Dodge Automatic Transmissions DON'T SUCK! | What You Need to Know

[@danielmoniz3163]

Just did my all the adjustments you suggested from that forum today! And it’s like a brand new truck! It’s unreal the difference it made. Thanks for the great content

[@decentgarage]

Awesome!! I'm going to pin this comment

[@paulandreassen9964]

Ovens garage has a video on adjusting the bands and line pressure.

[@decentgarage]

I didn't realize he did. Thanks!

[@Freedomquest08]

The trans in these was based on a 727, which during the muscle car era was pretty much bullet proof. I have noticed that many of the largest critics of these transmissions tend to think nothing of hitching up to a 40' stock trailer, car hauler, flatbed with a 20,000 + lb. tractor/escavator/backhoe/max load of hay, etc. and pretend their truck can do anything that a semi could do. Then when the trans breaks it's the truck that's the POS-lol. Considering the size of the parts, there is only so much that a clutch pack, a band or a converter can do.

[@decentgarage]

Agreed. And the 727 is still the go to trans for muscle car builds.

[@wheelieking71]

@@decentgarage Yes Sir! 727 is bomb-proof.

[@wesscarey4475]

Excellent point! Good transmissions that can only do so much. Clutch packs, line pressure, strength and gearing all need to be taken into consideration.

[@wesscarey4475]

Another great video with good advice! One point that is often overlooked on these transmissions is the gear ratio. First gear is 2 1/2 to 1. Reverse is around 2 to 1. Great for a passenger car. Not good for trying to get heavy weight moving from a dead stop. If you put lower gears in the axle's then you lose some FWY gearing. Most truck manual transmissions are in the 5 plus range in first gear. So, yes the auto can be made to work better but will never be as good as the newer lower geared autos or manuals. The diesel engines like to have 5 or more gears available when towing heavy weight because of the narrower power curve. Some of the newer autos also have a "tow mode". If you have ever tried one of those you will really see what they are capable of!!!! LOVE those those 85 4 doors!!!!!!!!

[@decentgarage]

My goal is to never drive a newer truck... If i stick to that goal I'll never know what I'm missing 😅

[@UtahRoadbase]

We have a 1997 Dodge Cummins 2500 and it's going in for it's third transmission tomorrow. It only has 92K miles on it, 70K of which were put on by the original owner. We know he pulled a fifth wheel but we have no idea the size. We also know that he had to replace the transmission at some point and now that ones dead. Anyways, we're going to put in some of these upgrades you recommend and hope this transmission lasts more than 50K miles. We could consider a swap to a manual but that seems like an immense amount of work. Hopefully, taking care of these automatic transmissions really pays off. Thanks for your recommendations. In case you're watching comments still -- we're wondering how/if that bigger transmission fluid pan will impact our clearance. Thanks again!

[@decentgarage]

The double deep pan will not severely affect clearance. With an automatic heat is the enemy. More fluid mean less heat.

[@TLavery707]

Also there are different filters for the transmission a metal style that only sucks from the bottom of the pan and a fully open filter that can suck from the bottom and top. The fully open filter is what you want since it less restrictive. I believe those filters came on the 727 torqueflight.

[@decentgarage]

Wow i didn't know this. Great info!

[@bobbybeyer2127]

@@decentgarage you should definitely watch some videos by Richard at Precision Transmission. He has an absolute TON of wisdom on these transmissions

[@decentgarage]

@@bobbybeyer2127 i will for sure!

[@TheRustyGarageandHomestead]

Mr Tim another great vidya. Good info. I think if more people did this to their a518's they wouldn't get such a bad rap. I can't to it to mine I have a nv4500 in my 93 but it did get me looking into adding the coolers that mount to the PTO covers. That is on my list of upgrades now. I finally purchased the fuel pin , 3200 gov spring and brass plunger for the FSS from THD. Looking forward to getting this installed. Your vidyas help abunch. Also got all the blue seas fuse blocks to delete the amazing dodge fusible links. Thanks again.

