Fueling around

I lived in the Pacific NW when DTT opened for business in 2000 or so. I kicked myself for not getting a trany rebuild before moving back to the midwest.

I found about Goerend's not through transmisions, but for their annual charity dyno day. ALL the proceeds go to an area charity which is associated with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
I traveled down for a dyno day and after listening to Dave describe and show the work he was doing on a auto behind a Cummins, I went back a year later for a full rebuild. Dave showed me the protoype custom milled stators he just received from Ray Torresdal (machined bango bolts fame) and really wanted to install one in my converter, but we decided to stay with a re-milled factory stator. The trany rebuild was all from Sonnax which includes many custom parts including billet servo and 2nd gear band strut.

I watched Nubby (shop employee) hand work the parts for my triple disc converter for many hours before they said it was ready for assembly. Dave was just as meticulous when assembling the entire converter which inlcudes balance & leak testing.

I am very satisfied with the products from Goerend.

I'm a Cummins driver with 300 RWHP, haul a 2,500 lb camper, and tow 2,000 lb trailer.

fortunate1

Both good trannies, as far as I can tell and from what I've experienced. Talked on the phone quite a bit with both of the very knowledgeable business owners. But unless there's a quality/trained shop nearby, most people will want to/need to visit the main shop. So that means that there will be more DTT's sold around the Pacific NW, more Goerends in the Mid-West, more Suncoast around the Southeast, more ATS in the Rockies, etc., etc. Having a shop near where YOU live (that's where installation and any service/warranty work will take place) is a BIG plus, because you can ship the tranny in to a convenient location. I selected DTT because there was a shop not too far from me that Bill K. vouched for. No one else had one of "their" shops nearly as close. Even though DTT is the farthest away from me, having a quality/trained shop nearby closed the deal for me.

Also, remember that you DON'T have to buy the whole big "tranny on a skid pallet" deal. That makes freight to and from (remember the core charge, too) the shop very expensive. The "hard" parts on the Dodge tranny are pretty stout; most of them were still in perfect condition in mine. So I bought the upgraded clutch packs, new TC, new VB, new planetary carrier (after 96 or 97 changed to steel from aluminum), and some incidentals. All of that was shipped to the shop for a lot less that a whole tranny, and there was NO core to send back. All of that made the upgraded tranny cost a LOT less money.

Summary: Decide how far you are willing to drive your truck to get this tranny installed and how far you may have to drive for service, adjustments, warranty work, etc. Decide if you need a new tranny casing, gears, shafts, etc. OR just TC, VB, and the "soft" parts, like clutches, etc. Decide which credit card to use.

jimk

All of which you wrote is true, however I would like to point out the when I called using a installer the warreny was on the parts that was installed and 6 months labor or that is what was quoted to me a while back. I wonted warrenty from end to end. I guess just for the piece of mind, and things happen or they do to me.
For me, a crate transmission, and since the frieght is so high, I could pay for the core and sell mine or what ever. I can install the transmission so that is not a big deal. I like warrenty so for me to buy a DTT, a crate transmission, install it myself would be the way for me to go. Everyone is different so, I understand your position. I wont the best warrenty so in the end Dave looks great. If the warrent were the same, the price difference might not make a difference. Just an idea , Jim

RickCJ

Just ask each builder how they make there trans hold 450? hp etc... in each gear! Hopefully both can give you an honest answer. I know the east coast builders can't! Heck didn't even know what I was talkin about. Just got more clutchs.

DTT has lots of small upgrade parts for each gear, what does GB do to hold the power?

c-hawk

I can not make any comments good or bad about Goerend's trannys as i have never had any experience with them.

I will say that after the experience i've had with DTT and my DTT installer there is no way i could even consider another tranny. I've got over 80,000 miles on my tranny... from day one it saw over 400hp, now see's over 600 running in the high 11's. Never a single problem. I don't baby my truck either. I've got well over 100 time slips from the track, run it fairly hard on the street, daily drive it, use it to go hunting as well as help around the farm, etc. I just recently stopped towing the gooseneck with it when i got the 01.5 about 5 months ago.) It's just been an awesome tranny that has been flawless for me under very difficult circumstances and in my opinion pretty decent power.

There's my opinion,

Chris

jimk

Chris, that is as good as it gets. I know that the thread is DTT and Dave G transmissions, since you started using the 01.5 truck to pull the gooseneck trailer, it the 01.5 a 6 speed or an automatic. I dont know much about 24 valve trucks. If the truck is a 6 speed how does it compare to the DTT when towing. I dont tow fast and much is on narrow roads at 45 or 55 so that leaves only 3 gears for my stock automatic. How do you tow with a DTT transmission, leave it in manual 2 for 35 miles and hour or just leave it in D . For a person who wonts a automatic the DTT should be great, but for towing how does it compare to a 6 speed? I had hoped to get some usefull info Thanks Jim

c-hawk

Jim,

The 01.5 is a 6spd... i prefer the manual for towing. For some reason i just like rowing through the gears when i have a load hooked up to the truck. If you do a lot of low speed towing it's better then any auto, in my opinion. There are just more gears to pick from to match the speed that you need to drive.

