B/D trans equipment,good and the bad?

[Mopar-muscle]

adam , i'm not trying to start anything here but i see a few holes in this rant

Originally posted by MY6EATSV8'S

I understand that you have every right to say well you should have fixed Erics transmission, well we tried, with 3 different vavle bodies. The stock one seemed to work better to me, and more importantly to my brother.

this is the reason why Bill prefers to have TRAINED installers do the work , the reason Bill ASKED Massdiesel (Scott Hovey) and myself to come to his shop to be trained the way he wants his parts installed .

Secondly, we all know you have issues reguarding lockup

theres a reason for this , the lockup clutch can't handle the power the cummins is capable of putting thru it . now come on , be serious , if a macleod dual disc setup , that's 4 clutch surfaces probably with 1000% more clutch surface and more psi loading holding it , can't handle the power , (i saw hvacs glazed over clutch with 10k miles on it ) what makes you think 600 or so SQUARE INCHES is going to ???

but in my brothers truck and who knows how many others have to deal with driving numerous miles before the thing will shift into od because you've delayed the od shifting so much it shift into od in lockup. Not to mention the rest of the time when it is warmed up it still is delayed way to long.

numerous miles ??? are you driving at 35mph for numerous miles ? what year is this truck ? the OD shift is computer controlled , i wish i could get it to shift into OD at 55 mph without having to use the button on the shifter ... .

Then there is 1st through third shift, its way to early, if you make the tb cable tight enough to delay shift to halfway normal rpms, then you give it half throttle it downshifts. Its not perfect Bill. But how many times did I knock you for it.

this goes back to the above TRAINED INSTALLER point

There are a few more things Bill. If your stuff was perfect a few more people I know would still be using it. It's not perfect.

first off no matter how hard you try or want to believe , nothing is perfect ...



only 1 person i know of that didn't like the product and pulled it out ... people you know , only one person i can think of and there is nothing ANYONE can do to get a transmission to go 50k miles behind that power without regular teardowns ... .

How many output shafts did Chris Sutton go through before he to started pulling in low range.

chris broke 2 to my knowledge , and the second one was due to a bad call on a machining operation that made the shaft weaker , driving techniques are what break the output shafts , i broke mine power braking building boost , the engine overpowered the trans because of the efficency of the TC , the output has a poor design that is fine for stock powered engines sold by dodge the intermedate shaft and output shaft need a redesign .

I'm sure with your vast knowledge you know that output shaft is used in almost all the od units chrysler uses and failers are common in all of them.

???? only high HP torque applications are going to break these shafts and the nut behind the wheel using the power wrong is what breaks them , i know of no stock power failures of this part ????? and its really only a problem in 4wd applications , a 2wd drive od unit could take more abuse before breaking due to its design . ( i think??? )





oh and by the by , i paid and do pay for ALL my parts , except for a set of DD3 injectors i was supplied with so i could try and break stuff , which i have ... . so far , 1 output shaft and one screwed up by majestic HX40





fire away ...

 

[Dak - BD Power]

Bottom Line

JSmith, as you can see the TDR readership can get very emotional when it comes to this subject.



My suggestion to you is to do your homework, check the archives, definately give all the parties considered a phone call to get ALL THE FACTS. Then make an educated decision on which product or company can meet YOUR requirements and NOT just on word of mouth.



I'm sure DTT think they have a good product, and we at BD think we have a good product, and I'm also sure Banks, Dunrite, etc, (you get my drift) think they have a good product.



It is a very competitive market right now and I know that if you do your research, you will come to a decision that will make YOU happy.



I guess thats the bottom line, good luck in your search and ultimately your purchase.



Isn't that the goal of the TDR, to allow its members and RAM owners to get the most out of their rigs and to be happy with them?



Merry Christmas everyone, happy holidays and safe motoring..... life is too short so be happy

 

[Cummins Corvette]

I totally agree with Dak here. Do a search for testimonials on BD transmissions. I am sure that you will find out what you need to know!

