Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) info from dd2 users!!!

[2ndgen2500]

ok, i run the edge ez, and am lookin for just a little more power with out going over the edge and stubling into having lots of warantee problems. i am running a stock at trans and when it goes i will be putting in a dtt trans. i heard the dealer doesnt even notice the dd2s when they are in. give me some positive and negitive feedback!

 

[Tom W]

The DD 2's will give you a lot more power, more than your stock trannie can handle. You would be better off getting the DTT transmission first - you will be amazed at the improved performance. With your stock trannie you won't get the benefit of the extra power from DD 2's because it won't get the ground until the TC locks up and then the TC can't hold the power.



Tom

 

[MD500E]

Tom about sums it up. I put my ddII's in a week before my transmission went in. I had to disconnect my VA (Like an EZ) and I still really had to baby it on the 5 hour drive up to massdiesel. The II's felt much stronger after the trans went in. I know this is not what you want to hear, but DDII's and an ez are way too much for the stock trans. Also a burnt up trans will cost a lot more when you do go to upgrade.

 

[2ndgen2500]

thanks for the reply i will wait on these for a little while.

 

[Mad Bomber]

DDII's

The DDII's and a box will give you a lot of 's per mile BUT you must deal with the stock transmission.

 

[2ndgen2500]

yeah, see i really cant drop another 3k into this truck sincei just bought it, i have a warantee and when the stock transmission begins to go i have shopthat will do the rebouild for me with the dtt parts so i guess i will have to wait.

 

[2ndgen2500]

i guess if dd2s are out the 275s and dd1s would be too much as well?

 

[R-N-R]

When Cortez landed the first order he gave his men was to burn the boats... ...



Screw the warranty, do your research, plan your work then work your plan, build the truck to where you get the most enjoyment out of it!



Disclaimer:

This is coming from a man "enhancing" a 1 year old truck with 12,000 miles on it, and an impending mid-life thingy coming soon... And yep, my friends, co-workers, and family think I am completely nutz Thankfully, there are many understanding TDR people for me to rely on for support.





(If this post offends the warranty crowd, please consider it a poor attempt at humor. )

 

[LSMITH]

I ran DD1's and an EZ or a VA on a stock transmission for about 60K miles. I would NOT recommend that anyone else does so, it is more power than the trans can hold under some circumstances. . It can be done, and the transmission can live but it is not easy. The average driver would kill the transmission in as little as a few thousand miles. The trans is a VERY strong and tough unit in many ways, but it has a few weaknesses that must be avoided if you start adding large amounts of power without upgrading it.



Take your truck to your transmission shop friends and have them do the TC and VB ASAP. It should be less than $3000 right now if the transmission is healthy, get the transmission sick and the cost goes up. Spend now and save later, I wish I would have... ... .

 

[2ndgen2500]

my transmission is fine, the vb and the tc cost about a grand... i was goin to get the warantee to pay for them, the people at dtt said to put in a servo and accumilator if i do the vb and the tc, but i know for a fact, that even with that i will end up with no third gear soon anyways, so why dont i wait and save the labor on removal?

 

[LSMITH]

How do you know the third gear is going to be a problem?



Fixing it now is a "freshen up" and later will be a full rebuild. The freshen up will take it as long down the road as a rebuild would, so you save half the cost of a rebuild and get to add power now, not to mention taking off down the road and wondering when it is going to quit.



The labor to R&R a transmission should only be about $250 and that is on a 4x4. Not a big factor is it?

 

[2ndgen2500]

well i got a quote for r & r on the transmission being about 400$ so if you would please tell me what you think i can do about getting it done for 250$ let me know, i have a 2wd.

 

[shaft]

Originally posted by 2ndgen2500

well i got a quote for r & r on the transmission being about 400$ so if you would please tell me what you think i can do about getting it done for 250$ let me know, i have a 2wd.

That is high, particularly for a 2wd... ... . I paid $300 to have my TC put in... ... I would suggest you look around for a shop that is content to get rich on a yearly basis rather than off each customer... .

 

[LSMITH]

$400 for a 2wd is outrageous, it takes less than an hour to get out and less than an hour to put back in. 2 hours in and out is working in the driveway at home too, that is not at a shop equipped with a lift and air tools. Most trans guys can do a 4x4 in less than an hour in and an hour out. I would run from those guys that quoted you $400 ... ...



Find a shop that is interested in a relationship, and treating you fairly by charging an honest price for an honest job.



Who has a flat rate manual? I would guess the flat rate for this at a dealer would be less than 2 hours on a 2wd... ... ... ... ...

 

[2ndgen2500]

sorry, i called up the guy, (i have known him for a while and sent lots of friend there. ) 400$ was removing it, installing valvebody, servo/acculator, and the tc, doing fluid change and putting amsoil fluid in it.

 

[LSMITH]

If he is going to do all that head on down there, that seems like a darn nice price. Be aware though that several pan drops might be needed to get the tweaks done where it works the best, make sure they are not going to cost a fortune.

 

[2ndgen2500]

yeah this guy is nice and has been in business for over 20 years, he will do what it takes to satisfy a customer!1

 

[Hohn]

I guess this should have been called "info from DD2 users with automatics"??



Having just joined the ranks of DD2 users last Saturday, I can't tell you much about the autos. I have a 6-speed that is (amazingly) holding the power with no clutch upgrade. I have my EZ set on extra tame.



If I were an auto guy, i would get the TC/VB done FIRST, even if i never planned to bump up the power. The factory setup slips WAY too much, and torches ATF quickly and easily. This slippage makes your torque converting good at one thing only "converting" TORQUE INTO HEAT!



LSMITH is right on here. Doing the upgrade now, will the trans is still healthy will make final setup cheaper and easier. It's the difference between stitches and chemotherapy. I'll take the stitches. Once you get the TC/VB done, IF you should someday want the FULL rebuild from (insert vendor), you can keep the parts you already bought and the rebuild will be cheaper. Also, you can go longer before you need a rebuild, because you fixed the bad parts that were causing most of your trans wear!! HEAT is the biggest enemy of an automatic-- BY FAR. Lose that "heat generator" that Dodge calls a torque converter and you will drastically cut heat, get more power to the ground, get better mileage, and let your trans last longer. An extra-deep pan is a nice band-aid, but won't fix the cause. If you get rid of the source of heat, then you won't NEED a huge pan that doubles the cost of ATF changes!! This stick shifter would recommend an 89% TC.



I have put the biggest transmission cooler i could find on all my autos. They last me a long time. I have 100K and lots of bracket racing on my maxima auto, and it's still very tight.



HOHN

 

[2ndgen2500]

thanks for the advice im going to get moving on that as soon as i get the money.

 

[TnLRacing]

Mitchell book time on this job is 6. 1hrs, on a 2wd, for the R&R only does not include the valve body change, or and gaskets or fluid. I would say that $400 is a fair price for the work you need to get done