Had a friend borrow my 1989 Max SE 5 speed last week, ended up burning the clutch real bad and he said it wouldn't shift into 1st or second. He got it home thank goodness. I didn't get to it till three days later (was out of town) and it worked decently, but had a big time delay getting into gear. I just took it to a shop (where they also informed me of a bad CV joint and I need new fronts brakes) and they think my tranny is toast. Has anybody else had a manual tranny go on them? Car has 146k on it. What is a realistic price for repair? Anybody want my car?!?

 

Not me....cuz I never let anyone borrow my car. Prices on a rebuilt tranny depends where you get it from and how much they charge you for labor. I think it can cost from anywhere from $800-1500 installed

 

I am currently getting mine rebuilt and the estimate is $1100. That is without a clutch. I would estimate around $1700 with a new clutch.

 

I have been through several transmissions on my 89. I've been quoted and even paid anywhere between $900 and $3200 installed with parts and labor. This last time I did it my damn self. I can see why they want so much labor money, after doing it myself on jackstands in a yard in the rain and mud, but the prices on tranny repairs are highly inflated due to the fact that when people hear that thier tranny is bad they immediately freak out and start looking for another car. Most tranny shops suck. I would say that 90-some % of the tranny shops in the country don't know what they are doing and will half-*** the job and charge you out your rear for it.

 

nismo1989,

you are correct. i have had a bad luck history with tranny shops, too. they suck. they often know only one or two makes and then wing it on the rest. plus they are lax. they typically farm out the rebuidling to others and the car is held hostage for ten days or more. and then the warranty is a joke on the repairs. plus they often cut corners and use used parts but never tell the customer. this is actually common practice and i have had ex-employees of shops outright admit it. i am lucky to have a neighbor friend who is an experienced gearhead. i have done minor auto repairs, like water pumps and brake jobs for beer, etc, but am too chicken to tackle the transmission.

 

I was too, but you'd be amazed at how easy it really is when you compare it to the labor charges shops throw on you. It makes you wonder... I think they put a fear of transmissions in the general public, to make them think that a transmission has to cost a lot of money. Kind of like what most exhaust shops do with mufflers that cost $35 and they charge you $200 to install