A few hundred miles after GoWesty installed the 2.3L engine in my '84 Westy, its standard transmission started whining. There was no apparent cause. It just started one day and hasn't gotten better or worse. That was in June. I've driven about 13,000 miles since. The van has 127K miles total. Now I'm struggling with the question of whether to install a rebuilt transmission. I'd appreciate your thoughts. I'm told the whining transmission might last another zillion miles. But I worry about it constantly! It really kills my buzz whenever I'm driving, and that's a big deal for me right now. I can handle the cost, but of course the cost worries me. I think it's a good investment, given how much I rely on my Westy. But should I economize, and just live with the whine? Other options? Here are the details: The whine goes up in pitch with wheel speed, whatever gear I'm in. It's louder than the engine, so sometimes I forget I'm in third gear! The whine is audible only when the engine is driving the wheels. Coasting or going downhill, there's no whine at all, even when the wheels are driving the engine. When it started, I had the transmission oil checked: It was full, and there was no obvious metal floating around. A GoWesty drove it a few weeks ago and was confident the whine was coming from the "main bearing" (my words). The quote from GoWesty: Overhauled transmission: $1,400 Gear Oil: $42 Labor R&R: $380 Tax: $119 Total: $1,941 http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=4283 There's also a $750 core charge. http://www.gowesty.com/view_page.php?name=Tranny_Core_Sheet That seems pretty reasonable, and GoWesty has done a good job for me up to this point, even if they're not the least expensive. Right now, I'm in the S.F. Bay Area, but I enjoy the drive down to Los Osos. They say they can do the swap in one day. I've got an appointment for November 16. I don't expect other costs to crop up. My clutch feels fine. GoWesty inspected the clutch at the engine swap and reported it was fine. (Their clutch kit is $180.) They also replaced a bunch of shifter bits when the engine was done. Thanks for your advice! |
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