Which Valve Body is Best? Round 2!

[Archive]

Hello, me again under my other username from work. WWWOOOOOOWWWWWWW! Did I start something? I can see there are varying opinions. Unfortunately, my wallet is not quite as full as others on this site. I am not trying to pull a house, nor do I need my truck to make me Pi** my pants(but that would be way cool).
I am just concerned about my transmission. It is nice to have options, but It is very expensive to pick the wrong one.
I buy the truck used. It runs good. It has a little more zip than my 97, until the Banks stinger kit went on the 12 valver. I get greedy, want 4WD, get the 3500 24 valver. Too slow, I am use to the Banks, so I get this "Magic Box". Hey, that works great, for 2 weeks, and DC, here I come. I need a pump.
I just see this as a transmission potential hazard waiting to happen. To lock or not lock?
Us new guys, and I am sure there are many more out there reading, wondering which supplier is selling a product, and which is trying to sell a service, in order to get a customer for life?
It is nice to have power, but not at the expense of durability. I have had the truck 3 months, and it has been to dc twice already. my little wife drives the thing 90% of the time.
These replacement and aftermarket suff is BIG BUCKS.

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[csutton7]

my round 2 common sense approach: it seems to me if you buy a vb & tc from someone, but that said someone wants you to buy a tc lock up device--what does that say about their tc-it needs help? I don't know, but it doesn't make sense to me--plus if you forget to turn the dang lock up off at certain times your transmission is in pcs--to me I don't want to have to worry about turning something off so that I won't destroy my transmission & then turning it on to get the perf. As for the valve body-he!! I don't know. I just want something that's compatible with my tc and together these things make my transmission stronger which makes my truck better. I don't know much about auto trannys except they need a filter & fluid change every now & again and that you don't need to push a clutch pedal down(big thing in rush hour traffic)to make it go, but I did want to make my transmission as bullet proof as possible for my style of driving. Now that being said I know that DTT builds the tc & vb to your driving & towing habits--what the other guys do I don't know-maybe they do the same-maybe not---but there a lot of TDR guys ordering & using DTT products--just as there are a lot of guys using other products--I don't work for nor do I represent any product from the TDR-I just read a zillion posts on transmission products & other stuff and that's how I ended up with a DTT vb & tc along with a couple of other goodies---who ever you pick do your research as only you know what you need. I also think that early on when guys started bombing their trucks a tc lock up device made sense & now we have more options, but I could be wrong----good luck---my vote is still DTT & I'm sorry if I stepped on any toes----chris

[This message has been edited by csutton7 (edited 02-14-2001). ]

 

[jaybo]

You must do something to raise the line
pressure or you will slip clutches. Various valve bodies and kits are available as you
already know. If you use bombed power with
a stock tc you will cause overheating of the
fluid. Use more fluid (bigger pan) or install an aftermarket aux. cooler. I like
to lock mine up because it's cheap to do
and makes no heat, but their are potential
problems in locking up like ruining your tc if the lockup clutch slips/fails. Various vendors have different approachs but they
all require a new tc and modified valve body.
If you truly believe you are your own warranty station when you bomb, then go ahead and lock it up manually. You will eventually want a different tc anyway and if you wreck
the stock one its just an excuse to get a new
and better one. A total transmission rebuild
or replacement is 2 or 3K and you will pay
nearly 1500 to have a new tc installed. As to who is best refer back to Round 1 and fire
at will. In my opinion, Dodge specifically
recommends not using exhaust brakes because
people tend to pull the lever into 2nd going
down a hill with the exhaust brake on. This creates excessive heat unless the tc is locked, and Dodge makes the truck free-wheel at no throttle to save fuel. You clearly
must lockup the tc to use an exhaust brake
successfully. Whether you lock up with the
pedal down is a different matter as you can tell from the rowdy discussion earlier. Braking horsepower is no where near that of
acceleration and the use of lockup in the braking application is not nearly as controversial.

