Transmission job

[MontyJ]

And so it begins. After work today I decided to get started on rebuilding the transmission in my Durango. Today I managed to remove both front and rear drive shafts and the transfer case. It's starting to thunder and the wind is picking up so I called it a day. I should be able to get the transmission out on Sunday, since the weather is supposed to be nice. Forecast is for rain all day tomorrow. While I was under there I noticed the grease boot on the right front axle is shot. I'll probably have to replace that bearing too. To top it off, I have to remove the exhaust crossover pipe to give the tranny clearance to come down. Of course the bolts are rusted and will probably break off in the manifolds Something tells me I won't have this all done before the snow flies. If this does drag out into/over the winter, I'll pull the engine and rebuild it too.

 

[baymule]

Got a trans lift or do you just wrassle it with a big 'ol bear hug?

 

[canesisters]

Wish there was some way to talk you into doing that on my old Huyndai. For want of the cash to pay a garage, it's leaving for the Kidney Foundation next week. :/

 

[Southern Gardener]

I wish I had you around Monty when my SUV needed work! I spent over 3k at the dealership to get it fixed and I'm sure that was mostly labor cost.

 

[MontyJ]

I hate putting my vehicles in the shop for anything. I'll avoid it if at all possible. The labor costs make it prohibitively expensive; and I just don't trust them. A rebuilt transmission is about $1300, if I remove and install it myself. It's over $2000 if the shop does it. I can rebuild it myself for less than $600.

About the only thing I'll put one in the shop for is an alignment. I just don't have the equipment to do that as accurately as they can. Everything else is on me. But, as I get older, I find that it's much more difficult to do what was easy 30 years ago I used to love working on vehicles, now...not so much. Pulling the 125 pound transfer case by myself was bad enough, the 250 pound transmission is going to be rough. No Bay, I don't have a tranny jack. It's just me, a square of plywood, a floor jack, many, many bad words...and maybe a bear hug I won't allow Dew under the vehicle for any reason. Her job is to sit close by, phone in hand, in case of catastrophe

But, I love my Durango and I refuse to let it die this way.

Cane, if you were closer, I would gladly fix it for you. Southern, what was wrong with your SUV?

 

[bj taylor]

I don't know anything about any of that - but I can worry with the best of 'em. put something under there with you that is thicker than you, so if that jack fails, you can get out

 

[baymule]

Monty you be careful under the Durango. I'm sure you use jack stands for safety. My brother (RIP) was under his race car about 15 years ago and it fell off the jacks and fell on him. He wriggled out from underneath it, put up all his tools, closed and locked the garage and drove himself to the hospital. He had a broken neck, just a bone sliver away from paralysis. He spent months in a halo. Looked like a TV antenna. So be careful. Just sayin......

 

[dewdropsinwv]

I try to be outside with him when he is under ANY vehicle!! If anything goes wrong I'm right there to call 911 if need be.

 

[MontyJ]

I'm always very careful. I once had a Toyota Corolla fall on me. I had it up on blocks and a block failed. I was trapped for over an hour before the EX-wife decided to check on me. The Durango is already blocked up with 6x6 solid pine and chocked. It's going nowhere. I don't even trust jack stands.

 

[Southern Gardener]

In his younger days, my dad could fix anything on a car - which was a good thing because he had six girls that all had cars! He was like you, Monty - wouldn't put a car in the shop to be repaired for anything!

As for my SUV, here is what I heard; catalytic converter needs to be replaced, blah, blah, blah, leaking oil into plugs, blah, blah, blah, that thingy chain that makes your car go into park, drive and reverse is broken and needs to be replaced. That will be $3,300 please. So I slapped down my supplemental income card (that would be my Visa) and said just fix the ___ thing and I'll need a loaner to drive. So, they did and now I'm waiting on the next thing to break. It's eleven years old and has 134,000 miles - I'm hoping to keep it for a couple more years.

Be careful under the Durango, Monty. Good thing you have a great girl watching out for you!