The Chrysler K-Car Club

owning an old car is not easy at all if you don't got the skill..and shops never check everything over....its everyman for himself..I will not let a dealership touch my K's what so ever...I know what I have done on the cars, what oil I use ect. At this moment the car is a death trap...2,000 is the average going rate for a rebuild of a transmission.

I don't know where you're getting your "going rate" but around here I'd be out the door for a grand or less to rebuild a K trans.

I think 2K is probably closer to the price total price it is going to cost Guy for a transmision job than 1K. I suspect, the rebuilt unit alone should cost anywhere from $800 to $1400 depending on the shop he selects and the what he wants done (chain (off the shelf unit) vs independent local shop (in shop rebuild), rebuilt or new torque convertor included, use new parts where avaialible or allow them to use old parts from different old transmissions, quality of replacement parts including bearings (namebrand vs offbrand from China), etc.) Then, remember that he has to pay for R&R (maybe $500-$700). And what's the chance the shop recommends changing one or more of the driveshafts while it it apart (because they are worn out and it needs it), mounts, ....

With a transmission rebuild sometimes it does not pay to go to the lowest bidder. I would rather pay a little more and have a higher confidence level that it is going to last.

I'm not done yet. The power steering pump from 1988 just exploded all over the floor of the shop. But, the engine still has good compression. I am going to save my money, tackle these wear and tear items, work with Bill and Butch with this "one man for himself mentality", cause I don't trust any of these professional shops, and I think I will be just fine. Bill and Butch have been very good to me. Bill says he has an extra transmission and when I am ready, he and I will do the work himself. Also, I think I can do the oil pan and valve cover myself with some supervision. I am going to make an excel spreadsheet of what failed and put an estimate mileage figure of when to check it. That way, at certain intervals, I can check certain parts and things and feel some control over the car slowly wearing out.

If its just the power steering pump or hoses that went it is not a particularly difficult or expensive repair. But if one of the seals in the rack went bad (as it did on mine) its a labor intensive repair to remove/replace the rack (although the rack itself is not too expensive).

K-CAR_WAGON wrote:If its just the power steering pump or hoses that went it is not a particularly difficult or expensive repair. But if one of the seals in the rack went bad (as it did on mine) its a labor intensive repair to remove/replace the rack (although the rack itself is not too expensive).

The rack is a peice of cake to replace. Ive pulled them in the yard in 20 minutes with hand tools. Dropping the K frame without unbolting it from the lower ball joints is the easy way to excess them rack.

Thanks for the tip. Does the same approach work for the later K-car based cars (91-95) Spirits/Acclaims/New Yorkers with 3.0 and 3.3 liter engines as well as the 2.5?

K-CAR_WAGON wrote:Thanks for the tip. Does the same approach work for the later K-car based cars (91-95) Spirits/Acclaims/New Yorkers with 3.0 and 3.3 liter engines as well as the 2.5?

Don't know about the later ones but I'd imagine it'll work out the same.