just a simple question...we have a 1996 ram 1500 5.9 liter...factory tow package with the trans cooler...but we are planning to tow a 5500 pound 24' trailer...will the transmission hold up....i.ve been reading some bad things on the net and just want some dodge owners impressions...would a deeper transmission pan help more fluid...any kind of trans additive to help it out....thanks fellow ram owners

 

It's been an Achilles heal for Dodge for as long as I can remember. But I'm not sure it's really fact anymore with the 545rfe trannies, I think it's more of a bed rep still.

If you have no tranny issues now, I would imagine you'd be fine. However, it's never a bad idea to do things to keep the tranny temp down when you tow. A good aftermarket pan with a higher capacity and cooling fins never hurts as is putting a good synthetic tranny fluid in there, like Royal Purple or something along those lines, since you'd have to change it to change the pan.

 

If you want to kill the trans add additives , deep trans pan and use atf +4 or equal to it..
its not so much the trans as in people like to tow in OD , which is a NO NO ..

 

dont tow in od. that kills the trans faster than anything. deep tranny pan will help keep it cool. heat kills these transmissions, so put a bigger cooler on it and do a fluid/filter CHANGE, not flush, and you should be fine.

 

ok guys thanks for the info....um now where can i find a deep pan...websites info would help.....thanks

 

http://www.airram.com/product.php?ca...&productid=168

Thats where i got my pan at .. good price and a good guy to deal with.

 

hey thanks for the link....now i got a bottom line question for someone.....what is running hot for a dodge...i mean looking at the stock dashmounted temp gauge..where should that thing run at...when pulling a trailer going down the freeway its right above the halfway mark..when going up a grade it gets almost halfway between the half mark and the top mark....so where should it be running...thanks

 

That's your coolant temp gauge.

195-200F is normal temp but if you working your truck hard (towing)on a hot humid day with the A/C on I wouldn't be surprised to see 220 deg.
That's very hot but still considered normal.

The factory gauge also isn't super accurate

 

If your gonna do alot of towing ? run a 180 degree Tstat and you can get a heavy duty clutch fan . seen where my temp was running 200 , trans temp at 210 going 2 mph up a mountian (off roading) Driving down the road doing 15 mph pulling a car at 3300 lbs temp on dash stayed at 180 and the trans temp at 160 , normal driving not towing anything 180 dash , trans temp 150 ..

 

well me and the wife made a decision yesterday...we ordered a new high flow water pump..new radiator its a four row that you can get for the 2500..but it is the same size...new severe duty fan clutch...a jet 180 thermostat..and new hoses...complete redo...also puschased a hayden 16" electric fan..as a auxilary...was looking at the factory transmission cooler and its almost as big as the ac condenser..no wonder the radiator cant get any air...first the ac condenser.then the trans cool then the radiator...anyway hope that solves the problem...i guess im just a worry wart lol....thanks