Tranny went on my 99 XLT, $2,000 to overhaul

[mikepier]

Hi all, just wanted to tell you of my recent issue with my tranny on my 99 XLT SOHC.
Was backing out of my driveway one day, heard a pop, then there was no more reverse. Forward gears was fine.

I put the truck in first gear to see if there was any engine braking, and there was none, so I knew the band must have been broken.

Long story short, took it to a tranny place , and they completely overhauled it for $2,000. Has a 1 year warranty. So after 16 years of owning this truck, the inevitable happened. It was a tough decision to make whether to fix it or not since the book value of my truck is $3,000, but I know its worth more than that based on what I put into this truck since I bought it new.

 

[koda2000]

The V6 transmissions aren't the most reliable Ford ever made, but you know your truck. It would cost you a lot more to have replaced it. If any of my trucks needed an tranny rebuild (with the possible exception of my '97 SOHC) I'd have the tranny rebuilt. The '97 cost me $1300 or $1400 almost a year ago and I haven't had to put any money in it to-date, so I'd have to think about whether it would be worth spending $2k on a tranny rebuild for that one... maybe. Maybe a used tranny.

 

[Torqueranger]

Sometimes its alot easier just to find a blown motor truck and tear the tranny out or replace the motor.. I had a 01explorer with a hurt tranny and blown motor and was going to replace the motor and rebuild the tranny but never had time so I bought a 98 explorer 2wd for $600 ... Or you could buy the the tranny book and rebuild the tranny yourself with our help from the forum...

 

[SoNic67]

A good rebuild transmission can last 100k miles. That's means the cost is only 2 cents/mile. That's great.
But if the car gets trashed for other reason after 1k miles, now you spend 2 dollars/mile. Not that good.

So IMO it is a good investment if you are willing to keep the car long term.

 

[corkey]

https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/4805292181.html

$600 and you get all the spares you would ever need, especially the transmission,,,

 

[bluestream1]

Once you start to sink money into an old truck it can spiral out of control when more things go wrong. My philosophy is simple, as long as I can make the repair myself, I will keep the truck. When the engine or tranny goes I will decide if I want to do that repair or more on to a newer vehicle.

2nd Gen Explorers are a dying breed now with the newest being 14 years old. The posts on this forum are down 90% for the heyday of 10 years ago which reflect the diminishing number of vehicles on the road. If you can pick up a parts truck for $400 that would make sense. Hopefully your neighbors don't mind you parking it on your front lawn with the hood up...

http://youtu.be/qlBZssDTQ18

 

[1996Z15]

The transmission on my 97 v6 XLT just let go yesterday. Truck has 208k miles on it and, depending upon the repair estimate, I may wind up getting rid of it.
It has some rust above the rear wheel wells and, with 208k miles on the SOHC V6, I wonder how much longer that will run before it starts costing me an arm and a leg in repair bills (timing chain tensioner is one thing that concerns me).

 

[mikepier]

Once you start to sink money into an old truck it can spiral out of control when more things go wrong. My philosophy is simple, as long as I can make the repair myself, I will keep the truck. When the engine or tranny goes I will decide if I want to do that repair or more on to a newer vehicle.

2nd Gen Explorers are a dying breed now with the newest being 14 years old. The posts on this forum are down 90% for the heyday of 10 years ago which reflect the diminishing number of vehicles on the road. If you can pick up a parts truck for $400 that would make sense. Hopefully your neighbors don't mind you parking it on your front lawn with the hood up...

http://youtu.be/qlBZssDTQ18

Funny video.

I know about the truck turning into a money pit, but it only has 146k on it, and I'm the only one who has driven it since day 1.
So next concerns are the engine and fuel pump.

 

[koda2000]

Funny video.

I know about the truck turning into a money pit, but it only has 146k on it, and I'm the only one who has driven it since day 1.
So next concerns are the engine and fuel pump.

Fuel pumps are not a big deal. You can buy a quality pump off eBay for around $69, a Motorcraft fuel filter for around $12 (Fram for around $8) and a strainer for around $15. Changing the pump is not hard once you know how. I've done 3 pumps and can now do one without taking any extra tools out of my tool box. I've got it down to around 3 hours working in my driveway. Rust is the biggest problem I've encountered, but I've even got that figured out.

 

[bluestream1]

Its not the changing of the fuel pump that is the problem, its when it lets go and you are 2 hours from home without any tools and its 9:00PM

 

[bluestream1]

The transmission on my 97 v6 XLT just let go yesterday. Truck has 208k miles on it and, depending upon the repair estimate, I may wind up getting rid of it.
It has some rust above the rear wheel wells and, with 208k miles on the SOHC V6, I wonder how much longer that will run before it starts costing me an arm and a leg in repair bills (timing chain tensioner is one thing that concerns me).

