Dodge automatic tranny break through !

[Eldon]

Putting this here because don't see where else.

If you have a Dodge truck from the 98-2005 era with an auto, it's probably the not so great A618/47RE.

Aside from adding a bigger pan (Geno's garage) their other issue was "hunting" in the 38-45 mph zone between top gear and OD. Annoying and beat the heck out of the tranny.

The hunting was caused by stray RFI signals fooling the transmission controller.

The old cure was to remove, clean and di-electric grease coat every connection you could find. Also wrapping all the alternator leads and grounds in aluminum foil.

Now some smart guys have come up with a 2 wire RFI filter. One lead to the alternator hot lead, one to a really ggod ground. (I used the battery neg. terminal)

In my 01 Cummins 2500 4x4 with 100,237 miles I have been fighting this problem since new.

Installed the filter and drove around for an hour with the cruise on over hill and dale between 35 and 45.

NEVER hunted once. $70 bucks to your door, 15 minutes to install (get di-electric grease) from

TRNW
209-551-0599

Just maaaavelous !

[rancher1913]

or you could just not buy a dodge




sorry could not resist :Fire:

[Plate plinker]

310000 miles on my 47Re never rebuilt no problems. So far......

[DerekP Houston]

not sure what year but my dad has a dodge ram kicking around his garage, will pass on the info thanks!

[JasonYbarbo]

Good info will pass on to a friend

[Treetop]

Eldon, so where did you order the RF filter from? Geno's Garage? My 1999 has just recently started doing this again. I have already done all the other tricks suggested in your post and they worked for years until this week! Thanks, Treetop

BTW, welcome to thecastboolits forum!

[NavyVet1959]

Of course, if you had a manual transmission, you wouldn't have that problem.

[Eldon]

eldon, so where did you order the rf filter from? Geno's garage? My 1999 has just recently started doing this again. I have already done all the other tricks suggested in your post and they worked for years until this week! Thanks, treetop

btw, welcome to thecastboolits forum!

trnw
209-551-0599

[Eldon]

Of course, if you had a manual transmission, you wouldn't have that problem.

Thas right and if I rode a horse I would not either .... oops I do ride a horse.

[Eldon]

or you could just not buy a dodge




sorry could not resist :Fire:


Right I cuda bought one of those wonderful Fords instead and had the whole engine lunched by the watercooled EGR system OR a Duraflop and had the pistons melt trying to drag a loaded 4 horse slant up the Teton pass.

WE USE our trucks, and 85% around here are Dodge Cummins. Perfect ? no, but the best given what's available.

[Eldon]

Next project is to rebuild my Luke's Link on the tracking bar and replace the 4 other "joints" on the tie rod ends etc. with Luke's Links. Much better than OEM and tightens things up on a front end carrying a very heavy engine.

BTW, NEVER use Borgson steering shafts unless a near death experience is on your bucket list. Any device that would never be allowed to be installed on an airplane, has no business running a vehicle's front end on mother Earth ! Driving along at 70 and suddenly having no steering is an adventure I don't want to repeat.

[NavyVet1959]

Next project is to rebuild my Luke's Link on the tracking bar and replace the 4 other "joints" on the tie rod ends etc. with Luke's Links. Much better than OEM and tightens things up on a front end carrying a very heavy engine.

BTW, NEVER use Borgson steering shafts unless a near death experience is on your bucket list. Any device that would never be allowed to be installed on an airplane, has no business running a vehicle's front end on mother Earth ! Driving along at 70 and suddenly having no steering is an adventure I don't want to repeat.

Most automotive parts would not be allowed to be installed on aircraft because of FAA traceability requirements. That's not to say that some owners don't bend the rules with respect to non-critical components that just seem to "find their way" onto the aircraft and never make it through the log books. :)

[arlon]

I've got 200k on my 03 w/ Cummins. No issues yet.

[Treetop]

trnw
209-551-0599

Thanks, Eldon! Treetop

[FergusonTO35]

Got 240k on my '04 Dakota 4x4 auto and no problems so far. Don't know if it shares a tranny with the bigger trucks or not, I always found Mopar rear wheel drive autos to be among the better ones out there. Mopar front wheel drive autos=garbage.

[garym1a2]

This is a very good article. I brought my Exwife a 99 Dodge dually new in 1999.
Cummins 24V motor. I think it was about when the orginal alternator died that the tranny started acting up. She researched it and the filter (big capactor) solved the problem. The truck is now over 330K miles on the OEM tranny.

Putting this here because don't see where else.

If you have a Dodge truck from the 98-2005 era with an auto, it's probably the not so great A618/47RE.

Aside from adding a bigger pan (Geno's garage) their other issue was "hunting" in the 38-45 mph zone between top gear and OD. Annoying and beat the heck out of the tranny.

The hunting was caused by stray RFI signals fooling the transmission controller.

The old cure was to remove, clean and di-electric grease coat every connection you could find. Also wrapping all the alternator leads and grounds in aluminum foil.

