Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) transmission recommendations

[tgrfan2]

I have been in contact with my transmission shop again and with DTT. DTT recommends I use a billet hub and input shaft along with the billet 3rd gear or the hemi drum which is only $175.

I don't plan to increase my power over what the #6 gives me or install an exhaust brake. Do you guys think the extra $1270 or $870 (difference between hemi and billet drum) is worth it?

I don't intend to do the lockup shifts and all those things that I have read will snap the input shaft. Will the "livestock series" setup recommended put that much stress on the shaft during shifts?

I got 190K out of the stock transmission. The last 70K towing 10K+ miles with my #6 plate. If I get that performance out of the DTT the truck will be seven years older and have 400K on it.

 

[Joe Mc]

I "think" you should be OK without the billet parts. As far as a HEMI drum I'm confused. When you mention that "DTT recomends" are you talking to Bill K. and/or Stephan, or are you talking to the actual trans shop folks. If you are not talking to Bill K. or Stephan K. @ DTT direct I suggest you call them. When my trans was done @ 140k this past summer, I was told by Bill K. that as long as I wasn't going over 450 hp I would be fine w/o billet parts. Check signature for my set-up. Bottom line talk to Bill or Stephan @ DTT direct.

 

[tgrfan2]

This was per e-mail from Shanti: "This is the unit we recommend for this truck as he is a heavy tower some lathework is done with drum. "

By the time I pay shipping and install a crate trans it is going to cost me $5K. I would prefer to put that extra $ into the controller, 3K GSK, and timing setup DTT recommends but I guess the $695 for the billet shaft and hub plus $175 for the hemi drum instead of the billet 3rd gear would not be so bad. I am working with a friend to help me on the shipping. I wish I had the time to carry my core out and get the new one myself. I would love to see the shop and meet the DTT staff.

 

[Joe Mc]

So you are talking direct with DTT. I'd go with their recommendations - they are great folks with stellar customer service and a long term look ahead - they want return customers - so they build happy 1st tiem customers with their product and knowledge thereof. I hear you 5k is alot of ka ching. But, the trans will more than likely be able to be willed to your grandchildren and definitly outlast the body. Good luck.

 

[JoshPeters]

I'd recommend the billet shaft, but the hemi drum seems unnessissary.



The billet shaft because, at 300hp I broke mine. I know a couple other people that with hard acceleration and hitting a road imbuckment poped that shaft at 300-350hp.



The Drum, Seriously, I think is unnessissary. Then again, I've never heard the TRUE benifits of it. For me, I don't want the marketing reasons, I want the facts.



Ie; By maching out the drum and installing a . 030 bigger piston we can produce XXXmore pressure on that set of clutches.



There are plenty of guys pulling, and pulling heavy without it. I don't think I would do it.



Josh

PS, NONE of this is ment as a flame towards DTT. I'm just a firm believer of the facts. Stephan, if you read this please PM me with what I'm asking about.

 

[bmoeller]

Will the "livestock series" setup recommended put that much stress on the shaft during shifts?

It won't put that much stress on the shaft during shifts. The livestock series will be firmer than stock, but not hard shifts, as a valvebody that is setup for racing would be. You want a softer shift with livestock so you won't make them fall over, or put too much extra stress on them.

 

[tgrfan2]

Thanks for your comments. We hopefully have it all sorted out. Apparently DTT thought I was going to use an exhaust brake and possibly use the controller for locked shifts. We decided to pass on the shaft as long as mine is OK on tear down, but go with the hemi drum because it would beef up third gear and was fairly inexpensive. My main purpose for the DTT above durability is to be able to use the #6's torque in D and OD not make neck popping starts loaded. My transmission man said he had used the hemi drum before and would recommend that improvement. It will probably be about three more weeks before I get to try the DTT out, but I am looking forward to the end product. I will have to restrain my wife from smoking those unknowing D/As and Power Chokes that seem to like to pick on her at times.

I hope we will be seeing many more transmission upgrades in this area after mine.

 

[McLaughlin]

Did you go with the option to add a exhaust brake later? Apparently the valve body is a bit different between the ones that support an exhaust brake and the ones that don't. When I got my DTT the exhaust brake capability was a no cost option. To effectively use an exhaust brake you do need the/a controller. FWIW, I've been VERY happy with my transmission.

 

[CLC379]

i have had a DTT since january, havnt towed anything yet, rebuilt twice needs it again, wish i had my stock transmission back.



customer service??

 

[San Felipe Bob]

I broke my stock input shaft.

I got lucky!

how?

Well All I broke was the input shaft!

It could have been much worse!

I have mild power #10 plate and 370 injectors.

My trans guy seems to think the 35" tires may have had something to do with adding stress to the input.



When in doubt billet!

There's no limping with a broken input shaft.

Just a small bang and thats it you are going nowhere under your own power.



SFB

 

[Stefan Kondolay]

First of all I want to make it perfectly clear that Bill does not want this post deleted or removed because we are not the least intimidated. We went the distance trying to help this guy with nothing but abuse to date and we won’t tolerate it anymore. For those of you that are wondering what is going on with this truck it is a hand control truck, this is not a new thing for us as we have done them before. Based on this customers email we paid to have this truck done 2 or 3 times. Finally Bill said no more, this is insane, the customer stories are conflicting and never the same about symptoms that only he could simulate and yet we tried to help him. The dealers were not able to simulate this guys complaints and he does not return phone calls so finally Bill said no more until he calls in and speaks to Bill personally



Bill had me chase him down on the phone, as he just wouldn’t call in. After a 5-minute conversation with him Bill realised the truck was hunting. We paid and paid and this truck was just hunting. That is why our dealers could not find anything wrong with the units as they went through them. We even used 2 separate dealers to eliminate the human error factor and completely different parts. So as it stands this truck has electronic issues and possibly even a PCM issue.



Mr. Cunningham got mad that Bill would no longer respond via email or take seriously the self-diagnostics he was doing that led us on a merry expensive chase, simply changing parts is not our style without proper diagnostics in the first place but we did it to try and facilitate him. . As we made it plain we were not going to respond via email it was made clear to us that these posts would happen and so they did. As a matter of fact he threatened to sign up for every diesel website and bad mouth and we still will no longer do diagnostics via email because he is too stubborn to call in. It did not help that we refused to give a free output shaft.



That about covers it for now. If this truck needs, electronics, pcm, fabrication to further facilitate his hand controls so be it, fabricate we will, this whole thing is absurd its not like we were not available for assistance right from the get go. So believe what you will guys the free ride is now over, we have helped many, many , guys but will not tolerate deliberate dishonesty.