Scraping a car is never an easy decision; its like putting down the family pet

 

[PAExplorerXLT]

My son’s Explorer tranny went out in August at 160,000 miles. For reasons that elude me know I decided to get it fixed. He went on and bought a new car because I soon realized that this is not going to be the last fix this truck needs. And it wasn't. I am driving it now just to get the satisfaction of getting my money’s worth. It needs more work right now.

 

[koda2000]

Its not the changing of the fuel pump that is the problem, its when it lets go and you are 2 hours from home without any tools and its 9:00PM

That's what Triple A is for. Cheap insurance if you drive an old vehicle and even new vehicles break down.

 

[joe doe]

man , i feel ya .lemme tell ya . just went thru this for the second time . first time my reverse went was about 10 years into my ownership . ok, i replaced it with a used one .
350.00 for a used trans from a towing service (good places to call around and get a used trans before it gets to the junk yard who will charge you 500.00 )
and 500 to my mechanic to replace it .(i had 4wheel so more work was involved in the swap).

well 2 years later here i go again ...reverse goes again . the truck is now 12 years in my ownership and 14 years old .
so i junk it . got 600.00 for it .
i miss it terribly sometimes ,especially in winter . sometimes i long for another one .but i know i would be starting over with ball joint repairs, head gaskets,intake gaskets,you name it .
long story short ,i had alot of money and repairs into mine ,probably should have bit the bullet and bought another trans .
and wouldnt you know it gas prices plummeted after i let it go

 

[PAExplorerXLT]

When my transmission went I was told to go for a used one. Never considered that. Went with a rebuilt one that looked like it came new from Ford. Came with a 3 year, 100,000 miles warranty although if it goes again I will not file a claim. Not worth it. It is always heart breaking to see an otherwise gleaming truck sent to the junk yard.

 

[C420sailor]

Mine "went" at 140k. After about 30-40mins on the highway, RPMs would increase (torque converter unlocking) and the O/D OFF light would start flashing. Did the standard tests and figured out my TC was fairly shot, and I had a broken band. I saw the writing on the wall and considered my options. A used trans would've been about $500 soup to nuts if I installed it myself---and I would've had no idea what I was getting. I took the trucklet on long trips regularly, so I wanted something reliable---and a junkyard trans wasn't it. A new one was out of the question. I shopped around and found a tranny shop that was highly recommended---they worked primarily on work/fleet vehicles, so the guys were pretty experienced. Guy quoted me $1800 for a rebuild, including removal/reinstallation. I maintained the trucklet very well, and I knew that it was a very solid vehicle except for what was then an occasional timing chain rattle. I pulled the trigger and it was worth it, IMO. I'm at 192k with zero problems. Changing trans fluid every 25k to make this one last. Truck is as solid and reliable as ever. Only thing I see coming is an engine swap due to cam chain noise.

 

[shadowless127]

Hi all, just wanted to tell you of my recent issue with my tranny on my 99 XLT SOHC.
Was backing out of my driveway one day, heard a pop, then there was no more reverse. Forward gears was fine.

I put the truck in first gear to see if there was any engine braking, and there was none, so I knew the band must have been broken.

Long story short, took it to a tranny place , and they completely overhauled it for $2,000. Has a 1 year warranty. So after 16 years of owning this truck, the inevitable happened. It was a tough decision to make whether to fix it or not since the book value of my truck is $3,000, but I know its worth more than that based on what I put into this truck since I bought it new.

What shop did you use to do the rebuild?

Also, your book value maybe $3,000 but don't expect to get anywhere near that if you sell it in fully working order. I paid $4,000 for my fully loaded 01 EB V8 in January of 2011 with 102K miles and it was 8/10 interior and exterior wise, and that was from a dealer.

When my transmission went I was told to go for a used one. Never considered that. Went with a rebuilt one that looked like it came new from Ford. Came with a 3 year, 100,000 miles warranty although if it goes again I will not file a claim. Not worth it. It is always heart breaking to see an otherwise gleaming truck sent to the junk yard.

After watching the trouble my mom is going through with her Aviator and the ****ty warranty company she has, it just furthers remind me to NEVER buy a used 5r55e/s/w. With that being said when the trans went on my Explorer I went with a used unit with 78K miles. Paid $400 for the transmission and $700 to have it installed, fluid flushed, new filter, and new gaskets.

 

[tchalm]

I paid a great local shop $3000 to rebuild the tranny in my '98 SOHC 120,000 miles ago. A good quality rebuild job where they replace what's broken and set all of the tolerances just right is far better than a crate tranny. I get the service done regularly and still can't tell when it shifts.

 

[mikepier]

What shop did you use to do the rebuild?

WTC (Wantagh Transmission Center) in Wantagh, Long Island.

There is another tranny shop close by, Banner Transmission in Bellmore, but I think both shops are reputable.

 

[colintrax]

That's what Triple A is for. Cheap insurance if you drive an old vehicle and even new vehicles break down.