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Jay Bennett Jay Bennett's Home Page

 

[jaybo]

I forgot to add that I sell a lockup kit for $60. I sell a whopping 3 or 4 a month. I really don't care if it makes any money, I just do it because I believe it's beneficial for many people and I wanted to make something that didn't bring in that darn check engine light. It is true that you can kill the engine by forgetting to turn it off when you stop. I don't believe this causes any more damage to the drive train than killing the engine by letting out the clutch on a manual that is in gear. No engine has a lot of power at idle... .

 

[RollCast]

I don't normally post reviews on products I have on the boards. I feel this one is way to important and costly. Below is a letter I sent to Bill Kondolay of DTT. Needless to say the letter says it all, just whish I could say more... ... ... ... .




Hi Bill,

I'm not sure where to start... ... maybe the beginning. I first spoke with you about improving the reliability of my transmission in my 2001 Dodge Ram, you were most concerned in meeting my needs. At your suggestion I ordered one of your valve bodies and waited for its arrival. The instructions that came with the valve body are excellent and installing it was an easy job. The governor solenoid was bad on the new valve body, you were there right by my side getting the problem resolved, even though it was on Saturday and you were at home.

Next was the torque converter which I had installed by my local transmission shop. It was a joy taking that first test drive, the difference in the performance was unbelievable. After the upgrades I noticed I had a slight shudder and after many conversations on the phone you help solve this problem. The 'Lube Guard' you recommended worked like a charm. I now have the smoothest and the best performing transmission I have ever driven. I don't think my words here really do justice to the customer service level you and your company have displayed.

I now believe that the truck I have will provide many years of reliably service. I no longer worry about the transmission as being the weak link. Once again my many thanks... ... you are a class act, best of luck.



Regards
Gary Haley
Conley, Georgia

 

[Bob Wagner]

DTT is the BEST! Period!

 

[Gohon]

Watch it guys, this thread will get locked soon also. I thought we had gotten through that mess several months back. Just when I'm getting a handle on which product might be the best the thread gets locked down just because there is a little elbow action.

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1999, 2500 QC 4X4, Driftwood,Auto, Stock, Cab High Shell, Tow Package, Camper Package.

 

[KatDiesel]

<font color=blue>The other thread was "locked" before it got carried away. It was "borderline" when it got locked, could have went either way. Since there was some valuable info in the thread it was locked, not moved or deleted.

This thread will remain open as long as it stays civil.

 

[K_Arts]

As Kat said... I'll keep this civil

I can't compare products that I have not tried out, but I can say one thing "NO ONE CAN COMPETE WITH THE LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT BILL K PROVIDES!!!

Kev

 

[TXRam]

Ditto to everything above about DTT and Bill K. , and his family for their patience the many, many times I and others call Bill at home with questions, etc.

I bought one of Bills first valve bodies (I had a PE and 275 injectors), and it stopped all of the problems (i. e. , slipping) with my TC.

I finally bought his TC and had it installed last weekend - all I can say is "WOW"!

Like a previous post said "do your own research" . . . I did my own, and don't regret my decisions.

Thanks again Bill.

 

[Fred Swanson]

ctdodgeram, you asked a simple question, which gets opinions flowing, and talk about items off the subject. You asked which VB is the best, and you don't want to worry about screwing things up, and you don't want to change it more than once.

Simple fact, if you need a manual device to do what your transmission should do on its own, something is wrong.

Straight-forward, a VB/TC combination is the best thing for the stock Dodge transmission, bar none. Everyone knows its weakest points are these 2 items. Replace them with a good product, and drive it sanely, and you should get lots of miles and life out of the transmission. Drive it crazy, and it won't last just like anything else that is abused.

With that said, I feel the best product that addresses these 2 items, by being designed to compliment each other is the DTT VB&TC.

Just the facts, and no bull. Ask ANYONE who has this setup, and you'll get the same answer, the best setup they've ever seen and owned.



