Yet yet another car trouble

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skiri251

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My saga with very high mileage (293K) Ford E-150 van continues.

I had the used engine (100K) installed and that was that.

I know tranny was leaking fluid and had to top off every 200 miles or so.
Finally I took it to a local tranny shop.
They found that oil cooler lines were leaking.
When they dropped the pan to service the tranny, they found metal fragments.
There is this circular magnet (about an inch in diameter) in the pan and there were thin metal pieces (around half inch long, thin like needles) attached to it.

Obviously they recommended full tranny rebuild which would cost $2500.
And me being cheap, just told them to flush the tranny and done with it (at least for now because tranny works fine.)

Should I let them rebuild the tranny now? Or can wait until some symptoms show?
Can I take 200 mile round-trip to/from the desert (want to avoid total break down obviously. I had to pay $800 for towing home the last time.)
Again it's ultra high mileage but even so there shouldn't be no big (half an inch long) pieces there?
Sorry I didn't take any photos.
 
You are describing needle bearings falling apart, so you are very close to the tranny seizing and having to be towed again.

Is the vehicle worth fixing? If so, your options are:

1. Get a used tranny from a junkyard for a few hundred dollars and avoid a rebuild. No warranty of course.

2. If you want a warranty, have a reputable local shop rebuild it or go to a national chain like AAMCO and have them install a rebuilt tranny.
 
I like the used tranny idea. :good:
You could always then shop around and find someone to rebuild your old one at a more convenient rate. The other advantage if it turns out that your current tranny is too far gone it won’t be while it is in the shop and you don’t have much control over escalating rebuild costs.
Here is how I got my spare transmission for my BA RTV.
It was cheaper to buy the whole car than a gearbox from the wreckers but then I didn’t get any warranty.
 
I see.
So it will blow up on me sooner or later (sooner I guess.)

Well I cannot afford a decent van of similar spec (it has high roof and wheel chair lift which I need) so I have no choice fixing this one.
Looked at used tranny online but it costs $1500. Not much cheaper than the rebuild. DIY @ local junkyard sounds a lot of work.
 
It’s always a chance, especially with autos if anything is going to break down.

My experience with tiny bits on the trans magnet is it doesn’t necessarily mean the trans will quit. Transmissions too usually give some warning. It’s working good now, I’d leave it alone and save the money for a rebuilt for if/when that day comes.
 
What year model are we talking aboot?
ALL transmissions(auto or standard) shed some metal during normal operation. 1/2 long slivers would not be considered "normal". Were these pieces steel or aluminuminum?
$2500 for a full rebuild is not out of the ordinary here. Used transmissions are a crap shoot, like anything else used. Might get a gud un...might not. If you're paying someone to swap them out, and it don't werk, then you get to pay them again to swap another one, that may or may not werk. If you must get used, get one from a place that will guarantee it both for working AND for labor if it don't. Check LKQ....they have a good warranty on used stuff, and also offer reman units. Major "chain" shops such as AAMCO might be good if only for the nationwide warranty, BUT....getting that warranty done in another shop will take time, since the two shops will bicker back and forth on how much it should cost to repair it....and you'll be stuck out of town with your vehicle held hostage while they fight it out. :sensored:

Do not wait to make a decision...the more you drive it the possibility of major damage will increase...which will raise the price of repairs. If it seems to be working properly now, but does have evidence of something inside wearing abnormally, get it fixed as soon as you can...and drive it as little as possible.
Just my 2 pennies worth.
 
It's 2011 Ford E-150.
The pieces must be steel (they stuck to the magnet.)
Well, I will hold off 200 mile desert trips for now then.
It's too dry and dusty up there anyways.
I can upgrade my AAA membership in March (three months after the last towing request) so I don't have to pay for towing back to home.
 
I've had strange luck with transmissions. I had an '84 Chevy Caprice that ran and drove perfectly. One day, without any warning or sound, there was no reverse. Clean and full fluid, linkage adjusted properly...even tried Trans-X to free up a sticking valve, but no luck. Ended up selling the car that way.

Then I had a '99 Isuzu Amigo that had nasty tranny issues when I got it (cheap). Threw in some Trans-X, and it cleared up nicely in just a few minutes. I drove it for 2 years, then from El Paso to LA, with no problems. Had it serviced at Aamco, and the pan under the overdrive section had a nice collection of junk in it - possibly clutch fragments. I couldn't afford a rebuilt unit, so I had the fluid and filters changed. Strange tranny - it had 2 pans and was sealed, with no dipstick or filler tube. Anyway, it never gave me any trouble, even driving back to El Paso and returning to LA pulling a loaded trailer. It defied logic, but I can't complain. I sold it several years ago, still running fine. I did tell the new owner about its history.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=199245#p199245:3vrz35jz said:
Steve83 » Today, 2:50 am[/url]":3vrz35jz]
... I sold it several years ago, still running fine. I did tell the new owner about its history.
The last honest man. :hi:
 
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