I have a 97 1500 with the 5.2 and the engine runs great and sounds good, but there's definitely something going on with the transmission. I don't know much about them, but It does not like to accelerate at all, it struggles to get up to 60mph. The torque converter makes a whirring noise after it kicks back down into first gear when coming to stop. And when I'm driving and hit about 45-50mph it drops rpms just a bit and it's like the transmission is doing nothing until I give it more gas, it used to shake really bad when doing the same thing but now it doesn't for some reason. So when it does this I just click overdrive and boom, it starts driving normally. Then I'll turn it off and the rpms drop back, and it's back to acting funny.

 

Also when I put the truck in gear it won't even move, I can sit there without my foot on the brake and it won't move an inch

 

How is the oil level? Engine idling, transmission in neutral.

 

Do you mean oil or trans fluid?

 

Transmission oil in neutral. The shaking was probably your frictions and steels going out and the end result. Pull the 8 pin connector on the drivers side of transmission. Manually shift the gears from 1 to 2 to 3 while driving. Does it shift into the gears? If yes, the electronics, get a new kit like this. Rostra are the equivalent to Mopar, and this is a reasonable price. I have no affiliation with OPT. https://www.oregonperformancetransmission.com/product/OPT-A518-A618-EL.htm
If not then it's rebuild time. Unless it's low on fluid and corrects the problem.

 

So unplug the 8 pin connector and then try to shift it manually?

 

Yup that's the ticket.

 

How would you describe whirring? Just curious.

 

almost like a tornado siren with a lower pitch, that's the only thing I can I think of lol

 

I plan on doing this in just a bit, if it does still shift gears after I unplug the connector, what else do you recommend I do other than installing that kit?