Now some smart guys have come up with a 2 wire RFI filter. One lead to the alternator hot lead, one to a really ggod ground. (I used the battery neg. terminal)

In my 01 Cummins 2500 4x4 with 100,237 miles I have been fighting this problem since new.

Installed the filter and drove around for an hour with the cruise on over hill and dale between 35 and 45.

NEVER hunted once. $70 bucks to your door, 15 minutes to install (get di-electric grease) from

TRNW
209-551-0599

Just maaaavelous !

[silverjay]

DTT noise filter works as well. Put one on almost 10 years ago. Learned a few years ago that my sudden recurrance of issues was caused by alternator problems.

[popper]

Those RFI filters been around for a long time. Real problem is the alternators use a shunt regulator that puts out HV spikes. Replaced several GM computers as the internal regs couldn't take the spike. Used many filters when I was running the CB in the trucks. Sort story, auto elec. systems are built for cost not performance.

[Bookworm]

...
. Mopar front wheel drive autos=garbage.

My wife's daily driver, a 2001 Dodge Stratus with an Auto-magic trans, has 230,000+ on it. She puts ~100 miles/day on it.

How's that for garbage ?

[garym1a2]

The regulators in these Dodges are not in the alternators, they are in the ECM. These regulator are not shunt regulators, they are switching regulators driving the field coil of the alternator.The noise is caused by the switching noise in the Rectifier Diodes from the stators.

Those RFI filters been around for a long time. Real problem is the alternators use a shunt regulator that puts out HV spikes. Replaced several GM computers as the internal regs couldn't take the spike. Used many filters when I was running the CB in the trucks. Sort story, auto elec. systems are built for cost not performance.

[Eldon]

Most automotive parts would not be allowed to be installed on aircraft because of FAA traceability requirements. That's not to say that some owners don't bend the rules with respect to non-critical components that just seem to "find their way" onto the aircraft and never make it through the log books. :)

My point was simple. Any shaft like that on a plane would not rely on a pointed allen screw and a jam nut. The screw would be safety wired so it could not unwind and cause the shaft to drop off the steering shaft. Bad design, bordering on criminal, especially given the several reported incidents on the TDR website. Only the aive can comment ..... who know how many were killed by this ***.

[garym1a2]

My 2001 3500 has the M5 tranny, their problem is the input shaft. It makes it hard to go into 3rd gear with out double clutch. I was quoted over a K to fix it.
Of course, if you had a manual transmission, you wouldn't have that problem.

[popper]

garym - you speak of the standard alt/gen whine. I'm talking about the voltage spike you get from an inductive load dump like when the AC clutch kicks out. Last Dodge I had was a 86 360 known for water pumps, really low mileage and when a Champion plug went bad you thought it was ready to throw a rod. The filter I used was a big 2# filter, not the little bathtub capacitor they sell.

[garym1a2]

The alternator can create massive voltage spikes. When you put a heavy load on the unit and disconnect it, the voltage will spike. With the Densos being the worse.
Plus some the aftermarkets rectifiers for Denso are substandard. We would do a full load dump on every unit we made.

garym - you speak of the standard alt/gen whine. I'm talking about the voltage spike you get from an inductive load dump like when the AC clutch kicks out. Last Dodge I had was a 86 360 known for water pumps, really low mileage and when a Champion plug went bad you thought it was ready to throw a rod. The filter I used was a big 2# filter, not the little bathtub capacitor they sell.

[Lloyd Smale]

I know, Off Topic but have to say this. This spring when I bought my most recent truck I test drove a new dodge. Ive been a gm man all of my life but had myself convinced (well maybe fooled into thinking) that I'm might give a dodge a try. I actually went to the dodge dealer first and test drove one. I walked away know no dodge fore me. Want to know why? that STUPID twist knob to shift the transmission. Why dodge did something that stupid is beyond me. I admit I might have subconsciously been looking for a flaw to change my mind but it sure didn't take long to find it.

[dragon813gt]

All manufacturers are putting stupid features on vehicles these days. Push button start is at the top of my list of things I absolutely hate. It's not a matter of if it will fail, it's when.

[mold maker]

In 03 I traded my 73 Suburban for a new Dodge crew-cab. The old Chevy had faithfully taken me everywhere I wanted to go for over 30 years. The now 14 yr old Dodge has done the same although not having been quite as demanding because of my age. Even the original battery lasted 13 years. The transmission is flawless and the engine performs like new.
My gripe is the cooling system. It has cost me over $1600. to keep the engine cool, and me warm. A radiator and heater core, water pump, and 3 thermostats have been replaced.

[MyFlatline]

On my 3rd Dodge Ram and have really had no issues at all. Just traded the 04 2500 4x4 with 130K on it, Pulled a bunch of heavy loads and never had any problems. Now have a 17' Rebel, yes the gear shift knob is taking time to get use to but when you consider the electric shift, it makes perfect sense. Most complaints I read is that their phone won't work right, it's a damn truck. Sorry... I like the extra cab room for the most part, that's what sold me years ago. It's great to have choices tho.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup that's another stupid change. I had to chuckle the other day. I was on a chev silveado fourm that's mostly young guys. Someone asked what chev should do to make the Silverado better. Not one said something like put a tranny in it that's tough enough that you don't need torque management to pull power to keep it alive. Nope. Top two answers were push button start and a better info center.
All manufacturers are putting stupid features on vehicles these days. Push button start is at the top of my list of things I absolutely hate. It's not a matter of if it will fail, it's when.

