I was talking with a guy who used to rebuild transmissions about modifying my truck. He said if I upgraded my tranny before I did any other mods it wouldn't work correctly. He said it won't shift or downshift when it is supposed to.
Has anyone done the tranny first, and if so did it work correctly? Or should I do the mods first and wait for the tranny to fail?
I did purchase a 3yr/36K mile warranty when I bought the truck because of the automatic and the truck had 132k on the odo.

 

maybe this is a better question.
If I add an intake, exhaust, and smarty. Will the tranny be OK?
I do pull a 26'TT.

 

NO.


Who ever "Used to rebuild" transmissions is not very bright.

A mild build or a fully built trans will be fine if done correctly, even it you never mod anything else on your truck. You will find that most people will build the trans according to the mods that they plan to do in the future.

 

Thanks so what would y'all recommend? A new torque converter, valve body, possibly some other internals.
I'm not going to the dark side, just want better fuel economy and a little more power.

 

I don't have an auto so I am not real sure but I would do VB and torque converter and input shaft for sure.

I'm sure other will chime in with better info

 

You're going in the right direction, and consider a new input shaft as well.

Call Dave Goerend and get the parts from him if you can't send the tranny his way, and find a GOOD local tranny shop to do the labor.

I'm the second owner for my '06 and knew it was used as a tow rig when I bought it ..... I feel it slip under hard exceleration and I'm planning to have it fixed later this year.



Kris

 

If your not going crazy on the power a TC is all you really need for big parts. A good single disk billet cover with lower stall will make a huge difference. If your not doing boosted launches or sled pulling or running a triple disk you can forego the billet input.

Internally replace the servos and accumulator with good billet ones and upgrade the band strut/anchor.

You can get a VB but its over priced for what they are and may not be 100% compatible with your trans. Keep the VB you have and add a shift kit is all you really need.

All the above can be done by just dropping the VB in the truck except the TC. That will require trans removal.

Upping the power an lowering the stall of the TC has other effects. Front band is not going to like it for long and possible the direct clutches unless they are setup correctly. When you do the TC I would at least replace the front band and seals on the pump hub. At that time you can have your clutch packs check for wear.

 

Thanks for the input guys.

 

I would also add a billet flex plate o needed items. Look at the flimsey original and compare with a billet one. There is no comparison
Dave Goerend is an incredible source of info and parts.

I have a full built Goerend R48e and 140,000 since he built it and it runs flawless

 

Actually, he is somewhat accurate. Depending on the VB used (how aggressive it is) you might have hunting or short shifting issues or holds gear too long issues. Mine was built around a Smarty w/ no TM and when I pull the smarty off, I can have 1-2 hunting and the TQ converter lock up is vicious. I can still drive around it though. 03-04s are a little diff than 06s no TV cable. I've seen many built trucks that shift great w/ a tuner, but horrible stock and vise versa.

 

If the tranny is built right, it WILL work correctly no matter what the mods, provided you are within strength limits. Find a new tranny guy. Most of us recommend Goerend.

 

Will it work? Yes. Will it shift correctly "no matter what the mods"? No way. I dealt w/an 05 that Dave built in 09 that had shifting issues when using multiple tuners (BD/Smarty/PPE hot)... I spent many hours on the phone w/ him as we pulled it apart. Not a huge deal it's just a spring change in the VB or the solenoid... It is a problem EVERY builder will run across w/ 2-3 out of 10 trucks, even stock.