Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Lost Torque Converter on way to 'Dega

[Hummin Cummins]

It started to go around the VA, TN line. It would hold just enough to let me hold the throttle steady, but could not put power to it. On the way in to the track about 4 am, just happened to pass a transmission shop. Called them first thing Friday morning, they said to bring it up they would have it done after lunch.



Called them at 1 pm, they were taking it back out cause the first T/C they put in was bad. Tried like crazy to find an aftermarket converter, but no luck, had to settle for a stock replacement. :{



Second converter was ok, and I had my truck back by 5 pm. They checked the rest of the transmission and all clutches were good. Put in the latest updates and sent me on my way. He showed me the parts, the t/c was painted (never seen a painted stock one so I assume this was not the original) Paint was burned off and heat marks on the back side of the converter, it was cooked. If this is the way it is supposed to shift, then the converter had beed going bad since the day I bought it 2 years ago.



All in all, It could have been worse. It got me there, so no wrecker bill, and being 800+ miles from home, they could have really put the screws to me but they were fair and honest. I paid just under 700$ out the door.



Needless to say, the ram got castrated when I got home. Stock plate went back in and I have learned my lesson. Dont do power mods till after the trannys done Now I just wait till I get the $ to do it right then back to BOMBing.



Chris

 

[98rammer]

looks like i'm pulling my plate back down today (again)

 

[kaptn]

Thanks for the reality check. We that like to play are eventually going to pay. I will try to keep a smile on my face when I am riding in the tow truck cause I sure had fun getting there.

 

[Hummin Cummins]

Thats what I kept telling myself when we pulled in and cracked open the first of many beerz. "getting there is half the fun"

 

[rrausch]

I'm starting to feel smarter and smarter for getting my Trans done while it was still fairly healthy... I could have probably babied it and gotten another 5-10,000 miles out of it. It had 107,000 (mostly bombed) miles on it when I got my rebuild.

 

[98rammer]

chris, what exactly happened? was it the converter clutch slipping and/or shuddering or was it something else?

 

[Hummin Cummins]

It was the t/c clutch

It has always had a shudder since I bought it almost 2 years ago. I ran for a long time with the stock plate slid forward, then bought a supposed #8 plate from e-bay. (bad move) With this plate in then it started to slip, but only in overdrive. When it finally let go, it would slip whether od was on or not. No shudder like before, just straight to slipping. I could still hold 65 mph or so on the flat, but when a hill came I had to just hold the same throttle position and let it do what it could. Any extra pressure on go pedal resulted in instant slipping. The installer said there wasnt much clutch material in the transmission, I guess there wasnt any material left.



Chris

 

[98rammer]

chris, good info. so like, in 2nd gear the truck ran normally? just when lokced it slipped? that's why i run a torque converter stock/unlock switch. i can still slip the lock clutch if i have my plate forward, but it doesn't shudder... yet. if i'm towing a trailer and a hill comes, i usually unlock the converter so as to keep everything together.



Tom

 

[Hummin Cummins]

Yup. All forward gears and reverse worked perfectly. The only trouble was when locked up. I ran one of those switches also. It was a dimmer switch mounted on the floorboard. I recently had the lockup solenoid go bad in the transmission so I unhooked the switch for troubleshooting. I did the reflash to change the mph where lockup occurs and it really helped, almost eliminating the need for the switch. My t/c now locks and unlocks at 52-53 mph under normal driving. (not WOT) My truck almost never sees WOT. I do notice that with the new t/c the shifts are firmer. I thought the valve body controlled firmness not the t/c, but then again I know squat about auto trannys.



Chris

 

[rrausch]

Not to start a brand war here... but you guys should check out that ATS TripleLok TC. That thing WON'T SLIP period. End of sentence. I don't care how much H. P. or Torque you are putting through it. I also have their electronic T. C. Commander on my truck and by turning the knob you can adjust whatever speed you want it to lockup at, from about 20 mph on up. Works for me.

 

[Hummin Cummins]

$$$$$$$$$$$$

That was my plan. To slap in a ATS converter and be done. Its still going to happen, late next winter (after uncle sam gives me my big fat refund). If I could have got my hands on one when my truck was in the shop, thats what would have went in. I hoped that since I was in Alabama, and suncoast was fairly close that I would have been able to find and aftermarked t/c. That didnt happen and being so far from home on a Friday. I could have never got one by the time to leave on Monday.

