Long time lurker, first time poster. Love the info on this site!

I've had 4 Dodge trucks and loved them all. Right now I have one that I'm getting conflicting advice on, and wanted to turn to the experts.

I have a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab. It has the 4.7 liter V8 and a manual 5-speed. It's a 4x4. It has 154,000 miles on it.

About a year and a half ago, a mechanic told me I needed to replace the tranny RIGHT NOW!!! He said that the tranny was 'sealed', and could not be repaired, only replaced. He quoted me a price of about $5400.00 for a new tranny and labor. I had taken it to him because the throwout/pilot bearing was squeaking a little, and I wanted to get it replaced. Oddly, the throwout bearing no longer squeaks.

Fast forward to the present. My pickup now makes a noise like it has meaty mud tires on it--a hum that gets higher the more RPMs the engine goes. It starts to hum at about 10 MPH and hums whether it's in gear or not. It has made this noise for a few months and it is gradually getting louder.

I asked a different mechanic about it when I took it in to get the oil changed, and he told me that the needle bearings in my transmission are starting to wear. He says that he doesn't think it's a situation where the tranny is just going to blow up and leave me stranded some day. He says that the noise from the needle bearings will be too loud to stand before the transmission completely dies.

He echoes that this transmission can't be repaired, only replaced. He says that I'll probably get several thousand more miles out of the rig before the tranny dies. He recommended I save a ton of money and get a tranny from a wrecking yard when the current one dies.

Another mechanic told me he thought it sounded like the rear end going out, and that he'd never heard of these trannies going bad.

Questions:

1.) Is it true that this transmission can't be repaired, only replaced?

2.) Does the needle bearing explanation sound right?

3.) Are wearing-out needle bearings something that needs to be fixed, or will they just get louder?

4.) Does the rear end explanation make sense?

I ask because the pickup itself is only worth about $5000.00, so I hate to spend much to put in a new or recycled tranny if I don't need to. Also, I'm not in a place financially where I can trade it in and buy another one.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!!

 

He probably is right about the noise coming from the ring and pinions. It could also be your front cv's starting to die who knows its hard to say without being there. I personally have never heard of a sealed non rebuildable trans but for the price of a rebuild I am sure you can find a low mile used transmission for much much less.

 

I was thinking that if the transmission was built and installed, then those processes should be able to be reversed and it should be fixable, but I know next to nothing about it. I think that the shop that said a new one was my only hope was trying to put a kid through college or something.

I think I'll take it to the dealership and find out for certain what I'm up against. Thanks!

 

You say it makes the noise when its not in gear too? I would say that dismisses the rear right in the beginning.. And I'd start small with the noise, cheaper the better, right? I'd check pulleys and bearings first

 

i couldnt imagine not being able to replace the throwout bearing and so on. sounds like your mechanic is lazy and looking to make a quick buck$$$
a manual trans is soo much eaiser to rebuild and fix than an automatic.

 

^^ Agreed,

Manual transmissions are light years less complicated than an automatic. I mean RIDICULOUSLY less.

You can probably get a rebuild kit and DIY. I dont' see you seeing a whole lot in there besides helical gears and dog gears.