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Fred Swanson
Co-Owner
Canyon State Components, LLC
www.canyonstatecomponents.com

'00 QC,SB,4x4,Auto,3. 54 w/LSD,Trailer Package, Tow Package, DTT's VB & TC

 

[ctdodgeram]

Thanx for the info. I realize anyone can abuse anything. Nothing is bullet-proof.

I will consider all opinions.

I just have to slip this by momma.

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1998. 5 3500, Q/C, ISB, 4x4, Blue Box, 40% Helped, guaged-out, chrome everywhere, 5" BIG Tip, Westin, Autometer, Covercraft, Big Ram

 

[Hootguy]

My 2 cents,,,
I have been on both sides of this debate,,,i have a Dunnrite TC and his recommended Transgo shift kit. Customer service was good when i was buying the stuff. . The came the problems,,,customer service,,,yeah right,,i called Dunnrite and i was talked to like i was an idiot... not impressed,,,,i work on racing equipment worth a @$%^ of a lot more than some $3000. oo transmission,,,,i don`t believe i should be spoken too like i`m some kind of moron who doesn`t know anything..... I finally broke down and called Bill kondolay,,,not expecting any help since i have a competitors equipment,,,to my surprise Bill tried to call me back about 5 times before reaching me,,,,all to help me with someone else stuff,,,now that`s customer service,,bar none,,Bill explained everything in detail to me,,,never once tried to sell me his stuff,,,ever,,,
In the end,,if you want customer service,,worry free,,,i stongly recommend Bill. And sice there`s is talk on Bill and Lawrence of Diesel Dynamics collaborating on different projects,,,,there will only be one place to get the straight goods,,,Diesel Dynamics and DTT,,,the best of both worlds. .
OK,,naybe more than my 2 cnts,but i`ve been annoyed by so many other vendors,that when i finnaly get someone just wanting to help. . i can`t help but to let eveyone know about them. .

 

[John]

That's a pretty strong testimonial for DTT, Hooter69. #ad
As I've stated in many posts before, Bill went WAAAAYYYYY beyond what would be considered excellent customer service for me! In fact, Stefan Kondolay has too! Thanks guys you are the best! #ad


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John Treibel
'98. 5 2500 QC 4x4 Sport, Glasstite Vision II, 285 BFG A/Ts on M/T Challengers, Warn 4X Boards, Mopar fender flares & tow hooks, NW Custom s/s-rubber mud flaps and accs. , Mag-Hytec diff. cover & trans. pan, Edelbrock IAS shocks, Reese Titan V hitch, SPA gauges (3), Dynamat, '00 Sport grille and headlights/PIAA Super White bulbs, PIAA Dual Sport 900 aux. lights, BD exh. brake, Amsoil Dual Remote Bypass, Optima Yellow Tops, DD3s/DD Boost Module, Aeroquip AQP braided s/s fuel hoses, Banks High-Ram intake manifold and 14 cm2 turbine housing w/Big Head wastegate actuator, ATS 3-piece exh. man. , Banks 4" dia. s/s exh. sys. , DTT 93% TC, DTT custom tuned VB, BD modified trans. front pump (enhanced by DTT), Air Bulldog induction hood (with NACA ducts), plus MANY other trick modifications

 

[K_Arts]

I agree with you 100% John... except not only where Bill, Stefan and Shanti great to me as a customer.

But on a personal level, I can not begin to tell you how much the DTT family (Bill, Shanti, Stefan, Vinnie and Darren) looked over us and treated us as family. Let's just say this. When the truck was being worked on Vinnie's wife actually showed up to the shop and took my wife shopping cause she knew (from a womans perspective) how boring it was hanging around the shop. I mean. . these people just took us underneath their arms and welcomed us in as we were part of the family. To me... I couldn't ask for more!!!!

The DTT family will always be part of my family!!!!

