1979 300sd.
I need some help diagnosing and deciding if I should even fix this or let it go.
The car that had never let me down has let me down. The transmission went out 5 hours from home.
Trans had no signs of trouble or shifting. I pulled in coffee stop 3hrs into the trip to let the car cool off a bit as it had been running very hot the whole way. the trans started slipping pulling into the parking lot. After checking fluid looking around I saw no obvious sign of the trouble. I started again and resumed 70mph on the highway for another 2hrs trouble free before taking an exit for fuel. At the top of the ramp it slipped again just like a manual transmission with a bad clutch might. From the stop at the ramp I pressed the accelerator and it just revved, let the rpms drop and it caught and started off. I filled up at the station and rolled away from the pump and all seemed fine till I was on the down hill ramp accelerating. The slipping started again and i was dead right there at the bottom of the ramp.
I arranged a tow dolly and a friend towed me back home 300 miles. We loaded the front wheels on the dolly and left the engine running in neutral. I wish I could have asked on the forum for towing advice but had no power cable for my laptop.
So now it sits in my driveway. I have today and tomorrow left on the dolly rental. If I put it in gear and rev it out hard it will move foreword a couple inches. There are some real fine metal particles in the oil that you have to look real carefully to see. The local repair guy that I trust says he has a tranny that will fit(about $900). For him to pull it out to diagnose is $350 plus the about the same to go back in. He is fine with me pulling it (not sure that I am capable of this though). So I know that the best case scenario for repair with him is likely $700-$1100
I paid $1500 for this car 3 years ago but have also fixed a lot of things and put a lot of time and money into it including recent $$ and now have to make a decision if this should be repaired or let go and move up a few years in car (assuming that with a little hunting I can find a good quality 83-85sd for $2000 range) Searching old threads I could not find anything that seemed on target. Anyone have advice on something I could try like checking vacuum somewhere or messing with the trans x type snake oils before I either take this car to the repair or junk yard.
The driver door all of a sudden will not open from the outside (inside only) All doors still lock and unlock fine. Could this be an indication of something vacuum related or just perhaps someone tried to break and damaged the latch while it sat for three days?
Heeelp.
Eric Zitzow
Chattanooga TN