Looking for a shop or more skilled person than I.

[DavieB]

Got a 90 XLT in need of a more seasoned blackthumb to get some transmission work done.
2wd with the Mitsubishi 5-speed, and is in dire need of some synchros and likely some other bits my morning brain can't recall just yet.
If anyone can point me in the direction of someone who knows how to deal with these specific puzzle boxes in the middle TN area, I'd be much appreciative.
I plan on dropping the transmission out and just carting it to wherever it needs to go because towing be expensive these days.

It might be more economical to just get an already remaned tranny, but I'm only the second owner and my dad was the first, so I'd prefer to keep as much as I can that he bought off the lot back in '89. 140k miles from him and another 140k from me. Add to that, now I got a niece and he's got a granddaughter, so I'm gonna make sure she knows how to drive a stick when she's big enough to reach the pedals, just need the ol' girl working right when the time comes.

 

[sgtsandman]

@Robertmangrum.rm

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

What part of middle TN are you in? I know a guy up here in White House. Jimmy Upchurch of Upchurch Transmission has done anything I've needed over the years. My dad has a guy down towards Dickson he has used since I was a kid. Back in the 90s he built my T5 in my Mustang and man that thing was bullet proof haha.

 

[DavieB]

What part of middle TN are you in? I know a guy up here in White House. Jimmy Upchurch of Upchurch Transmission has done anything I've needed over the years. My dad has a guy down towards Dickson he has used since I was a kid. Back in the 90s he built my T5 in my Mustang and man that thing was bullet proof haha.

South middle, closer to Huntsville than Nashville but I don't mind a bit of a drive as long as I'm not going 300 miles one way.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

South middle, closer to Huntsville than Nashville but I don't mind a bit of a drive as long as I'm not going 300 miles one way.

I reach out to my dad and get a contact for his guy in Dickson. My dad has used him since back when he used to drag race back in the 80s. Think they served together in the Navy.

 

[DavieB]

I reach out to my dad and get a contact for his guy in Dickson. My dad has used him since back when he used to drag race back in the 80s. Think they served together in the Navy.

If it ain't much trouble, sure. I just need to actually set time aside to get the transmission out. 2nd shift job and general Millennial laziness are the biggest factors for that.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

If it ain't much trouble, sure. I just need to actually set time aside to get the transmission out. 2nd shift job and general Millennial laziness are the biggest factors for that.

I actually talked to him over the weekend and the guy has passed. He said he thought his son was still doing it and was going to check. I also have a friend down toward Buck Snort I can ask too.

 

[DavieB]

I actually talked to him over the weekend and the guy has passed. He said he thought his son was still doing it and was going to check. I also have a friend down toward Buck Snort I can ask too.

Sorry to hear, we seem to keep losing all the good people.
I still can't believe that's an actual name of a place, but I'll take any info you can dig up is much appreciated.

 

[sgtsandman]

Sorry to hear, we seem to keep losing all the good people.
I still can't believe that's an actual name of a place, but I'll take any info you can dig up is much appreciated.

Part of it is how manufacturers are building vehicles and the equipment required to work on them. The equipment is super expensive and vehicles have to have so much stuff removed just so the mechanic can get at the problem.

There is a reason shops are charging the prices they do just to change a light bulb or a battery. Some of of it really isn't an "I don't want to do it" price.

Changing the headlights on my girlfriend's 2014 Escape required removing the front of the car so I could get at the fasters holding the headlight housings in place. Those had to be removed so I could get at the tiny little screws holding the HID headlights into the housing.

Fixing a coolant leak wasn't much better.

It sucks for the mechanic and the customer, and the vehicle manufacturers are doing it on purpose.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I still can't believe that's an actual name of a place, but I'll take any info you can dig up is much appreciated.

It is a restaurant chain around me lol.

 

[DavieB]

It sucks for the mechanic and the customer, and the vehicle manufacturers are doing it on purpose.

Believe me, I know. Lol.
That's why I don't plan to have anything that doesn't have a printed Haynes manual available. I own 3 vehicles and the newest one is an 04 and is a motorcycle, lol.

 

[sgtsandman]

Believe me, I know. Lol.
That's why I don't plan to have anything that doesn't have a printed Haynes manual available. I own 3 vehicles and the newest one is an 04 and is a motorcycle, lol.

Get the shop manuals, if you can. Haynes and Chiltons is better than nothing but sometimes the information is incomplete, inaccurate, or missing because they are trying to cover too many years and models in one manual and they refer you to a shop more often than I like.

I'm still looking for one to work on the 2014 Escape. So, I'm depending on Haynes and youtube to get things done.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yeah, shop manuals are the way to go. Haynes is about only good for torque specs and a paperweight. Chilton isn’t much better. Both of those are absolutely useless for anything wiring related; a factory EVTM manual is worth it’s weight in cash though, it gives you pin outs, plug locations, wire colors, etc.