I attribute my transmissions long life (232,750 and counting) to maintaining it since new. I think some people just didn't have that luxury since they are the second or third owners. I change my fluid and filter every 2 years. I do have a question though. if I install a cooler will that eliminate the use of the stock cooler? I'm doing the check valve and I might get a cooler

 

46rh is the same tranny pretty much only hydraulically controlled they were used in the first generation rams mainly...and I also have the issue on my 46re of having to wait to go after putting it in gear after its been sitting..

 

I got 150k out of my '96 46RE, before it needed rebuilding. It had 36k on it when I bought it in '98 and the PO had a 5th wheel attached, so I now he was hauling something heavy. Further, I've hauled over 100k lbs of dirt, mulch etc... in the bed over the 11 years that I have owned it, plus the occasional 16' trailer.

I say all this because, given what my truck has hauled, I am very pleased to get 150k out of the stock tranny before teardown. Further, when I tore into the tranny to rebuild it, the root cause of the failure was a single bearing assembly in the over-running clutch of the OD unit. All the gears looked great and the the frictions still had grooves.

So, for me, the 46RE worked fine. I changed the fluid/filter about every 40k miles and got 150k out of it. Further, I pulled it, rebuilt it and reinstalled it myself for only $400.

p.s. I've put 10k on it since rebuild and all is well.

 

I have seen 94 models with the 46re before.

 

Where?

In 1994 the transmission was 36RH
In 1995 the 46RH
In 1996-on 46RE

 

so, my tranny is superior to yalls? or no?

 

I'm no tranny tech, and the only difference that I know of is that the 94-95s had a hydraulically operated valve body where the 96-01s had the valve body controlled by electronics. If you have maintained the transmission since day one, yes then, yours is superior.

 

I think in my 30 some odd years of driving I've destroyed a number of transmissions and most of them Mopars since thats what I drive.
If theres any design flaw to the old (now) 46RE it is that the casing of the old 727 was used but to squeeze 4 gears into a place where there used to be three means smaller, bands, fewer clutches and more heat. Add a lockup converter and the appropriate slippage and you have a recipe for disaster.
Thankfully most other brands have the same issue. My tranny guy tells me he sees 2 Fords and 3 GMs for every Dodge.
The check valve is a problem simply because lack of maintanence can cause it to plug, which also caused a lot of repeat failures when trannies were rebuilt. Stock coolers with thier small lines can also plug easily.
When I lived in Phoenix I used to change my tranny fluid twice a year and adjust the bands because I thought was really abusing my truck. Well, it still died at over 110 k...oh well. It's not the first Mopar tranny I ruined.
Probably won't be the last either.
Peace.

 

so if you get an aftermarket cooler, the stock cooler is basically useless?

 

mine only has an aftermarket cooler and it stays around 150-160º in the summer.