ok guys ,,i'm back..i finnaly got around to pulling the transmission outa a donor dak and want to clear up some issues i've seen in the other posts ,,my truck is a 93,4x4, 3.9 mag extendacab auto and the tranny i got is a 93,4x4, 5.2 auto extendacab.. both have the od switch mounted on the dash ,,i looked at the faqs and checked the engine/tranny swap site and they list the same tranny for v-8 5.2 and v-6 3.9 motors..so i know it will work..taking the 5.2 tranny out was a job and a half because the donor was werecked and bolts were not an easy job to get to ,,but thats another story..and i got it out ...and it was cheap enough to merit the aggravation(50 bucks for everything including the transfer case),,so now the questions ,,#1 which flex plate to use on the v6,,i read one post that says to use the v-6 flex plate because it's balanced for the v-6..but i asked this question before and was told to use the v-8 flex plate and i don't want to do the swap more than once if i don't have to,,lol,,,so which one ?#2 ..should all the shift linkage and cables be the same from v-8 to v-6,,also both trucks were extended cab models and i also read somewhere that sometimes the driveshaft is an issue.. one's longer?,,i have the transfer case from the v-8 if that might be an issue but it appeares they may also be the same for this year,,right?? i know this is one heavy sob and i want to be ready for any problems that may arise before i start this project,,and be as ready for unexpected issues as much as possible,,,,also any sensors to watch out for on the v-6 that may or may not have been on the v-8,,i did bring the cables from the v8 just in case they might be different ,,it seems like theres alot more room to move around on the v-6 so hopefully it will go back in better than the v-8 tranny came out,,lol,,lol,,oh,, 1 more question are the starters the same ?
thanks in advance and sorry for all the questions but inquiring minds need to know,,lol,,lol
the other crazy

 

1) Everything I've read says used the flexplate that goes with the particular engine. Reuse the V-6 flexplate on your V-6. Apparently it's balanced for the engine, and it's also got notches in it that the crankshaft position sensor picks up on (therefor, it will not operate correctly if you use a V8 with a V6)
2) Yes, pretty much everything for the linkage is the same.
3) Driveshafts - Not sure on the length. The parts manual does list a differant driveshaft between the extended cab 3.9 versus the extended cab 5.2.
4) Transfer case - should be essentially the same.
5) Starter - since your pusing the same flexplate, you'll use the same starter. (The starter is the same for V6 and V8 anyways)

There should be no differance with the electrical connectors between the two transmissions.

Let us know how this goes for you.
I was going to swap in the stronger 46 transmission, but just ordered and installed a rebuilt 42.
Did my change March of last year and, like everything else I embark on, was a over-budget, over-time nightmare. (See my "So, I screwed up" thread for further evidence!)

I highly suggest adding an auxillary cooler if you don't already have one, it will help extend the life of the transmission.

 

thanks for the info,,i was looking over at drivetrain site and they list the 42 tranny for both the 5.2+3.9,,i have another other question if i can bother ya some more ,,should i take out the crank sensor out before i start the swap or do ya think it will be ok in place,i know the sensor on the doner got broke when i pulled that one out,, but it was a real job wiggling that one outa the doner because of the amount of damage it had in the frontend,,any special way or trick to removing the crank sensor if i need to remove it? also i looked over the doner tranny and i can only find casting markings ,,do they have a model tag or any numbers on them to tell which model they are?i know it's got a different pan than my 3.9 had because the gasket is slightly different,,
thanks again for all the info
crazy

 

Yes, you need to remove the crankshaft position sensor. I don't really know of any tricks, but it is a pain to do!

The easiest way to tell the transmission is by the pan, as you know.
There is a part number stamped on the drivers side of the transmission, just above the pan (usually covered in a layer of mud/grease/dirt). The part number would have to be decoded, it won't say like "42RE" or whatever it would be like 5211 8310 or something.

 

hello again ,,heres the numbers on it PK52118311 1742 2666 does that sound right?
crazy

 

Yea. The first set is the part number, second is build date, and third set is serial number.

52118311 - 46RH w/5.2L eng w/ Electronic Torque Convertor Lock up, up to 10-18-93

 

thanks again for all the info,,i think i'll tear into it this week comming up and hope everything works and goes ok,,will post when it's done..
crazy

 

well started the changeover yesterday,,i said when i started it i wasn't gonna be in a hurry up job and thats a definate!!Dodge didn't spare any bolts when they put these trannys in and i really think it's a little overkill!! definatly not a job for somebody without patience!!,,as for the changeover from the v-6 to the v-8 trannys so far the only thing thats different is the inspection cover on the v-8,,alot different and starter location is a little different,,of course i didn't bother to bring the v-8 cover from the junk yard so i gotta make a trip there for it tommorow... so i came to a grinding halt with the project,,other than a tranny line frozen and twisting off it's going pretty good concidering i haven't replaced a tranny in a vehicle for years,,will do an update once it's back in with info on differences and problems ya run into for anyone wanting to try the changeover in the future..
crazy

 

Yea, I took my sweet time with the transmission change. Of course, I usually take my time with everything!
I came to many grinding halts in my project (took me the better part of two weeks!), but, like I said, I *really* don't rush in my projects by any means!
Take your time, do a good job, and you shouldn't be disappointed.

 

thats the best advice ,,take your time and stay focused,,walk away when it starts to get to ya ..and it is very possible. the change over was basically pretty simple ,,but some things i found were ,,make sure ya take the crossover pipe outa there ,,just a real pain trying to get the dam thing out without dropping it,,for the change ,,ya need the inspection cover off the v-8 donor ,,something i didn't realize i needed till i got my 42 out,,definatly a different cover and ya need it for the starter to fit right,,also i needed the throttle cable from the v-8 ,,it's longer ,,everything else was pretty basic,,i used the v-6 flex plate and the torque converter bolted right up to it,,like ya said it would..other than closer clearances around the bell housing theres not much differences,,,but it's one heavy sucker and a tranny jack helps alot..air wrenches are nice but it seemed like not a heck of alot of room to get them in there for most of the bolts,,as you said it's not a hurry up job and if somebody can do the swap in a day i'll be the first to shake there hand,,took me about 10 hrs to drop the one and about the same to put the new one in ,,i didn't rush it and quit when i wanted to,,i guess if ya had a heated garage and a helper at times ya could shave a little time off that but i can't really see a whole lot,,i'd like to know what the dodge dealer estimates the time for doing one out and in...thanks for the help and advice..
crazy