[@decentgarage]

Awesome! You're well on your way to making some great progress!

[@sonsofliberty3081]

Even the 68rfe is a good Trans IF you don't crank up the power. They weren't made for it. 5th and 6th are both overdrive gears and made to make the "driving experience" more pleasant. Kind of like your weak converter. So, those 2 gears have a light clutch that won't hold up to 1k tq. If you pull anything with the 2500 diesel with the 68rfe, you should have the tow haul mode on because the computer is programed to avoid too much tq in those 2 gears. I'm not sure when they originally signed the contract for those Trans that kids were going to buy the cheapest used 2500 they could find and crank th sh>t out of it. That's why they gat a bad rap. Aisn contract is coming to an end either end of 22, or end of 23. At that point I'd really like to see them design and make their own zf Trans. People complain about needing a 10sp to keep up, yet they don't understand that the other 2 are v motors and rev 2k more reps, a lot for a diesel. 6 was fine but if you really was to make the earth move backwards 1,200tq with a 7sp would do the trick. More gears mean more shifting. The inline more is made to pull and will never be faster than a v motor, but it will out pull it and get better milage doing it.

[@decentgarage]

Great points man!

[@wesscarey4475]

Excellent points made here! Great job!!!!!!!!! 👍

[@jimmungai1938]

The jeep transmission pan helps I mean it can’t hurt in real cold weather and it can be a hindrance because it takes a lot longer to heat the fluid that’s why the heat exchanger on the side of the block is a critical but a big thing is a shift kit and if you’re doing a lot of towing an external cooler like you mounted on the back of your truck with a bar and play cooler with the its own electric fan very good thing to half and a good quality shift kit Transco toe and go it reprogrammed the shifting and also you bump up the pressure some one of the big mistakes guys make for every day driving is they get these packages where are you boost pressure way way up don’t need that not for every day driving now if you got 1000 hp and you’re making a blast on a quarter-mile OK you do but another thing is knowing how to shift your transmission shifting under a real heavy load no you can but I recommend like you’re going from 1st to 2nd gear let off the throttle a little bit let it shift roll on the throttle get up a decent amount of speed come off the throttle a little bit hit drive and I’ll tell you another thing Amsoil makes a transmission fluid all match against anybody they did a field study in Las Vegas for the taxi cab and ran the cab 186,000 miles without changing the transmission fluid the transmission fluid still Met spec for Ford and was transmission was an excellent condition I mean this is a taxi cab in Las Vegas all right this is six in a row jimFrom Kennerdell PA

[@decentgarage]

Agreed. A shift kit is a great upgrade as well!

[@aubreymorris9183]

Great video solid advice. Also worth noting, keep your bands adjusted often. I mean really often especially the external one. Number 2 killer of automatic transmissions is probably slippage.

[@decentgarage]

Great point 👍

[@IronHorseGarage]

Great video amigo!!! Solid information!!! My only question is, what about the pump? If you extend cooling lines is there a point when you're straining the transmission pump?

[@decentgarage]

Great question and actually something i had never considered. In the hours of research on the forums i spent in deciding to do these upgrades over the years I have not seen this concern be brought up one time. Not to say it could never be an issue but i think the pump can handle all these upgrades. Many folks mount their auxillary cooler way back under the bed and have no issues 🤷‍♂️

[@Camcodrummer]

The bad reputation comes from ppl beating on them. Mine has 271K and the only issue I have is if it sits the fluid drains out of the converter which is no big deal. If not mistaken this is the same 727 case used on factory Hemi race cars in the 60s.

