[wiswind]

My old '96 got a remanufactured tranny from FORD in about 2001.......at just under 100K miles.
Vehicle now has over 200K.....and the tranny is still doing very well.
I added a auxillary cooler....use synthetic ATF....that I change each year.
In short.....the Genuine FORD unit hurt the wallet....so I certainly know how you feel.....but was certainly the way to go as it has given me great service....and I am hoping for "a couple more years" out of this vehicle.

When mine went....I spent a number of hours reading on the internet......and there were lots of posts on various boards about localy sourced units that were cheaper not holding up.......
This is why I shelled out the money for OEM......I do NOT like going through it once.......and I don't want to have a repeat experience.......which costs more in the long run.

Something to consider if the vehicle is in good overall shape...and you plan on keeping it.

I can afford to replace my vehicle.......but the reason that I can afford it.....is because I don't unless I cannot feel confident in the reliability of the one I have.