Kev

[This message has been edited by K_Arts (edited 02-16-2001). ]

 

[John]

I know what you mean Kevin, I met Bill, Shanti and Darin for Breakfast before we went to the shop... Shanti wouldn't even let me pay. Vinnie wasn't there as he was back at the shop adding the trans. cooler line with the integral temp. port to a customers Ram prior to his vacation departure... for NO additional cost! They had installed the compression fitting arrangement for the temp. sensor the day before however, Bill didn't want his customer leaving on a long trip (or from the shop for that matter) with anything but the best possible components. Possible failures are not something they want to look forward to... especially when there is a proven component designed specifically for the job. Anyway, I looked at the fitting they installed in the customers OE line (after it had been removed) and it was installed perfectly. It's attention to details such as this that separate the best from all the rest. #ad


Here's the best part; my DTT upgrade was initiated with a phone call from Bill wanting to know if I was still satisfied with my BD V10/Cummins hybrid TC he had developed while in his final months at BD. I answered that I was only marginally happy with the performance of all my BD components and was thinking of calling him in the next several weeks anyway to discuss what the DTT upgrades could offer me (in performance) and how bad it was going to hurt ($). At that point I had only had the BD transmission upgrades for a little over 9 months. I couldn't believe it when Bill offered to change out my BD TC and VB for the DTT components of my choice for what seemed like next to nothing (with absolutely NO strings attached). Can you believe that???? Bill wanted to make sure I was still happy with a TC I purchased from another company (BD) and would warrant same even though he had NO legal, much less moral obligation to do so. How in the He!! can you possibly beat customer service like that???? That's right, YOU CAN'T! Realistically, have you EVER heard of someone providing warranty service to someone who purchased a product from a different company? #ad
#ad
In addition, there was nothing wrong with my BD TC or VB... I just wanted better transmission performance.

Consequently, I'm still in awe of the quality and performance of the DTT components, the quality of workmanship of Bill, Vinnie and Darin, the hospitality of Shanti and Stefan and all the other family members that stopped by that day to say hello. I had a blast and it will be a day I WILL NEVER FORGET! Thanks, You are the best!

PS: to all you shooters out there... I thought I'd never say this however, DDT's customer service is even better than Dillon Precision's... SUBSTANTIALLY BETTER (if you can imagine that). #ad
#ad
#ad


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John Treibel
'98. 5 2500 QC 4x4 Sport, Glasstite Vision II, 285 BFG A/Ts on M/T Challengers, Warn 4X Boards, Mopar fender flares & tow hooks, NW Custom s/s-rubber mud flaps and accs. , Mag-Hytec diff. cover & trans. pan, Edelbrock IAS shocks, Reese Titan V hitch, SPA gauges (3), Dynamat, '00 Sport grille and headlights/PIAA Super White bulbs, PIAA Dual Sport 900 aux. lights, BD exh. brake, Amsoil Dual Remote Bypass, Optima Yellow Tops, DD3s and DD TTPM, Aeroquip AQP braided s/s fuel hoses, Banks High-Ram intake manifold and 14 cm2 turbine housing w/Big Head wastegate actuator, ATS 3-piece exh. man. , Banks 4" dia. s/s exh. sys. , DTT 93% TC, DTT custom tuned VB, BD modified trans. front pump (enhanced by DTT), Air Bulldog induction hood (with NACA ducts), plus MANY other trick modifications

[This message has been edited by John (edited 02-16-2001). ]

 

[K_Arts]

Originally posted by John:
I know what you mean Kevin, I met Bill, Shanti and Darin for Breakfast before we went to the shop... Shanti wouldn't even let me pay.

Yeah tell me about it. I can't tell you how many times we all went out and got food... . and not once would Shanti take my money. I was start'n to feel bad... .

CTdodgeram... . trust us, just listen to what everybody is saying. If you end up going with DTT... you will not regret it. Their system is beyond great and the service is even better!

Kev