Hey Guys...brand new to forum! Any input would be great! The body & interior of my truck near perfect. 145k on motor/trans which are crapping out fast! Brought it to local speed shop today, for a total rebuild of motor/trans cost of 10K! I'm a extreme novice when it comes to repairs, meaning the only thing I do myself is change the fluids! Is that too high a number? Love my truck and can't really afford a new one.

 

What do you mean craping out?

The 5.9 is a dependable engine and will last up to 250K miles

What is wrong with it?

The trans can go out way faster depending on how hard you drive it and if its taken care of

 

"Rebuild" is vague. What exactly are they going to do for $10k?

 

It's losing power, leaking/burning oil, but not blowing smoke. Tranny is slipping pretty good, but only with highway driving, not locally! Speed shop told me it would be a brand new engine/tranny when he was done with it! I routinely change oil every 3-5K miles, don't drive it hard, and really kind of baby it, did a tranny flush/filter change recently, and that seems to be when problems with tranny started. It always shifted hard, but never slipped...especially when going over bumps!

 

How do they plan to rebuild it? Will it be basically stock or are you doing any mods to it? What is the warranty?

$10k is a LOT of money. You can very likely find a crate motor and get a rebuild on your tranny (or replace it too) for less.

 

Mechanic said that he has the core and will build from that. Everything apparently will be brand new from mounts to plugs/wires! it would be basically a stock 5.9l with no performance mods. 1 yr warranty, but said if anything was to happen beyond that 1 year, as long as no abuse/neglect, he would cover it. Word around town is that this shop is extremely reputable and knowledgeable, but expensive. Still on the fence as to what to do! 10k seemed high to me!

 

Do a search on "5.9 dodge crate engine." You can find a lot of different prices. Yes, you need installation but that's steep.

 

Thanks for the input! I'll shop around for a crate engine!

 

I say go in steps

1. Get Trans and all related stuff fixed meaning R/R the trans.

2. Have an in car engine R/R done way cheaper may not be the all-out best but should get you another 160K and restore like new performance.

3. Just be sure your engine crank seals and bearings are ok if you are not a Hot dog driver this should do you well.

 

To follow up on that, would you trust the usual transmission franchises or find an independent? The speed shop I went to quoted 8k for engine and 2500 for tranny rebuild...but he sends the tranny out.
Also, what do you mean when you say in car engine r/r?
And since I am a novice, how would I know if crank seals and bearings are ok? May seem like stupid questions, but I really don't have a clue!
I appreciate all the input! Especially since there is no upselling and B.S. on this forum!