The transmissions in our cars, ATX and MTX, are one of the few things that I would not put any other types or brands of fluids in. I would stick with ONLY the Mopar ATF+4.

 

I took it down to a tranny shop today, they told me the thing would need to be rebuilt and would cost $1610.00 to do so or if I could find a used tranny somewhere would do the swap for $500.

I just found someone on craigslist with a 5spd and engine that is trying to get rid of it. Right at the moment I'm working with them to see about buying it from them and doing a whole engine and tranny swap and go to a manual instead of an auto.

What do you guys think about that happening?

 

Sounds good... is he willing to throw in the ECU, clutch pedal, master cylinder and lickage, brackets, shifter and linkage, and maybe CV shafts as well? There will be some light fabrication on your part to get everything set right...

How many miles did you have on the original tranny? I would lean away from a rebuild, but instead go towards a swap with a new(er) ATX... and maybe try to find out why the first one failed. Check to see if it is purely mechanical failure, or electrical that caused the mechanical failure, etc etc...

 

He says he has the tranny and engine, didn't sound like he knew much about what he actaully had and what not. The original tranny had about 110k on it, same as the engine. If he doesn't sell it (which I hope he does decide to let me get it) I'm going to hit a junk yard for the tranny and I think one of my friends has all the parts I need to do the swap.

Is there a way around getting a new ECU?

 

No, there is no practical way around the ECU swap. You could try using jumpers with the connections, and tying others off, but you would still end up getting multiple major codes with the ECU (since it is trying to monitor it's own waveforms to solenoids that ARE NOT present anymore)...

 

just get an SRT4 motor.... ktnx...

 

It looks like I will be just doing a tranny swap to another auto. Friends don't want to try and do the swap to a 5spd. Going down to a wrecking yard and buying the tranny for about $300. So while replacing the tranny will be replacing the timing belt as well.

 

good call on the timing belt... i should really do mine soon... anyways.... you and your friends should be able to pull off the trans swap... i think there is a write up on 2gn.org or something.... might come in handy....

 

Is it for the auto where you drop the old one and just put the new one in? I'm switching from a 3spd auto to a 4spd auto.

 

Agree - I get mine at Wal Mart