Ok,

I'm going to the shop this week to have my tranny rebuilt.


This truck has 150k on it, and the trans was supposedly rebuilt already. Since it's acting up, I need to go ahead and rebuilt it regardless of how it's going to hurt financially.


So.

I bought a deep sump pan (air cooled), new reusable gasket, and filter.

my next step is to by the transgo SK TFOD Diesel to help with the wishy washy shifts.... that is, if I can find out where to get it....as not everybody has access to purchase it.. such as summit racing who can't get it.

Next is to buy a converter.... to make the HP more efficiently transfer to the tranny. Trying to figure out which one is the pita.

Any other tips that I should be discussing with my trans shop ? I want this thing bulletproof... as the snow is a heading this way..


Most appreciated.

 

Get the Goerend $550 Converter. You have to order it right from Goerend

As for the Transmission. hopefully your tranny guy is good enough to know what you need, I would let him get the shift kit because some transmission builders don't use transgo and use a different one or do their own tweaks....

Tell him you want better than stock parts and write down everything that he says so you can get an idea of everything he's doing

Hopefully at the minimum he puts Better clutches/steels and a better band in there, and some kinda valve body tweakage

for example, alto red clutches or red devil clutches are what most use, kolene steels , and a Kevlar high energy forward band.

If your pocket is deep enough, you can get some steel planetaries as the aluminum planetaries are the weak part in the 727/a518

 

Thanks B.

I've been on their website, as well as the spec rite site. I have to review each of their websites a little better, as I didn't have a lot of time yesterday.
Looking for maximum reliability and efficiency. Really looking forwards to how different it will be once the trans is redone with a new converter & shift kit. Hopefully will feel better than wishy washy that it is now. Too smooth between shifts, for my liking.

Thanks for the tips on the replacement parts that would upgrade the existing. Hopefully this guy is as cool as everyone says he is. (the trans shop, that is)


T.

 

My Buddy just put the $550 goerend converter in his 90, it is 500rpm lower than stock. and it's a beast. the truck will practically drive itself just idling in D

 

I was just on their site, and I can't find that anywhere.

http://www.goerend.com/internalparts.php


Everything listed on there is from 1996 and up.




I just sent them an email request for information.

 

They don't list the stuff for first gens on their site. I have the 650 dollar converter in my heap and it has been great. I got almost 30,000 miles on it now still going good.

 

Yes, have your trans guy closely scrutinize the planetary sets. I`m going thru my trans now and the splines where the front planet carrier interface with the intermediate shaft are very sketchy. It`s the main reason the unit is still on the bench in the garage instead of under the truck...$$$ I was`nt planning on spending, but better to address it now.

 

It is best to call, I e-mailed and it took a good while for a reply (a week+), while a phone call (which went to voice mail) was returned within a couple of hours. Very nice folks to deal with, just super busy (a good thing).

 

Watch yourself with the shift kit. They can be too harsh sometimes. As a dailey, that harsh shifting can drive you nuts

As an engineer, I am sure you are familiar with the hammer effect. You hammer on something long enough it's gonna break.

I'm with you on choosing a converter

 

I have the $650 convertor from Goerend & when I hook the 15k trailer to the truck just let off the brake & it starts to pull it really made a big difference My vote is for Goerend

 

I've thought about that.

I'm not wanting it to slam every shift, but to have a crisper feel to the shifts...

Seem so soft, right now, and I had read back long ago that a soft, unnoticeable shift was detrimental to the longevity of the trans. Maybe I read wrong.


T.

 

You're right. To take the harshness out of the shifts, they drag clutches or bands slightly to smooth it out. That's why they have a shorter life.

I bought a shift kit, still have 99% of it. After reading the instructions, I decided to just use the one for the govorner. Now I have a whole box full of springs LOL.

Is this an over drive trans you have? That would be a beefed up 518. You want to upgrade it to a 48RE internals. If in doubt what the shop is going to do, contact Fastco in Fairfield for the parts. They can advise and sell you what you need. I think the guy I use is Loyde

 

Fasco is one of the suppliers, or a tranny shop ?

I like the idea of a referral.

I have the 518, I believe. 4th gear is electronic, and on the dash. I need to go under the truck and look @ the side of the case to see what one it is, but I believe it's a 518.

Really looking for the right job done. If I have to travel, then so be it... no biggie, as long as I'm done right, and the trans is built to be reliable and sturdy.

The local guy is used by another contractor I know. He's a landscaping / snow guy who has around 30 vehicles. The guy I'm going to is the tranny shop he uses, and with 40 employees.. you know what happens to trannys.

Since I'll be using this solely... I'm not concerned about others destroying it. It's also my daily driver, as I enjoy the 19 mpg

 

Fairfield Transmission is one of the best shops around. Everybody goes to them and Denville. Fairfield owns Fasco also. Fasco's weak spot is the heavy duty custom stuff.

If it's a 518, it will have over drive and a lock converter. There will be a plug on the RIGHT side, about mid case with three wires. That means there is a controller someplace. All that controller does is control the OD and lock up. You would have a speed sensor then on the speedo cable. The rest is hydraulic. That's where the valve body mods come in.

Not sure if a 47RE is the same as a 518 beefed up. But as I recall, the 48RH started in 99 1/2 with the 24 Valve. The 518 is nothing more than a 727 with an overdrive and lock converter. And 2" longer.

Since I'll be using this solely... I'm not concerned about others destroying it. It's also my daily driver, as I enjoy the 19 mpg[/QUOTE]

 

The A518 (AKA: 46RH) used in the Dodge/Cummins trucks does NOT use the lock-up converter. That came about when they went to the 47RH in '94.

As has been pointed out, quite a bit of the 48RE rotating assembly can be swapped into the A518 (done it).