 

[Pit Bull]

Since were talking about transmissions I have a 2000 (see sig) it only puts out 215 hp and has the automatic. I have 37,000 miles on it and have the 5 year 100,000 mile diesel wrap warranty (I am keeping it stock until the 100,000 miles is up). It is a "toy" for me and I won't be hauling anything close to half its maximum rated numbers. Is the stock transmission dependable when used within its rated limits, and maintained per the service manual? When the warranty is up what does it cost to beef up the transmission? (I know this depends on what you do to it, but are there any web sites that give examples with costs?)

Thanks

Denny

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I have had both BD & DTT in my truck. I had a BD 215L TC and their VB in for about 40,000 miles. Never had a problem with it. Was in fine working order when taken out. I never had an issue with it or BD.



Bill's DTT stuff is very nice also. He talked with my transmission insallation guy 2 or 3 times to make sure everything was going to get done right. The point of my post????????? I have no point, just that they have both treated me well!

 

[MY6EATSV8'S]

when you "beef" up a transmission it usually just includes a torque converter and valve body change. Those are priced around 12-1400 plus cores and labor. It neccessary to check pressures when you get high miles or even at low miles if the transmission has been worked hard.



Mopar, now your an expert to because you can change a valve body and a torque converter? That is not hard, and if it was done wrong it wouldn't work don't you think. And as far as my brothers truck, he lives not 100 feet from the highway and drives at normal speeds (around 60) for up to 5 miles before it shifts into od, then when it does it goes into od in lockup. So much for sacrificing delaying lock, now the stress is probably more because it shifts locked.



Anyway I tired of anyone who doesn't think Bill is god getting flamed. I try to help everyone with my existance on this site, and Mopar I've even helped you in case you have forgoten. I've had a hand in helping lots of people get to where they are and have always told what I perseive as the truth. So my transmission hasn't been in for 365 days, and I broke a output shaft( I didn't pull the transmission to fix it). I also didn't even know that I had to put a cable in my truck to make it a auto. Remember it was a stick. I know there are alot of people that are real happy with the companies products they have chosen to use. Trying to ruin someones credibility is BS!!! I've whatched alot of super great people just quit coming to this site because of this kind of crap. Listen its not rocket sience to install a fricken valve body correctly, it may be to set it up properly so you don't have to have a phd in order to make it work. In my opinion you shouldn't have to ajdust a dambed thing, it should be set up right in the first place. Making a "certified" installer is just another hand in the pot if you ask me. I tried more than just one time to make the thing work right. I also know of more than 75% of the tc/vb installations I'm aware of (prolly10) and every one from DTT needed adjustment. Not one from BD has. I think trying to find fault in someone is easy, esspecially in my case, I am human. Its to bad you guys think its so neccessary to try bully tactics in order to sell products. It also makes people not even want to come to this site. We all loose then.

 

[MY6EATSV8'S]

oh ya and another thing, as far as the lockup clutch not holding 600hp why not, mine does. I had a mccleod dual disc remember, I only could muster 14. 2 and slipping it. Now I've ran a 12. 67 so it must be holding something right, well by the numbers 612hp to run 12. 67 at 6300 lbs. so there goes that whole thing out the window. Oh ya to make you more mad all BD's valve bodies lock up in 2nd,3rd and od. Now if you start crying about "fuid" coupling, well again it must be transfering something to get a 1. 703 60foot time!!

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

I have been watching this debate for a while now. What I can see, as a consumer(looking for a trany upgrade), is one guy making a bunch of the compitition mad. He must be doing something the aren't capable of doing. I have heard alot of good things about different setups. I will go with the one on top of the **** pile. When you guys wine about what bill says, it sends me his way. For me there is only one company to go with, the one who is making eveyone else mad... ...

 

[Cummins Corvette]

Go Greg!! You seem to be able to see the truth through all this smoke. Bill called me today because he saw that I wasn't happy with one minor aspect of my transmission. It will be fixed in a week or so. That is what it is all about. I understand BD's position though. They are a big company that doesn’t have the time to deal with every customer issue that comes up. They can come up with some good-looking ads though. I haven’t ever had an ad make sure I was happy. I can tell all of you this: Bill will do whatever it takes to make you happy with his products. If you know that one person is doing everything in their power to make their customers happy, then why take a chance on someone else? That is what Vegas in for.

