from 3rd to 4d gear. the engine light whent on, and i took it to the auto parts store and the coder reader said it had shifting problems w 3 to 4 gears. I have been driving it for a while and my engine makes this wrattle noises now, i am worried that the engine will go now. My questions are Can the engine go bad because of the transmission? what would you recomend? I have adjusted the throttle valve, but it is still the same. i am affraid that it will cost too much if i take it ot a shop. I like working on cars so, i want to fix it my self. if i do, i learn, and get to save some money, and get to work on my own truck. please email me with sujestions. apreciate it, thanks.
dakula GenII 12/20/2003 00:58:42	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: The slipping between 1st and 2nd is most likely your band had developed slack in it. You can tighten it but if it has been doing it for some time it probably has made hot spots on you second gear clutch drum. the result is a glazed band and a poor 2nd gear engagement. Rebuilt tranny's are not bad. But make sure you get a good kit. TCI has a kit I have used. The PRO overhaul that comes with everything you need including shift kit, or the Master racing overhaul that just has you paper and rubber. Make sure if you pay for a complete overhaul they also overhaul the tail end (OD). We just jerked mine (518)and rebuilt the front end. There's no need for OD to be rebuilt. It rarely goes Always Be Closing
DakToBasics Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/20/2003 09:18:41	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: Gen1Dak... I have a '94 with a 318 and recently had a torque converter lockup on me. I dropped the pan and found a mess of clutch material and some small pieces of needle bearing. Time being a factor, I decided to take it to someone that promised a 2 day turn around, as most do! That was over a week ago!!! I ordered the works, kevlar clutches and bands, shift kit, cooler and upgraded converter. I got it back the first time with no first gear and more overlap from 2-3 than it had after 90,000 miles of abuse. Second time I got it back it was slipping off idle into first and wouldn't shift out at WOT. Before I could get it back to the guy the following day, the whole damn thing let go. The third time it goes back will be Monday because it is leaking about a quart a day all over my garage floor! The only good news is they told me I have a 518, not a 500, which is cool! The kicker is I work for a Chevrolet dealer and had I known it was going to take a week to get it back I could have had my tranny guy do it for just the cost of materials. Bottom line is... If you have the time, order one from a performance rebuilder and do the swap yourself. Not to mention the fact that, because of my Mopar PCM, when the transmission let go I over-revved the engine and pushed a rocker mount bolt out of the head!!! Does it ever end? By the way... Does anyone know what rearend is in my 94, 318 and what ratio they come with stock? Thanks for reading my rant and any help with the question would be much appreciated!
gen1dak Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/20/2003 22:11:32	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: I don't have the '94 specs, but for '93 the ratios were 3.55 and 3.90 for 7 1/4 axle and 3.21, 3.55, 3.90 for 8 1/4 axle. As it stands, I guess you have to push the tranny shop to make good on their mess. I learned a long time ago that those quick turnaround shops don't fix your tranny. Rather, they swap one in that's already been rebuilt. Caught them red-handed when I had problems many years ago getting my 727 rebuilt. Suddenly I had problems that weren't there before. The kicker came when I nailed them about the green paint that wasn't on my tranny, but was on the one they claimed was mine. They finally conceeded and after about three trips it was fixed and worked great. They did, however, as if out of spite, break the 1968 vintage antenna off my '69 Charger. Dirty bastards. There are a select few who can really do it right, and it ain't cheap. What's really bad is a good rebuild kit costs less than $150. Granted, they can cost more, but not the $1800 the shops demand. It appears they haven't a clue about yours. Robert...sounds like a lock-up solenoid malfunction which requires removal of the valve body and replacement of the solenoid assembly. The rattle noise is a mystery. Could be a number of things, but I'd have that flex plate checked out....could be cracked. Personally, I have never heard, seen, or read about an engine failure due to a bad tranny, but extreme cases are possible, I guess. If the tranny/torque converter were to seize suddenly, or drop into reverse at speed. Severe slipping would tax an engine, but I would tend to discount a tranny cause for your rattle. The hydraulic action of the TC would tend to cushion tranny influence on the engine, but there are no absolutes. One of the best investments you can make is to get the manual and video from the ATSG. Clears up all the voodoo. Being an educated consumer makes all the difference. I love going in somewhere and seeing the person who's trying to scam me slowly realize they're in trouble because I'm displaying too much info. You know, that, "Oh CRAP!" look in their eyes? The vid really helps...makes the manual easier to follow. Also, when getting a rebuild, tell them to put the old parts in a box because you want them. If they pull some reason like they have to be returned for warranty purposes...tell them you want to see them before they're returned. Lots of times, this lays down the red alert and they tend to do a better job.
