Auto GEARBOX DEAD - TJ Magna

[AusDTM]

My 2001 TJ magnas gearbox died last week and the first mechanic I've seen had quoted between $2200 just for the labour.

I'm heading towards scrapping the car but wanted to see what you legends thought about how hard it is to change the gearbox out myself or if I should find a better mechanic.

I loved the car and its going to be very hard to put it on a tilt tray and watch it leave me forever. But it just seems lie way too much money and effort.

All opinions and advice much appreciated

Thank you

[vlad]

Time for a manual conversion? If not, talk to mits-fix in Victoria (madmagna on here) about replacement autos.

[leadfoot6]

My 2001 TJ magnas gearbox died last week and the first mechanic I've seen had quoted between $2200 just for the labour.

I'm heading towards scrapping the car but wanted to see what you legends thought about how hard it is to change the gearbox out myself or if I should find a better mechanic.

I loved the car and its going to be very hard to put it on a tilt tray and watch it leave me forever. But it just seems lie way too much money and effort.

All opinions and advice much appreciated

Thank you

Where in NSW are you?

If, by chance, you happen to be in Western Sydney, I can personally recommend a very trustworthy and skilled auto transmission workshop.

https://www.dsjonesautomatics.com.au/

EDIT - Strange, my post is time stamped 30 minutes earlier than it should be.

I must be living in the "Twilight Zone".

[AusDTM]

Would love to do a manual conversion but my funds and time are limited.

I assume it's a lengthy and expensive process but I am all ears and happy to someone to convince me into it.

My budget for this car is $1000. I've got access to jack stands and a decent amount of tools.

Open to all suggestions and would love to hear any similar stories

[Decado]

Hi AusDTM

There's a few angles to this one as I see it. Firstly it'd be nice if you knew exactly what has caused the gearbox failure. Top of the pops for those models is a failure of the wave spring and then fragments getting through the box causing damage and failure of operation. You could pull the drain plug and look for fragments of the spring, of course there's overheating and just too many Kms as possibilities as well which is replacement or full rebuild situation.

I have seen a number of people here on the forums and in other places who have had a wave spring failure and managed to have it repaired to driving state (not fully rebuilt) for the $1500-$1600 mark so $2200 for labor alone seems a bit steep. I'd certainly enquire elsewhere.

I empathise with being on a strict budget, I've been pensioned for some years and it's always a tough act to keep my Magna in top order but I look at it from the point of "what is it going to cost me to replace it with something as good?" and we all know you're not going to get much of a replacement for around the $1k mark so I maintain the full service regimine. In fact as we've had her since new I just spent $6k on mine also as a "once in a lifetime" investment to run her for another 10 years because I know it would cost me more than that to replace it with something as good, it was a hell of a struggle to afford of course.

You *might* be able to buy another Magna of the same model that is running and not registered and use your car as a donor vehicle to road worthy the next one, it all depends on the condition and milage of your current one I suppose. I'm not the most mechanical guy but I understand a gearbox swap is not for the faint hearted requiring dropping the cross member and a lot of work. I wouldn't attempt it but you may be better at that side of it than I am (wouldn't be hard). Also there is the question of considering the age of the car, where are you going to find a gearbox you can be sure is worth the outlay and fitting? Even that alone may push your stated budget.

In the end I can only reinforce what vlad said about contacting Mal at Mits-Fix in Victoria, he'll be able to give you the best real world advice and he has a reputation of being able to source good parts at real world prices and will ship.

Regards
Dec

[an observer]

That labour quote is quite excessive. I've even told that swapping the box out is a #*+()- of a job and my local mechanic quoted 6 hours of labour for it. Even so, that's a lot less than half the quote you have.

But the other issue is that any second hand box may also detonate within a short period (from personal experience...).

What is the rest of the cars condition like? If there are significant elements in good condition, is it worth buying another car, perhaps a manual, and swapping the best parts in?

[RonRabbit99]

That labour quote is quite excessive.

I was quoted $4500 in the ACT after spending $200 on the quote. Walked out and on the way back to work picked up 380 for $3500 (was my son's car).

Ended up getting a spare auto from a TH fitted for $600 by the local garage with fluid and filter change. Driven 20k in that car since with no probs.

[Millenium7]

Anyone care to elaborate why it's so hard to change? It doesn't look like it from the outside
It looks like jack the car up, remove left wheel, suspesion, driveshaft and arm, some hoses and electrical connectors then bolts and it falls out? What else is involved?

[Decado]

Anyone care to elaborate why it's so hard to change? It doesn't look like it from the outside
It looks like jack the car up, remove left wheel, suspesion, driveshaft and arm, some hoses and electrical connectors then bolts and it falls out? What else is involved?

Hi Millenium7

I take the point, for people like yourself it may well be easy meat. On the other hand I could describe in just as brief detail how to break down and neutralise an unstable rusty 70 year old No 36 Mills bomb or 81mm Mortar round remove and dispose of the baratol/torpex/TNT explosive and make a paper weight if you'd like to try, I do on a semi regular basis still, doesn't bother me. What you described on the other hand scares the living hell out of me.

We each have our different skill sets and comfort zones.

Regards
Dec

[Millenium7]

I don't know the procedure for removing the transmission hence I'm asking if that's all there is to it

If anyone was going to change their transmission they are beyond the point of knowing with end of the screwdriver to poke at the part so should be able to remove any bolt on bits. What I don't know is if the transmission is essentially bolt on (it looks it from the outside) or if it needs specialised tools and procedures like pulling the whole engine out