save $3,800 and do it yourself ... good grief, we charge "$160 an hour shop time 1 hours minimum, but our mechanics are worth maybe $100 an hour, that's what they pay you they're that bad"
any good mechanic can do this job in a day, 8 hours.. $1280 + parts, you can get a good used trans for what $200?
a $160 an hour mechanic can do this job in 4-5 hours, $800 @ $160 an hour..
if a mechanic can not do this work in that time with perfection sorry he is not worth $160 an hour, PERIOD!
I know they have all sorts of excuses why they charge what they do "we have overhead yadda yadda" welp you can make your $160 an hour or not, your choice cuz I will take it to someone who can or do it myself...
never let on you cannot do it yourself, just let them know you don't want to take the time to do it but you will if you have to, the shop isn't paying siad mechanic $160 an hour, maybe $35, so the shop will make $125 an hour for providing the shop, for $4000 they want to make $600 an hour, what a joke, replacing a trans is a cakewalk, it's all modular. drop in a good used cluster forks and barrel, inspect bearings, new seals...
you don't have to split the cylinders just remove the lower, new gasket that's it, seals whatever go for it.. it's not complicated at all, removing the engine is most of the work.. jack stands, floor jack.. bench or engine stand..