Hi guys

Pretty frustrated with the Ram 1500 power wagon van. I just had our 3 Speed automatic with a torque converter rebuilt. But the same weirdness persists. It is a 1997 with the 32RH 6 cylinder motor.

At freeway speeds when going down hill I take my foot off the accelerator like any normal person. In my experience doing so is the textbook method to get an automatic transmission to shift into the highest gears. But my van will shift to a lower gear and the engine RPMs rise significantly. Once i am on the level or on a slight incline I can get it to shift into a higher gear by slowing down and accelerating slightly and lightly loading the system.

It seems to get worse (downshifting quicker and more difficult to re-engage the torque converter) when the AC is on, or when it is hot outside. I have my opinion on what to do next, but I thought it best to ask the community. Thanks for reading.

Jokinjoel.

 

You're assuming the problem was corrected when you received the rebuild. If the problematic part was not replaced, then the problem would of course persist.

The problem you're experiencing (if it's the fault of the tranny) is due to incorrect governor pressure or the governor pressure sensor is bad. If you want to blame something other than the tranny, then the TPS is bad.

 

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I tracked down a few things and I'm a little embarrassed. I had 2 problems before the tranny rebuild. The rebuild took care of the downshifting, but I was still hearing the engine roar. Currently researching what to do about excessive cooling fan noise. I'll search for a solution for that. I appreciate that you took time to help a fellow dodge owner (me).

 

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Great. I'm going to do that for sure!

 

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The new fan was installed last week. The 3625 suggestion seemed too much for me to figure out, but now i think i understand what you are talking about. Cold here in N CA so it doesn't come on unless I'm sitting in traffic.

On to suspension. Do you have any links about shock and rear spring r and r?

 

I added an LED to my dashboard so I can tell when the e-fan comes on and off. Now I know that the thermostat is adjusted properly and am certain it is shutting off once I'm up to speed.

If its a '97 B1500 with V6, I can't recommend a better rear spring based on the info I have. I prefer KYB gas-a-just shocks (not the cheap GR2 or Exel) but admit they arent as stiff as I'd like when the van is loaded to max capacity. I'll probably go with the Rancho RS9000XL rear shocks next time around. They cost almost 3x more but are adjustable which would fit my application perfectly.

You might think about using coilover shocks for the rear if you need a little more more load capacity. I've used them on big Fords with excellent results. Rockauto suggests the Monroe 58595 sensa trac for your application.

 

Thanks, I think I'll check out the coil over Monroe. While I was under the van, light to moderately loaded the rear leaf springs don't have any curvature to them. I am concerned that they are gone. Mexico is notoriously hard on suspensions so after 17 years... Anyway, there is a 3500 in the local pick n pull. Don't know if the springs are still there or if they would fit my 1500, I'm sure I could find a 1500 somewhere near by.

I don't know how to tell if the springs are any good.