[dragon813gt]

I can't get mad at a better info center. But push button start is ridiculous. I already have the keys out to unlock the vehicle. Let me put it in to start it up. I also have to take the keys out of my pocket to lock it when I'm done. Unless of course I left them in the center console.

I'm in a different rental car every week. The amount of stupid things on cars is staggering. I get mad at ease of Bluetooth connection or lack there of the most. For your personal vehicle you'd do it once and be done. But when I'm in a new car all the time in a foreign place it's nice to have the GPS directions come through the speakers. This is definitely a first world problem.

[garym1a2]

Think about whats in a keyswitch, lots of wires. Ign, start, run, ... In a push button start it a simple switch that is much cheaper to make and will be more reliable. The tranneys now days being all electronic, the gear shift will be an oversized switch.

[jmort]

"I'm in a different rental car every week. The amount of stupid things on cars is staggering."

This is so true except it's every few weeks for me. Before I even set out, I figure out a few things out. I have found that trying to do it on the fly can be a problem.

[Plate plinker]

Of course, if you had a manual transmission, you wouldn't have that problem.


The manual transmission from that time had a problem too.

[Plate plinker]

How did we ever get around no before computers were involved.

[Mal Paso]

I have an '04 Dodge Cummins with the switch for the Jacob Brake on the shift lever of the 6 speed manual. I can't imagine anything better.

Maybe an air horn. LOL

[dragon813gt]

How did we ever get around no before computers were involved.

A lot more inefficiently. Vehicles have gotten better as the years have gone by. That being said I have a 1983 VW GTI 16v running ITBs that runs flawlessly. Also have a 1992 VW GTI 16v that's boosted and running stand alone engine management. A lot more can go wrong w/ that one. The fancy electronics have made turbo charging easily doable and they sure are fun.

[garym1a2]

We drove cars that got 150hp and 12mpg. Now we can drive cars that get 450hp and 25mpg.

How did we ever get around no before computers were involved.

[Eldon]

My next car will be a minty 75'-85' "Roller" driven by an old man in Miami. Stored inside, no smoker, perfect body, 40-60K miles, 6.7 litre pushrod V8, Hydramatic tranny, cradeled in Connely hides, looking out over the Spirit of Ecstasy all for $15-20K. Only issue is hydero-pnumatic suspension which can be replaced by coilovers if need be.

My Luke's Links kits arrived, looking forward to tight non-wandering steering !

[SSGOldfart]

To late I've already had to rebuild my transmission at about 185,000.

[DerekP Houston]

How did we ever get around no before computers were involved.

I think it was horses :kidding:

[Lloyd Smale]

I'm not against technology. As a matter of fact anyone that read my posts on the new cars would see that I'm all for the newest muscle cars that blow away the old muscle cars and get 3 time the gas mileage doing it and last 200k instead of 60k!! that said I could care less if I had an info center or Bluetooth. Heck I still use a flip phone and its only used when I go to camp or on a trip. I think the electronics that aren't necessary for the running of the vehicle should be options. I could get by with a am/fm radio and don't even need a cd player. A push button start isn't going to be any simpler. It still needs wires and electronic that a key switch doesn't. don't need wifi, Bluetooth, I pod connections or sat radio. FM has all the music I need and they shouldn't be doing anything to make using a phone in a vehicle eaiser to use. What they should do is make using a phone in a vehicle a felony and inforce it. My new truck has all this junk. It also has adjustable peddles that is about useless. Back up camera (I do fine with a rear view mirror) trailer breaks (I don't have a trailer that needs them) Thing is most of this junk is either standard equip. or at least is on every truck on the lot. Id would have gladly paid 3 or 4k less and not had this junk. I guess part of it is back in the 70s when you bought a new vehicle you usually sat down with a dealer and ordered what you wanted. About everything was optional. Now if someone like me wants a v8 Silverado with a Z71 suspension you have to take all that extra **** that comes with it. Even if you order a truck individual options are rare. Everything is option packages so if you want say 373 gears you have to take a bunch of stuff you don't want with it. As to the dial shifting I just cant wrap my mind around rocking a truck that's stuck with a dial or plowing snow. It would be fine on a car but not on a truck. Ford and ram are no better then the chevs. Ever see that comerical about the dial the ford has to back up a trailer??? Or there cars that parallel park themselves. What happened to learning how to drive!! I was backing up trailers out in the woods when I was 13 years old. Learned how to parallel park in drivers ed. Don't need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to have it done for me. that God ill be long time dead when cars that drive themselves are common place. Some of us actually enjoy driving.

