ATS transmission First impressions

[Bhale]

I purchased a complete transmission and torque converter from ATS and got it installed this past Monday at a local transmission shop. First impressions are quite positive and I thought I share my thoughts with you folks. First of all, it’s purple. Yep, purple. Looks kinda neat laying on your back looking up at it. After road testing and minor adjustments with the folks at Jim Jennings transmission (more about them later) I paid the bill and got in the truck. Putting it in drive gives a very reassuring thunk. A bit shocking at first since the old transmission never did that since it was new. No, it doesn’t feel like it’s doing any damage rather a very solid feel that lets you know it’s in gear (first grin). I take my foot off the brake and the truck starts to move. This is also something the old transmission wasn’t very good at. It would start to move with the old one but now it’ll actually idle up to around 15-20 mph without touching the go pedal (smile #2). Pulling out of the parking lot I ease onto the pedal and we accelerate smoothly and solidly up to around 30mph when I feel what I believe is the TC lock up (smile #3). Engine rpm’s drop about 150 or so and the truck picks up speed without any more pressure on the go pedal. Shifts into 2nd, 3rd and 4th are very solid. Up onto the Baltimore Beltway at 60mph I press the pedal to the floor, the tach jumps to ~1800rpm as it downshifts. I watch the tach jump again up to ~2200 rpm boost jumps to 25psi and the speedo is 75+. This takes just a second or two to accomplish where as before it would have been several seconds. Ease off the pedal and the up shifts are solid. The truck never felt better! Off the beltway and onto the side roads towards my house I try a couple WOT starts. This thing climbs through the gears with a firm grasp on each one but no teeth wrenching, spine jarring bangs that I would associate with a performance transmission. (that’s what my old ’69 cougar did with a shift kit in it BANG!) All in all I’m very pleased. It’s more than what I expected and exactly what they said it would be. This Is Good Stuff!



As for the folks at Jim Jennings, they get an A+. Very friendly on the phone, professional at all times, price and delivery was as quoted. This is the first ATS transmission they’ve installed and even though their diesel experience was somewhat limited, compared to gas trannys, they took the time and did it right. Even down to testing the TPS. ATS shipped the transmission to them and Dexter arranged return of the old one to ATS. I highly recommend these folks. You can give them a call at 410-686-6700 ask for Dexter!



The folks at ATS also deserve a lot of praise. They patiently answered all of my questions during several phone calls and returned my phone calls when promised. Don is the man! He even got on the phone with Dexter to make sure everything was setup right.



So after weeks and weeks of phone calls, web surfing and collecting information I’m confident I made the right choice and happy to say I got more than expected.



I do however have one very minor complaint. The t-shirt they sent out the transmission is an XL. I’m more medium sized fellow…

 

[BillGotthelf]

Do you spend a lot of time under your truck staring at your purple transmission?

 

[Pit Bull]

Thanks for the post, Please keep us posted. I have a new transmission in my future

 

[Bhale]

Originally posted by BillGotthelf

Do you spend a lot of time under your truck staring at your purple transmission?

Oh Yea! Chicks dig it!

 

[Koa Man]

I think I'm about ready for a new transmission. Mine just started shuddering when in reverse and doesn't want to shift out of 3rd. Dropped the trans pan to change fluid and filter and magnet was covered with metal particles and had a lot of particles in the bottom of the pan as well. Two years of almost daily towing and heavily loaded up and down the mountains here have taken its toll.

 

[rrausch]

Bhale, it's exciting isn't it. I've had my ATS for about a month now and I LOVE IT. It feels like my truck is a thousand pounds lighter.

I really wasn't prepared for how strong the non-lockup accelleration is.

And lock-up? Holllly Cooow! It don't slip, shudder, or wuss out no more!

 

[Bhale]

A thousand pounds lighter! Great discription! I'll be loading up the camper and boat this weekend and heading for the St Marys river. I'll let you know it does...





A question... . What exactly am i feeling as the speedo passes 48mph? Is this over-drive kicking in, TC lockup or both?



Thanks!

Brian Hale

 

[phoekema]

what did I feel

Bhale,

At that speed, I am quite sure what you are feeling is the lockup of the converter. Isn't it something, compared to the stock 'I think I can' type of slip in to lockup performance? Even when my truck was completely stock I always kind-a wondered if it were going to lock up or slip itself to death trying.

I have recently upgraded to a 34' tripple expando 5th wheel which weighs near 14,000 lbs. I can't imagine pulling that with the stock converter.

 

[ATSDiesel]

We are so very excited and HAPPY..... BHALE and RRAUSCH...

Thank You ,Thank You.....

BHALE... First things first..... email me, your personal address and I will send you a couple t-shirts. All I have is L and XL... A little secret. . If you wash the L in 'hot' water' it will ... mold your body... lol... . I will sent you some L's... Thank you for your wonderful post... ...

Oo.

RRAUSCH... Applause to you as well... . We love this. You both have made working late again tonight... . worth it. I brought them all dinner... looked on this thread... I do not know what gave them more satisfaction... the food or this post... .

You 2 are incredible possitive energy for Clint, Don, Mike, and the rest of us here. We thank you and our customers thank you... !!!

OOPPSS. . almost forgot... BHALE... convertergirl80033@yahoo.com. is my email... I will send them as soon as I hear from you...



Thank you both again... . Clint, Ranee, and the rest of the ATS crew... At your service... ...

 

[LandShark]

Bhale: I'm looking forward to your report on ATS after hauling with both camper and boat. Include weights for both please.

 

[Bhale]

Well I loaded the truck for the holiday weekend and here’s what I have to say about the ATS transmission and TC.



