My mom just baught a new 5th wheel and now my dad has to pull it around. He's got a 93 with a lot done to the engine but what aboot the auto tanny? Does he need a new pick-up?

 

I used a 93 3/4 ton for several years to pull a 30' empty weight 7000lb 3 horse goose neck trailer add 2 horses at 1000lb ea plus all the hay and gear for us and we were probably pulling 11500-12000 lb pulled this rig all over Texas and Oak with an auto trans never had any problems had uop graded the engine with bigger injectors and different turbo and exhaust .sold the truck with 127000 miles on it. Have been told this trans will frequently get 150000 miles before you may expect any problems,but I'm no expert. Now own a 98.5 1 ton, Auto so far no problems .

 

My ex father in law has a 92 with 260K on it and has towed a 40' 5er since new the only mod to the trans was the dealer installed under bed trans cooler .He is real good about PM on the trans and has run amsoil from about 25K in it his engine has no mods done to it and his scale weight last time I saw a tag was at 22,450. keep em cool and clean and they will do good. my 90 has 250K +on it but has not towed as much as his the only problem I have had was a valve body go bad (couldnt pull it out of park)

 

Get him to put in a gage & sensor that monitors temperature in the pan of the transmission.

Ask him to drive by the temperature gage when towing; if it gets over 200F, slow down. That will help preserve the transmission - heat is its biggest enemy.

If the stock trans is slipping more than usual or if he's running up grades a lot, this will eventually lead him to upgrading the trans or add more cooling so he doesn't have to slow down.

I upgraded my trans because I knew I wanted to tow the 7,500# fiver many, many miles. So far, I've towed it about 45,000 miles.

DBF

PS: Also tell him it makes no sense to install an exhaust brake on that truck - the trans doesn't have a lockup capability and without that it won't do much. I make real sure the grade I'm going to go down isn't six miles of 6% downgrade, curvy 35mph road.

 

It has a lock-up on it as well cause a piece of plastic broke that allowed him to shift into O/D and Chrysler wanted a million dollars for it so my old man made his own and now he adjusted it himself for downshifting on its own and it holds the truck back. He doesn't even use his brakes anymore. I could check for specifics if anyone wants this mod.

 

I hear alot of disscusion about tranny upgrades, but I don't hear anything
definitive. And I don't know what upgrades are available and the advantages
of them. 98.5 dually, 47RE auto trans.
I'm hungary for info.:

 

That tranny must be newer than the 1993. If his had a locking torque converter he would be happy I'm sure. Everywhere he goes his truck is the same RPM and his Convertor adjusts his speed for him. Pretty lame.

 

There have been some rumors that a few 93's had a trans intended to be introduced in 94 that did have a lockup.

I'd love to hear the specifics and I'd like to see the code letters for that transmission as listed on the Equipment placard on the underside of the hood (or it can be gotten from a dealer by giving him the VIN and asking to see the Dodge record of equipment installed at build).

Interesting.

Tx, DBF

 

I'm less able to help with the second-gen trucks than I am the first-gen.

The first-gens had the A518 trans with no lockup and a feeble torque converter that generated a lot of heat by a less-than-optimum fluid coupling. Most upgrades for the A518 involve installing a higher-efficiency torque converter and modifying the valve body to control the transmission correctly with the higher torque coming in from the torque converter. Then additional transmission cooling is added.

DBF