[starnbar]

For what it's worth the first vehicle I ever owned had a push button start it was under the gas pedal you oldtimers know what I am talking about don;t ya?

[mold maker]

For what it's worth the first vehicle I ever owned had a push button start it was under the gas pedal you oldtimers know what I am talking about don;t ya?

Now that is quite a memory jog. Mine wasn't under the gas peddle, but to the side and above it.
Hadn't thought of that in many years.

[dragon813gt]

I'm not against technology.......

Didn't want to quote everything again. The options you don't want are what most people want. They want Bluetooth. They want Apple Car Play. The days of a radio and CD player are dead. Bluetooth is a lot better than people holding their phone to their ear when driving. Hands free calling is legal so there is no need to make it a felony. It's the texting while driving that's really dangerous.

As far as options packages. This is simple economics. It's cheaper, read that as more profitable, for the manufacturers to produce a few different trim levels. Individual options slow the line down and cost the company more money. They can't charge enough, well what they want to charge, to make a "profit".

A lot of the things they're putting on cars are government mandated. I'm not really a fan of backup cameras. I can drive w/ mirrors just fine. But the backup camera in a work van where you can't see directly behind you is really nice to have. And unfortunately most people don't know how to drive properly. The proximity sensors prevent them from damaging your car when they are parallel parking. So there is some good that comes out of them.

I'll add another pet peeve. HVAC controls that are integrated into the "control center". I want physical buttons and knobs. Because the screen is eventually going to break. And it's going to happen years down the road when they aren't making them anymore. The cost to replace them is usually quite high. So instead of buying a new resistor pack for the HVAC blower for a few bucks you're spending thousands to replace the "control center". Lexus is known for this specific issue.

[garym1a2]

I am a big fan of modern tecnology. A backup camera is great at night or connecting to a trl. Blue tooth is cool also. With blue tooth and a $15 OB2 device from amazone I have a code reader. Maps and bluetooth are great on trips and traffic. So is Iheart radio. Traction control and active stabilty are life savers.

[mold maker]

Every vehicle I've owned with electronic do-dads cost way more and the do-dads were the first to go. Electric windows are a prime example. The driver's window motor (most used) always leaves ya with an open window in a rain storm.
My current truck was bought because it didn't have all that electronic garbage. I can use the handle to roll windows and a simple CD radio is enough. Not including all that fluff saved several payments and the lack of it drastically reduces maintenance, repairing and replacing frills and fancy.
I bought transportation, not lifestyle. Serious conversations aren't a part of driving, and the gentleman that taught me to drive in 1959 did it in a strait drive.

[Lloyd Smale]

As far as options packages. This is simple economics. It's cheaper, read that as more profitable, for the manufacturers to produce a few different trim levels. Individual options slow the line down and cost the company more money. They can't charge enough, well what they want to charge, to make a "profit".

you kind of hit on it. Packages make more money for the manufacturer and the dealer. Do you really think that packaging them all together gets you stuff for free? Nothing is free. If you have a back up camera, Bluetooth, power windows and locks, or an info center and don't need it your getting charged X amount for it and it cost gm or ford a fraction of that to put it in the truck. Because they put every truck that sits on the lot filled with this stuff doesn't mean your getting a bargain it means your wasting money. Some of this stuff I like. I wouldn't have a vehicle without ac for example but maybe someone in Alaska thinks that's a waste of money too. It shouldn't be shoved down there throats. As to hands free calling. How does that differ from holding a phone. Its not the fact your holding your phone that causes accidents its the fact that your mind is distracted by the conversation that does. Yes texting is a big cause too but id bet farting around with your ipod or phone and Bluetooth cause them too.

[dragon813gt]

Didn't say the the consumer was getting anything free. Simply said the manufacturers don't offer a la carte options because they make a greater profit on packages. Even though they are putting more options into the vehicles. You'd be a fool to think you were getting something for free.

[NavyVet1959]

All manufacturers are putting stupid features on vehicles these days. Push button start is at the top of my list of things I absolutely hate. It's not a matter of if it will fail, it's when.

I have no problem with push button start. We had that on trucks and tractors many years ago. Somewhere along the way they decided to make the ignition key do both operations -- giving it an "ON" and a "START" position. Hell, my aircraft even still has a separate start button and I don't think it's been in 40 years.

What I hate is the auto-start/auto-stop features of the new cars. What if you have a problem getting your car started, maybe a weak battery due to a problem with the alternator or whatever? You get the car started with a jump start, but on your way to the shop, the car decides to invoke the auto-stop feature to save fuel when you are stopped at a light and now you can't get the car restarted. *I* want to be in control of where my car stops, not some damn computer. I don't want to be stranded at some intersection because it decided that it would safe a couple of ounces of fuel. Especially since they don't give me the option for a manual transmission anymore of most of the American vehicles so I don't have the option to push start the vehicle.

