What trans did that used to be?

 

46RE from a 97 Dodge Ram 1500. that had a 5.2 in it, with the rebuild kit ordered a new torque converter, it's now bolted up behind a 3.9.

 

Ah, you should be able to get one from any Ram 1500/2500 with a gas motor (but, not the V-10) from 96 to 99. Those will be a direct bolt in. 00 to 03? will need the internal electronics changed, along with the retainer clip for the pressure sensor, with stuff for the correct year PCM. If you are 2wd, then 96-97 is it, as the newer 98 and up, don't have a provision for the VSS in the tailhousing.

 

Is this 97 Dakota body style built on the same frame as my 96 with the boxy body style. Both are 2 wheel drives.

 

If you just want the trans out of it, should work just fine.

 

Need to know if the square style body from my 96 will fit onto the 97 frame.

 

No clue.......

 

My 96 is alive, have not road tested the transmission yet.

Found a shop nearby that is certified by the insurance corporation that can fix the cracked frame for a couple hundred.

 

Wow, not THAT is cool. It'll live for a few more years.

 

Thanks HeyYou, I hope that anyone coming across this thread in the future gains some useful knowledge when upgrading from a 44RE to the larger 46RE behind their 3.9 engine.

All that's left on the truck to do is tighten the oil pressure sending unit, I"ll be making a deep socket that will fit over the tall plastic tower with a piece of pipe heated then forced over a nut of the same size to form the fit.

On the transmission itself the neutral switch, the nut is in close proximity to the trans case and you need a thin wall socket or grind one down which is what I did.

Other than that the only other modification was to the shiftier linkage between the frame and trans case, which is explained above in this thread.

With the transmission overhaul kit, new windshield, e-cables, drums, shoes and hanger bearing my $50.00 Dakota still has cost me less than a $1000.00 Canadian dollars. Would I do this again, probably not.