[@mutantryeff]

Never had a Dodge/Cummins with an auto, but can say the Getrag 5 speed wasn't that good. I converted from the Getrag to an NV4500 (wished I had done the NV5600). I added two cooling units that also increased oil capacity: Fast-Cooler which has a site glass for oil level on passenger side, and Trans-Cool on the driver side which also is used for the oil temp sending unit. The only bad thing about the NV4500 or NV5600 is the requirement to run specific synthetic GL4 (GL5 will harm the unit). Drove my 1/2 ton automatic Chevy today for first time since rotator cuff surgery. It was an emergency (nobody available to drive me) to see a doctor and would not do it again unless it was an emergency; I'm just beyond week 8 since surgery. I am good at driving less than 5 miles, but this was closer to 30 round trip. I installed the Mag-Tec trans and differential upgrade on the Chevy, and differential on the 93 Dodge.

[@decentgarage]

I was thinking of getting some fast coolers for my g56. Are they worth it?

[@mutantryeff]

@@decentgarage Given that they were installed during the conversion, I don't have before and after numbers to justify. Just the added oil and fins to help cool seem like a logical benefit.

[@mutantryeff]

@@decentgarage The other thing about a manual over an automatic is the use of exhaust brakes. I'm not sure most exhaust brakes can be used with automatics. I installed the 'US Gear D-Celerator' at least a decade ago.

[@decentgarage]

@@mutantryeff agreed. Yeah exhaust brakes can only be used on automatics with lockup converters.

[@BentFrontWheel]

@@decentgarage I have the fast coolers and like them I installed a Trans temp gauge at the same time so no temp comparison from before. I know people on some cummings forums that share by them.

[@wendyheller8916]

Our trans lasted 240k, and the stock motor had 285k before rebuilds. I would buy this truck again. 96 1500 Sport 4x4 5.9 Magnum. Larger cooler and a 185 degree thermo.

[@decentgarage]

Yep good point.

[@ronsre-creations5289]

Another Great Upgrade to add to the list. Thanx Tim. Thumbs Up !

[@decentgarage]

Thanks Ron 👍

[@Boobienoobie147]

Thanks again for the help! With my Instagram! Not back to where I was but it's increasing thanks to you!

[@decentgarage]

No problem! Last i checked it was almost to 150. We'll get it way higher.

[@Boobienoobie147]

@@decentgarage AWESOME! THANK YOU AGAIN!

[@brettjohnson9495]

Thanks for the great content! I have non ic 1991 truck. It had a 727 3 speed. I found a deal on a A518 o/d without lock up. I plan on running it in the truck. My question is, does your transmission have lock up? I would like to copy some of your upgrades going forward. What is the sun coast part number for that TC.

[@decentgarage]

You can run the a518 with the od just on a switch. Mine is also an a518 so no lockup. There is a link to the Suncoast torque converter in the video description

[@dougp1856]

Your link above for Mag-Tech transmission oil pan takes me to 1994-2007 2nd gen pan, not 1st gen.

[@jamesnm21]

Can't go wrong with those chrome wheels. 👌

[@decentgarage]

Yep, I love them! Looks like you're working your way through all my older videos. Enjoy them!

[@jamesnm21]

@@decentgarage I have a non intercooled 91 with 3 speed auto so will definitely be browsing through for tips.

[@GandyMan2008]

Really enjoy ur channel🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽Keep up the the great content.

[@decentgarage]

Will do!

[@mikestrucks]

Great video Tim 👍🏻

[@decentgarage]

Thanks Mike!

[@mrredpill3121]

What ever happen to the converter, what was your final opinion?.

[@youngn9na92]

Silly question. So I think I have a 46re paired with my 1993 cummins. It will not go into gear. I want to try to replace the filter and fluid, and adjust the bands to see if I can get it to work properly. If I wanted to replace the filter and gasket should I replace any other components while I am in there? Is there a kit I should use?

[@gummyvalenzuela2509]

Have you ever had your ecm repaired? My overdrive wont shift., i did the toggle swith and worked good for about a year and suddenly overdrive wont kick in., any suggestions?thanks

[@youngn9na92]

Good afternoon. How much horsepower and torque can this transmission handle? I am in the process of deciding on a transmission and I think I want to go with a 47rh. However, I want to weigh out as many options as possible. Thanks!

