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Our first expedition of the year hasn’t started well. Southbound - - just north of Jackson, Mississippi - - we were on the phone confirming a campground reservation 20 miles south at Le Fleurs Bluff State Park - - when we were suddenly confronted with a rapid, repetitive banging/ratcheting noise. Our preliminary inspection revealed that we’d lost our engine!
![Wheel Tire Sky Vehicle Land vehicle]()
Literally, but not completely. The driver’s side engine/transmission mount had failed and the engine was ‘dangling’ - - held in position by the passenger side mount, drive train, and who knows what else. The three lateral mounting bolts had sheared, leaving their broken studs visible in the engine/transmission housing while a fourth, a vertical bolt - - remained positioned upwardly above the engine/transmission - - having ripped free of, and damaging, the associated engine mount bracket.
![Tire Wheel Automotive parking light Automotive tail & brake light Vehicle]()
![Motor vehicle Automotive tire Automotive lighting Auto part Automotive exterior]()
The mechanic who worked on our problem handed us one of the removed, sheared studs . . . and we instinctively inquired: “How could this happen?”. The mechanic, redirecting his gaze toward us, asked: “Has anyone worked on this transmission?” “Yes,” we responded, “the transmission was replaced three years ago.” The mechanic smiled, “that’s your answer.”
We don’t know for certain what the shop did, three years ago, when they replaced the transmission. But our current mechanic believes he knows - - that shop reused the mounting bolts in the face of Dodge’s installation instructions which state in the most uncertain terms, at least three times, do not reuse. Here is the text of Dodge’s manual:
“CAUTION
This CAUTION is related to the 2014 through 2020 model year VF ProMaster vehicles equipped with the 3.6L engine and 62TE transmission to emphasize the importance of REPLACING and TORQUING the ONE TIME USE fasteners that secure the LEFT transmission mount bracket to the transmission.
The fasteners used for the 2014 through 2020 model year VF ProMaster LEFT transmission mount bracket are of the single usage type and MUST not be reused. Once these fasteners have been torqued, they MUST be replaced upon removal. The torque of the fasteners are of a higher value than torques for a similar sized fastener. Verify all mounting bracket torque values, refer to . . . .
(Photos Omitted)
CAUTION: DO NOT reuse the transmission mount bracket bolts. Failure to use NEW bolts may result in bracket bolt failure.”
Seven days later, we’re back on the road. And considerably lighter in the pocket book to the tune of $5,200. Why so much, we inquired of the Service Rep? “Well,” he responded, “ if you were an automobile, we would have charged you the “car rate”, but since you’re a truck, we charged you the commercial truck rate of $185/hour.” And then there were the parts . . . with the funny story that we consulted with our son, the mechanic, when this shop indicated they were having problems obtaining certain parts. So son Timothy obtained the critical bracket and bolts and overnighted them to us . . . it turns out that there was an error in the Dodge manual and this shop had ordered the wrong parts anyway. We’d still be sitting there but for our proactive intervention. Then there was that $1,300+ engine wiring harness . . . . did we need it? Timothy says “probably not” . . . but, then, we didn’t want to be sitting here another month, so not faulting the shop for ordering and installing it.
The Service Rep with whom we principally dealt was very sympathetic and helpful; the “mechanic” seemed very capable and knew his stuff . . . and, importantly and relevant to the issue we raised last summer of ‘getting help/service on-the-road when you need it’ . . . this shop immediately inspected our vehicle and got the parts “coming” . . . when all parts were “in hand”, they promptly turned their attention to our vehicle and got us out of there. Our only sadness was the dealership manager who - - when someone ‘ratted’ on us and revealed that we were sleeping in our van in their parking lot (while awaiting the parts), forbade this arrangement forcing us to incur another $70/night expense.
So, if you have this vintage ProMaster and have any transmission work performed . . . be forewarned.
Literally, but not completely. The driver’s side engine/transmission mount had failed and the engine was ‘dangling’ - - held in position by the passenger side mount, drive train, and who knows what else. The three lateral mounting bolts had sheared, leaving their broken studs visible in the engine/transmission housing while a fourth, a vertical bolt - - remained positioned upwardly above the engine/transmission - - having ripped free of, and damaging, the associated engine mount bracket.
The mechanic who worked on our problem handed us one of the removed, sheared studs . . . and we instinctively inquired: “How could this happen?”. The mechanic, redirecting his gaze toward us, asked: “Has anyone worked on this transmission?” “Yes,” we responded, “the transmission was replaced three years ago.” The mechanic smiled, “that’s your answer.”
We don’t know for certain what the shop did, three years ago, when they replaced the transmission. But our current mechanic believes he knows - - that shop reused the mounting bolts in the face of Dodge’s installation instructions which state in the most uncertain terms, at least three times, do not reuse. Here is the text of Dodge’s manual:
“CAUTION
This CAUTION is related to the 2014 through 2020 model year VF ProMaster vehicles equipped with the 3.6L engine and 62TE transmission to emphasize the importance of REPLACING and TORQUING the ONE TIME USE fasteners that secure the LEFT transmission mount bracket to the transmission.
The fasteners used for the 2014 through 2020 model year VF ProMaster LEFT transmission mount bracket are of the single usage type and MUST not be reused. Once these fasteners have been torqued, they MUST be replaced upon removal. The torque of the fasteners are of a higher value than torques for a similar sized fastener. Verify all mounting bracket torque values, refer to . . . .
(Photos Omitted)
CAUTION: DO NOT reuse the transmission mount bracket bolts. Failure to use NEW bolts may result in bracket bolt failure.”
Seven days later, we’re back on the road. And considerably lighter in the pocket book to the tune of $5,200. Why so much, we inquired of the Service Rep? “Well,” he responded, “ if you were an automobile, we would have charged you the “car rate”, but since you’re a truck, we charged you the commercial truck rate of $185/hour.” And then there were the parts . . . with the funny story that we consulted with our son, the mechanic, when this shop indicated they were having problems obtaining certain parts. So son Timothy obtained the critical bracket and bolts and overnighted them to us . . . it turns out that there was an error in the Dodge manual and this shop had ordered the wrong parts anyway. We’d still be sitting there but for our proactive intervention. Then there was that $1,300+ engine wiring harness . . . . did we need it? Timothy says “probably not” . . . but, then, we didn’t want to be sitting here another month, so not faulting the shop for ordering and installing it.
The Service Rep with whom we principally dealt was very sympathetic and helpful; the “mechanic” seemed very capable and knew his stuff . . . and, importantly and relevant to the issue we raised last summer of ‘getting help/service on-the-road when you need it’ . . . this shop immediately inspected our vehicle and got the parts “coming” . . . when all parts were “in hand”, they promptly turned their attention to our vehicle and got us out of there. Our only sadness was the dealership manager who - - when someone ‘ratted’ on us and revealed that we were sleeping in our van in their parking lot (while awaiting the parts), forbade this arrangement forcing us to incur another $70/night expense.
So, if you have this vintage ProMaster and have any transmission work performed . . . be forewarned.