[smokeywolf]

I generally like my Cummins diesel. Can't say the same about the piece of karp Bosch vp44 injection pump or the piece of karp Dodge that's wrapped around the both of them. I had the OD upshift-downshift/lock-unlock problem just a few months ago. Pulled the trans signal and alternator neg wire apart just an inch or so and viola, problem solved.

[NavyVet1959]

I recently installed a backup camera on my pickup. I already had replaced the factory AM/FM/CD with a unit with a flip up screen that could play DVDs (either video or with MP3s on the DVD) and it had RCA connectors that I could use for inputing alternative video and audio sources (allowed my daughter to use it for some video game she had). So, I already had the video capability and just needed a camera. I picked up a really cheap camera at Frys when I saw it on sale for less than $10, IIRC. It was pretty easy to install. I installed it so that the camera would always be on instead of just turning on when the transmission is put in reverse. The IR lights on it allow a lot better night vision than what I can see out of just the mirrors. For $10, it was worth giving it a try. What I really like about it is how close I can back into a spot without hitting the car or barrier behind me. I never had a problem backing up with just mirrors, but I probably left a bit more space between me and the object behind me than was really necessary due to not being able to see through the bed of the truck. The angle of the camera is such that I can even see part of my trailer hitch and since that is the rearmost part of the truck, I can get really close to something without hitting it. I think the next thing I want to do is add the same thing to the front bumper.

A few years back, I was looking for a car for my wife and I test drove the Range Rover Evoke. Their top of the line option package had quite a few external cameras on it. I seem to remember it having not just the standard rear view camera, but ones near the corners looking rearward from the front bumper and frontward from the rear bumper. Considering the lack of visibility through the rear and rear side windows, that's probably a good feature. I ended up not buying it because I wanted a bit more horsepower than that little Ford EcoBoost engine could give me.

These cameras are pretty cheap, but what the manufacturers charge for the systems is ridiculous.

Part of the problem is that the manufacturers insist on developing proprietary methods for connecting devices in the cars instead of going with an open approach. They might have this fancy display system where the GPS and everything else is integrated together, but if you want to add a new device to input into it, you are pretty much out of luck. It's not a simple matter of just running RCA terminal type cables to the back of the controller and it's not even a standard analog signal. If you want to add a device to it, you have to buy a converter for a couple hundred dollars.

[NavyVet1959]

I remember when some of the companies started buttons on the dash for shifting into 4WD instead of having a mechanical lever that directly did it. I didn't like that. It just seemed like it would be adding a point of failure.

I also didn't like when the starting putting buttons for control of a parking brake. I think they were no longer considering the *emergency* brakes and instead only for *parking*. I prefer a mechanical brake that will operate by a handle regardless of whether the engine is running or whether the computer is having a problem. Of course, this also give the the capability to lock up your rear tires on a slippery surface and intentionally swap ends if you are so inclined. :) Probably what I used to for mostly was to just reduce speed slightly without it causing my rear brake lights to come on.

[garym1a2]

Was it the VP44 bad or was it the cheap lift that would fail and take out the VP44?. The 99 Dodge 3500 I brought my wife went thru 3 VP44s. Two lift pumps, the factory in tank exchange and finally an airdog high flow fuel pump. 330k miles later the truck still runs but the bodies are ****.



I generally like my Cummins diesel. Can't say the same about the piece of karp Bosch vp44 injection pump or the piece of karp Dodge that's wrapped around the both of them. I had the OD upshift-downshift/lock-unlock problem just a few months ago. Pulled the trans signal and alternator neg wire apart just an inch or so and viola, problem solved.

[smokeywolf]

Was it the VP44 bad or was it the cheap lift that would fail and take out the VP44?. The 99 Dodge 3500 I brought my wife went thru 3 VP44s. Two lift pumps, the factory in tank exchange and finally an airdog high flow fuel pump. 330k miles later the truck still runs but the bodies are ****.

Some of each Gary. Cheap lift pump and a diaphragm in the VP44 that fails at the slightest imbalance of pressure. I replaced the VP44 about a year ago, but replaced the Dodge or Carter (whatever make) lift pump with a FASS unit.
So far, so good.
My Ram had 4 factory recalls in the first 2 years of ownership. One of those factory recalls included reprogramming the chip to cut my mileage by 7%.

Never another Dodge.

[Eldon]

Nothing wrong with the VP44 IF you relocate the lift pump back near the tank (Geno's Garage kit) so it pushes rather than sucks. (And doesn't get shaken apart by being mounted on the 5.9 vibrator. ) Also install a fuel pressure gauge. Replace the lift pump once it won't hold 10 PSI. Join TDR and you'll be way ahead on issues before they become expensive problems.

[garym1a2]

Her truck went thru many all these issues. The Airdog high flow pump seemed to have worked. It got the the Edge Attitude Controller with gauges setup to monitor fuel pressure. Oversize injectors. It now can make and hold 20 psi fuel pressure thru the complete RPM range.
The truck can make some real power, it will hold 39psi of boost thru the gears.
(Auto with 4:10 gear)

Nothing wrong with the VP44 IF you relocate the lift pump back near the tank (Geno's Garage kit) so it pushes rather than sucks. (And doesn't get shaken apart by being mounted on the 5.9 vibrator. ) Also install a fuel pressure gauge. Replace the lift pump once it won't hold 10 PSI. Join TDR and you'll be way ahead on issues before they become expensive problems.

