Dear JoeS,
May this find you well. The Aisin-Warner transmissions are very durable. Was the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) you removed a clear, rosy red, or was it brown/black (dirty); orange (burned), or watery (also burned)? If the fluid was other than a clear, rosy red, you should completely flush the tranny, using a good quality ATF, per the procedure set forth in the FAQs (see pull-down menu). The reason: there are nine quarts of fluid in the transmission. The pan contains just 2-3 quarts. Thus, if the ATF was dirty or burned, you did not remove enough of it.
If you look in the coolant overflow tank (engine bay), is there a pink film on top of the coolant? If so, then coolant has gotten into the ATF, from a failed in-radiator ATF cooler. You'll need to replace the radiator, pronto! After doing that, flush the ATF completely. If the tranny's shifting does not improve, you'll need to find a replacement.
Do not have your tranny re-built. That is a huge waste of money. You should get a good unit from a salvage yard. If possible, you should pick the donor car yourself. If the fluid is other than a clear, rosy red, find another donor.
The salvage yard unit should be flushed, completely. That should give you many, many more miles.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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