Triple Disc Torque converter

[ridgid]

I recently replaced my flex plate after the oem plate failed. This also required replacement of the T/C. I decided to go heavy duty and installed a heavy duty flex plate and a triple disc torque converter. The rest of trans is stock. Now when the T/C locks up it slams the drive line and is not acceptable. I also get lock up in 2nd and 3rd in various load conditions. My question is about the possibility of some type of computer reflash which would correctly modify these multiple lock ups. I never imagined that I would not like a triple disc converter but this one is radical. I do have the Powermax CR which I use very conservatively.

 

[p-Bar]

You probably should have put a valve body in too as they work better together.

 

[cerberusiam]

Inherent problems with a triple disk TC, we have beat that horse to death over the years.

The stock setup and programming does not work well because it is designed for a single disk. No matter what you do you will get hard shifts, there is no way to program that out of it. The biggest problem occurs on the 3-4 shift where the lockup is just pulsed off and not fully dropped. The TC is never unlocking and it shifts locked to locked. Eventually the input shaft is going to take a trip in 2 pieces.

About all that can be done is rework the 3-4 shift accumulator to slow down the shift and allow the TC time to unlock. Results will vary with a lot of things, it never works the same on every truck. Aside form that, never use TH until you get into high gear. A loaded shift-lock to OD with TH will take the dust off the head liner under the right conditions.

 

[fox]

I just bought a 98 dodge 2500. It has a triple disc in it and like others have said the lock up is brutal on everything.
It also appears to have a bad sprag because it pulls at least 300 rpm out of it at idle.
Not a newby to rebuilding it but what would you suggest for a converter company, Cerb?
Pm maybe needed because of forum rules.
It is a 12 valve.

 

[cerberusiam]

I would spend $900 on a single disk before ever touching a $600 triple. They are built too cheap at that price as all you get is solid lockup. Goerends if you want a solid TC with some engineering instead mass production garbage. With a triple it is mandatory to work on the VB also or one ends with just what is being described here.

 

[fox]

Thanks. I'm familiar with Goerends and they do make a good if not the best products.
I was told many things about this truck when I bought it that are proving lies.
I bought it from Forest--Forest Gump!
It is a good truck but not given the attention I was told.
does it sound to you like the sprag is bad in this one?
I've never seen a p7100 truck get dragged down like this does, especially when the converter feels so loose at 30--60 mph before lock up.

 

[cerberusiam]

Yeah, it sounds like the staor sprag is bad. Normally when that happens you get really fast shifting in addition to the rpm drop in gear. Not all converters are created equal.

 

[ridgid]

I had a triple disc converter in my 02 and it worked well. I did have an upgraded Valve body as well. Really had no problem with this oem TC except the flex plate ripped the welded nuts off the back when it (flex plate) crapped out.

 

[WalterJ]

Been running a TD TC from "Precision of New Hampton, Inc. " since I wore out my OEM transmission & found 3 TC mounting lugs tearing away from OEM TC. [thank goodness i saw the slight oil leak 4 days before departing for FL trip!!] Local transmission shop, "GT Transmissions", rebuilt all to meet my RV hauling needs, which included a slightly lower "RV stall speed". They insisted upon a billet input shaft, everything else was "optional" based upon my wallet. transmission & TC has a 100,000K warranty if serviced every 2 years, preferably by them.



Any system will work as needed IF it's built as intended.



I wanted a TC & "heavy duty transmission" so I'd never have to look back, no matter what conditions forced me to do with my light duty diesel truck. Works fine--lasts a long time!



p. s. One thing I invested in, was a Derale Transmission Cooler, for meeting those crazy grades in slow traffic. IMHO, forget those fancy finned transmission pans - there is NO air flow when creeping up a grade in backed up traffic!

 

[JR]

I am very satisfied with the single my builder set me up with. Only regret I've got is not upgrading the input shaft when I had it built. At the time I was putting the wife through a 4 year degree and couldn't afford it. HP wise I'm not concerned with but I'm going to be installing a 351vgt in the near future.

 

[cerberusiam]

Triple disk in a pre-05 truck is WAAAAYYYYYYY different than in an 05+ truck. There is literally no comparison. The aggressiveness of the TH transmissions on the 3-4 shift is worlds apart betwen the groupings. What you get away with pre-05 is now just brutal.

 

[p-Bar]

Walter: put a manual lock up switch on the trans it will help on those pulls . I bought a Derale haven't installed it yet

Diesel for life: Your wife will buy you a new truck with that degree .....

Cerb: if I let off on the throttle a bit it's not so nasty when it shifts. My wifes head rocks pretty good like she's at a punk rock concert. P. S. I usually check the rearview mirrors for parts laying on the roadway after a good shift

 

[brillmtb]

So a triple disk on my 03 will shift better than those after 05? Is there a single disk that is superior to the stock one or to get a bullet proof set up for a near stock truck, smarty jr, for towing do I need to go to a triple? Dont like the posts about harsh shifting

 

[cerberusiam]

So a triple disk on my 03 will shift better than those after 05? Is there a single disk that is superior to the stock one or to get a bullet proof set up for a near stock truck, smarty jr, for towing do I need to go to a triple? Dont like the posts about harsh shifting

It will BUT a lot depends on how the VB and pressures are setup. ANY billet cover single disk is superior to stock. A stock TC is akin to the cheapest of the cheap line at parts store.

A good rule of thumb on converters; unless you are making big power and competing, or, towing at or close to max GCVW all day every day, a good high qulaity single will work just fine and have better manners all around. That has been my experience.

 

[JBallou]

Don't let the bad press about a 3 disk deter anyone. The valve body and trans need to be set up for one. I have a Garmon 3 disk and billet input, it shifts just fine into OD. No hard hitting when it locks. It is firm, but not slamming. I tow 10k with the Smarty turned up and watch the EGT. No hard hitting for me. But if you don't intend to do any power adders, or stay conservative a single should be just fine.

 

[ScottLewis]

cerberusiam,
What is your opinion of the ATS stage 1 package offered by DTT at about $4300?

 

[cerberusiam]

Link to it? The parts are pretty much commodity and you can buy them anywhere. The biggest cost on these transmisisons is the labor and knowledge to do them correctly so they last, thta is what most shops sell you. If you are buying kits then you have to shop around to see if they are jacking prices or offering things you cannot get anywhere else.

 

[ScottLewis]

http://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/...cummins.aspx?gclid=CImM46qy7b0CFVJffgodWVcAzg

My transmission is still holding up OK but I tow an 11K+ fiver about 75 - 80% of my miles and wonder how much longer my totally stock 48RE will last.

 

[SnoKing]

WHAT, someone used ATS and DTT in the same post???? And not ATS or DTT. Between the two it would be DTT. DTT however has become more of a parts supplier and less of a servicing company. They no longer have a shop that you can take your truck to!!!

Chris

 

[p-Bar]

danavilla if you are wanting a trans i would go to Inglewood transmission in Fullerton Ca. great guy uses all Goerend stuff knows 48 RE well. Very happy with mine