 

[MY6EATSV8'S]

hey canderson, through what smoke? the smoke coming out of my tailpipe in front of you or acctually I won't say the rest. But I can say you must sure know alot since youve been here so long. It seems like all the real voistress ones want something from Bill.

its funny you mention there is a "minor" problem with the way your transmission works,lol I believe this is more common than you guys admit.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

I smell the rank odor of not only a Napoleon complex, but also an Oedipus complex.....



Jump up and down and pound your fists that have been freshly scraped along the ground like prehistoric humanoids once did... . it's all very humorous to those of us who realize that the kid who gets upset and runs away with the ball because he didn't get his way is only pissed at himself and has bigger issues than can be discussed in the manner we are attempting here.



Good luck to you.



Matt

 

[John]

Hey Adam, maybe you would come off as being more credible if you learned how to spell. Sorry, but your posts are a real pain in the a$$ to read as I try to decipher it as well as your intent.



That said (and it wasn't intended as a flame), my loyalty is with DTT and Bill Kondolay. I have never been treated better by ANY vendor I have dealt with in my entire life (although Piers comes awful da*ned close)! I had a BD TC and VB in my Ram prior to going with DTT components. Although, the TC was not BD's latest offering (I had a BD V-10/Cummins hybrid TC which utilized an UNmachined OEM stator... i. e. , experimental TC, which was superior to all other BD TCs at that time), my DTT 93% TC is clearly superior to the BD counterpart. In fact, when Bill Kondolay contacted me out of the blue in early January this year to see if I was still satisfied with the performance of my BD TC (he designed during his final months with BD) and VB, I responded by saying no, not really, adding that I was thinking about selling my Ram and purchasing one with a NV5600..... he said I should try one of his TCs first. As I had MEGA $$$$ into my Ram at that point anyway I said, what the heck, a "little" more money really wouldn't make much difference. Even though I would still like to own a 6-speed Ram (at least some of the time), I really love the way my DTT enhanced 47RE drives. Besides, when using it as your everyday transportation, the automatic transmission really makes it nice.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

example

here is an example:



I went to STC Performance Truck and RV in Santa Fe Springs, CA to buy and have installed my guages. They are a BD distro. for So Cal. I was asking some ? about the BD trany upgrade and this guy was real friendly. He answered all of my questions. I even drove a BD equiped truck. Then I asked about DTT; every thing changed between that guy and Me. He started on this rant about how Fd up Bill K was and how his stuff was junk, VB's were set up wrong. He went on for about 30 min. until I could get out of there. What a winer. I went home and Called Bill was real helpful, didnt say a word bad about BD. He just told me to drive one of the trucks by him and then decide. Well I was sent,by Bill, To Pheonix to drive Fred Swansons truck. All I have to say is that that truck flat out hauls. The guy who is making eveyone else mad is Bill K. He is doing something differnt and that pisses people off. Keep up the good work Bill... ... . You got my vote too

 

[Mopar-muscle]

well that didn't go over well ...

sorry adam , though i tried for it not to come off as an attack on you it may have sounded that way .



john , spelling doesn't make someone less credible , heck i don't use caps very often , does it make me any less ? not that i'm that concerned ...



what may make someones credilbilty questionable is the situation of how they aquire their parts , and if that arrangement would be severed if they gave a less than favorable critique of those parts they recieved for free .

 

[Archive]

I just KNEW where this thread was heading. (I called Miss CLEO and she told me over a week ago. )



The one question I want answered is why us mechanical "geniuses" KNOWINGLY spend $30,000 plus for a de-tuned engine bolted to an anemic gas burner transmission sandwiching a converter so loose that even Bill Clinton wouldn't dare be seen in public with it? Then we get mad about a situation we already knew existed and begin the famous transmission upgrade odyssey.



It gets better. After the upgrade is in place and tweeked and painstakingly adjusted we logon and proceed to attack each other savagely in a public forum because we don't like what the other guy just bought with HIS money. It doesn't matter one whit if to us if he's happy with his purchase or not, it must be garbage because it's not what we bought personally. No one will EVER 100% "Win" this debate. The ONLY correct upgrade answer I know of is to drive a fellow member's truck equiped with the parts you want and see if the performance meets your expectations. Then, proceed accordingly.



