I currently drive a 2002 Dodge ram 2500 automatic 5.9 l 4X4, I bought it 6 months ago didn't seem to have any issues but over time it started to lose power going up hills and required heavy foot on the gas to even accelerate it consumed gas worse than any truck I've ever seen then it became noticeably weaker real quick. My first attempt to work on a transmission consisted of fluid level check and filter. It started to shift hard only from second to third gear if I let off the gas.

Secondly I attempted to replace the solenoids and pressure sensors. Nothing changed.

Third attempt adjusting the front band to the recommended 72 inch pounds . Still no change. Fluid was bright red not burnt and no metal. No black Sludge.

Fourth attempt removed valve body for inspection and clean. Happened to find a Jeep Cherokee out in the boonies that was stripped but transmission was still present, flipped it over and removed valve body and took it home. After inspection of the one I pulled from my truck there was hairline cracks in one of the plates so decided to use the one out of the Cherokee and I swapped the solenoids and sensors to fit mine but that one has the small pump hole whereas mine has large pump hole. Now new problems are stuck in first or second can't tell which can only do 35 mph Max won't shift any higher.

Before installing the Cherokees valve body during the harness swap there's a metal solid bullet looking piece that was on the floor and I have no clue where it goes. It's the size of my pinky nail and has semi-pointed ends it's a barrel shape.

Also one of the steel check ***** had made a deep impression in the plate my idea was to swap the plates out to but the large pump hole a small pump hole don't match up obviously. And somewhere along the line of me screwing with this thing I dropped the middle barrel piece.

I'm hoping that's enough details this is my first time working on a valve body. I've already facepalmed myself 100 times I'm ready and open for constructive criticism thanks in advance!

 

Is your issue an engine problem vs. a transmission problem? Has the timing chain and gear set ever been changed in your truck, along with any sort of tune-up (change spark plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor)? Did you have a check engine light on and if so, were there any pending or stored codes displayed after hooking up a scanner to the truck?

As for the transmission valve body issue, what year was the salvage yard Jeep that you pulled the valve body out of and was that transmission also a 46RE?

 

Engine is flawless, it has 190k miles . Just serviced all new plugs ,wires, cap rotor, oil and filter, air filter, PCv valve, battery. Timing was done by previous owner, along with a new transmission two years before I got it and new catylatic converters. Some red Flags have caught my eye , as to the valve cover bolts finger tight barely, missing bolt in exhaust manifold , other bolts either too torqued or hardly at all.
I'll upload pictures of the jeeps trans numbers , they looked identical. ? Pretty certain it was a 42re or 46re. But I could have my head in a bucket too at this point.

Vin of the jeep

 

I suspect that you pulled the wrong valve body out of the wrong transmission and won't work properly with your 46RE. If I ran the VIN correctly (https://www.vindecoderz.com/EN/check...FY58S4WD314289), seems that you pulled it out of a 4.0 motored vehicle, which likely did not have a 46RE transmission.

 

Well it was from a 4.0l , but they have practically the same valvebody if I'm correct. 42re and 46re difference is strength of parts and versions being small and large pump holes. And of course plug types 3 pin or 4 pin. Which I swapped for mine. My guess is the stupid metal barrel piece that I missed is the problem . (But not a clue where it goes. ) And/or the pump hole size difference for the 46re requires the large hole version. 😶

 

Have a look here . It will tell you some of the differences in vb's. As mentioned find out if it has any codes and list them. You can take the plug off the trans and see if you can shift it manually.

 

Have you checked your plenum? (see the sticky thread at the top of this forum for more information than you really want.... ) Your symptoms bear all the hallmarks of a blown plenum, and possibly clogged cats... (even though they are recent, I would be wondering why they were replaced to begin with....)

 

I did the plenum test last night and it did not indicate a leak that I could tell. I didn't have a vacume tester, but I tested the vacume for positive or negitive from the crankcase hose . Disconnected and blocked the hose from the plenum . It did not seem to have any sucking of air from the crankcase .
idk maybe I did it wrong .. I also looked down the throttle body into it and didn't see any pooling oil.
Does anyone know if a valvebody with a small pump port can go into a transmission that originally had a large port ?

 

Also there is one of the plugs on the trans that I leave unplugged because I get at least 15mph more than if it's plugged in ... It's the plug that farthest away from the throttle cable nut behind the front band adjustment but.