Hi Everyone. My '79 300TD's transmission finally let out. It had been doing great until just the other day. It Started to experience major slipping, sometimes not going into gear, lack of power up hills, and burnt trans oil smell. So sad. It finally now doesn't go into gear at all after a loud 'clunk' after shut-down.

I took it in to have it looked at, and the mechanic says it's time for a new transmission. I'm sure he knows what he is talking about. His quote though is more than $3700 for a re-manufactured transmission installed, and that seems very high to me. Sun Valley sells the transmission with warranty for $1500.

I'm not sure I have the expertise to replace it myself, though I do consider myself capable of complex mechanical tasks.

Any advice here? Should I get a second opinion? I trust this mechanic thoroughly, it's just a lot of money to not ask around about. Can a non-specialty shop do the work? The car is worth fixing up btw...

Thanks everyone.
B

$3700 is way too high. You can get it done for $1500-2500.

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

Are you in a position where you could get the car a couple feet off the ground and feel comfortable working underneath it? If you can do this then you should be able to change it out yourself. Straight forward job but you have to get underneath it.

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Jim

Hi Edge, I saw that you just did this recently on your CD. How did it go? Did you buy a rebuilt trans from Sun Valley?

I have a garage to work in but can only get the car up on jack stands...

Well labor has to be high in Brooklyn. It was high 50 years ago when I lived there. It is a difficult job for one man with the car on jack stands and summer heat. Can you get help? It takes a lot of grunt arm strength to horse that tranny in and out. Don't under estimate it. Now if I were you I would get my thinking going as to where you might find a general purpose "HD" shop just doing heavy automotive, like engine replacement, exhaust and brakes. Not an Indy type - just a grunt shop. It is an in and out job, with a decent hoist it can be done in less then 3 hours, but you would have to get the care towed. It hooks up just like it came out, pretty much in reverse. Set up a time when he can do it and you can be there to watch. If you don't say to much they won't chARGE FOR WATCHING. Look around, they are out there

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Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

I've swapped transmissions on jackstands working by myself. Easier with a transmission jack. Not very complex but hard work.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

X2 Most rental places have transmisson jacks for rent. It will make it a piece of cake

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82 300 TD, 215K, 06 Dmax LBZ 245K,
2015 VW TDI Golf Wagon 70K

Get the unit from Sun Valley.

Jim, as usual, has the right approach with the consideration of the location (Brooklyn) and the lack of available tools and knowledgeable help.

If you cannot install it yourself in Brooklyn, there are places on the island that will do it for $600 or so. It's not a difficult job on a lift.

Hell, my local mechanic who I now use for lift work would probably do it for $500. I know it won't take him more than five hours and he gets $95.

I haven't done it yet but I have been investigating the next step. Transmissions shops have been quoting me $1500-$2700 to rebuild mine and $350-700 to install a tranny I bring them. There are some local transmission shops that will provide you with rebuilds for $1500, some will do the installs for their labor rates with a 6 m0 - 1 yr warranty. I have decided not to go with Sun Valley. They charge $1500 + $250 delivery and their 2 yr warranty is only good at their shop in SoCal which is like not having a warranty for me.

I am going to install a K-1 spring tomorrow if I can get the part from my dealer to see if it clears my tranny. I am also going to have an old hand MB specialist looking at it tomorrow afternoon. He said that because there was no metal in the pan it could well be a vacuum problem. Shop around, good luck.

__________________
85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

I put a 4 speed manual in mine.

paid $260 total for a used transmission (you may want to consider putting a 2nd gear syncro ring in .... they wear out), gear shifter, shift rods, flywheel, clutch (used though it happened to be near new), pedals, clutch master and slave cylinder, the plug that had to be spliced into a circuit under the dash for cruise control interface with clutch switch, the necessary rear tranny mount, driveline that had to be modified cut shorter for $180.

Good ol' pick n pull.

To hell with automatics, every 10 yrs they need a 2 to 3 K replacement. Manuals are built like Fort Knox.

I would love to do the work myself, and it sounds like with a Transmission Jack it's not a huge deal? I would certainly be saving some money. Anything in particular to watch out for?

Thanks for all your advice, I think I have a better grip on the situation now. $3700 just seems like too much, even though he runs a great shop.

I'll let you know what happens.

Almost all of these shops need to send the transmission out to a proper rebuild facility. They will pay at least $1500. for the privilege. Add their margin to the $1500. and their installation and removal costs and you're right up at $3200. I do not see where they need the last $500.

You've certainly got better alternatives if you manage it yourself.

Well that's the monthly payment on the mechanic's Honda!

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Here you go Ben, flip to page 38:

http://avtopedia.ru/akpp/722-3%20722-4.pdf