Fellows, how many thousands of posts have started off with... . "I want to buy a brand XYZ fueling box or stage X injectors but I KNOW I will have to upgrade my automatic transmission" and blah, blah, blah, ... ..... sounds familiar? I don't have a beef with DTT, BD, or any other transmission vendor. The REAL root problem for me isn't with the aftermarket products or anyone that swears a blood allegiance to whatever product has worked for them personally. It's the unnerving fact that DC wouldn't source Allison or Aisin transmissions to begin with. Only the most clueless person on earth would ever consider a 47RE being as robust as the Allison.



My stock torque converter was the most worthless lump of metal I've ever laid eyes on. If not for the core charge, I would hand delivered it to the scrap yard with the stipulation that I got to stay and celebrate while I watched them crush it. I can't say who has the Best Transmission parts but I do know my stock parts were junk. Flip a coin if you have to but I'd walk before I ever go back to the factory setup.

 

[Bob Wagner]

Originally posted by TopFuel





My stock torque converter was the most worthless lump of metal I've ever laid eyes on. If not for the core charge, I would hand delivered it to the scrap yard with the stipulation that I got to stay and celebrate while I watched them crush it. I can't say who has the Best Transmission parts but I do know my stock parts were junk. Flip a coin if you have to but I'd walk before I ever go back to the factory setup.

Nicely stated Jim

 

[Briar Hopper]

I said it earlier in the Competition forum. I'll say it again here. These are growing pains we are witnessing. Bill K. has said that the diesel performance industry is still in it's infancy... What a profound statement.

What most of us here with high HP are doing is tantamount to trying to make a daily driver out of an NHRA funny car...

The trucks we have, have way more engine than any other component in the chassis can handle. These engines belong in a Freightliner, not a pickup. The mere fact that anyone can field-re-engineer a transmission to withstand that much power, for that many miles, is remarkable.

Taking a daily driver truck to extremes like we are doing, it is indeed going to get costly. Just the routine maintenance on my truck to offset the extra miles and wear & tear from racing, has cost me hundreds of $$$$ this year, as well as lots of my spare time spent wrenching on it. And that $$$$ doesn't include the cost of the turbos, or other speed parts. I think we all need to have reasonable expectations of the performance of the product we are buying from these vendors. But customer service is non-negotiable, it's a MUST. Pioneers in this industry like Bill and Piers recognized that early, and added to their great talent, makes them a force to be reckoned with.

 

[redneckdr]

trannies and personalities

i am a relative "newbie", so may not have a lot of credibility. i certainly have watched this thread with interest... ... topfuel, you hit the nail on the head. gm is charging about $5k more for a comparably equipped truck with the unproven diesel, with the allison transmission. now, i know, they're having "first year pains". BUT they may be headed in the right direction. i have my second motor home with a MD3060 allison. never a minute's trouble out of either. one hooked to a 300 cat, this one to a c8. 3 275 cummins hauling 24k pounds empty. my point? i gladly would have paid $2-3k more for my truck, to have had a tough auto, able to handle the power, hooked to my cummins, which had been allowed to develop only about 75% of its potential, instead of being choked down to match an inadequate auto. heck, i drove an auto equipped tandem dump truck in 1960. i believe in 40 years the technology could have been developed to match a REAL auto to my cummins. THANX to all you R&D guys who are trying to make things work for the rest of us. i may never be able to upgrade my transmission. i sure hope i can. i don't know whose hardware i will use. when the time comes, i will be glad that there is info--YES even like on this thread available to help me decide. i honestly hope both mr K and mr R are still doing R&D and trying to make things better. thanx for this forum. as a relative new guy, i gain info every time i stop by!!!!!

 

[KLockliear]

When it comes to big HP/TQ, we only rely on DTT to put our power to the ground. I'll also get in line to say we've tried just about everything out there, and nothing withstands the power we make like the DTT products.



It's all we'll sell or use. If you go with these products, you won't be disappointed. Bill is a very straight shooter and tells it like it is... he doesn't candy coat anything.



Good luck in your decision.

 

[BigYellowIron]

>>YAWN<<