So I've got this 98 5.9 Durango that I absolutely love... Problem is the tranny is shot. I've got it sitting at a transmission shop that I trust, and he's telling me that the cheapest way to get it on the road is to replace the governor sensor and governor solenoid for about $350...

Sounds reasonable enough, but when I ask him how long that will last, he just chuckles. When I ask him if I'll get 6 months out of it, he laughs pretty hard...

You all know how that goes, he's trying to sell me on a $2,000 rebuild...

Problem with that is, even with the tranny fixed, the condition of the body makes this about a $2,500 truck. Hell, I could probably yank the engine and sell it for more than the truck is worth the way it sits...

But it's my baby. I seem to be having a hard time with deciding to get rid of it.

Calling around I've found one salvage tranny for $750, and I've found another one for $850 with a 6 month warranty. I'm thinking I'd spend the extra hundred to get the warranty. Reading through my Haynes manual, I'm figuring one weekend to remove the old one, and one weekend to install the new one, plus the expense of the beer and JD that will be required (this will be a significant expense... )

With all of the problems it's had this winter, my wife is 100% tired of it and done with it. She's ready to have it hauled off to a junkyard. This means that if we hang onto it, in her words, it's "my problem". You married men out there know what a golden opportunity this is, I now have my "project" vehicle that I can do anything I want with.

Or, I could spend the $350 to get the tranny working temporarily and go use it as a trade-in. Probably for a Ram 1500 (I want to replace the camper I had to sell, and I'd like to go with a 5th wheel, so it would be good to have a pickup.). I feel a little morally uncomfortable about trading in a vehicle that I know isn't 100%, but given the dealers that I'm going to be working with, and the **** they pull, I kinda figure it evens out.

I dunno. Just not sure what to do with the thing at the moment. Would appreciate any thoughts, ideas, wisdom, advice, etc....

 

I'd rip the working transmission out of another vehicle and put that in there. It's going to last way longer than a quick fix and it might possibly not need a rebuild down the road. I'd go ahead and pay for the warranty also as long ad the warranty isn't just some words on paper if you know what I mean.

 

i agree with swapping the working trans from another truck in

 

Yep, I know that expense first hand.........LOL


Anyway, I would swap the trans from a working one.

 

Yeah, I think that's the way I'm leaning. Once I'm that far into it cash-wise, though, it's a little tempting to spend the extra and get a freshly rebuilt one with upgraded internals.

Still, that's an extra thousand bucks that I don't exactly have sitting around in my "spare money drawer" at the moment. lol...

Either way, it's going to have to come home and sit for a few months until I can afford to do it.