I'll try to be brief. I have a 94 Dakota 5.2 4x4 w/dead tranny. I have gone to local u-pullit for replacement trans and they tell me it has to come out of a 94 or 95 Dakota 4x4. I also found the drivetrain site which contradicts u-pullit as well as the two Dodge dealers I called who contradict each other as well as u-pullit and drivetrain. However the article on the evoulution of the a518 on Hemmings seems to agree with the drivetrain site. So who's correct? Does it matter if my donor is a 95 Grand Cherokee or a 96 V8 Dakota? Bottom line: Does it matter what model or year I get my tranny out of as long as its a 46rh with 4x4 tail will they all be identical?

Thanks
Ridler

 

With the 4x4 transmission, it shouldn't matter. The 2wd transmissions are different between '93 and '94 in that they got an all electronic speed sensor instead of the previous cable driven speedometer, but the 4x4's speed sensor is in the transfer case. You can get the transmission out of a Dakota, Grand Cherokee, Ram, Ram van, etc. It doesn't matter.

*Added*
Except for 1996. You can't use a 1996 transmission in a 1995 or below truck. And you can't use a 1995 and below transmission in a 1996 truck. (1996 can however use a transmission from 1997 to 2003-ish when they got rid of the 42/46RE transmissions)

 

FWIW, I put a A500 from a 1992 4x4 behind a 318 in a 95 4x4. it worked just fine, the only thing is I wouldn't pound on the truck. But the way I looked at it, Chrysler put and A500 in a full size van, and the trans I got was rebuilt with only 20,000 befor the truck was wrecked. I got the wrecked truck for $200 and the truck with bad trans for $300. I sold some parts and scrapped the rest for a net of $400 so in all I was into the two trucks for $100 then which I sold the 95 for $1500 so nice profit $1400.

 

Thats fine if putting an A500 behind a 318 has worked for you, but thats not advise you want to give to someone else. The A500 was never designed from the factory to handle the torque that the 318 puts out, so you're basically advising someone to put in a transmission that will fail sooner than it needs to.

The only way to get an A500 "318 safe" is to rebuild it with performance clutches and a shift kit so the extra torque doesn't burn the clutch packs out.

 

Thanks a bunch. so far so good. One of the aforementioned dealers said some of the 46rh's had different output splines. They all were the same on the transfer case sheet at drivetrain. A 46Rh is a 46rh is a 46rh made sense to me but the dealers and u-pullit said otherwise. I was just looking for confirmation either way. BTW, how can I tell a 42 from a 46 by sight w/out decoding the stamp? will i only find a 46 behind a V8?

Thanks again
Ridler

 

yep, that might be true but the internals of an A500 (1-3 gears) are exactly the same as the 904/999 which was offered behind many a 318 for years even in a full sized van as was the A500 behind a 318 in a full size van. So really if you don't beat on the thing, it will last just fine.

 

Unfortunatley there are no distinguishing features to either... they have nearly identical cases. The only way to know for sure is to call dodge with the stamp number, but if you get it off a v8 it is more than likely a 46rh.

 

I don't doubt that, but look at the engine specs across the board from the mid '80s the mid 90's. The magnum 3.9L produced 225 ft*lbs of torque during the time the a500 was behind it, and the pre-magnum 5.2Ls produced 260 ft*lbs or less with the 904/999 behind it. The 5.2L magnum that the OP has is putting out 295 ft*lbs. Thats a much bigger difference. There is a reason with new technology and higher engine outputs that Dodge decided to build the v8 a new transmission. And as for the van, they don't get ragged on like a truck.

 

That is really good info... I didn't know those transmissions work for the 4x4 I think it should be added into the FAQ if it's not already

 

I mean I was just listing the vehicles that the a518 was offered in... although it sounds like from what 22dodge said that the ram van has the a500, so that one might be off the list. But as long as it's a 4x4 a518, it can replace a 4x4 a518.