Ok, in a bit of a jam and need some help. Bought a too good to be true 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 5.2L with an automatic 46RE with a salter and a plow.

Tranny went out. Down the road at 55mph then nothing. Dropped the tranny pan to inspect for shavings etc. Nothing but burnt fluid and the lack of a gasket installed, they must have knew the tranny was going, filled with clean fluid and used the paste on kind. I took it for a long test drive, everything shifted fine. Yet in the end, I got suckered.

So I can get a tranny reasonably priced out of a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 automatic with a 5.9L. It's the same transmission 46RE but it is attached to a 360 motor, not the 318 like mine.

Here's the ?? I've read trying to research this that the 46RE tranny in the 5.9 motor may have a heavier or weighted torque converter. This would cause vibration, chatter, damage hooked up to a 5.2L engine. Externally balanced / Internally balanced, blah, blah, blah. Stuff with my limited mechanical experience that I only somewhat grasp.

I've also read that after 1995 Dodge put the extra weight on the flex plate instead of the torque converter. Thus, if I swap these two it may work just fine.

Anyone want to lend some expert advice to put the conflicting statements to rest? Will the transmission swap over ok? Will I have to change anything or make any adjustments?

Many, many thanks and much appreciated.

 

Best bet? Pick up a new torque converter for the 318/46RE combo. Install the 98 trans with a new torque converter.

Part numbers for the converters are different.... (even on the same year) between engines. So, I am not sure if they would be interchangeable or not.