 

[98rammer]

rrausch... . to be honest, i'm really set on getting a DTT in the future (wont be for at least 1. 5 years as i'm heading off to college for 9 months). however, i still haven't gotten rid of ats or georand bros. triple lock. if that cures the lock up situation then sweet. you obviously can't slip the triple disks. my main concern is that once the converter clutch problem is solved that i'll soon start slipping the bands inside the transmission. with line pressures turned up 3 turns, the bands may hold if i tromp on it at say 60mph? i dunno



Tom

 

[rrausch]

Tom, go with what you are comfortable with. I talked to them all and I just felt more at home with Clint Cannon and Don Ramer than anybody.



But heck, it is your money and you should spend it with the folks you think most highly of. But you are right, the Triple Lok just won't slip. Before I got mine, my puny little 275 H. P. Cummins was slipping the stock converter any time I stomped on the pedal. I can't tell you what a difference the trans made! It is like driving a different truck now.



If you are putting a lot of H. P. through your trans, and if you race a lot, you will wear the clutch packs faster, that is basic physics. ATS puts extra clutches and steels in to counter that. But like ANY vehicle, the harder you push the pedal the shorter things last! But I expect to get a LOT of miles out of my clutch packs, as I don't race hardly at all anymore. When I first got my ATS in I just HAD to beat a few Fords and Chebbys and Ricers... oh and Land Rovers... (Here Rover Here Rover... woof woof!!)... ,and then the novelty wore off, and I didn't have to beat them anymore. Beating those Land Rovers was the best though. Those Yuppies think they are something special driving those Land Rovers... they couldn't believe a PICKUP TRUCK could beat their butts so badly! But that L. R. engine is basically a 1963 Buick engine! Sometimes I would say to them, "Hey... nice Buick!" They never caught on to what I meant!

 

[98rammer]

hehe, that's what i love- beating idiot people on the road. sometimes my power is stock, sometimes it's maxed out (ha, i'm moody). nothing has changed slippage wise, only the tcc slips. although i'll be dynoing again in may, i guesstimate that i'll be at 300hp and 715 foot pounds of torque.



if i put the triple lock in with no other internal modifications except the upped line pressures, do you think that the transmission would hold for a while? or would i simply burnup or literally slip and burn up the clutches because the "problems" will just move down the line?



btw, i have a buddy who only put in a converter and valve body and it lasted him up to 85,000 miles with BD8's and NOS--last time dynoed at 640hp. no internals modded. . yet ((Pigpen))



Tom

 

[rrausch]

Tom, the last I heard, people were saying yes, the trans would last longer with just an ATS TC. But you might want to think about their Valve Body too. Without the Valve Body, you won't be able to shift locked (up or down), the trans won't oil in park, etc. etc.



If you call Clint at 1-800-949-6002 somebody there will know better than I do.

 

[inarush76]

option

check out the thread on Jim Fulmer's truck. DTT done at about 250 horse. Last dyno'd 474 hp, more power added since. Still has not slipped trans or converter and it's just a single lock up clutch.

Of course this is not mentioned to start a war, just to point out and option.

James

 

[Jim Fulmer]

Jim Fulmer's truck. DTT done at about 250 horse. Last dyno'd 474 hp, more power added since



Not real sure were the power is now, take a 1/4 mile run of a 6300 lb 3/4 ton on street tires and do 12. 706@113. 4mph, on-line computers say 600 hp, I doubt that but 575 doesn't sound unreal, at around 550 ft down the track (don't know for sure) I lock the converter up at 70 lbs of boost and it drops 250 rpm. The transmission has 30k on it now and 9500 of that is over 450 hp.



Jim

 

[98rammer]

jim, are you running really high pressures? do you have the update kit? i have the stock pressures turned up 3 turns, but that's about as high as i can safely go bill k. says. i could slip the lock up clutch with the stock plate forward and then ground my plate flat. 257hp/641tq at the time (before injectors and gsk). i after i ground the plate i upped the line pressures which i feel really helps the internal clutches, but i could still slip the converter clutch easy. now with injectors and governor spring kit, forget lock up unless i take it easy under 15 pounds of boost.



Tom

 

[98rammer]

aaahh... "full dtt transmission"...





i don't mind running around unlocked, but the fluid coupling of the stock converter obviously sucks and i'm obviously making a bunch of heat (still haven't hooked up my trans temp yet).

 

[Jim Fulmer]

Yes the pressures are up to save clutches but there no real high (normal to all other companies) it is in the hole setup and the way everything is adjusted, call a transmission guy cause I'm not one but I do have a good designer and installer.



Mine had the 5 clutch update for direct and the billet (first design) piston, the good band, clutches ect, it does not have Billet parts or any of the new tricks I just keep an eye on it, just last week I did a pressure test to make sure everything was cool. It's past a normal truck and you have to treat it more like a hotrod, at that power level anything can break, you name it, studs, axles, drive shaft, suspension parts, input/output shafts, hub..... the list goes on! I just keep an eye on things and Pray allot



Jim