DakToBasics Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/21/2003 10:18:07	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: Thanks Gen1Dak... I just counted it off, I have a 3.55! Can anyone tell me, from experiance with a GenI, how is all around driveability with a 3.90? It feels like these 516 transmissions have a tall first gear. What I would love to know is what rpm your turning with factory hight tires (215/75/15 or 235/70/15) at about 80mph. I have to be able to keep up with Florida traffic but don't want to see anything over 3000 RPM's on the tach.
Andy Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/21/2003 20:06:17	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: You guys know, you should opt for a 5-speed, instead of these no-good automatics. You wouldn't have these problems, plus batter gas mileage/performance/reliability/durablity, and is cheaper! Only real trucks are Manuals & 4x4s. 97' Dakota 5.2 Club Cab 5-Speed 4x4.
gen1dak Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 12/21/2003 21:00:27	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: Seems like 80 mph brought about 26-2800 rpm. It's been a long time, but to put it in perspective, the A500/518 overdrive of 0.69 multiplied by the 3.90's, puts the final drive ratio at 2.69, or right about where thousands of Mopars have had with 2.76 rear gears. This is a great highway gear. The 518's have a 2.45 first gear, the 500's have a 2.74. My Shelby had the A500 with 3.90's. It was dynamite on takeoff, but a stock 318 in '89 just didn't pack much. It'd whip ass from 0-30! :-D Anyway, the 3.90's did fine. Whatever you run now, you'd only run 200-300 rpm higher at a given speed. My (taking forever) Shelby ressurection will feature a heavier 46RH with those same 3.90's (maybe I'll stick a 9 1/4 in later), and a mildly tweaked 360 Magnum. The more I read about these tranny failures, I'm feeling the need for a torque converter from Fairbanks, or someone like that. I'm not wanting to trust my fate to the stocker. Ironically, the converter on the A500 was the most resilient part of that tranny. It was the overdrive that repeatedly failed. The proven, overbuilt heart of the A500 (a 904) never failed. So much for modern cad/cam design. It's taken 13+ years and the current management seems content to introduce new trannys instead of fixing the Torqueflite legacy overdrives. The Torqueflite didn't become a legend by being crappy, but since the overdrive got slapped on it's suffered. The aftermarket has fixed the problems, but most consumers don't know about this.
Chris Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 1/15/2004 19:51:34	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: I have the same problem with my 97 Dakota V8 only it started after I took it to the dealer to have the fluid and filter changed and the bands adjusted. It was fine before I brough it in and as soon as I got it back it would slip when switching from 1st to second...the rest of the shifts were fine. Made an appointment next week to have them fix it. Any luck with yours?
DakToBasics Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 1/16/2004 21:38:48	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: GOOD LUCK!!!! I have since experianced a drivetrain failure that resulted in a lost driveshaft, broken rear yoke, and a 2 piece transmission. It appears the shop that installed my transmisssion, didn't bother to tell me there was a problem with my front universal joint. I had a catastrofic failure at 65 MPH on the interstate that resulted in the front universal coming apart, the driveshaft stabbing into the pavement and the destruction of my rear pinion yoke which nearly penetrated my fuel tank. The transmission broke in half directly above the parking hammer and the transmission shop that built the unit 2 1/2 weeks before is claiming it is a shock failure! They said that I neutral dropped it and caused the damage, therefore they are not responsible. I am in the process of repairing the resulting damage to the tune of $2500, and am going to be forced into small claims court to recoup my losses. In short.... Be carefull who you let touch your tranny! It is potentially deadly. I was told by a professional whitness that there have been many similar cases that resulted in death. Guess I was just lucky?!?!?!?!
