A500 42RH Sudden Failure

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Have '89 Dodge Dakota with 3.9L, 42RH trans, 200k miles. Transmission failed at highway speed and will not engage in any gear. Atf level is the same with engine off or running. Pressure test revealed no pressure. Dropped pan, atf was very dark with heavy grey jelly/sludge on magnet (very fine particles). Flushed trans, new atf, filter but no change. There is a slight noise coming from bellhousing. Wondering if this problem can be fixed economically or truck is done. Has anyone heard of pump failing so suddenly? Or could be simple like pump bushing? Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.
 
There was something about not cross drilled sprag in the early 42RH. Later production was cross drilled. 200 thousand miles is a lot for any of them. Rebuild it, add a aftermarket cooler.
 
I've just disassembled a 904 that had a sudden loss of drive in all gears. When I pulled the converter, the snout came out in pieces. Strangely though the oil pump seemed ok but I will be changing the pump gears.
 
WOW! The truck is not done! The transmission has a problem. A rebuild kit is around a hundred and a new torque converter is less than that.
 
From the fluid description it sounds like the forward clutch fried.
But that doesn't mean the converter and or pump is ok either.
 
TrailBeast said:
From the fluid description it sounds like the forward clutch fried.
But that doesn't mean the converter and or pump is ok either.
Click to expand...
You know a line that I just cannot seem to kick out of my head is when you told me if a guy couldn't build two or three of these a day in your shop he wouldn't been working there a very long. LOL
 
Those trucks have a check valve in one of the cooler lines. I have seen many of them stick in the closed position. If that was the case that transmission is junk. Hard parts for the OD unit are priced out of this world. Anyway you look at it I would be replacing the cooler and both lines. You'll never flush all of the garbage out of them.
 
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j par said:
You know a line that I just cannot seem to kick out of my head is when you told me if a guy couldn't build two or three of these a day in your shop he wouldn't been working there a very long. LOL
Click to expand...

Three a day is what we wanted.
2 is pretty easy, but three is pushing it a bit but if you overlapped (worked all three) at the same time like when one was in the washer another one was getting torn down while you were building the first one it could be done.
 
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