[Eldon]

I am talking about a stock truck, not one hotrodded.

[smokeywolf]

I don't hotrod the truck. In fact, when I had the injector pump and supply or lift pump replaced, I had the injectors replaced also, with Bosch OEM injectors. I know that there's much more power to be had out of the Cummins 5.9, but if you want to release it, you better be ready to spend yet more money on a more robust transmission.

[Eldon]

More power from a 5.9 ???? (Chuckle). Suggest you join TDR. There are 1200 HP ones out there with stock bottom ends.

You are correct about the tranny. Big pan, stock HP, hunting elimination, sensible driving and it will work fine.

Funny how nobody remembers the duramaxes (?) melting pistons or the famous Ford water cooled emissions gizmos. Better a rebuilt tranny than a totaled engine ! Seen both in lesser brands. Here (7000' up plus, hauling stock and horses), 90% of vehicles are trucks and 90% of them are Cummins Dodges. Not many King Ranch driving soccer Moms.
here.

This is a truck:

201659

This is not:

201660

[pcolapaddler]

I'm not against convenience features like Bluetooth for cell phone and voice dialing. I lielke the concept of things like anti lock brakes. But I learned recently that those same anti lock brake controls can randomly apply themselves when an issue arises. No kidding. Not cool.

Next, with Internet connected systems, virus and other bugaboos can be in our future.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[dragon813gt]

But I learned recently that those same anti lock brake controls can randomly apply themselves when an issue arises. No kidding. Not cool.

Yep, if the speed sensors aren't sensing properly it's no fun. One on my truck was severely corroded and really acted up in the winter. I eventually fixed it. Don't drive the truck much. Thankfully you still have brakes no matter what. The ABS should eventually fault out and then you're left w/ conventional brakes.

[NavyVet1959]

Yep, if the speed sensors aren't sensing properly it's no fun. One on my truck was severely corroded and really acted up in the winter. I eventually fixed it. Don't drive the truck much. Thankfully you still have brakes no matter what. The ABS should eventually fault out and then you're left w/ conventional brakes.

Until some engineer thinks he can save a few ounces by going a bit more "drive by wire" and making brakes electrically operated. They've already done that with the 4WD and "parking brake" *buttons* these days.

[dragon813gt]

I like the 4WD buttons. They certainly don't replace locking hubs but they are convenient. Locking hubs weren't an option w/ my truck so I'm stuck w/ the button.

Now parking brake buttons are at the top of my pet peeve list. Good luck freeing one up that's seized in the winter. It's hard enough as an actual brake handle. And how are you supposed to do ebrake slides in a snowstorm in a parking lot if you don't have a physical handle [emoji6]

I'm pretty sure the NHTSA won't allow brakes to become "by wire". It's bad enough throttle by wire is allowed. If the throttle doesn't work it's not a emergency like the brakes not working.

[NavyVet1959]

Now parking brake buttons are at the top of my pet peeve list. Good luck freeing one up that's seized in the winter. It's hard enough as an actual brake handle. And how are you supposed to do ebrake slides in a snowstorm in a parking lot if you don't have a physical handle [emoji6]


They kind of quietly started changing the name of it to "parking brake" instead of "emergency brake" and that allowed them to make it electrically operated. Somewhere along the way, the engineers forgot that the brake was there as a backup to the hydraulic brakes, *just in case*. Doing an slide in a snow covered parking lot is just one of them. :) Remember the old TV shows where the cop car would do a quick 180 in basically a single lane and quickly drive off the other way? That's done utilizing the emergency brake.


I'm pretty sure the NHTSA won't allow brakes to become "by wire". It's bad enough throttle by wire is allowed. If the throttle doesn't work it's not a emergency like the brakes not working.

Well, until there is a software problem and the system thinks that it should go full throttle. Combine that with the electric gear selection rotating knob and the start-stop button and it's possible that you could get a car that was going full throttle in gear that also refuses to recognize the stop button. If this happens, what do you do? Pull out your gun and start shooting your engine, hoping to hit something critical that would cause it to stop? :) If you're on a highway and there are some of concrete barriers along the side of the road, I'm thinking move against one of them gradually and let it grind off the side of your car as it acts like a brake. Maybe drive into the median and hope it is soft enough that you will get stuck?

[Eldon]

Sounds like you need a 1960 truck. Forget the seat belts, anti-lock brakes, air bags, rollover standards, collapsing front ends and so on. Points, plugs and condenser .... who could wish for more !

[dragon813gt]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned their hate for automatic transmissions in general. They are great for a commuter car that spends time in lots of traffic. Other than that I hate them. DSGs may be quicker shifting but it kills your connection w/ the car.

