In reply to Dusterbd13:
Best it looks like I can get would be $200 from a place about 90 minutes from here (or $300 with a 30-day warranty), or about $250 from a place 20 minutes away. Unless I'm really reading things wrong, the ISA Pick Pull & Save about 90 minutes from here charges like $60. So, potentially a savings (gas being about the same for most) of $150-$200.
I've texted the seller with the $200 one to see if they'll take less- if so (and if it includes the TC- mine SHOULD be fine, but it may have been dragging against the cracked housing), I'll probably go with that. I do want to put as little into this Jeep as possible- but I also would love to have it drivable sooner than later, and as it is I won't have the time to go and pull one myself for another week...
So the guy with the one already pulled and ready to pick up said he'd take $175, so I'm going to be going down and getting that one tomorrow morning. Obviously solidly more than were I to pull it myself, but it will save me pretty much a full day of pulling it in a JY and the possibility of getting partway through and encountering something I can't get past and having to start over again. It also means that I should be able to get started on putting the transmission back into the Jeep ASAP which will be nice- the sooner it's back in and the Jeep is driveable the better.
How much is a day worth to you? For me, 100 bucks sounds like a bargain at this point in my life.
Good news is that I got the $175 transmission Saturday morning. Bad news is that doing so revealed what's likely a considerable problem with the car used to fetch it (my presumptive $2017 Challenge Riviera) AND the transmission is still in its trunk- because it's too heavy and unwieldy for me to get out of it on my own by hand. So I either need to rustle up some help or (more likely) put the engine hoist together and use it to remove it. The hoist is more likely because I can also more easily change the fluids & look it over when it's up in the air vs. on the ground.
Hopefully will be able to get it into the Jeep this week.
Toward the end of last week I got the engine hoist put back together and hauled the transmission out of the back of the Riviera. Other than being a bit dirty (was outside in a barn essentially) it looks good- unlike the one that I pulled from my Jeep it had no shavings on the magnet and the fluid looked good. Put a new filter and gasket on it and spent Saturday morning getting the new transmission into the Jeep (after running to HF for their cheapest transmission jack, which I would call worth every penny spent on it...).
Right now the transmission and transfer case are bolted up to the engine and most everything wiring and linkage-wise reconnected. I just need to connect the transfer case linkage and then put the transmission crossmember back in, reinstall the driveshafts and starter, and get the TC bolts back in. I'm hoping to grab one of the aftermarket transmission drain plug kits to install before I button everything up and filled with fluid. Hopefully I won't have to be draining the transmission again anytime soon, but having the drain plug would make it MUCH less messy to do so if I do.
With some luck the Jeep will be drivable by the weekend- which would be nice as if the stars align and I can sell the Riviera and get the Rampage I want it would be really nice to be able to use it to tow the Rampage back here...
Spent a bit of time yesterday under the Jeep, and the only thing really left to do is reinstall the transmission crossmember and the exhaust piece that is attached to it (was lazy and didn't separate them), fill up the transmission and check that it's not leaking, and fire it up. With some amount of luck that will be the end of it for a while besides cleaning up the interior and putting the center console back in (removed it thinking I'd need to unbolt some of the shifter hardware on the inside- kept it off so I can vacuum up all the crap underneath it once the car is mobile).
Assuming all goes well and the Jeep is drivable, the first thing I'll be doing is calling up the Jeep dealership and making an appointment for them to install the recall-mandated trailer hitch. Then I'll have to see about getting that trashed locking lug nut off so I can reposition the tires where they should be and (eventually) replace/fix the parking brake.
sigh
Well, the good news is that the transmission is back in the Jeep and everything is buttoned up.
The bad news is that when I put the initial 5 quarts of trans fluid in, I noticed that it was leaking. Found that the driver I'd used to tighten the pan bolts hadn't gotten them as tight as they probably needed to be, so I got the ratchet and wrenches out and did it by hand. Had to call it a day then so I could go grab dinner, but figured I'd check up on it when I got the bike out to ride in to work this morning.
Walked into the garage and didn't even need to look under the Jeep to know it was still leaking- I could clearly smell the trans fluid. Sure enough, there was a small puddle under the transmission.
If I'm lucky, it's just that the trans pan gasket isn't sealing properly... if I'm NOT lucky (which is my concern...) the problem is one of the trans cooler lines, specifically the forward one, where they connect to the transmission. If it is that line, it will be a BITCH to get to and fix with the transmission all the way installed. I now wish that I'd filled it up to check for problems before installing the cross-member brace & middle exhaust.
The only 'good' thing in all of this is that before putting the pan back on I installed an aftermarket oil pan drain in the bottom of the pan- so I can far more easily drain and save the fluid so I don't have to buy another 5 quarts of ATF+4 for it...
