How to save a dying ATX?

[Mike93]

My '93 ATX trans is on it's way out. The shifts have been sloppy for the past 10-15k and I've been very easy on it for about the last year. Recently I ran into a problem of my torque convertor not locking up in overdrive. If I were to do a rebuild I would have a friend do it as I can't afford to have a shop charge $1000+. So, knowing I and my friend will be doing the labor, what may be my best option:

1) drive on it till it blows up and leaves me stranded and replace every part in there and have $650 in parts to replace.
2) pull it now and replace only the parts that need replacement and hopefully save a couple hundred.
3) track down a '94-95 ATX that is still going good and use that trans. Would a D4UI be mandatory to run this trans???

Both cases would involve a shift kit. Has anyone pulled a dying tranny out and replaced a few hundred dollars in parts??? I've done this before with the T-5 in my Mustang and have had good results...

Note: I am on an extremely limited budget so I only want/need to do what is absolutely necessary...recently bought a house and have rediculous school loan payments going on. Also, the trans was rebuilt at 80k by the previous owner...so about 55k on it now.

Thanks, Mike

 

[Mike93]

Also, in the last 35k or more the trans fluid has not been changed. Only thing I did was add Lucas additive to it about 15k ago. I know, I haven't taken very good care of the car...now that I'm out of school I have the time to "restore" the car.

 

[rangerj]

Mike,
The 93 is reputed to be the worst of the MTXs so consider the improved later model years, eg 95. The idea is to find the best model year trans that will bolt up to your car, find a good used one and improve/rebuild it.

The most important part of a project like this is to do the research and then do what will result in the best reliable trans for the money. Pooring money into the 93 may not be the best thing to do. rangerj

 

[Mr Anonymous]

IMHO, the minimum items to replace in addition to the usual wear parts kit includes the forward clutch piston, the complete planetary assembly, and ideally all the electronics. With those parts, a TransGo kit and a rebuilt converter, you're already at or above $600.

Honestly, if you need to do it on the cheap, just drive yours until it croaks, then find a used tranny at a junkyard for ~$300-$400 and put it in. http://www.car-part.com shows quite a few in the northeast US in the $350-$500 range.

 

[PAracer]

You shouldn't need to find a 94-95 transmission to rebuild. You would be better off using your current unit with the correct parts.

When I had my transmission rebuilt in September of 2002, I had an Ammco rebuild it with instructions to replace any parts that have ANY wear at all, and to install a Trans-go. They did this, and exhausted a couple books that detailed the various updates between 93 and later years. I also have a D4U1 computer and LPM on the car. The car has since seen 27,000 miles, including: a road trip to Madison Wisconsin, 1 road course event, and about 20 trip down the quarter mile. To date, I have not had a single problem other than elevated temperatures at Blackhawk Farms. I have since added a B&M cooler to help lower the trans oil temps.

Read the linked document below before you plan your rebuild: http://hosting.superhighoutput.com/axianator/randy_trans.txt I did not know of this resource when I had my trans done, but I wish I did. Maybe next time.

 

[Mike93]

The idea was to either rebuild the '93 ATX with new and improved parts, making it much stronger than '93 specs. Or, find a '94-95 ATX and put it right in, no rebuilding at all. I'd have a tough time I think spending $400-500 for a trans with 100k+...at that point it makes more sense to go the $650 route and rebuild the '93 with free labor from my friend.

Any more thoughts, keep 'em coming.

 

[DHMag]

how to save a dying ATX = install an MTX

 

[HighSpeed]

Mike,
The 93 is reputed to be the worst of the MTXs...

You mean ATXs?

 

[OSU 4 SHO]

Saying the 94 or 95 is better than the 93 might be true, but they still arent good. My first experice was with a 95 with 100k Needed a tranny bad. Got it rebuilt but with no shift kit and at AAMCO I could tell the person who had the car didnt take care of it mechanically, tires worn uneven, and tranny. But my 94 is original tranny and the previous owners took great care of it. Fluid every 15k. I got the car at 123k and shifted great. I put in a LPM and helped alot. I drive my car hard, and have noticed the tranny getting confused on shifts and knocking hard sometimes. But still in about %80 condition. Rebuild the 93, all new parts, and shift kit, and get a D4U1, and an LPM and you will be set. I have an extra computer, cheap. Good luck with your choice.

 

[rangerj]

Oops! I did mean ATXs. My fingers mis-spoke!

 

[Mike93]

how to save a dying ATX = install an MTX

Yeah, that would be nice...but I've got a bit of a budget to work with here. If I had an MTX parts car laying around that would definitely be going in there. However, for the cost of doing a swap I'd much rather have a built ATX...

Here are my thought so far...gonna try to piece together the right parts for the '93 and wait for it to go. Track down a D4UI, shift kit, and all necesary internals over the next few weeks/months and once it blows I'll make it a weekend job.