I Hate Automatics

I spent lil over $1000 on my van gettin it ready for winter.  It rides so much nicer with the extra four leaf springs and coil over shocks.  Very happy.  New snow tires and all.  Thought I would address the black transmission fluid today.

First lube change place I went to said a transmission fluid change isn't recommended w oil that dirty.  Kinda like washing a dirty car, when the dirt is holding it together.
Second place said they could put my dirty trans into transmission fluid shock, if they put clean fluid in it.
So I went to mr transmission, thinking thats all they do and they can clear this fluid change up for me.

Mr Transmission said my fluid is simply burnt, very burnt, and there is probably a lot of clutch material mixed in there, caked to various parts.  You put clean fluid in, which has new detergents, and it cleans all that grit out, and runs it through the trans like a bunch of sand.  That will be the end of your transmission, "don't change your fluid".  At this point I could put used diesel motor oil in it and it wouldn't get any darker.

In Conclusion, my transmission will fail, its just running on borrowed time now.  Not a big deal, the local shop will change it for $700, if I pick up a used one for $500 (funny how a transmission costs as much as another van).  $1200 if I don't want to do any work, but you know I don't roll like that, maybe if its -40 I'll pay the heated shop to do it.  But how will this be any better?  Am I looking at just another years service before I need to put another trans in?  What is wrong with automatics?  The RWD Astro is rated for towing 5500lb, and I am sure I am not towing more than 4000lb, rarely ever even up hill.

So I started looking again at options.  I love the Astro's size, and the power has been all I need, just wish it was standard, and diesel would be sweet too.  I had an opportunity to buy a sprinter van half price from a carpenter buddy.  He ran it 5 years, and is trading it in.  Paying $60k for his new one, they will only give him $30k for his old one, only 70,000km on it too, but its just too big for me.  And thirty thousand dollars buys a lot of gas.

Then today I found a 1982 mercedese sprinter van.  The geniuses broke the windshield, so they thought they would take the motor out to put in their boat.  The classic mercedese 5 cylinder mechanical injection that is well known to start and run off used deep frier fat.  Oh also standard 5 speed, under $2000.  Did I mention the trans shop wants $2000 to fix my astro trans that hasn't even failed yet, doesn't even slip.

I haven't seen the van yet, that is tomorrows mission first thing in daylight.  Unfortunately they were no better at photography than they were at removing the motor for their boat.  So this is the back of the gold sprinter cargo van.  I don't know if the motor and trans will go in the Astro or I will fix the Sprinter, but work has finally settled down to allow for such crazyness to happen.  I was going to make the VW the "Environmentally friendly service vehicle", but maybe I will get my diesel van after all.