MonteMan92 said:
Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it. I am wondering what route to go. Should I try and fix this tranny or just get a used one from a salavage yard? I can't afford to have someone rebuild it for me but my father has mechanic experience but he has never done transmissions. He has a friend who is familiar with rebuilding rear wheel drive ones so I am not sure how much he would know about front wheel drive ones. We can definitely get the transmission out and put it back in but as far as fixing the transmission goes I am not sure.
The problem with a typical junkyard transmission is that transmission problems are the reason these vans usually are in the junkyard - the engines and other systems are as close to bulletproof as any car on the road.
I'd suggest you check www.car-part.com - they list every major junkyard in the nation and many of them have leftover rebuilt units, or wrecked vehicles with freshly rebuilt transmissions. The big question is are there any acceptable transaxles near your location.
I used a Baltimore zip code and pulled the list, here are the ones I would contact and try to learn more about. Note: If a vehicle does not have a fresh rebuild or was in a terrible accident, I would NOT buy a used transmission. Remember, even with a guarantee from a junkyard you are responsible for all labor and shipping if the one you receive doesn't work properly.
In my part of the country, about $1100 is typical for a rebuilt unit, installed ($1300 for AWD).
Here are some very interesting listings not far from Maryland:
1997
Transmission
Dodge Caravan AT, 4 Spd, 3.8L, FWD,TESTED 97CVAN4996 $350
Hartlaub's Used Auto Parts USA-PA(Gettysburg)
Request_Quote 717-637-1990
Request_Insurance_Quote
1997
Transmission
Chrysler Town and Country TESTED...INSTALLATION AVAILABLE K0712 $399.99
Knucklebusters USA-PA(Tamaqua)
Request_Quote 877-453-0909 / 570-668-3435
Request_Insurance_Quote
1996
Transmission
Dodge Caravan RBLT NEW CONVERTER 90 DAYS EXCHANGE 11307 $950
Warren Auto Wreckers-ELITE USA-NJ(Warren)
E-mail 1-732-469-4216
You'll have to get on the car-part site yourself, put in your real zip code, sort by 'distance' and take a look - these three are for a 3.8 vehicle built after 6/1995, so you'll have to check build date, etc to confirm the right trans. You'll see several different years listed in the results - if the results list it, it is supposed to be a direct bolt-in for your vehicle. Good luck!