Everything is said that has needed to be said by other members regarding your mechanical position......Even though I've said things before that may have sounded rude,I still stand by those statements..BUT.....I'm going to honestly say that I really feel bad for you and I hope everything gets worked out....i'll offer any help i can

good luck man

 

His lift may very well be causing harm as it's a thrown together hack job of a lift. If you go up to 5" of lift there are a lot of things you need to change not just the springs or adding spacers. He should have no more than 3" of lift on that truck with the current front end parts he has. He has 4.5"-5" on there which is more than likely putting way more stress on other parts than it should.

 

I'm not trying to say you don't have an engine problem here as you very well may or may not have one but how could that cause the whining and clunking sounds? I don't see how it could. I also don't see how it could cause it to not shift right. I've just never heard of a engine casuing that. The engine shouldn't have anything to do with when it shifts or if the transmission is whining. It could probably cause the shuddering and lack of power but I just don't see how it could cause those other things. If you dump a bunch of money into the engine with them which I wouldn't do but knowing you probably they will sell it to you. Well, I wouldn't expect it to fix the problem. It may but I just wouldn't hold my breathe. I'd get it back to the transmission shop. Why are you guys so afraid to take it back there? I would for sure have done that before I shelled out another couple of hundred bucks to have another shop just look at it. Especially the dealer.

My guess is it's going to get a whole lot more stuff put on it at the dealer and still not have the issue fixxed.

If they say you need a pleneum which they may say is the engine problem remember not to let them do it unless you want to be replacing it again shortly. If you want it to last go with a Hughes or APS pleneum kit, or a Mopar M1 intake. The kits are the cheapest option there. I always thought I'd go with the M1 but after pricing them all decided to go with the APS kit. The M1 was just going to be double the price if not more and from what I've read doesn't even add power until after 5500 or 6500 rpms or something and some complain of a loss of low end. I didn't want to pay for something I'd never see power gains from and might see a power loss from so I went with the APS kit and saved my money. Only let the dealer change the pleneum if you don't mind having it go out again prematurely.


As for getting a new truck like a 03 I personally wouldn't do it because thats old enough that it's probably to the age it's about to start having problems and thats probably why the owner is getting rid of it. Honestly if I was to trade it in new is the only way I'd go. 03 is still old for an american vehicle. Old enough it's a good chance it is starting to have problems all over again. So the issues you are fixxing now you'd have to start all over again with. It also has a IFS which I wouldn't want. If I was to buy a new one it would more than likely be a 2500 unless I got a super good deal on a 1500.

 

I would get under the truck your self, just look for any connections that were not hooked back up, broken sensors, ect...

You pretty much have to fix this one... you have way too much into it to let it go...

 

I just think he has an internal problem. A sensor wouldn't cause it to whine and make clunking noises. If it was just shifting funky I'd say maybe but that should cause it to make noises. Wanye told me any issues that make noises like that are usually something beyond adjustement and are usually a problem. He said if I don't hear noises and it's just shifting a little late or early thats something that can be adjusted. Now they may all suprize me and fix it and it not be a tranny issue but I just don't see how it could be a engine issue or wiring issue when it's making whining and clunking noises. Those aren't good.

 

01DodgeRam360,as bad as your luck is,at least its not this bad.
http://www.break.com/index/lightning...e-mess-up.html

 

And that's exactly why I wanted it to be fully assessed. I know it's something transmission related. All that clunking noises CANNOT be my engine, I can literally feel it coming from the floorboards. That's why my dad wanted me to bring it to them and have them check over the entire transmission, even if that meant dismantaling the thing. He said he knows it may cost, but he said for how much I have invested into the transmission, I can't short change it. Obviously the transmission shop isn't that reliable if they let me leave that lot with a truck acting like that. My dad wanted the dealership to find out if there was anything faulty about the transmission, and see if the torque converter was new as well. The dealership seemed hellbeant that it wasn't transmission related, just totally ignoring what I was saying. It pissed me off. I feel like he's valching for them. When I dropped the truck off, he was like oh yeah, they are very reputable. I wouldn't even be suprised if he called them. He also photocopied the write up on the truck as well. I have a feeling he called them. They may work something out, who knows. All I know was he was kind of being a dick when I called back, like he was defending them. Theoretically, we wanted them to do fully assess the transmission, entailing whatever to make sure it was a truly genuine product. We're sure the tranny shop could do some shananagon to fix it, but obviously they know something is up....how could they let me leave that lot with a truck running like that?? I feel like they reused some parts off of my old transmission..