With that said the DTT is awesome for towing too. Most of my experience with towing is either on interstates at 65+, or at 25 and under moving farm equipment, etc. When going slow i usually just put it in second. When towing under 60 just turn off o/d, and above 60 ran it in o/d. Never had a problem.

I'm not sure if that info helps you or not. Hopefully it does.

Chris

bmoeller

As far as having extra gears, the manual tranny would probably be better at low speed, but that is why I have the a the higher stall triple disc T/C that Dave offers. Helps to spool-up the 40 down low. With the Cummins being BOMBed also, I have yet to have a low power problem at low speeds, even grossing over 25k.

Most of my experience towing with the Ram is 30 and under moving farm equipment, etc. When going slow i usually just put it in second or 3rd locked up. When towing under 55 just turn off o/d, and above 55 I run it in o/d. Still need to get the lock-up switch installed. That way I can lock-up in 2nd as well, to bring the tranny temps down while pulling a good hill at slow speeds.

storx

Goerend all the way bro... i bought my stuff from him and was nice enough to overnight the billet input shaft i shattered "stock input shaft"..........i didnt get the whole transmission from goerend i just got upgrades here adn there.... vavle body....TQ.......the usual needed upgrades.....welll i tell you had nothing but nice things about the TQ.......i can idle up my driveway from a dead stop at the bottom with easy..........also it doesnt try to stall out like most companys triple disk when you make a sudden stop........ just buy goerend and he will take care of you.....he even called me from his cell phone one time when i was having a problem.... and he was on vacation........

BigBlue

Well I talked to Bill at DTT today and asked him a few more questions and he almost ended up talking me into just a VB. When I asked him about ordering the TC also he said only if you want to replace the front pump. He told me the VB would help the trans hold a little better. He told me to call back in about an hour and talk to stephan but when I did he had already left. Oh well. It is a holiday after all and I was surprised that he was there. The saga continues.

justinp20012500

I put over 10k on just a VB upgrade along with a triple disk tc. That 10k saw everything from the drag strip to the pulling track and even the wife getting groceries. (Truck was alittle over 500 RWHP)

Upon removal of the trans to do further upgrades for the pulling season everything in there looked great. No clutch burning, the bands looked great.

I upgraded it with a HD band strut, 4.4 lever, billet servo, billet acumulator, a solid 2nd gear band, 48re drum. Cut back open the TC and changed the 10142 stator back to my tcs sheet metal stator.

That should be one bullet proof combo...


Justin

jimk

How does the TCS sheet metal stator ( 89)? compare to the 10142 as far as stall and torque x . That does sound like a great combo. thanks Jim

jimk

I have a stock automatic in a 95 4x4, #10, 3k gov kit, 215 injectors .020 washer in them. 17.5 deg timing. The plate and AFC housing is all the way forward. I am close to 290 hp or a little less. I pull my diesel 4x4 backhoe . I have yet to slip the converter in lockup in 3 gear. I manual shift the automatic also to 2500 or so an let the shift land around 1750 or so. Ease into the next gear. I have 3.54 gears. At slow speeds I too use 2 gear but I dont have lockup. Also a poor fluid coupling. The transmission has 115k on it like the rest of the truck so I have to be carefull . I have heard that stock transmission cant last at 290 hp in a 95 auto but so far I have managed to get by, but not with using a lot of 4 letter words when I am towing. Chris you have the perfect combo , two trucks thanks again Jim

c-hawk

I have a lock-up switch that i use also in similar situations. No question, a built tranny can and will get the job done. But, i still feel after using both that the 6spd is a better tranny for towing, i can keep the rpm's right where i want them. That's just my opinion. But like i said in my earlier post my DTT got it done with no complaints at all. Sounds like your tranny is doing the same for you.

Chris

justinp20012500

The "89%" sheet metal stator probably stalls at 75 to 100 rpms lower then the Borg Warner stator.

I pulled the BW stator out because I put a HX 35 w/12cm housing on my 01, and moved the twins to my "new to me" 02.

I figured with the turbos ability to spool faster then the twins I would run the sheet metal stator again.

I have heard great things about the "10-20" stator that Dave is using. He also has a couple of 10142 stators that he gets from my source. The 10142 is a very good, very cost effective alternative to a custom billet jobbie... It is more intended for the 450 HP and less crowd. The higher the HP I like a little lower stall.

Stall speed is very different person to person, kind of like turbo lag.

Justin