Ordered a heavy duty Goerend just before Christmas what now?

[GardnerM]

HI all, Have stock 2003 DRW 3500 5. 9 and absolutely have had enough of the stock 48RE! Last week I ordered a Goerend huvy duty trans and am hopeing this investment will complement our business as our truck is 100% our bread and butter. We plow snow,haul compact tractor/backhoe, truck has a Rugby hoist with a 9ft flatbed . The shifting drives me nuts as it never ever shifts up loaded on a hill. So traffic is bottled up behind and not to mention the waste of fuel it burns. When loaded with salt /spreader/plow it, once again doesn`t shift up until you hit 50 then it acts like somethings goin to break when locking. Will be spending a chunk and instlling myself to save another grand . What to expect ?? Will life in the truck finally be changing. Will we actually shift up in normal traffic?

 

[MChrist]

It'll be the best Christmas present you ever bought yourself! Yes, your truck will feel like a newer, better truck! It will shift appropriately and you'll kick yourself for not doing it sooner. Congratulations!

 

[Motorhead]

It is going to lock up harder than the stock trans.

 

[Grizzly]

I would have considered a 6 speed standard conversion, like an NV5600.

 

[GardnerM]

6 speed NV5600 is manual right ? This trans has been gone through once at 314K Reasoning is money will be paid back in 1) Performance delivering product or equip. 2) Tax write off at end off 010. to get a little of it back MAYBE and 3) Just the lack of stressing over burning all that diesel and making everything run hot. I never go over 70 don`t plan on it, most the time I`m loaded with something , we bought this two years ago for 7K and will be in trouble if we have a transmission fail /lost time/ at the mercy of the rebuild shop /more spend then what ? We still have the same problema behind our beloved Cumalong. MChrist post obviously very pleased with theirs and those are the folks I want to bounce it off of ,the end user and satisfaction level. All in all this has been a business decision and not been an easy one as we have successfully got biz debt /overhead under control and my reasoning is. . how can I serve my customers if I have a time just pulling a 22ft gooseneck with 3 ton strapped down when it should not even know it`s back there.

 

[MChrist]

It sounds like your trans was acting just like mine before I had it fixed by Goerend. Real slippery and soft, right? I couldn't get our 12,400 pound trailer moving from a stop without flooring it, getting to 2,800 rpm and crossing my fingers. Now, with the low stall converter and transmission upgrades, I can get moving with just a slight nudge on the accelerator while hooked up to the same trailer.
You WILL be pleased!

 

[GardnerM]

MChrist , did you buy a built Goerend or add the upgrades (valves T Converter... ) yourself? Exactly the case flooring it and only getting turbo whine from the straight pipe with no pull,other than basic slow motion . They are selling me the "heavy duty" 48RE shipped in a container( we are about three and half hour drive one way. It has handled major snow plowing ( 18 to 22 hours straight ,non stop. not every time out but this last week for example ) ,but thats at slow speeds in parking lots, but with lots of snow weight, doesn`t seem to have ever slipped. But its to and from jobs thats the test of nerves. My Geo shifts better on a grade for crying out loud.

 

[NavyDood]

Post up the results when you get it installed.

 

[MChrist]

I drove to them, about 4-5 hrs one way and had them tear into it and give me my options, since I didn't know what was bad or what. I only had about 35,000 miles at the time, but didn't get it fixed under warrantee, since I knew I wanted to soup it up and the stock trans wouldn't hold up. Turns out that my trans wasn't really all that bad, but the torque converter was about on death's doorstep. So that got upgraded to the triple disc, then they installed all billet goodies and beefed up everything they could. The ride home was incredible! I couldn't believe the difference between what I had and what I ended up with! I feel every shift, but it's not a harsh shift, just solid. The truck just wants to go with very little driver input.
I've said before, if I had to buy another truck tomorrow, I'd call Goerend and schedule an appointment before I even drove it, since I now know how a trans should feel.
Since having the trans done, I've driven similar trucks with stock, functioning transmissions and they all feel squishy to me. Still the best upgrade I've ever done to my truck.

