I dropped the tranny pan today to change the filter and some of the oil. I missed the catch tray and fluid went everywhere. I grabbed a bunch of old oily rags out of the dirty rag bucket and started wiping things up. To my surprise when I finally got around to cleaning out the pan I found a donut shaped magnet inside with a fair amount of goo and ultra fine shaving attached to it. After wiping things down a bit more I found a piece of steel that looks just like a section of a piston ring.The piece I have is about 2" long and if I extend the arc of the radius it looks to be about a 6" diameter arc. It appears to be about 3/16" wide an 1/16th" thick. Is there anything in the 1994 47rh transmission that sound like this piece? Im thinking it might of been in the dirty rags before I cleaned the rags or maybe it did fall out of the tranny? Any help would be appreciated.

 

I put a magnet in my tranny pan years ago,It will tell me just how good the tranny is when I change the fluid every 30 th miles. A few small pieces of steel will show up from the OD section of your 47 rh and I have found some.I would not get to excited by this.

 

this is what mine looked like about 3 years ago- I have since purchaced the truck from my friend. Trans still going strong btw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98h1XkgKBWM

 

If you still have it available could you post a pic of it?
It might be a broken piece off a clutch drum snap ring...but I'm just reaching there. Can't think of how one might get out of the drum area and into the pan but maybe. If it's just a piece, and only that long, I suspect therest is still wedged tightly in the drum groove where it belongs.

Weird huh?

 

Could be part of the OD unit snap ring as well.

 

What Pat said. And if it is a small piece of a snap ring, probably nothing to worry about.
I found a Hot Wheels car in a tranny pan once. I considered it "abnormal" debris.

 

I replaced the oil with new stuff buttoned it all up and took it for a test drive last night. Seems to work just fine... My memory card in my camera died but will post up a pic as soon as I get a working camera.

 

Uh, yea..........

I would LOVE to know that backstory...........

 

It probably is from the overdrive section its common for that snap ring to break and I would worry about it.Parts found in a transmission pan is not good and will cost more money to repair if left alone.

 

Nah, if it works, don't fix it.
I should look at it differently though. Considering how many "55" engine blocks I've sold for no other reason than they simply found a big "53" on the side of their current running driving engine.
(and wanted it changed NOW).

 

BTW, just want to let you guys know that RedlineAr owns a salvage yard in Arkansas that specializes in parting out Dodge/Cummins trucks. I once left my tranny dip stick lying on my front bumper and didn't realize it until I got about 25 miles down I-40 and remembered it. By then it was gone. Later I looked on ebay and found Redline who sells D/C parts. I ordered one from him at a fair price. Then about 2 years ago I was getting tired of my drum brakes and got my 2001.5 disc brake rear end from him. I have dealt with a lot of salvage yards in my life and he seemed to be fair and honest... and busy. I'd certainly recommend him to anybody who needs a good, used D/C part.

 

Can you give us contact info for the yard? Did a quick search but didn't find him.

Floyd

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/95-Dodge-Ram...a7e34a&vxp=mtr

He's got 99.7% positive feedback.

 

Regarding that broken piece, I also think it sounds like a piece of snap ring from a clutch drum, or from the overdrive clutch pack. My guess is that it broke because it was under a large amount of stress. Now, with that piece missing, there's only 75% of a snap ring left to absorb that same stress. I wouldn't expect complete immediate transmission failure, but I would expect the transmission's lifespan to be shortened somewhat.