[@decentgarage]

It can hold 600 hp easily. A lot of it depends on how you drive your truck. 3rd gear launches will not be good for it haha

[@doubledf100]

Great video! I have a question. Is there a way to make these A518 shift right out of park rather then having to go to neutral for it to get the pump going then shift into drive or reverse? I’m not sure if the torque converter drains or exactly what it is doing. Does a shift kit solve this? Just one of my pet peeves with my 92. Thanks

[@decentgarage]

I always go straight to park but if the truck has been sitting for a day or two or more then the torque convertor drains and it takes a few seconds to move. Not sure if a shift kit will fix that but i just know it's normal and not a big deal

[@edwardgrabinsky]

Transgo kits as well

[@decentgarage]

Yeah, that's a great point. I've never installed one but I'd really like to do that to get the experience of doing it and see how it affects it.

[@edwardgrabinsky]

@@decentgarage i run transgo kits in all my autos. Honestly not that hard of an installation if you take your time. For longevity just drill them on the milder side. Its a noticeable difference.

[@decentgarage]

@@edwardgrabinsky i will give this a go!

[@bryannewman6822]

What’s the spacer you need for the transmission fluid filter?

[@rogerrudluff5997]

How to get it to go in over drive 93

[@justinomstead5758]

Hey I've got a 2nd gen dodge ram 3500 with a thoroughbred 5qt deep 4 spd tourqe flight o/d 2wd 787 torque converter with external cooler and a max tow gauge on a 064-8 how many more atf+4 quarts do I need ?currently at 6 qrts now!? Don't wanna overfill

[@michaelfoster1247]

To be fair, you had to do a lot of upgrades to improve the transmission to the point it will last.

[@decentgarage]

True, but if you don't do those upgrades you just have to understand it's limitations and no be mad when the trans blows up from doing burnouts

[@davezanin1863]

So you would need to change the location of your transmission heat sensor if you get a deeper pan? I always heard the more fluid you have the more pressure it creates which fucks with the tranny, could you explain to me why a deeper pan and more fluid would help keep the tranny cooler.

[@AlaskaMike72]

I'm not Decent Garage, but I'll throw out my $0.02. You've got two questions there. For your second question--does more fluid capacity create more pressure, messing with the tranny? Absolutely not. Pressures within the transmission have nothing to do with the capacity of the pan. Go with the biggest pan that fits. The one that Decent Garage shows in this video provides a ton more capacity, but you'll also notice still doesn't extend below the skid plate. It's pretty much the best available. Your first question is dependant on what temps you want to see. You put the sender in the output line from the tranny to the cooler if you want to see what your peak fluid temps are. You put the sender in the pan if you want to see the temp of the fluid in the pan, which you might consider an average of fluid temps in the system. This one is probably personal preference. I always put the sender in the output line.

[@davezanin1863]

@@AlaskaMike72 thanks man

[@wheelieking71]

Your take on the engine mounted heat-exchanger will do a 180' if it ever fails on you! Trust me. I understand exactly why its there. And agree that it performs its job flawlessly. But, removing it is the first mod I make on any auto-equipped Dodge diesel. I have had them ruin the cooling system. And I have had them ruin the transmission. And I have seen them ruin BOTH at the same time. I am in AZ so there is no need for me to warm my tranny. And there are far more efficient ways to cool it. So, on my trucks? It is a GONER!

[@decentgarage]

Fortunately i haven't had an issue. But i did just pull mine out as I'm manual swapping the truck.

[@mangravy2000]

So you're going to stay with this transmission through 600hp?

[@decentgarage]

Absolutely! Shouldn't have any issues

[@rogerrudluff5997]

What about the dam over drive

[@10mm]

Get a 47RH already! haha

[@decentgarage]

Haha I'm going the opposite direction 😬

[@peterschmidt2849]

😎🇺🇸🔥

[@decentgarage]

Thanks Peter!

[@ml.2770]

Correct. They all suck. No matter what brand.

[@decentgarage]

Lol, i disagree. I do love manuals but autos have their place as well.