for awhile now my transmission has been slipping and shifting hard. i have been meaning to replace the fluid and add a bottle of Lucas to it. well a few days ago my i pulled out of the store by my house and i made it up to about 40mph and then i heard a loud pop. my truck was in gear but i was just revving the motor rather than moving. i pulled over and got out looking for some kind of damage. didn't find anything so i got back in and put it in gear. it went into gear but i wasn't moving but maybe a few inches. i put it all the way into first gear and drove home in second gear but i no longer have drive nor do i have reverse. i decided to try and see if i could get it to catch by putting it in neutral, pressing the gas then putting it in drive. (probably not my best idea) but it engages in gear now but it feels like the truck is starting off in third or forth gear rather than first. i haven't driven it down the road in case it completely fails. just trying to find out if i should pay the 2400 to have it rebuilt or i can get a new one for 1400. i don't know anything about transmission except for the fact they can be very particular about how you work on them. What should I do?

 

Rebuilding an automatic is always better than "new".
New are often not new just rebuilt but you don't know when they were rebuilt, and even if it is new, it is new with all the problems yours has shown after 5 years......so.

Rebuilding now means you or the mechanic has all the past breakdown info on that transmission for the last 5 years.
Rebuild kits will have all the current upgrades to prevent the design issues that caused the breakdowns, hopefully, lol.

I would check that pricing through.
Transmission shops are often better than dealers for rebuilds, dealers will send them out to be rebuild or...............trade it for one that is already rebuilt, to save their time, still costs you the same, the traded trans could be 3 or 4 year old, lol.

 

well my first option was to have the trans rebuilt. i looked up the kits and it only ran from 200 to 300 depending on where i were to purchase it. as far as my trans goes i am sure its not going to be to pretty lol. this poor little truck was the best thing i bought (that is at the time i bought it). a few months later i found my self hauling three cars, a tractor, and four house worth of furniture. i am usually the one that bails everyone out of a big bind. which that alone has inspired the soon to be built ranger that i want. a few suspension upgrades. winch bumper. rear locking hubs. and i one day want to put a larger motor in the truck. just not sure yet on exactly what i want to put in it. always here people complain that their 2.3l just cant handle it. well. i beg to differ. (even though it isn't meant to handle these kind of loads and stress but for this truck to last since 2009, constantly under going these kinds of situations and the only thing i have damaged yet is the trans?! as my name implies this is a little truck with big dreams lol. You couldn't pay me to get rid of this truck. the only thing i wish is that is was a slandered.

 

Towing and hauling large loads with the 2.3l Rangers causes the engine to run hotter, which is fine, not overheating just hotter.

BUT..........the trans cooler is often part of the radiator, at the bottom, and when you are hauling a larger load the trans also needs more cooling, but in the case of the 2.3l so does the engine, larger engines don't run as hot with same loads.

General rule of thumb is to keep trans fluid below 190degF.
2.3l would probably be running at around 230degF under load, 20degF drop for lower rad still puts temp at 210degF, so not much trans cooling there.

After rebuild I would consider either a different trans cooler setup, not in the rad, or a second trans cooler added to one of the current trans cooler lines.

 

I am going to re post this statement in the suspension forum but with that added note what about the rear suspension for the times of pulling a trailer. i mean it isn't an everyday occurrence but when these large load do come my way i only pull them mainly cause of the situation there is no other way. its either i pull it or it doesn't move. i have looked and around and what i have been looking at a set of Gabriel load carrier rear shocks with built on coils and adding a leaf to my current leaf pack. not only to help with support but to add an additional two to three inches of lift to the rear end.