Lack of automatic transmissions in Europe does make me happy. Granted I had a Kia last time and a Hyundai this time. But rowing through the gears is a pleasurable experience. I need to replace the fuel pump in my 92 GTI so I can run through windy back roads at full boost [emoji2]

[NavyVet1959]

Sounds like you need a 1960 truck. Forget the seat belts, anti-lock brakes, air bags, rollover standards, collapsing front ends and so on. Points, plugs and condenser .... who could wish for more !

Well, my plane still has a magneto and it works perfectly well. And even if the battery is *completely* dead, I can still hand prop it. Many cars today will not run if the battery is completely dead. I discovered this on a car nearly 30 years ago when it lost the fan belt that went to the alternator. The continued running for quite awhile, but then it just quit when the battery had been discharged completely.

[NavyVet1959]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned their hate for automatic transmissions in general. They are great for a commuter car that spends time in lots of traffic. Other than that I hate them. DSGs may be quicker shifting but it kills your connection w/ the car.

Lack of automatic transmissions in Europe does make me happy. Granted I had a Kia last time and a Hyundai this time. But rowing through the gears is a pleasurable experience. I need to replace the fuel pump in my 92 GTI so I can run through windy back roads at full boost [emoji2]

Oh, we've had that discussion in other threads. I much prefer a manual transmission. I prefer the control it gives me on what gear I'm going to be in on hills and I find that I get better gas mileage than the same car with an automatic, even if the manufacturer says that their automatic gets better gas mileage. It's also nice to have the option to push start it if the battery is dead. Plus, these days, a manual transmission acts as a theft prevention device since the young punks that try to carjack cars don't know how to drive a standard. :)

[Lloyd Smale]

days of the advantages to sticks is almost a history note. Todays auto give better gas mileage and with computer control the shifting far better then your human mind can. Its why even something like a hellcat or z06 corvette is quicker in a straight line and in the corners with an automatic. Not only that but gas milage is no different anymore because an auto shifts again with a couputer that knows what the optimal rpm to shift is and don't have the slip when shifting that the older autos had. Same with a 4x4. What they do is take one of the things away from you that you have to be paying attention to when 4 wheeling and do the job better then you can (at least a good one anyway) these new autos aren't the power glide slush boxes of the 60s. There engineering marvels. I know some are old school and to a point I am too. Id still prefer an old 4 speed muscle car to an automatic in the same but that's because there just fun to row. I don't fool myself into thinking that I'm smarter then these new ones though. even back them before computer autos you had to be darned good with a hurst to beat an auto in the quarter with the same motor.
Well, my plane still has a magneto and it works perfectly well. And even if the battery is *completely* dead, I can still hand prop it. Many cars today will not run if the battery is completely dead. I discovered this on a car nearly 30 years ago when it lost the fan belt that went to the alternator. The continued running for quite awhile, but then it just quit when the battery had been discharged completely.

[6bg6ga]

I know, Off Topic but have to say this. This spring when I bought my most recent truck I test drove a new dodge. Ive been a gm man all of my life but had myself convinced (well maybe fooled into thinking) that I'm might give a dodge a try. I actually went to the dodge dealer first and test drove one. I walked away know no dodge fore me. Want to know why? that STUPID twist knob to shift the transmission. Why dodge did something that stupid is beyond me. I admit I might have subconsciously been looking for a flaw to change my mind but it sure didn't take long to find it.

So far 4 pages on why I would never own a Dodge or other chrysler product.

[NavyVet1959]

days of the advantages to sticks is almost a history note. Todays auto give better gas mileage and with computer control the shifting far better then your human mind can. Its why even something like a hellcat or z06 corvette is quicker in a straight line and in the corners with an automatic. Not only that but gas milage is no different anymore because an auto shifts again with a couputer that knows what the optimal rpm to shift is and don't have the slip when shifting that the older autos had. Same with a 4x4. What they do is take one of the things away from you that you have to be paying attention to when 4 wheeling and do the job better then you can (at least a good one anyway) these new autos aren't the power glide slush boxes of the 60s. There engineering marvels. I know some are old school and to a point I am too. Id still prefer an old 4 speed muscle car to an automatic in the same but that's because there just fun to row. I don't fool myself into thinking that I'm smarter then these new ones though. even back them before computer autos you had to be darned good with a hurst to beat an auto in the quarter with the same motor.

We've had this discussion before. I still prefer a manual and I find that with *my* style of driving, I get better fuel economy with a manual than with an automatic. One thing that I particularly hate about automatics is that they will downshift when *they* think it is appropriate on a hill. Quite often, I want a particular gear and I just want it to stay in that gear and throttle setting and settle for whatever speed it gives me up the hill. With an automatic, it decides to downshift to make it up the hill. And then there is the issue of coming down a long descent where it is nice to be able to use engine braking instead of riding the brakes.