Well, berksticks. 
Finally got the Jeep back together (changed the front brake pads too, they were pretty bad) and everything filled back up to see whether my efforts over the last few weeks replacing the transmission were worth it....
And the thing is doing pretty much exactly the same things it was doing before. Starts and runs well enough, put it into reverse and it will back up without much trouble- but put it into D (or any forward gear) and it will stall out pretty much immediately unless I'm giving it a modest bit of gas. Give it enough gas and it will occasionally decide it wants to move- but it does it very jerkily.
It shouldn't be the transmission since I just replaced that- and the TC as well. Besides, if it were the TC locking up I would expect that it would behave the same in reverse as in a forward gear.
I'll try figuring it out tomorrow... the rain today makes it difficult to do much since I can't really test this in the garage.
I once had a collapsed rear brake hose that did exactly what you are describing. Never could figure out why it was fine in reverse, but not forward.
In reply to Dusterbd13:
An issue with the brakes (specifically the rear ones) is something on my list to check. It will probably be my luck that it's something with the driver's rear- which has the trashed locking lug nut that I haven't been able to remove yet.
Might also explain why it seems to be a bit better in 4wd than 2wd...
On the bright side, at peast you replaced the rrans before it became an ied under the car at 50mph. That bellhousing crack is scary.
Yeah just comfort yourself with the knowledge that it definitely still needed done.
Also I had a rear caliper lose one bolt once and it would cause similar but not identical symptoms.
Yeah, I'm not complaining about having replaced the trans- it very definitely would have become a disaster at some point had I not even if it wasn't likely responsible for the problems that led me to replace it.
Hope to get into at least trying to figure this out today, but got a text earlier from SWMBO (while I was asleep) that her Mariner randomly died on her way to work, and though it re-started I may need to go take a look at it instead.
Jacked up the rear end- don't think it's the rear brakes as both wheels spin easily enough when it's in neutral (one is dragging a bit, but not much). Did check the transfer case fluid and it seems like it's at least a bit low, so am headed off to get more ATF+4 (which I'll likely need topping off the transmission itself anyway) to top it off and likely a new belt (and possibly distributor & wires if they're not expensive). Once that's done I'll replace the spark plugs and the negative battery clamp and then fire it up with the rear still off the ground and see what happens...
Well, I may finally be getting closer... I'm pretty sure that the TPS is bad, it doesn't want to rev smoothly even in park with no load on the engine and when the trans is engaged in forward with the rear wheels off the ground it feels and sounds like it's randomly lock-in going the TC- which apparently is what will happen if the TPS is glitching (trans thinks the engine is at WOT so locks the TC).
Can you unplug the tps for kimp mode like gm?
I don't know if it has a limp mode with the TPS unplugged or not. I just snagged one from the local parts store yesterday- have my doubts I'll get the chance to install it today (SWMBO really wants me to finish up the DVDs for her non-profit's last show, so those are a higher priority unless the Riv sells and I'm suddenly left with no drivable cars...) but will hopefully before the weekend. Crossing my fingers that it's the problem and with the new one it will be drivable.
So, had a bit of time yesterday after doing some checks on the Riv in case the potential buyer came by (he didn't- hopefully will this afternoon), so I threw the new TPS on the Jeep and fired it up.
The TPS seems to have been the problem- it revs smoothly now, and once I dropped it off the jack stands it seems to go both forward and backward properly. It did strangely want to grind the gears when I went to put it into R the first time (odd for an automatic...), but it behaved after putting it into D and then back into R. I wonder if the shift cable is off alignment a bit... hopefully I'll have a bit of time today to pick up some more ATF+4 and get the transmission topped off properly. I'd love to run it down to the car wash to clean it up and vacuum the E36 M3 (almost literally) out of it, but I don't think I'll have the time for that until tomorrow at the earliest.
Glad the TPS seems to have made a difference. It always comes down to the cheapest part of the system causing the most head scratching.
Low trans fluid had some similar effects in a 80s Cougar I had in HS. Sometimes would go in gear, sometimes not. Sometimes stall...Id suggest adding some trans additive too while youre topping off the ATF.
In reply to 4cylndrfury :
Not a bad idea. Any suggestions as to additives?
I just added some trans honey or some similar anti-slip stuff for autos. Seemed to make a difference. It was either that or the 2.5 qts of atf I added that helped
Had good luck with the lucas stuff
Willis
New Reader
9/6/17 10:14 a.m.
Congrats on the fwd movement. Seeing that crack put a shivers in me timbers, I think you dodged a bullet.
x2 on the thought of adding more fluid to get rid of the grinding.
I love these DIY beater threads.
