I have a 500 auto trans out of a 91 Dakota. The truck was wrecked, but the guy drive it home, and then I drove it home. couldn't get over 45mph because of the truck's body condition, but the trans shifted well and didn't display any problems.
Now that trans is being installed into another Dakota. Dropped the pan to install a fresh filter & fluid and we discover what looks like a chunk of a broken piston ring. The fluid looked great, the trans has about 118,000 miles, and there wasn't an unusual amount of stuff in the pan. The chunk of ring, looks almost out of place.
So, I expect the "ring chunk" is something that was a result of the crash, the truck frame was bent pretty good. The truck nose struck a Jersey barrier, and the rear came around and struck the barrier as well. The frame took on a "C" shape with the front frame nose up a bit. Everything in the drive train as still intact, including the radiator.
What part in an auto trans would look like a piston ring, and is it something I can, or need to change? And, does the trans need to come out to change the part? Gene
