Rebuild my 85 300D Automatic? How much for a used one?
 

I am the third stage of accepting my automatic transmission failure.
The first stage was Resistance or Denial, where I refused to believe it had failed five minutes after I drove it after swapping engines and fixing a dash fire. Everyday I would come home from work, start the car and miraculously hope it would move. I did this ten days in a row, with no luck.
The second stage was Anger, where I moved the car to the number one parking space in my driveway under a shade tree to the my junker parking spot--off the driveway and in the street where traffic often hits parked cars left there. I did this and no one has hit or destroyed the car yet, nor has it caught back on fire which I wished it would..
The final stage, gradual acceptance, yes I still love the car. How much should I offer the guy with a Used 85 300D automatic ?....or should I rebuild mine? It has a bad pump. I may have horrible luck and make terrible errors but believe it or not i always get lucky and solve the tough ones. I would rebuild it, if enuff people told me to and how to do so....

Richard, how sure are you that the pump is bad?

I seem to recall that you presume the pump was bad do to specific things that took place when you reinstalled the engine.

You well know that our first conclusion, without all the data, usually in error. ;)

Any chance that the K1 spring has failed?

Used ones are not hard to come by....I don't know how far you are from Atlanta, but I have a friend in town who probably has several of them.

Drop me an e-mail or PM and I can get you in touch.

Mike

Can someone tel me how much to offer? I need to do my homework...
 

Richard, how sure are you that the pump is bad? Kind of sure. I troubleshot it with the most respected guy on Shop Forum. The stain right under the pump confirms it, it gets bigger day by day....Also I hear a distinctive whine I never heard before

I seem to recall that you presume the pump was bad do to specific things that took place when you reinstalled the engine. Just Murphys law or the car is haunted. Since its saved my a__ several times, I belive it to be a good luck car..

You well know that our first conclusion, without all the data, usually in error.

Any chance that the K1 spring has failed? Right now I know not much about AT's or even what a K1 spring is.

Thanks Brian....

OK, I just wanted to be sure you didn't jump to a conclusion too quickly. ;)

You might try taking the transmission lines off the radiator and starting the car. If no juice comes out in gear, I would think your pump is knackered.

RS098, Thats a smart idea...
 

You're obviously very mechanically intuitive. In fact there's a pressure port there for a reading also off the side of the pump. I was going to just that, being almost as smart as you.

But the big puddle growing bigger daily and the whine already tell me the answer...

Can someone tell me how much to offer the guy? He has one right now...

Seeing as how the 85 300D has a unique transmission ( I believe- someone please correct me) the right price is a dollar more than the seller would take.

Seriously, it all depends on how badly you need it and what the local market is- I'm sure you know that. I personally wouldn't give more than $200 for a used one, unless you have some reason to know that it is working well, was recently rebuilt yada yada. I do not relish the thought of putting a bad one in and having to take it back out. You can get a rebuild for about $1200 so I would price a used one according to what your time is worth. Seems to me there was a decent cheap rebuilder in your area IIRC.

I have the auto tranny out of a low mileage 240D if it happens to be the same.

I think I will buy the used one from my indy
 

and slowly rebuild mine, always wanted to see the Hamsters inside that box...I will post pix, but pls be patient, I'm 45 not 25.......

I think that's a GREAT idea. Just please be sure to do this before I get around to doing it to mine (and you probably will). My wife's 300D tranny is on its last legs, I think. I have a used one from a parts car (known to be working as the engine threw a rod ) but I would like to rebuild one of these at my leisure as they both have 190K miles on them. I have rebuilt a Ford C4 so I think I can do it, but I am a little afraid of any oddball tools that might be needed that cost more than the price of a rebuild.