1993 Dodge Dakota LE, 5.2L, A518 Auto Trans, RWD, 183,000 miles, original owner

I don't need an engine or tranny. The engine purrs like a kitten, burns only 1 quart of oil per 3,000 miles. Tranny is smooth as silk. I'm religious about replacing fluid and filters. But, there is 183,000 miles on it. I suspect the tranny will likely go before the engine, but either way I'm curious as to sourcing remans if I ever need to. Who sells reliable remanufactured engines and trannies these days? I'm assuming there are factory rebuilds but what about non-factory sources? Any suggestions? I surely would not buy one off ebay or from Stosh & Stosh.

 

These are old engines / transmissions....reliable but old tech. Finding 'low mile' units will be hard to do, I just pulled a 147k mile 3.9L for the AX15 attached to it and arguably it was likely treated better than my 3.9L...What I'm saying is you might be better off doing a refresh yourself if the time comes, or buy as low mile a used engine as you can find and then go through it as you wait for your existing motor to go...which will be a while IMO.

My 94 B250 van 5.2L AOD I ran up to 212k miles with zero problems, had fluids changed regularly and because I pulled tandem axle enclosed trailer I had trans fluid changed out frequently just because...when I sold it she was still running fine...she paid for herself.

My biggest rule of thumb with these AT's was never use the OD in town and I think that made a big difference....back in the 00's I saw a lot of these OD vans hit the scrap yard with trans problems....

Steve

 

Americans don't make vehicles like they used to. Chrysler makes total crap these days (and they haven't been American in a long time), so does GM. The Ford trucks seem to be holding their own still (notwithstanding their cruddy SUVs and sedans). The 90s Dodge and GM trucks were excellent. Last forever. I agree, I suspect my engine will last quite a bit longer. 183,000 miles on a well maintained, babied V8 from the 90s is not a lot of wear. And truthfully, that 318 Mopar has always been an excellent engine. I think the tranny will go long before the engine. I think if the engine went I might just say goodbye and lick my wounds. I'm too old to be doing engine swaps. The tranny is a bit less complicated and probably not as costly. I'm guessing there are still a metric buttload of A518s out there.

For the record, I always drive in OD. I very rarely carry or tow large loads. I don't live in the city, more rural. Drive a few miles, stop. Drive a few miles, stop. Rinse and repeat. But yeah, city driving is a different animal.

 

Think I would rather change an engine, than a trans..... but then, I have all the necessary 'stuff' out there to do exactly that...... But, at this point, I agree, I am way too old, and health-compromised to even consider undertaking such an exercise.

 

Yep, health has a way of making decisions for you. Truthfully, I would not do either the engine or trans. Body just cannot do it anymore. I'd hire out. I don't know what my mechanic would charge for a tranny. I'm just guessing 10 - 15 hours but trannies vary so much. I don't think there's anything complicated with an A518. I'd prefer to source a replacement myself but not sure the best source. I wouldn't want to do a boneyard special.

 

A boneyard special, and then a thorough rebuild, with some upgrades..... would work rather well, and not destroy the bank.

 

You may get a lot more miles out of the engine. Maybe a slight refresh with a new timing chain when it gets weak. Jasper engines has a plant near me where they rebuild engines. They rebuild transmissions too but there are enough transmission shops around I'd have the original rebuilt when its needed. I got 300K+ out of an older 318 once with regular oil changes and a timing set at 120,000 miles. Newer metallurgy makes them go longer. Then again, I had a '54 241 Hemi jump time at 60K.

 

I’m the original owner of my ‘93. There’s a lot to be said for that. One, I always took care of it. Two, I know exactly what work I’ve done on it.

You get a used vehicle and you have no clue about the history of the vehicle.

Just one more reason why you but a new vehicle and keep it!

 

I couldn't afford a new vehicle. Not even the dirt cheap little better than a beer can fellers these days.

 

I couldn't either, HY. Not only that, I wouldn't know how to start one. Gotta have finger or face recognition along with pushing buttons, etc. No keys. I'd be lost. The 90s was a good time to buy a new vehicle. Most were still made well and affordable. As we got into the 2000s we began to see a deterioration. About the only really good vehicles anymore are Hondas and Toyotas. The rest are either mediocre or garbage with very few exceptions...even the expensive ones like Mercedes and BMW. All junk and unaffordable not to mention overly complex. And EVs...forget it! I keep repairing/rebuilding my 2006 Whirlpool wash machine for the same reason. They simply do not make them like that anymore.