Need Transmission for a Shadow

[tigercamaro]

I have a 92 dodge shadow ES convertile with the 3.0l V-6 and i need a new tranny for it. Well not necessarily new but one that does not have more than 100,000 miles on it anyway. i am not sure exactly what tranny is in right now. so i will try to get some numbers or something, but i am not sure how to find out where the numbers are. So if anyone has a tranny or some info on how to figure out what kind of tranny it is let me know.Thanks

[KManiac]

What's wrong with the transmission that is in your car now? As long as it functions correctly, keep driving it and servicing it every 30,000 miles. Now, if something has happened to it internally that keeps it from functioning correctly without removal and teardown, then I suggest you get it rebuilt by a reputable, independent transmission shop in your area. I had this done to the transmission in my Shadow three years ago when I fragmented a clutch disc in the front clutch pack. The rebuild set me back $1,900. My transmission is a 3-speed automatic with lock up (P-R-N-D-2-1) sitting behind my 2.5L Turbo. Given you have 3.0L, you may have an Ultradrive 4-speed (P-R-N-D-3-L). You should verify this one way or another. The Ultradrive will cost more to rebuild, but will rebuild just the same.

Let us know what you find and do.

[tigercamaro]

kmaniac according to what you posted i would have the ultradrive 4 spd (p-r-n-d-3-l). wow if it costed you almost 2 grand to rebuild yours i deffinetly do not think that i can go that option as i do not have a lot of money and am actually hunting for a good job, because i only work part time at a local pizzaria. Okay, as for the tranny, i guess there is a pin that came loose from somewhere inside the tranny that then worked a hole in between the tranny case and my engine block. I took it to a local garage and that is what they told me most likely happened, because he has heard of that before. Do you know any places where i might be able to find one for fairly cheap, used or what not???Thank a bunch for the info though.

[tigercamaro]

oh the car itself has only just under 86,000 miles on it.thanks again

[KManiac]

Now, lets see if I read this right. According to your mechanic, "a pin came loose inside the transmission, somewhere, and then worked a hole between the transmission case and the engine block".

Well, I must say that I have never heard of such a thing before now, and I have been driving a variety of Chrysler products for the last 30 years. Now, in the space where your transmission bolts to the back of your engine, there is the torque converter and the transmission oil pump between the internal component of the transmission and the engine block. If something came loose inside the transmission and punched a hole in the transmission case, you would have found a big puddle of fluid under your car. Did this happen?

By the way, what did your transmission either do or not do that caused you to take it you your mechanic? Did you drive it there or did you tow it there? Any information you provide will help tremendously.

[tigercamaro]

okay well when i first noticed the problem i was racing against my friends dodge dynasty with a 3.3 and i was taking the lead. then when we both pulled over he told me that my car was leaking shit and it was all over his windshield. Then we took the car to the garage and he told me about the pin situation and that since it was a FWD car that he would have to start pulling things apart to find out more(which meant more of an expense to me.) Then the garage filled it back up with tranny fluid cuz when i got there it was almost out and it is only like a 5 minute drive. So then i took the car straight home and again the tranny was almost empty when i got it home. Now it is just sitting in our backyard. So that is pretty much the whole story.Thanks again for trying to help me out with this problem.

[KManiac]

Thank you for the description of your problem. Now, I am going to assume that the transmission operates correctly as long as it has fluid in it, because you did not mention a drivability problem and you drove the car both to the mechanic and back home again.

It is obvious from your description that you have a major transmission fluid leak. Leaks like this can come from a variety of places. The fix could be as simple as a $2 rubber hose you can replace in five minutes, an annoying $10 dollar seal you will need to pull the transmission to replace, or a crack in your transmission case that will require complete replacement of the unit. What you need to do now, is try to figure out for yourself where the fluid is leaking from.

You will need a couple things here. First, get a set of ramps so you can drive the car up, elevating the nose. Next, get a 12 pack of ATF-3 or Chrysler Type 7176 transmission fluid. This fluid specification is critical. Using anything else, like Dextron, Mercon or Type F, will ruin your transmission from the inside. With your car on the ramps, iding in Park with the parking brake set and the wheels blocked, top off the fluid in your transmission by adding through the dipstick hole. A funnel with the tube on the end is helpful here. Once full, start looking for the leak.

Transmission fluid circulates through portions of your transmission under high pressure. If the leak is from a high pressure area, you will quickly notice fluid spraying from the leak. Now your transmission does have two rubber hoses that run between the transmission itself and the radiator. The fluid in these hoses is under pressure. The hoses will crack and leak fluid if not changed periodically. Check these first. Otherwise, look under the hood and crawl under the car to see where the fluid is leaking. Once you figure it out, let us know, so we can help you further.

I was once young and loved old cars. I could not afford to pay someone to take care of my cars for me, so I just learned to do it myself. That's why I know so much today. I once had a mechanic friend who told me that you can't make any money being an "honest mechanic". Even though most mechanics are knowledgeable (some aren't), they often try to sell you things you don't necessarily need to pump up their bottom line and profits.

[tigercamaro]

alright i will take a look at all of that, it probably wont be until the weekend as i am pretty busy this week. Yes you are right, as long as the car is filled with tranny fluid it drives just fine, but it doesnt take long to run out of fluid.