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Cheap ways to extend tranny life??

Old Oct 30, 2007 | 05:05 PM
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Cheap ways to extend tranny life??

I am a newbie here and tried to research but couldn't find much.

My truck is an 03 Auto. with 65,000 on it. It is bone stock except for a modified exhaust. It doesn't look like anybody towed with it, and I won't be either.

My question is , if I add a few power adders (Edge Juice with attitude, maybe stacked with EZ, intake, 5" downpipe) What could I do to extend the transmission life?

I thought about doing the hot program with the edge but have heard some say the trans won't take it is this true??

Or should I do something else that can control the trans as well as adding power?

I can already tell the power is going to be addictive and know that eventually I will need a trans but would like to delay the enevitable as long as possible.
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Old Oct 30, 2007 | 05:11 PM
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Leave it stock.Not trying to be a smart butt just telling you the truth. When you turn it up it is just to hard to keep your foot out of it
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Old Oct 30, 2007 | 05:21 PM
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From: terrell,texas
dont know about that, add your power and enjoy the truck when it brakes fix it or upgrade then , just my opinion.
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Old Oct 30, 2007 | 05:23 PM
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The hot juice will eat up your tranny in a pretty quick way.

The edge does have safety parameters to defuel for high egts and tranny slipage although. I have had my juice on my truck for about 35,000 or so miles and my tranny is fine. Granted I dont beat the living tar out of it with the juice cranked up. I do romp on it pretty good though when im in the mood.

As far as extending the life of your tranny get the fluid changed or upgrade to a better oil like amsoil or equivalent. Have your tranny adjusted and flushed at the recomended intervals. The best option would be to upgrade your torque converter and valve body in order to hold the power.
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Old Oct 30, 2007 | 05:37 PM
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From: terrell,texas
that sounds like good advise this trucks are to much fun to drive when thier turned up a bit makes it fun every time you get behind the wheel, turn that sucker up but do it with the advice of people that have an auto not us stick guys, our trannys hold a lot more power stock, and when we over power them its just a clutch change any one can do that, i woulnt dare go inside a slush box as they are a lot more complicated. good luck with you hunt for all that power!
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Old Oct 30, 2007 | 06:06 PM
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There is no cheap way to make the tranny last. You are looking at a minimum of $1800 if you do the work yourself and it goes up from there. If that's too much to swallow, don't add any more than about 50-70hp. xzt would be a good option.
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Old Oct 30, 2007 | 11:01 PM
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Lockup switch with good synthetic amsoil fluids will help to extend the life of it. My trans is still currently stock and holding but its about gone and ive got probably 100 or so 500rwhp 4wd boosted launch passes on it.
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Old Oct 30, 2007 | 11:14 PM
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what computer do you use to get 8.4's thats very good numbers,also im sure you monitor your factory l.p. pressures at that power level do you have the genos billet cap also , my intank pump when new did 15psi , its slowly getting worse around 10.5-11 but more important i quess it only pulls to maybe 6 on a good long pull so still ok for now whats your pressures and when your goes out will you go aftermarket?
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Old Oct 30, 2007 | 11:29 PM
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I am going with a glacier setup soon. I am not monitoring my stock lp pressures but I do get a p0148 code from time to time so I know I can suck it down to 0 LOL. I also dont have a genos billet cap. I am running the X2 pressure stacker lvl 5 with smarty beta 4.4 sl on sw #9 and a tq lockup switch. Stock airbox, stock exhaust muffler and cat were still intacked, stock fuel system, stock turbo, stock injectors, and stock transmission were used in my 13.309 pass. I was simply trying to prove and find the limits of what these parts can accomplish and handle. I found the limit on #2 only.
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Old Oct 30, 2007 | 11:40 PM
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Originally Posted by CReed
Lockup switch with good synthetic amsoil fluids will help to extend the life of it. My trans is still currently stock and holding but its about gone and ive got probably 100 or so 500rwhp 4wd boosted launch passes on it.
Are you leaving the line with 500hp, or is there some funny gas increasing power after you launch? I am very surprised you've been able to abuse the stock tranny that much. Of course they did tighten up the TCs starting in '06. Is yours a 5.9 or 6.7?
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Old Oct 30, 2007 | 11:41 PM
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Originally Posted by stock600
what computer do you use to get 8.4's thats very good numbers,also im sure you monitor your factory l.p. pressures at that power level do you have the genos billet cap also , my intank pump when new did 15psi , its slowly getting worse around 10.5-11 but more important i quess it only pulls to maybe 6 on a good long pull so still ok for now whats your pressures and when your goes out will you go aftermarket?
I run the GDP set up with the factory plastic cap at 35psi at idle.
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Old Oct 30, 2007 | 11:51 PM
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Yep leaving the line at full power in 4wd boosted launches. I used to have a really tight converter and could only stall it up to 1800rpms before I would pull through the brakes only saw 6-8psi. My track times started to fade from 13.42 to a 13.9 and I was in such disbelief that I started to do some launches after the track that night and found out that my convertor had since loosened up to a sweet spot aroun 2500rpms and at that rpm my stocker would put out 28psi LOL so I just stall it up to probably 2200 and then flash it right before i leave with a light increase in pedal then mat it when i see the last amber go up. O and I only put down a 1.94 60' the last time at the track during diesel nationals diablo and trans. werent getting along and that was the first time I had run smarty so wasnt wanting to push my luck and break. I think its got 13.2s in it at full weight I had over 1/2 tank that day also. But I dont want to push luck anymore then I have to find out were its breaking point is it may go 12.99 in stock form like it is but who knows.
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Old Oct 31, 2007 | 06:59 AM
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OK Newbie questions

Trans lockup switch?? What is it and who sells it?

Billet Cap? Are you referring to the fuel filler cap?

Pressure Stacker? Again I sorry i'm just learning all of this, is it built into something or a seperate piece?

CReed Thanks god for guys like you who are willing to push stock parts to the limit so we can stay just below that limit!!
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Old Oct 31, 2007 | 11:56 AM
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Okay to answer your questions:
Trans Lockup switch? A simple cheap toggle switch used to lock the converter and keep it from slipping to a certain extent. Do a search for how to converter lockup switch 04.5-05.
Billet Cap- Is a billet alluminum fuel filter cap that replaces the stock plastic cap that can and will crack under aftermarket lift pump pressures above 40psi when used with a glacier or a fass fuel system.
Pressure stacker- This means that with the smarty programer on sw#9 I was adding timing and duration without pressure, so by adding the pressure in with the quad x2 I was creating a good stack that will work well with each other.
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Old Oct 31, 2007 | 03:14 PM
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Thanks, I'm starting to learn all the abbreviations and jargon.

This is my first diesel and first Dodge and I'm lovin it so far.

I can't believe how much potential these trucks have, it's awesome!!
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