After searching about, found that I can buy a master rebuild kit for my van for 146 bucks and a torque converter for 100 bucks (just to be on the safe side). Me and a neighbor are going to undertake rebuilding this thing since there's not even one of these transmissions in any junkyards for about a 100 mile radius.
We are both new to rebuilding an auto tranny, but both mechanically inclined and do all the other work on our vehicles. I just have a few questions for anyone with experience.
Are there likely to be any kind of special tools we'll need to undertake this task?
Which of the many books on rebuilding it are good? We've found several service manuals for the transmission and we're not sure which will suit the needs of a rebuild the best. The sooner we get one in our hands, the better. We both want to go over the process before we actually do it.
Thanks again for the help. Once it's back on the road, I'll clean it up and get a pic uploaded in the appropriate spot. Maybe even put my other vehicle up as well, 93 Dodge Ram D250...it's rusting out pretty good and has some issues, but none of those issues have to do with drivetrain thankfully (runs off to find some wood to knock on).
Dodgevanman
04-03-2008, 10:21 AM
Pick up a factory service manual off of Ebay...you can find the pretty cheap.
B-300
04-03-2008, 12:48 PM
You will need a press to rebuild the OD section... The factory has a special standoff to press against it... I have used small sockets and a plate to do the same.
A good external snap-ring pliers and torx driver for the valvebody.
I have used C-clamps to compress the front clutch, a plate with sockets will also work.
A dial indicator will also be helpful to measure end play and clutch clearances.
I would install a shift kit for reliability and firmer shifts (less wear,longer life.)
Also don't forget to flush the transmission cooler.
Set the front and rear clutch clearances to the low side for longer life.
Alright, I've ordered the manual and it should be here tomorrow or Tuesday. I'm now running into problems getting the kit. It appears that none of the local car parts stores can even get a master kit, only a overhaul kit and even the dealerships say that they can't get em. Apparently they do, cause they rebuild transmissions all the time. I think they are giving my girlfriend the run around to try to get her to take the van there. I work long hours with only Sunday as my given day off, so she's had to undertake trying to find the kit. What recommendations would you all make that has good quality master kits at a decent price along with also torque converter and possibly a shift kit for longer lasting reliability (with a 2 year waiting list on clinicals, she'll not be through college till around 2012).
I've seen that I should prolly plan on replacing the check ball on the cooler lines, so I'll need to find one of those as well.
alloro
04-06-2008, 01:34 PM
What are you looking to get from a master rebuild kit that isn't in an overhaul kit?
lordgotmilk
04-06-2008, 09:07 PM
I suppose a working transmission that will last for a while. Seems to me if we have to take it apart enough to put in new clutches, then steels and other parts increase the likelyhood of it lasting longer.
Dodgevanman
04-07-2008, 07:44 AM
Here you go. Mancini Racing.
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/trovki.html
alloro
04-07-2008, 09:33 AM
That's an overhaul kit as well, not a master kit, just like this one for less.
http://www.autorepairmanuals.biz/site/573683/page/682095
lordgotmilk
04-07-2008, 09:51 PM
Ended up buying one from a Dodge Dealer that lists with Ebay. It was right in the same price range as the one from autorepairmanuals.biz and it was overnighted to us, so it will be in tomorrow. Aside from any hard parts and such we discover that need replaced, I'm just looking for the torque converter and shift kit. I see Transgo mentioned alot on the forums here. Due to finances, I'm prolly not gonna be able to pony up the $120+ for one. Anyone had any luck with the jr shift kit that is also everywhere online? Any others I should look to price?
By the way, Thanks guys for putting in your 2 cents. I've always worked on my own cars (ran a 1988 Dodge Omni over 600k miles), but auto trannies are a bit new to me. Now it's all I own. In fact, they are very similar. My truck is a 93 D250 with the 5.2 and I believe it has the 46RH (not 100% sure on that yet).
alloro
04-07-2008, 10:04 PM
Listen, I know you're trying to save money by not replacing the TC, but I think you should reconsider that decision. The simple reason being is that you don't know what's inside of it. There could be broken blades or there could be loose metal particles. I'd hate to see you rebuild the whole tranny just to have it fail in a short amount of time.
lordgotmilk
04-08-2008, 09:06 AM
I plan to replace the TC. Just trying to find one at a price I can afford. Same with the shift kit. I'm finding a few packages labeled as shift correction kits.
