2001 Dakota SLT 4x4 3.9L V6.
Transmission is acting up.​​​​Fluid was overfilled / foamy, replaced fluid+filter & found overdrive unit 5" wave snap ring in pieces in bottom of pan (common). Shifts & drives fine when cold. Acts up when warmed up. I'm contemplating removing the overdrive section from a junkyard '02 4.7L 4x4 (45RFE?) & swapping that if it does not have the same problem ($139, less than cost of the tools required to depress the killer spring and line everything back up on reinstall of new $5 snap ring).

However I'm concerned about the rest of the transmission. Would this overdrive snap ring issue allow it to drive fine when cold but have intermittent slipping/surging problems once hot, and also cause delayed shift from first to second afterwards?

I'm going to speculate that it has other additional problems in the transmission that are causing those issues.

Advice?

Could these symptoms be caused by TV cable being too loose, or the bands being too loose?
are these symptoms of the pressure sensor / solenoid issues that these things are notorious for?

I'm a manual transmission kind of a guy, but my wife brought this thing home, bought from her coworker. Time to learn how to work on mopar automatics I suppose.

Thanks in advance!

 

I don't think the o/d unit from the 45rfe will bolt to your trans. (although, I have been wrong before.....) I think you have either a 42, or 44RE in your Dak. Should still be able to find o/d units for those.

If it works fine when cold, but starts screwing up when it gets warm, I would be tempted to change the governor pressure sensor and solenoid in the trans, and the output speed sensor as well.

 

I replaced mine a while back.It was on a 3.9 2wd 01.It wasn't that difficult except the last part getting replacement in good.
Be sure to look at the valve body after you drop the pan an see that big accumulator spring [ common problem] an it's good to replace Gov an sensors too along with adjusting the bands .Only issue was getting it back in good.
My spring broke along with the same pieces you had found in the pan .






There's a kit online with everything in it.May be different on yours but here's mine .

An YES mine slipped going 1st to 2nd when hot.
I think that accumulator spring factored it an no pressure with ring broke off.-pieces in pan.

Try looking at that spring an see if its busted. Mine sure was.!