Quick question . Did the guy at the shop diagnose your transmission at all ? Another thing , I know you don't have the truck back with you yet , but check the tranny fluid and see if it's burnt at all . If that was a work truck before you got it then it probably hasn't seen a simple service in a long time . Check the level , look at it to see if it's clean and red and not more of a brownish color and ( I know this sounds odd ) but smell it . Transmission fluid doesn't have any smell and should be as red as if it just came out of the bottle .
Good question: Steve and crew at AAMCO, opened my trans. Up, then told me I needed a "Full" rebuild. Before I droped it to the shop, about a month before I myself changed the trans. Fluid, filter and gasket. The fluid was never brown, nor smelled, in fact, the fluid was of a darker pink (rather then red) and still tasted "funky sweet" you know that trans. Fluid flavor right? Or am I the only 'Fool' that tastes everything...Ha!
The next morning, I found a hughe puddle of trans. Fluid on the ground where I had been stranded (more on that later), it was now leaking from the front seal, btw it never leaked before. When I took Betty in, I had a list of things that I wanted to fix or at least get checked. My main cause was, "I wanted the truck to be road safe", I'm a 'Landscaper/Designer'. Hence getting an old cool (rare out in my neck of the wood's) truck to promote my small business.
So let me break it down. (It will be long!).
1). Purchased the truck on July 31 2015. $1,200.00
2). Old man that sold me the truck told me what 'Attention' the truck needed. (Rare, in my neck of the wood's).
3). Major attention to front suspension. "The whole Shebang" needs replacement. Rear's not bad, shock's, bushings. etc... Steering box seal kit. Compression good but leaky valve covers, broken bolt to exhaust manifold and rear diff. Started leaking (spots). Betty is 43yrs. And a farmers truck. I get it! Not gonna be perfect.
4). Around late August, visiting my youngest son (in pics. I posted) in Lake Elsinor (rehab ranch). Traversing through Ortega Canyon (very treacherus mountain pass). That's when trans. Started to slip, passing gear slipped, reved badly, eventually no gears would work. Fortunately, a tow truck came buy and towed us to safe spot. Waited for a tow truck to take us back to the ranch.
5). 1 hour later, a flatbed showed up, he started the truck and drove it on the flatbed. He told me he thinks that the trans. Fluid boild over while going up and down in the "mountain Pass".
6). I am stuck at the 'Ranch' where my son is getting rehab (Folks that runs the place are cool), I stay with them and my son for three day! one of the fellow in rehab helps me change the fluid, filter and gasket on trans. (this was day two). Day three, ready to go back down home, trans. Fluid (a puddle) on the ground coming from 'front main seal'. I buy more fluid drove the truck untill it was hot and it stop bleeding, only when I stop or parked, it would leak.
7). A couple weeks goes buy. No issues with trans. except what I mentioned, Can't mash the throttle, it will slip, must ginger, get to speed and no probs. Check fluid every morning before work.
8). Late September. Red light in middle of dash comes on (I don't know what it means). Sun is going down and I notice I barely had any headlights! Brake light is good, turn signals are good, cab light is bright, but my gauge light and head lights are dim (yellow in colour).
9). A week later. My truck starts to stall, like engine off! while driving. Also while taking off at lights, if I gas it to much it fucking stalls! I notice carb is acting funny (BAD! cold start), Iddles rough, and also heavy gasoline smell in cab.
10). I'm still driving the truck. Joined FTO in late Sep. or early Oct. Took my truck to my "Friend's" place... AAmco.
And here we are...Long story (long).
