[escortuser]

Hi,

After a couple weeks of problems with the transmission, I took my '96 wagon to the mechanic, who said that it needed to be rebuilt or replaced (which I don't doubt, considering the number of problems there were). He said it would cost between $2000-2500 to repair, and since I don't know much about transmissions, I'm just wondering if that's a fair price, or if I should shop around some more. It seems high, and I'm really low on money, so anything that could save me some would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[highanddry]

Don't do it.

The book value of the car isn't much more than that.

Shop around. You should be able to get one for a lot less than that. Try a junk yard.

 

[siragan]

car-part.com

 

[Jeffescortlx]

I got a 5 speed tranny from a junk yard for 200 bucks with good miles and warranteed, put it in my self. Have any friends with a garage and tools?

 

[DeathSlinger00]

www.junkyarddog.com

places around here ask between $1000 and $1500. you're potentially getting ripped. don't do it.

treat any serious/expensive matter about your car as you would as yourself when you're sick.... get a second opinion!

 

[highanddry]

Don't forget you can go as far back as 91 for the same tranny. A 91 at the junker will be a couple hundred bucks. But then you have to install it. If you're plucking a gem from the boneyard, don't be overly worried about high miles. Somebody just grabbed the one from the 91 GT at my local junker - it had over 400,000 km on it.

 

[zzyzzx]

www.junkyarddog.com

places around here ask between $1000 and $1500. you're potentially getting ripped. don't do it.

$1000-$1500 sounds like a fair price to me. Personally, I would put a junkyard transmission in my car inless it had really low miles in it. IMO it's a wearing part like brake pads, and I wouldn't put used brake pads in my car!

Don't go to AAMCO, if you have any doubts about that then search the internet for AAMCO complaints and you'll find a bunch. If it's a automatic stick with a Jasper or a ATRA member.

 

[Rallylaz]

wow! i cant believe how much this costs over there. in australia a workshop charges around $2000 (US $1000), for ppl i know i do them for $500 which covers parts and a bit of labour!

i think i should move overseas and makes some $$$$$$ :twisted:

 

[DeathSlinger00]

go for it! and bring us all a ford laser while you're at it!

 

[Trashknight]

Its too bad that you dont live around KC because at u-wrench-it you can get a tranny for $49.99 and all of ther engines are i think $79.99 needless to say i have already getten another motor and i am going to get a manual tranny from them soon.

 

[zzyzzx]

How does one get a used engine or transmission and get it home and install it?

 

[Ignatz]

One nice thing about going to your local "U-Pull it" junk yard, you can learn how things come apart so when you work on your car things will go easier. We have a yard in New Ringold Pa. that has plenty of Escorts. Sorry no 2nd gen gt's but plenty of lx sedans and wagons. They had a 85 diesel wagon that was downright nice. I took the "diesel" emblems off it and stuck them on my 86 wagon.

 

[Rallylaz]

go for it! and bring us all a ford laser while you're at it!

theres tons of lasers here! the TX3 4wd turbo (= GT) ones are getting pretty rare- most of them are written off. gearboxes are getting hard to find cause theyre notorious with them.

 

[DeathSlinger00]

all i want for x-mas is a T-X-3, a T-X-3, a T-X-3.
all i want for x-mas is a T-X-3........ (4wd turbo in red)

 

[91scortgtboy]

i paid 1800 for my auto gt tranny to be rebuilt. And it broke 4 times after that and I am not lying. They fixed it each time underwarrenty but it broke again after the warrenty expired. So thats a tough call I don't think I would do it ever again.

 

[91scortgtboy]

i paid 1800 for my auto gt tranny to be rebuilt. And it broke 4 times after that and I am not lying. They fixed it each time underwarrenty but it broke again after the warrenty expired. So thats a tough call I don't think I would do it ever again.

 

[zzyzzx]

Where did you take your car to get the transmission to be fixed?

And quit hiring monkeys to work on your car.

 

[Rallylaz]

i paid 1800 for my auto gt tranny to be rebuilt. And it broke 4 times after that and I am not lying. They fixed it each time underwarrenty but it broke again after the warrenty expired. So thats a tough call I don't think I would do it ever again.

not saying its your fault, but its possible that even a brand new box wouldnt be good enough. the BP engines here have notorious gearboxes- they always break. i broke 9 in a year before i decided to get into the problem myself and worked out what it needed. turned out the diffs were overheating (4wd car)- cooled it and havent broken one since. what was breaking in your boxes? always the same part?

 

[supchu]

I JUST had my Automatic Transmission rebuilt. I went to an ATRA member (www.atra.com) and it cost about $1500. Highly recommended due to the warranty they give.

Oh yeah, I own a 96 LX Hatchback 2-door with a 1.9L engine. Just hit 97,000 miles.

 

[zzyzzx]

I JUST had my Automatic Transmission rebuilt. I went to an ATRA member (www.atra.com) and it cost about $1500. Highly recommended due to the warranty they give.

Oh yeah, I own a 96 LX Hatchback 2-door with a 1.9L engine. Just hit 97,000 miles.

I have more than 97,000 miles on mine but I'd consider $1500 a fair price from an ATRA place. Were they able to giev you a quote over the phone?

Last time I needed a transmission (more than a decade ago) I called up everyplace in the phone book and nobody would give me a quote over the phone, even though I could tell them exactly what car I had and I knew that they had seen lots of Escorts before. So I took it to the dealer and it cost me $1150 for one for my 1984GT. And when I got the car back I never had any more transmission problems. This time I'm going to my local ATRA place (Glen Burnie transmission).

Never take your car is take it to AAMCO for transmission work. There are tons fo horror stories about them on the internet, but in my case, they were so bad over the phone I wouldn't deal with them (pre-internet days, but I figured it out anyway).