My wife's BMW and her Cayenne Turbo before it transmissions that could be operated purely automatic or in this sort of semi-manual mode where you could shift between the gears, but you didn't need to press a clutch. That's better than a purely automatic transmission, but I still prefer a purely manual transmission. The only time I ever had a problem with driving a manual transmission was the month that I recently spend in the UK and Scotland. I kept reaching for the gear shift with my right hand and rolling down the right window instead. It takes awhile to get used to shifting with your left hand. :)

[Eldon]

You will note that multi 100 thousand dollar cars come with paddle shifters NOT manual transmissions.

They are better, faster and so on. Even on my 01' Cummins the auto is loads better, no feathering the clutch, no mucking about trying to decide what gear is appropriate, and so on. manuals are for "cool" people, not for people who understand modern engineering.

[Desertbuck]

I own a 2006 Dodge 3500 with a Cummins 5.9 in it and it has the 48RE. The man who owned it before me was smart enough to make a drain plug on the tranny pan. It's not hunting for gears on me. But it's only got about 80,000 miles on it.
And in my humble opinion the Cummins 5.9 is the most reliable diesel engine and there coupled with reasonably welbilt trucks. But there weakest link is the transmission. So what I do is change the tranny fluid every 12,000 to 16,000 miles as well as the filter. Do that and you should have a carefree 200,000 mi transmission.
I actually bought this 2006 because I tried newer 2011-2012 trucks that were actually cheaper than the truck I bought! But I didn't like the way they feel or the way they sounded. They didn't feel like a truck should. And that turn knob 4WD ***! Also DEF!!! Come on! No wonder they can't keep the much newer trucks out of the shop.
Apparently I lucked out big-time. I grew up around the old 12 valve 5.9 and saw the advance into the 24 valve. Farmers abused these trucks and they refused to stop running. I ended up getting the last generation of the 5.9 Cummins and probably the last of the reasonably low computerized trucks, what I mean by that is the only thing that is computer controlled is the injectors and dash instruments the rest of the truck is honestly in its essence old fashioned still.

[NavyVet1959]

You will note that multi 100 thousand dollar cars come with paddle shifters NOT manual transmissions.

They are better, faster and so on. Even on my 01' Cummins the auto is loads better, no feathering the clutch, no mucking about trying to decide what gear is appropriate, and so on. manuals are for "cool" people, not for people who understand modern engineering.

Or manuals are for people who *do* understand modern engineering and want something more reliable and that responds to what *they* want the vehicle to do instead of what some engineer with possibly completely different objectives *thinks* the vehicle should do.

It all depends upon your style of driving and whether the journey is important to you or just getting to the destination. The first vehicle I ever drove was a manual and that was over half a century ago. Damn, it sounds like a long time when you say it like that.

Here's a photo of a similar one. I think ours probably looked that good when it was brand new, but by the time I was driving it, it had been well used at that point. :)

http://images.spambob.net/navy-vet-1959/ford-8n-tractor-320h.jpg

[Eldon]

The 12 valve was the best and will be one of the few vehicles running after the NOKO EMP bomb goes off.

[Desertbuck]

The 12 valve was the best and will be one of the few vehicles running after the NOKO EMP bomb goes off.

You know I remember reading something I can't remember where but they did some testing with non-nuclear generated EMP and modern vehicles. I think it took place in 2007 2008? They found that a running vehicle would shut off if an EMP occurred while you were driving, if it's just sitting in your garage no problem. If it was running pull over to the side of the road cycle the key ignition on and off once or twice and the computer will reset itself then the vehicle will start again. Depending on where you're at at the time would be sheer luck!
I'll do some searching on the web to see if I can find it. But I remember the conclusion was that the computer was protected buy the metal body of the vehicle which insulated it from EMP reasonably well. They also did testing on small houses. Cell phones and anything plugged into the power grid would fry. Because they have no metal of any kind to dissipate the electrical charge. So apparently if your vehicle is mostly metal and its brain is located fairly close to the engine compartment you're fairly safe. Just cycle your ignition a couple of times and drive away.

[Idaho45guy]

When I was buying my Ram 1500 in 2015, it was a leftover 2014 model that they reduced the price on. It had the 6spd auto with the regular column shifter and the salesman was trying to convince me to go with the new 8spd. I looked at one, saw that goofy dial, and declined. Hopefully by the time mine wears out, they will have replaced that stupid dial. 38k miles and it's been a great pickup. Very happy with it so far.

My other vehicle is a 1989 Jeep Wrangler with the old 4.2 inline six, a 5spd manual, power nothing except for steering and brakes, and it even has a carburetor. Only thing I wish it had was ABS. But, I don't plan on driving it much this Winter with a wheelbase not much longer than my arm span.

New truck prices are absolutely ridiculous these days. Sticker on my 4x4 1/2-ton 4dr with few options in 2015 was $37k. Fords and Chevys similarly equipped were over $40k. My dad's Chevy 1-ton dually Duramax crew cab was over $70k. Just incredible...

[mold maker]

In my lifetime, I've owned 2 new vehicles.
First was a 73 Suburban that I traded for a new 03 Dodge.
With the prices charged today, the now 14 yr old Dodge had better last the rest of my life. So far it only has 73K miles. Mostly as a school transport, and to Drs.