Here's my final thought. Even if it my truck is having an ENGINE problem, wouldn't you think the tranny place would be helllllllllbeant on telling me about it, and trying to get me to have it fixed??! They would have been allllll over that. They would have been like ummm dude, your tranny is in, but you got a mega engine skip. Instead, when I brought it back to their guy, he completely downplayed it all when I drove the truck with him, as if it was being caused from a calibration issue. I know they know something is wrong. I feel like they put a used part in and they know it, otherwise they wouldn't have let me leave that lot with a truck shifting like that, EVER. Right?? Am I so crazy for thinkin that. Even if they couldnt fix the engine, wouldnt they at least be like um dude, your truck isnt shifting right because you have an enigne problem. I mean they said NOTHING! He handed me the keys and that was it. I know they know something is wrong, and thats why im not bringing it back there yet until someone starts digging into that transmission and seeing what is going on, and if there are faulty or used parts...I dont want them to have my truck back until I know for sure what is going on, you guys feel me?

Final point. How could that transmission shop left me leave their shop like that?? Even if it wasn't their fault, just how could they let me hop in my truck like a happy kid and get rejected like that? If it wasn't their fault, they'd be AVID to let me know that my engine was messing with their transmission. Or they know something is wrong with their install and they don't want to have to take it back apart, or they put an old or faulty part in the truck. Either way it's just making me very uneasy and sick that NOBODY told me my truck was running like that!! how could they let me leave that lot with a truck running like that? Even if it wasn't " their fault", somebody would have said SOMETHING. I mean they have to test drive their products, somebody testdrove it, and knew it was AWFUL! And that's why Im not giving them that truck back, because they know something is wrong and they didnt fix it, or tell me about the problem be4 i hopped into that truck, and thats why Im getitng a dealership to look at it. That way they cant say someone ****ed with it, I mean its the dodge dealership, they aren't going to **** anything up. But you guys hear me out here? How could anyone in the right mind not tell me my truck was running like that? I know they know, theres just no way they would let a customer leave their property like that after $4,000!!!

 

Then when they dig into it and find out whats wrong you are forced to pay for another transmission rebuild as when you go back to the transmission shop if they have any common sense at all they are going to void your warranty. Therefore you will not only have a 4k+ bill you will also need to spend another 4k to get a good transmission. Just sounds like a bad idea to me. They might not void the warranty but it's a good chance they will. I know if I had rebuilt a transmission for someone and given them a warranty I would void it if they had someone else open it up including the dealer to see what was wrong. I bet if the dealer takes your transmission apart you are probably looking at atleast a grand too. If they take take it out that alone will probably be over 1 grand also then you run the risk of the other shop voiding your warranty. So you may know whats wrong now and have the other shop not want to mess with it.

You may not end up like this but it's a risk I wouldn't take. I wouldn't let the dealer touch the transmission or any other shop at this point.


BTW when you checked your fluid did you check it with it running in neutral? Not saying low fluid is the case as it really doesn't sound like it is since you said it was full was just stating that so you know how to check it in the future if you didn't already.

 

The real thing I'm afraid of, like was mentioned by others before, is that once you have someone else dig into the tranny, the shop will say "Nope, warranty is void." Or they might try a "Oh, well, that guy/dealership put it back together wrong which is causing all your problems. And since that voided you warranty, we won't touch it without $$$..."

I'd just take it back to that shop and talk straight with the manager (if you didn't talk to him before, after they installed the "new" tranny). If he isn't aware of it, explain the problem, that it didn't do this until after they put the new tranny in, and that you would like them to take a look and fix it since its under warranty. If you've already talked to him, or you do talk to him and get the run around, stay level headed but push on them to do something, and not some miracle resitor measure like the BS that guy was feeding you earlier.

Again, persistant but level headed.

And last but not least, I feel for ya guy. But look at the bright side, someday after this tranny shop episode is over, you'll either have your money back or your truck shifting like new.

 

Don't worry guys, I will not let these guys do anything before I check in with you. I am annoyed they aren't looking more into the transmission though. The truck never ran bad like this, I know it's the transmissions problem, my truck has never stuttered or had such lack in power. I can literally hear the damn transmission from the floorboards as well, so it's physical. I just need to see what they come up with on the engine, and I am going to go down there with my dad after they call and talk to them. I am going to make very calculated steps, and check with you guys before ANYTHING is done. Don't worry, I don't have much more money, so I will not let myself get raped, you can count my word on that. I just need to have someone who didn't put the tranny in assess it. Obviously the transmission shop isn't very useful if they ****ing let me leave their lot with a $4,000 transmission and didn't say anything to me AT ALL. They know something is up, and they aren't being honest with me, and I don't like it one ****ing bit. Even if it's not their problem, nobody said anything...wtf does that mean?!...I know it's them though.