'83 tranny question/advice

[ddax]

Well, bad news. I'd had the u joints replaced in April and the rear broke - casting fractured - and the driveshaft dropped out last Friday while my son was pulling away from a stop light. This shop called this morning. They had the u joint replaced but now I need a new transmission. They said it won't move in drive, just grinds. He said; "Something must have happened", uh...yeah!

I probably won't get a chance to get over and see what the car is like( hear it for mayself) for a couple days but would appreciate any insights any of you may have into what may have caused this and/or other solutions.

Their rec is for a remanufactured tranny @ $1850 - ouch! (This is the local Chevy dealership)
Might a transmission shop be able to rebuild the current tranny?

I know I've not given you much info to go on, but I'd like to prep myself for as many of the possiblities we can anticipate rather than just taking what's being offered. I'd like to fix this, but $1850 is one big hit.

Some of you are familiar with what I have from previous posts: '83 Caprice Classic, 305 ci, 94,000miles, don't know what transmisson it has.

Thanks,
Dave

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by ddax

Well, bad news. I'd had the u joints replaced in April and the rear broke - casting fractured - and the driveshaft dropped out last Friday while my son was pulling away from a stop light. This shop called this morning. They had the u joint replaced but now I need a new transmission. They said it won't move in drive, just grinds. He said; "Something must have happened", uh...yeah!

I probably won't get a chance to get over and see what the car is like( hear it for mayself) for a couple days but would appreciate any insights any of you may have into what may have caused this and/or other solutions.

Their rec is for a remanufactured tranny @ $1850 - ouch! (This is the local Chevy dealership)
Might a transmission shop be able to rebuild the current tranny?

I know I've not given you much info to go on, but I'd like to prep myself for as many of the possiblities we can anticipate rather than just taking what's being offered. I'd like to fix this, but $1850 is one big hit.

Some of you are familiar with what I have from previous posts: '83 Caprice Classic, 305 ci, 94,000miles, don't know what transmisson it has.

Thanks,
Dave

If the trans is a 3-speed (PRND21) it is a TH350. If it's a 4-speed (PRND321) it's a TH700R4.

[PeteA216]

I'd assume it to be the th700 R4 transmission, but you might have the smaller one (th 200- something). Anyway, That seems a little pricey. A local tranny shop told me $800 for a freshly rebuilt tranny, but I'd have to put it in myself. It was $1000 for them to install a fresh one, but they get to keep the old one (to rebuild and sell to someone else for $800+). I would assume you could have a local transmission shop rebuild it for you for much cheaper. I know in the transmission of my father's GMC Sierra with the TH400, the reverse did the same thing, and all it turned out to be was the reverse orbital gear... a $300 fix.

[bobss396]

As for the cause, I don't want to say anything about young drivers but there is a strong correlation between them and catastrophic driveline part failures.

Try to shop around for a rebuild. Most dealers use a local shop to do theirs and they just tack on what they can get away with. If you have a local shop that you deal with, he may cut you some slack between the wholesale and retail total if you send it out through him.

Bob

[ddax]

I went over and checked out the car this AM. It has reverse and 1st, but just grinds in D, 3 and 2. The rear u-joint had broken, the casting broke right through one of the arms of the cross.

I'd suspect running up the RMP's in neutral and dropping into gear to try and chirp the tires would be the most likely cause for this kind of damage, though doing that's been denied. Teenage boy drivers - I'm an old fart, but I still remember some of the stupid stuff I did. Broke a motor mount in my Barracuda once screwing around. Every indication I've seen so far has him as a pretty sensible driver, but sometimes parents are the last to know.

Assuming the above did not happen, I can't envision the tranny problem causing the u-joint to break. This damage happened simultainiously. But could the u-joint breaking in that way have caused the driveshaft to bind momentarily causing the gear damage in the transmission?
That seems reasonable in my mind that a cheap defective u-joint failure caused a major tranny problem. But, of course, mine is not a trained mechanic's mind working so I may be way off in my thinking- wouldn't be the first time.

I talked with a local transmission shop after looking at the car. His worst-case scenario would be $1300 to do a total rebuild. Still a big hit, but may be my best bet as I can't do anything of this magnitude myself.

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by ddax

I went over and checked out the car this AM. It has reverse and 1st, but just grinds in D, 3 and 2. The rear u-joint had broken, the casting broke right through one of the arms of the cross.

I'd suspect running up the RMP's in neutral and dropping into gear to try and chirp the tires would be the most likely cause for this kind of damage, though doing that's been denied. Teenage boy drivers - I'm an old fart, but I still remember some of the stupid stuff I did. Broke a motor mount in my Barracuda once screwing around. Every indication I've seen so far has him as a pretty sensible driver, but sometimes parents are the last to know.

Assuming the above did not happen, I can't envision the tranny problem causing the u-joint to break. This damage happened simultainiously. But could the u-joint breaking in that way have caused the driveshaft to bind momentarily causing the gear damage in the transmission?
That seems reasonable in my mind that a cheap defective u-joint failure caused a major tranny problem. But, of course, mine is not a trained mechanic's mind working so I may be way off in my thinking- wouldn't be the first time.

I talked with a local transmission shop after looking at the car. His worst-case scenario would be $1300 to do a total rebuild. Still a big hit, but may be my best bet as I can't do anything of this magnitude myself.

Tell your boy that the damage noted is totally consistent with a "neutral drop". See what he says! That's almost the only way you can get that kind of damage.