Ok since day one I have had shifting problems with my trans and it has gotten progressively worse. So I stopped driving the truck until I had time to work on it. Originally you would have goose the throttle to get the trans to shift out of first. Then it got to the point you had to tach the engine out to get it to shift. Once you were out of first, it was fine. Sometimes I thought it would never shift. So instead of causing anymore damage, I parked the truck. So today I had time to drop the pan. I caught all the fluid, which is as clean as the day I put it in. The magnet had very few fuzzies on it. Very fine shavings, hardly even covered. (But what Dodge trans doesn't have shavings, haha!) But I discovered a part of the trans internals laying the pan. Could this be the cause of all my problems or is something far worse? Thanks!

 

Yeah thats part of either the front or rear band anchor. Check out this link, scroll down almost all the way down the page and you will see a picture of it there.
http://joelsgarage.blogspot.com/sear...&max-results=2

Dave

 

I knew I saw a picture of that part somewhere before. So to reinstall this part, does that require pulling the trans back out?

 

Im thinking its for the front band in which case i dont think you should have to pull the trans. I just wonder if that band is wore out. If that band is wore out well then yes tranny has to come out.

Dave

 

I'm thinking the band was never properly adjusted. I had my internals swapped to a good case because my bell housing was cracked. So I'm hoping they guy just didn't adjust band properly. What is sign that the band is worn out? It will not tighten to specs?

 

That im not sure of. What I would suggest is putting the peice back in, you may have to drop the valve body im not sure, and try adjusting it to spec and you should be able to tell if its tightening down or not. If it works then put everthing else back on that you removed.

Dave

 

I just had this same problem and found the same piece. It is from the front band and is pretty simple to replace. You do have to drop the valve body, which isnt too hard (just make sure you remember or take pics of how you drop it) There are good write ups. Mine fell out cause no one adjusted the bands. It is pretty self explainatory once you get in there, how that part goes back in.

Hope this helps

 

Sweet. Thanks for the input. I'll also have to readjust the TV cable, because a shop thought that was problem and the cable was adjusted all the way out. So once the piece is back in, just tighten the band to 72 in/lb, and back off about 3 turns?

 

A little tip I learned while installing a B&M transkit in my 81 3/4 ton with 727. Take 2 peice's of wire or coat hanger and run it from passanger side pan bolt hole across the the valve body to the drivers side pan bolt hole leaveing about an inch or so between them and the vavle body. The idea is to create a sling to hold the valve body when it drops down, and leave your hands free to remove the park rod or anything else.

Dave

 

I didnt worry about the torque of the screws for the adjustment of the bands. I forget what you type in, but type something like "2nd gear band" into search and there are some good threads that will tell you how many turns to do the screws. Just make sure the locknut is tight. Do worry about the torque of the valve body bolts tho. There is a plunger on top of the valve body, make sure you look at how it goes before pulling the vb out. Should be able to see it if you lower the vb a couple of inches. Be ready to catch ALOT of fluid when you drop the pan. I took the opportunity to install a drain plug in my pan, when I saw how much of a b!tch it was to try and balance the pan over to a bucket.