MonteC's Transmission Corner (For Info Only)
Record Breaker
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,256
Likes: 2
From: North Charleston, SC
Okay, all you transmission gurus! It's been a LONG time since I've been on here. But I have a problem. What in the HELL is wrong with my tranmission?! If anybody remembers, I had it rebuilt completely about 5-6 months ago. Everything worked great, ran great, felt great...until I punched it. From about 40-50 MPH, then flooring it, say trying to get up the on-ramp with traffic, she would downshift to second, shift to third, then right before she would shift again, about 3000 RPM, it would just let go, and my engine would rev high. I let off the gas, and it would catch. No jerking, nothing rough, just grabbed again. Took it back a few months later (was in the middle of a turnaround), and he replaced some actuater, servo, said the tranny still looked good. He told me to try that and if the problem still persisted, to leave it with him a few days to tear it back apart. So I did. He checked everything (supposedly) and said it still looked good, but the torque converter wasn't replaced during the initial rebuild. So he replaced that. He said he hasent gotten it to slip since. Picked it up today, punched it at about 50 MPH...SLIP. #$^&% SLIPPED AGAIN! What could be the damn deal? I'm sick of taking it back to this guy and not getting anything out of it. He hasent charged me for any repairs, just can't seem to mitigate the problem. Any ideas? Could it simply be a band adjustment? My engine couldn't possibly be pushing too much power, could it? I'm out of ideas.... help 
Record Breaker
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,256
Likes: 2
From: North Charleston, SC
Have a 1997 dodge 5.2 litre 4X4 with a 46RE trans in it (original owner). It has a problem I haven't seen before.
To start with when I was waiting a stop light and then went to drive ahead it would engage harshly but not all the time.
So I decided to change the trans. oil and filter and adjust the bands. When I removed the pan and inspected it, there was no debris or even discolored oil, clean as a whistle. After I did all this the trans seemed to work fine. Then about a week later I got another problem.
Upon start up you could put it in gear (forward or reverse) and it would engage crisply like normal, go from 50 to 100 ft. and the engine would rev up and it would quit moving.
If I shut it off let it sit for a minute, then start it up it would go another 50 to 100 ft. and do the same thing.
So I figured better pull it out and have a look, expecting to find burnt clutch material or something in the pan this time. Got the trans out, took it all apart and did not find any major issues....
Could the governor solenoid or converter cause a problem like this?
Thx
To start with when I was waiting a stop light and then went to drive ahead it would engage harshly but not all the time.
So I decided to change the trans. oil and filter and adjust the bands. When I removed the pan and inspected it, there was no debris or even discolored oil, clean as a whistle. After I did all this the trans seemed to work fine. Then about a week later I got another problem.
Upon start up you could put it in gear (forward or reverse) and it would engage crisply like normal, go from 50 to 100 ft. and the engine would rev up and it would quit moving.
If I shut it off let it sit for a minute, then start it up it would go another 50 to 100 ft. and do the same thing.
So I figured better pull it out and have a look, expecting to find burnt clutch material or something in the pan this time. Got the trans out, took it all apart and did not find any major issues....
Could the governor solenoid or converter cause a problem like this?
Thx
Record Breaker
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,256
Likes: 2
From: North Charleston, SC
Hi MonteC,
I see from previous posts that you said swapping a 2wd tranny to a 4wd truck is a pain. Does that hold true the other way around (4wd tranny into a 2wd truck)? I have seen a writeup for a 95 RFE tranny that shows all you have to do is remove the six bolts on the transfer case, 12 bolts on the adapter housing, and then put the tail housing from my dead 2wd tranny on the new tranny. Just wondered if that sounds about right with most of the transmissions or if there is something I'm overlooking. Thanks so much for all of your help.
Ben
I see from previous posts that you said swapping a 2wd tranny to a 4wd truck is a pain. Does that hold true the other way around (4wd tranny into a 2wd truck)? I have seen a writeup for a 95 RFE tranny that shows all you have to do is remove the six bolts on the transfer case, 12 bolts on the adapter housing, and then put the tail housing from my dead 2wd tranny on the new tranny. Just wondered if that sounds about right with most of the transmissions or if there is something I'm overlooking. Thanks so much for all of your help.
Ben
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Hi im thinking of buying a friends 99 1500 5.2 4x4 with 231k
Motor sounds great only think that got me was i could not put the 4x4 in N or 4LO only 4HI....And driivng i notice in Drive it seems to start in 3rd gear but if i shift to 1 it only goes to 2nd never to 1st and around 50mph i try to press OD on and off and the converter doesnt seem to lock up?
