I'm looking at getting a 1996 CTD...not sure what auto tranny it has. Can anyone tell me? I haven't been to look at it yet.

Also...what is the weak point of this transmission? What would be the first thing to look at or upgrade? The truck I'm looking at only has 50,000 miles on it.

 

Tranny Temp Gauge!!!!!

Then:
Torque converter and valve body.
I'm hoping to get mine done soon.

 

Skip the trans temp gauge , the dummy light comes on at the same temp the gauge gets pegged, I am going to swap my trans temp gauge out for a fuel pressure gauge, the trans temp gauge has been completely useless , aside from giving me something else to look at.

I would go straight for a valve body (or at least a shift kit) and a torque converter if money allows , and your planning on making more power. I would also ditch the stock steel cooler lines for some hydraulic hoses, to prevent future leaks.

 

I don't agree with JKM on the gauge issue, I want to know that I need to take action prior to the light coming on and seeing the temp rise on a gauge is the only way. There are a few things you can do to bring the temps down quickly if you know you need to.


I do agree on the valve body mods first, second a better more efficient converter. These two mods alone will make the truck feel like it has 100hp more and will hold a good amount of power for many, many miles.

 

Well as stated before a good TC and VB will do the transmission a great deal of good and simple upgrades for moderate power (450hp or less) are cheap. It also all relies on how you plan to use your truck; to play you must pay... A trans temp gauge is a good idea so that you can change your driving habits when you see elevated temps.

Other problem areas can be the electronic governor, throttle position sensor, and the OD and lock-up solenoids. But since the truck has such low mileage on it they should be fine for quite some time.

 

Anyone know what tranny would be in this truck? I'm gonna go look at it tomorrow but was wondering now.

 

96 will have a 47re.

 

Before you do any power mods on the truck you need to at least get a valve body and a tranny temp gauge. However your TC won't last long with any power above stock so if you can afford to get a decent (doesn't have to be tripple disk unless you are gonna start making a ton of HP) torque converter at the same time, go for that along with the valve body.However, if you just want to improve the life of the transmission and power-wise it will be left stock, then a Transgo shift kit or a VB would be a good idea. I agree with JKM on the fact that you don't need a transmission temp gauge if you are gonna leave your engine and tires stock, but if you are gonna start making some power or put on bigger tires a tranny temp gauge along with a pryo are a must.

 

i suppose that would all depend on what you are going to do with the truck, eh? if you plan on leaving everything stock and use it for regular street transportation, i would think you wouldn't need a gauge, or any modifications to the tranny.
however, if you increase the power and/or use the truck to tow, a tranny gauge and boost/egr gauges are the only way of measuring heat. towing without gauges is begging to destroy your truck.
also, if towing, you really should consider putting the money into upgrading your tranny, valve body, torque plate and even an oversized input shaft. stock dodge trannies are a weak point of the truck. they cannot hold up over time to the increased heat and pressures of towing.

 

So how did it look?

I've got a gauge on my stock rig and am glad it's there... mostly for when I'm towing in the hills.

 

It is pretty clean...just as advertised. It belonged to an older couple that used it every now and then to pull a RV trailer.

That being said it was sold by the time I went to see it. Someone had seen it on the the dealer's website and bought it sight unseen.

I am next on the list if something falls through with them.

It's up at Springdale Dodge if you just wanted to see it...should be there until the weekend.

 

Sorry about your bad luck . I'm sure you will find something else soon though. Keep an eye on Autotrader and Craigslist.

 

Yeah, it's hard to find a good 12 valve... I looked for months and still didn't get exactly what I wanted. I was looking for a 5 speed SRW 4x4 ExCab longbed (but I'm happy w/ the dually/auto).

 

I don't agree with that.
By the time the light comes on you mise well limp it to the garage and put it on jack stands.

A tranny temp gauge is a real nice feature, espically for towing.
I'd advise taking the stock cooler off, replacing it.
Drilling out the one way valve in the cooler lines (have a tendency of getting stuck).

Also the weak spot of the RHs are the aluminum plantetaries.

If you wanna beef it up I'd get a HP rebuild/OH kit.
Replace all the seals, thrust washers, the bands, ect.
Then I would do the VB work, or buy a VB
And also a converter.

I've got everything done to my RH besides billit shafts, and a converter.
I installed a lockup switch and I got minimal shudder in lockup but I don't lock it up to often due to that.
You could see where the converter paint tarnished from it getting too hot.
So I'd imagine I'm going to lose lockup or lose everything here directly then it'll be time for a goerend or DTT.

Hope this helps!