2000 Grand Caravan has been acting up lately. Shifting hard and won't shift past second gear, when pushed hard it engine brakes and the ATF smells like it's burning.

Ran the codes, three in total:
P1784 (Low Reserve Pressure Switch)
P1787 (Overdrive Hydraulic Pressure Switch Circuit)
P1782 (2-4 Pressure Switch Circuit)

I have a buddy who's dad owns a junkyard and I am able to pull a working transmission of the same year, model and engine size van for $200.

Don't have enough $$ to get someone else to do it, so I'll be swapping the transmission out of my van and putting in another one. I will have the help of two others.

Has anyone swapped out a transmission on these vans? Any tips?

 

Every day. Disconnect the Battery. You will need a lift to raise the vehicle, Make sure its the same engine. Because the torque converters are not the same from a 3.0 to 3.3 and the 3.8 are not the same as the 3.3. What want to do is tighten the transmission to the block with just two (2) bolts and the line up all the torque converter bolt holes. This way if you need to remove the transmission because the torque is not the same. You only need to remove two bolts to pull the transmission back out. You also need a pole jack stand to support the engine.