First some specifics:



’96 ram 2500 Club Cab HD with every option but the leather seats. It does have the camper package suspension. Banks exhaust and the CAT is still on it. (Yea, I know, Get Rid Of The Cat!!) Plate and star wheel full forward, waste gate plugged. Lance 10’9” slide in camper and 17’ Boston Whaler. Truck and camper with 3 adults weighed in at 10,865lbs. Boat with way too much stuff in it weighed in at 3,740lbs. GCVW 14,605lbs. I got these weights at a truck stop on the way.



We have a small piece of land on the St Mary’s river and I’ve been going there for longer than I care to remember so the road and mileage are very familiar to me. Round trip is ~310 miles. Best I can figure I gained ~2. 3mpg on the trip. EGT’s were just a tad higher than normal and the boost gage seemed to be a bit more active. These are just “feelings”, nothing specific. The most profound difference, one that even the wife noticed from the passenger seat, is the 0-40 acceleration. It easily pulled through the gears with firm solid shifts and a much faster seat-of-the-pants feel. This thing likes to tow!



We can’t launch the boat from our property since there’s 50’ hill at the water’s edge so we stop at Dennis Point Marina to launch. I drive the boat around and she brings the truck/camper and trailer back to the property. The boat ramp is pretty steep compared to most and normally I have to push the pedal almost to the floor to climb out. Only about 2/3 this time. The road into the marina is hard packed sand/gravel about 2 miles long. Her comment was that she didn’t need to touch the pedal to maintain 20mph like she did before; rather she actually had to brake a couple times on the turns. I don’t have a transmission temp gage (yet) so no comments on the ATF temps.



Is there anything I’m not happy with? Yes. The shift into O/D at ~48mph is a bit too soon (1100rpm) and feels a tad harsh and I found myself pushing the pedal further than required in order for it shift later. I’d like to move this up to around 55 when loaded but it works well when empty. Perhaps their Lock-up Controller will help? I’m not sure I like how hard it goes into drive from park but that may be the idle (~850 in drive with A/C on) Maybe I’ll drop it a bit this weekend when I give the CAT its hysterectomy.



All in all I’m pleased. Of course time will tell how reliable it is but I’m not at all concerned about it at this point. Please feel free to ask if I left out some information you are looking for.



Brian Hale



PS: it appears even their t-shirts are warranted!

Originally posted by CCannon



BHALE... First things first..... email me, your personal address and I will send you a couple t-shirts. All I have is L and XL... A little secret. . If you wash the L in 'hot' water' it will ... mold your body... lol... . I will sent you some L's...

 

[csutton7]

BHale--when shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse go to Neutral first and then shift into the appropriate gear and do the same when shifting from Reverse or Drive to Park--always shift into Neutral first--it should lessen that hard shift when shifting either way--you'll get used to doing it if it can't be rememdied---chris

 

[Strick-9]

Good post on driving experiences.



Shifting into OD at 48 mph doesn't bog the motor down to 1100 rpm. But a locked up TC at 48 mph in OD is what is bogging the motor down.



Sounds like you need a custom PCM to delay lockup engagement.



A lockup controller that forces the TC to lockup above 30 mph is only going to aggrevate this problem.



There are times when lockup is more of an annoyance than it is enjoyable.



-Chris

 

[DRR-24V]

Hey BHale !

After Blowing Off a couple of Fords, your chest will swell up and that T-Shirt will fit.

 

[JConley]

There are times when lockup is more of an annoyance than it is enjoyable

I agree, which is why ATS sells a controller so you can control when lockup happens... if at all. The controller sold by ATS does as much to delay TC lockup as it does to lock up the TC. You as the driver decide what you want the TC to do. I choose to go a route other than a controller box since I have different needs, and ATS is assisting me with this. Without the controller box from ATS, your shift points are the same as stock, but due to the tighter TC, it puts more of a load on the engine. I believe this holds true for all vendors that make more efficient TC's My answer to this is getting more HP ... . as if that is a bad thing...



BTW... Cant wait to take you for a ride in my truck!!! See ya soon.

 

[phoekema]

couple comments re: converter

Bhale, I know what you are saying about the ATS converter, having one myself since March, but would like to make a couple comments.

On the rather harsh neutral to drive or neutral to reverse characteristic, I have experienced it too, but I would gladly trade that for the more efficient operation in non-lockup mode. I really hated the roar of the engine and the go nowhere feeling with the stock converter. And, as another has stated, probably any 'tighter' converter would exhibit this characteristic.

Also, going from non-lockup to lockup can be a bit harsh at times, but if you put up with a stock converter for a year along with the frustration of trying to keep it from slipping as I did last year, it is great to have such a solid lockup.

I guess it depends a lot on your perspective. Unfortunately, in this world, you seldom gain anything in one area without loosing something in another area. As much as I like the improved performance of my ATS converter and valve body, it certainly left my checkbook weak and underpowered!

Don't get me wrong - I am not putting down your comments. Just offering a little different perspective on a couple items. I enjoyed reading what you had to say.

Finally, I would like to aplaud everyone for keeping this post going on a positive note - what a refreshing change from some posts in the past!!!!!!! We can offer our points of view and even disagree without being total jerks.

Paul Hoekema

 

[Bhale]

One more thing i just noticed is the transmission's lack of confusion about which gear it should be in. For instance there's a turn i have to make on the way to work each morning. 40mph up a slight grade and going around a right hand turn i have to make a left. You can't see very far around the bend and the folks coming down the hill are always doing more than 40. It's one of those white nuckle turns. The stock transmission was never really sure what gear it needed to be in so i mostly just pushed the pedal to the floor to force a downshift. This new one feels much more confident!



phoekema- Thanks for your comments. Your correct, I (we) would never want to go back to old transmission personality we became accustomed to. So little security with that one i wish i had upgraded years ago!