Hello,

My Dodge Van needs some transmission work and I can't afford the $1600 price tag to fix it at a shop. The guy basically put it on the lift and then gave me a price without actually looking at the transmission or checking the solenoids. I have been searching for a manual to do the work myself, but I can't seem to find one for anything but a dodge truck. Does anyone have a fix on a PDF of the appropriate manual or maybe a YouTube video that shows this model or a similar one being worked on? It's a 4-speed transmission...Thank You!

Kender

 

Pick up a used one in a junkyard for a few hundred bucks and just swap it out.

 

X2 Alloro gives good advice your best bet is to purchase a known working used unit. Automatic transmission repair is for skilled mechanics, very steep learning curve and requires special tools including access to compressed air.

 

Thank you for your help!

 

I would still like a Factory Service Manual or an owner's manual for the van, if anyone has a link for an e-copy? Spent 3 hours searching google and all the links lead to scam sites

 

There are no FSMs online. Your best bet is to look on eBay for the used manuals.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...anual&_sacat=0

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...anual&_sacat=0

 

You might also want to call around. When I bought my '92 B350 the transmission was leaking pretty badly. Regular mechanic wanted ~$1,500 to fix it. I called a local tranmission specialist- one that I had seen people bringing their vintage and classic cars to- and they did the repair for ~$500. Granted that wasn't for a total rebuild- just to pull the tranny and replace all the seals, O-rings and gaskets.

 

My Hayes and Chilton manuals are so-so and at times generic, but they do go over the transmission cleaning of the screen & filter along with solenoids and the procedure for tightening the bands if needed. No air tools were ever mentioned. I've been in the tranny twice (46RE) yours may be the 46RH if 5.2L or the 48RH if 5.9L as it's a 95.

Doing the screen cleaning, filter change or the easy access solenoid along with cleaning the pan and a new gasket should be under $100 if done yourself. There is a nice HD gasket for our tranny types. I had gotten mine from Summit. It's like an RTV overmold onto a metal gasket. It's greatly bragged upon over in the Dodge Truck Magnum engine side of this forum. The gasket if carefully torqued down correctly can be reused dozens of times too. I just can't remember the name of the brand.

 

Air is used to be sure the passages the fluid travels in are clear of debris as he mentioned repairing ie rebuilding the trans. To tear a unit down, assemble and then reinstall the trans it to find out it does not operate/shift properly if at all because a partial or complete blockage somewhere would be a waste of time.

 

From your posting of special tools and air. One can deduct that special tools can be air driven.