Thank you in advance
Motor sounds great only think that got me was i could not put the 4x4 in N or 4LO only 4HI....And driivng i notice in Drive it seems to start in 3rd gear but if i shift to 1 it only goes to 2nd never to 1st and around 50mph i try to press OD on and off and the converter doesnt seem to lock up?
Thank you in advance
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: new york
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Grand Rapids, MI
Dave, this is what i reccommend. Plug these numbers into WITTRANS's website.
22002E
12010J OR 12010C depending on year of your truck
B22022A
22034A
22046C
36066 replace other bushings as needed.
22119EHP
22139E
22582E
22584C
S22741NCK
D12415B OR C depending on year
U12927
A12432BK
A22912 use the seal that comes in the overhaul kit, the seal that superior supplies does not install very well.
S22916-2
Some common hard parts that you may or may not need, depending on what you find on tear down. This is just a short list because hard part damage veries from unit to unit, you might get lucky and not have any damage.
D22634C
D12220
A22654A
A12650
Also for the extra capacity drums you will need to do some measuring for clutch clearances and order what you need separetly from WIT, they have listings for the different thickness pressure plates. Also if you plan on upgrading the intermediate apply lever 4.2 will do just fine. Put a deep pan on it (dont forget the filter adapter), big cooler with fan if possible. Talk with precision about their RV converters with the billet back.
That should do you nicely.
22002E
12010J OR 12010C depending on year of your truck
B22022A
22034A
22046C
36066 replace other bushings as needed.
22119EHP
22139E
22582E
22584C
S22741NCK
D12415B OR C depending on year
U12927
A12432BK
A22912 use the seal that comes in the overhaul kit, the seal that superior supplies does not install very well.
S22916-2
Some common hard parts that you may or may not need, depending on what you find on tear down. This is just a short list because hard part damage veries from unit to unit, you might get lucky and not have any damage.
D22634C
D12220
A22654A
A12650
Also for the extra capacity drums you will need to do some measuring for clutch clearances and order what you need separetly from WIT, they have listings for the different thickness pressure plates. Also if you plan on upgrading the intermediate apply lever 4.2 will do just fine. Put a deep pan on it (dont forget the filter adapter), big cooler with fan if possible. Talk with precision about their RV converters with the billet back.
That should do you nicely.
A) Would this kit be appropriate for what I'm doing, although a bit of overkill never hurt anyone.
B) What TC would you recommend (Ive poked around New Hamptons website but I just cant make heads or tails)
C) what you said about measuring for extra clearances scares me a bit, how smoothly will this to together for a newbie like myself?
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
To flush or not to flush? Thats my question, sorry if this has been covered. Little background info on my truck, 99 SLT 4x4, 5.9l, 122k on the clock. It has a gooseneck hitch on it, don't know any of the history of it. But it doesn't look like it was very well maintained. Trans fluid smells burnt and is a brownish red color. Although I think it still shifts pretty well, 4-3 shift is a little harsh (i think, but have no previous experience to compare it to). I'm gonna do a fluid and filter change on it. I figure if it cleans up and works well for the next 7500 miles, I'll do a flush, is that a good or bad idea?
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Grand Rapids, MI
The flush question has been covered earlier, but here is quote from MonteC earlier.
He will correct me if I'm wrong but usually a flush causes the debris that has settled in your transmission to be churned up again, usually clogging things up and making it much worse than it was to start.
Thats right dave, flushing is the devil, lol. Just drop the pan and change both the filters internal. That is a different transmission than what you have. Yours is the 46re, his is the 45RFE. COMPLETELY different transmission. The 45RFE has two internal filters, a spin on and a push in. BE CAREFUL when you change the push in filter. It has a small bolt that holds it in, ive seen cases where people do a filter change and the truck wont move after words. What happened was when they tightened the bolt down it pulled the filter out of the seal and the pump wasnt able to suck fluid, resulting in a no move condition.
The 45RFE is a pretty decent transmission. Sonnax makes a plug in resister to boost line pressure, that would help your buddy if he is towing a boat often. I think its in the neighbor hood of 50 dollars, stupid easy to install. Ill see if i can find it, ill post it in the 3rd gen section.
The 45RFE is a pretty decent transmission. Sonnax makes a plug in resister to boost line pressure, that would help your buddy if he is towing a boat often. I think its in the neighbor hood of 50 dollars, stupid easy to install. Ill see if i can find it, ill post it in the 3rd gen section.