 

[TCDiesel]

MChrist , did you buy a built Goerend or add the upgrades (valves T Converter... ) yourself? Exactly the case flooring it and only getting turbo whine from the straight pipe with no pull,other than basic slow motion . They are selling me the "heavy duty" 48RE shipped in a container( we are about three and half hour drive one way. It has handled major snow plowing ( 18 to 22 hours straight ,non stop. not every time out but this last week for example ) ,but thats at slow speeds in parking lots, but with lots of snow weight, doesn`t seem to have ever slipped. But its to and from jobs thats the test of nerves. My Geo shifts better on a grade for crying out loud.

If you Plow I would stay with factory Stall. Also have the VB set with 4-3 lockup and double springs,Next you will want the Tru-Trac, I and MChrist Have one the engagement will allow both wheels to stay engage,It takes some getting use to when slippery,You will learn to ease into throttle otherwise the it will washout,its much better on snow/ice pack roads when moving 20+ MPH then LS.

 

[GardnerM]

Thanx for the feedback , things will be getting busy out here in the garage around the 8th maybe sooner. With plowing a lot of times I simply brake shift and nudge then as the weight builds toward the end of my push, give er the goblins. The weight on the truck when plowing keeps it from slipping to much and I stressed the fact on the phone to Goerend we plow a lot. transmission jack,patience and lots of black coffee we ort to be able to tackle it here at home. Normally our 91 CTD 4X4 with stick would be the back up truck but this year just didn`t get to it , as it needs some brake work from sitting as well as a flatbed added. So we are a 1 truck show this year with prayer.

 

[AClayton]

I have had my Goerend for over 2 yrs now. I tow everyday but my heaviest weight is my 40' Toyhauler. I tow with confidence over each and every mountain grade and let that triple-disc do its job... ... . trans temp never goes over 170* with convertor locked. The stock TC in Dodge trucks can't withstand the superior torque responsiveness of our Cummins engines and NEED to be upgraded as soon as possible.



Alan

 

[MChrist]

As long as you tell Dave what you need, he'll build the trans accordingly. You may not need billet parts, or a low stall version of the converter, but as long as he knows what you are using it for, you'll be fine.

 

[tkerrigan]

Are you getting a heavier flex plate??

 

[GardnerM]

Flex plate is still up in the air. Depending on what it runs ..... and whether they think it is a must. Think they will call after new years they talked like the 5th they would be back.

 

[cerberusiam]

A composite flex plate is a good investment if your towing and working the truck all the time with extra power. Otherwise, its a slow blow fuse so you won't hurt the trans or driveline.



The OE plate is good for a lot as long as the bolts are kept tight. The billet cover TC's help strengthen it a lot by their design. If you are only at stock power and don't set the trans up to really shift hard its not a must.

 

[MChrist]

When Goerend did my trans, I had them do the Haisley insert... I think that's what they called it. . anyway, it's like a second center section that gets welded to the original flex plate. If I remember correctly, around $150 vs $500 or so for a billet one.

 

[Trophy Truck]

Cerberusiam



To save me some time to crawl under and investigate. . can you remove the inspection cover and tighten up the flex plate bolts or do you have to pull the trans?



Thanks

 

[cerberusiam]

Cerberusiam



To save me some time to crawl under and investigate. . can you remove the inspection cover and tighten up the flex plate bolts or do you have to pull the trans?



Thanks

Behind the turbo in the front part of the engine adapter are 2 holes covered by plates. The outboard one is for the barring tool, the smaller inboard one allows access to the flex plate bolts. Its actually 1 plate with 2 bolts.



If you don't have a barring tool a socket on the alternator will turn the motor over.



The inspection cover on the bottom doesn't allow access to anything but visual.

 

[GardnerM]

I`m getting pumped just imagining hooking up to the gooseneck and being able to pull loaded as it shifts up and gets that Cummins to work instaed of freewheeling and loosing ground speed embarrasingly as your fellow travelers sporting 1500 series Chevy farm trucks leave you behind pulling livestock trailers. Like is there something wrong with that truck ? Yes its the engineering department that somehow dreamed up the idea a 3500 series dually wouldn`t be pulling anything past its own weight (8840lbs) ! But from what I`m gathering from these posts, with a little elbow grease those days may be gone.