Slug440 Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 1/18/2004 17:19:27	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: I have to post my 2 cents on this.. I have 2 Dakota's. My 92 318/4x4 has 90k miles. I am on my 4th 518, all in a span of 2700 miles. The first 2 were rebuilt. The last 2 were remans from Chrysler. Now #4 has lost reverse and OD. My 99' 318/4x4 has 80k on it and is on its 2nd trans. I work for Fords and drive nothing but Dodge. I have lost my patience with the crap Dodge has to offer on the line of transmissions. All these rebuilds have been complete. Converter, cooler, OD, etc. etc.
DakToBasics Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 1/18/2004 21:57:00	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: I'm going to order a Power Demon transmission and see how much luck I have with a reman unit from someone that knows thier stuff! I am also going to become an authorized installer of thier transmissions if this one works out. They offer sweet deels on thier units if you purchase $5000 plus a month. I am in the same boat as you Slug440, I work for Chevrolet but have 2 Dodges as well. I have NEVER had so many problems with a simple transmission replacement. I am in the process of trying to decide if I'm going to keep the truck or fix it and sell it to another Dak enthusiast. I am interested to know what you guys think is a fair price for the following.... 1994 Dakota Sport Reg. Cab Short Bed Clean green paint with no graphics Soft, bow style tonneau cover Brand new spray in, over the rail bed liner 2" drop in the rear 318 motor with about 96,000 miles A brand new Power Demon trans and performance converter combo... http://www.powerdemon.com/PowerDemon.html New 4.10 gear set K&N Drop in filter Mopar Performance PCM Cat removed and muffler upgraded to 2 1/2 Super Turbo and an awesome sound system comprised of an MTX 2160 pushing 2 Bostwick HD 10's in sealed boxes and an Alpine Flex 5CH running the mids and highs fed by a Pioneer P5200 CD Player The truck is damn fast and until the transmission problem, damn reliable. I was thinking $5000 would be a decent number considering I will have done well over $3000 in upgrades immediately before the sale and have probably put about $2000 in it since I purchased it. I paid $4000, bone stock with just under 80,000 on the clock about a year ago. Any feedback would be much appreciated!
torch Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 1/19/2004 22:09:48	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: Can anyone help, have 94 dakota , doing transmission filter replacement, pan having trouble getting by the exhaust manafold seems in be too close, do i need to remove this? Haynes repair says nothing about it, hope someone can hel. thank torch
Cassidy Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 1/20/2004 03:58:28	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: i have a 97 dodge dakota 4x4 slt magnum and the transmission won't go pass 2500 rpms still lets me get up normal crusing speed but takes a little while and makes the truck sound like a disel. now i have school and work so i need my truck and i dont have alot of money to be throwing around any suggestions and how much it might cost?
Greg Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 1/24/2004 13:40:24	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: Yall do know that Dodge uses the same tranny's as GM and Chevrolet don't you??? If not just thought I'de let you know why you have so many tranny problems... Does anyone on here know the part number to the steel syncros for the AX15 manual tranny??? Another one of them nice manual tranny problems that both Chevy's and Dodge's have... If it weren't for these blasted trannys I wouldn't ever have any problems out of my Dakota...
gen1dak Dodge Dakota JOIN HERE 1/24/2004 23:16:14	RE: transmission? IP: Logged Message: No, they're not the same trannys, but several years ago they did make an agreement to share assembly-line time, which I'm sure hasn't helped things.
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