To all members of this FORD community;
I'm a bit frustrated.....I'm in the minority of FORD guys in my social group - most are of the bowtie group, so I'm always getting humored, but that's OK, I don't mind, except......

I'm sufferin' with trannysickness..............

my '91 F150 w/E4OD cost me $3200 to rebuild a few years ago. Just after warranty expired it cost me $800 to replace a seal in the tranny's pump. Then last summer the whole thing went out, so my truck sits. Got 180,000 miles, engine runs great.

my '89 Mustang 2.3 w/A4LD just got rebuilt at a cost of $2300. There's a shudder when in OD - the repair shop says tires are out of balance - that's BS, they've just been checked and are OK. Shop owner bitched about how he lost $$ on the repair so I know he's just avoiding the issue. Got just over 200,000 on it, engine is strong as ever.

my '84 Ranger has the Toyo Kogyo tranny. 1st and 2nd gears are going, I'm getting estimates of $2000 to rebuild. Hoping to score a reman, but don't know where to locate one. Got 80,000 on the rebuilt engine, it's a 2.8 V6.

my '77 LTD has the FMX tranny which has died. Got just under 200,000 on it, engine runs great, the car's in primo shape (used to be parents' car, always garaged, it's last of the road hog-cars, I love it). Afraid to get $$ estimate ! !

I don't mean to whine - I'm just confused - I've got logbooks on all my vehicles, perform regular maintenance and most repairs. I've got friends who do nothing but fill w/gas, their vehicles just seem to run and run inspite of neglect.

What am I doing wrong???

 

As a former Tranny mechanic...here are a couple of suggestions..

First, it appears you are spending the majority of money on labor...and being overcharged. Pump seals should take around 4-5 hours to replace for rear wheel drive vehicle...at 50-60 bucks an hour..should only cost around 200-300 bucks...unless you had to replace the pump itself...the seal should cost around 5 bucks!

you were overcharged for your A4LD overhaul.....

Kogyo tranny losing 2-3 gear? whats going out? The synchro rings? 2000 sounds a bit high...Pull the unit out yourself and re-install....you just might need to buy a clutch alignment tool to get it to install easily because a shop will pull it all apart to rebuild it...

here is some good info for you....

NEVER go with the least expensive shop for repairs...they usually take shortcuts. Try to go with the shops that do fleet vehicles for the local government agencies (Police, city vehicles, state government..etc) these are usually the most reputable places...

regular maintenence is the best way to extend the life of a transmission..regular services are key. For hot environments or for towing...allways install an aftermarket auxiliary tranny fluid cooler...Remember...Heat is the number one enemy of transmissions!!!!!

Believe it or not...letting a vehicle sit for an extended period of time without driving it is also bad for a transmission....the internal components tend to create flat spots on soft components that they rest upon. shafts, drums and clutch packs can press upon soft rubber components (due to gravity) and if you dont start up the car periodically....the rubber components will develop spots where they wont seal completely...causing leaks...or slipping...or other bad things.....leading to a failure and hastening an overhaul...

so..start a vehicle at least once a month...warm it up...drive it around the block once...and then park it again...

once last thing...if you plan on getting work done in a shop...check the local better business bureau to make sure the shop doesnt have unresolved customer complaints...this is public record and usually posted online.....this is a number one indicator of a crooked shop.....STAY AWAY!

good luck.........

 

Thanks for the reply !

Labor costs are high around here, from $78/hr. at a nearby independent shop to around $100 at the Ford dealer.

Yes, I did get taken on the A4LD job. Should have done more research.

Toyo Kogyo - from the feel and sound of things, I'm thinking it's bearings. 1st, 2nd and 3rd is where I hear/feel it. Drove around the neighborhood in those gears, was surprised at the amount of noise echoing back from parked vehicles. The gears themselves feel OK and there's no fluid leak. Would bad/worn synchros sound the same?

thanks also for the better business recommendation, never thought of that.

 

if you have no noise in 4th..then you probably have a bad gear/bearing. 4th gear is direct drive and no gear reduction is used....in effect.....input shaft to output shaft spin as one..only two bearings are under load in 4th...input and output bearing

if you have noise in other gears...then this indicates something is wearing out because multiple components are under load...

did you check the fluid level? pull the top fill plug and stick you finger in the hole to make sure gear oil level is topped off....

these trannys are fairly simple....but the tools needed to pull bearings/bushings and the like make it tough for a home mechanic to do...

take my advice about shops and have them rebuild it...but some some money on labor..pull the unit out yourself and save some money on labor....you will need to purchase a clutch alignment tool to reinstall the unit tho...around 15-20 bucks....only tough part you might run into is dropping the exhaust if it runs under the unit...spray the exhaust bolts good with WD-40 and you should be ok...

good luck