Replace it, tear it down. Shouldn't be too difficult to find the source.

 

Yeah, biggest issue is sourcing it’s replacement, I’m not putting another 46re in. I don’t care if this trans seemed to be a fluke, but I’m not getting another one. I’m going stick or I’m figuring out how to get a 545rfe onto it, @MoparFanatic21 said to get a ZF8 but that’s a little outside the immediate budget

 

The manuals are really hard to find, and not precisely inexpensive when you find them as well. Cheaper than the ZF8, and associated controls though. (probably by a good stretch.) I know you can find NV4500's rebuilt.... and that may be your best course of action.

 

my only concern buying a reman online is having it delivered and it’s just as messed up as a used one because of shipping, I wouldn’t mind rebuilding one of those myself, I’ve done it before on a mustang transmission in my automotive class last year.
but I’ve never gone into automatics

 

Fair few folks here have rebuilt their 46 trans, having never been in any variety of trans before. There are a LOT of really good resources for such an exercise, and you can beef the trans up to withstand just about anything the motor can throw at it. Rebuilding the manual is likely easier, however, finding one is the fun part.

 

yeah I’ve had such a hard time finding NV4500’s. I know the 3500 came behind the 5.2 but I want the extra durability especially for any engine I use next. But did the V8 4500’s only come 2wd? They couldn’t have I swear I’ve seen them in 4wd’s. I’m not sure what I’m up for, I really don’t like the 46re and it’s half electronic control and it’s screwy shift logic. I want something predictable, but if rebuilding is the most practical choice then maybe that’s what I’ll do.

 

@HeyYou since I would already be going through converting the truck to manual, couldn’t I get a diesel/v10 trans and use a different clutch plate? Or is there more to it not matching than just the splines, I know the bells are different but couldn’t you get a V8 bell and throw it on a diesel trans?
Or if it’s too hard to find the v8 just stick with the auto?

 

Input and output shafts are different diameters, though I *think* they are the same spline count, also, the bellhousing bolt patterns are different.

That said, rumor has it, you can put 47 or 48 parts into a 46 case.

 

I did not know that, where would you recommend getting a rebuild kit, I don’t really want to spend nearly $1000 just on the clutches when I could just get an already built trans

 

On page 6 of MonteC's Transmission corner thread, he has a list of suggested parts for a member that regularly towed a 7K lb trailer. At one time, I had a nice spread sheet with what the parts were, and pricing, but, that's been a few years, and a couple harddrives ago..... and I no longer can find it. Some of the parts were duplicates, as things changed in the trans over the years. (RH to RE mostly.) Of course, that wasn't inexpensive either, not even considering labor if you paid someone else to do it....

An interesting experiment would be picking up a cheap 47 from a local yard, pulling everything out of it, and see if it will indeed transfer to the 46 case.... (or even a 48, if you can find one for a reasonable price.....)

But yeah, rebuilding these transmissions certainly is not cheap. I was floored by how much it cost when I checked into it. I was used to what we charged at the Chevy dealer for a complete R&R..... under 1500 bucks.... parts, labor, taxes, the whole shebang. These days, you pay that much just for the parts for a 'stock' rebuild on one of ours. I feel old..... (I worked at the dealer back in the early 90's.)