I was asking more directly about the shift kit, because I can't even find one through local sources, so like the rebuild kit, I'm gonna have to order it online. This morning I should have word from the local Napa about the TC and if it's still overpriced (initial pricing they gave was around $450 and they agreed that wasn't right, so they have been looking for me). If worse comes to worse, I can get a reman TC at Autozone for $119.
As far as the shift kit, I have found some transgo products that were around $62, but not sure on if it's what I'm needing. I remember reading that the shift kit doesn't require opening it up, but what I'm finding are parts that appear to go into the valve body. I'll, of course be opening it up, just wanna make sure I get a kit that does what I want, which is to firm up the shifts so that it lasts longer.
alloro
04-08-2008, 09:45 AM
What is the year, engine, and sub-model of this van, (1500, 2500, 3500), that this 46RE you're rebuilding is in?
RamVanMan
04-08-2008, 02:41 PM
I've read the posts here, and I'd like to make a simple comment, that would have saved me $ 1200 + if I had 'only known !', beforehand.
If you tow or even run your van hard, don't go 'cheap' on the torque converter. A cheap converter will disentegrate upon high stress, and ruin the whole works.
I had a budget job on my 1996 B 2500 - tranny rebuild, bench job. The shop did a fine job - great work, in fact. But, the owner, sensing I was budget challenged, sourced me a converter that only cost about $ 90 wholesale cost. I didn't discover that until my helper & I were about to put it all together. I wondered if it would hold up under long interstate driving & some moderate towing.
It did NOT. In fact it failed in less than 10,000 miles, taking the whole tranny with it.
What killed it was towing a U-haul trailer - maybe 3500 lbs from Texas to California. I even babied it, going 60-65 mph.
I recalled the guys from my TDR Cummins Ram club who build their bulletproof 48 RE's could spend up to a $ 1000 for a titanium torque converter to handle the 1200 - 1500 lb / ft of torque the Cummins can muster.
Not that I needed that much, in my B2500 conversion van, but the $ 90 price told me I was buying the bottom rung of the quality ladder.
Ok, so the same shop did the next rebuild, and this time I said "get me the heavy duty one, NOT the cheap one" and he did at a wholesale cost of $ 275, which seemed very reasonable price to pay for peace of mind.
The result has been a very excellent performing van that now tows well. I just towed a trailer weighing 6,000 # to California from Texas, trouble free. No worries.
One factor I hadn't taken into account for the wide quality range of torque converters for our vans is that Dodge used this transmission in many different applications, some light & some heavy.
So, say a 46 RH / RE used in a 1st gen Dakota or a Jeep Cherokee, would be fine with the cheaper unit, if just driving the vehicle, but not for the added stress of towing.
It's totally up to the vehicle owner to make the right application.
Many conversion vans (like mine) never, ever, tow anything and the shop owner didn't ask & I was so focused on saving money I simply didn't ask.
The bill for that second rebuild (they R&R's the whole thing) was about $ 1550, if memory serves.
Ergo, I spent $ 1250 needlessly.
Hope your rebuild is a total success !
lordgotmilk
04-08-2008, 09:06 PM
The van is a 1997 B1500 passenger van. I have a family of 8, so it was minimally the van we needed. We live in a small town in the Hocking Hills area of Southeast Ohio, which is the very beginning of the hills leading to the Appalation mountain range. The majority of our miles are put on it driving from our small town down the highway about 10 miles to the next small town where the college is located and once a week we normally go to the nearest city for grocery shopping and to check on my mom. That's about 20 miles one way on highway. During the summer, we spend my days off going to a lake that's about 15 miles away through the hills or going to a few state parks that are also in the hills.
I'd say that our family plus fishing gear and coolers and all would be about a load of 800-1000 lbs. Once this is back on the road, I plan to more liberally use the lock out for overdrive on the trips in the hills.
As far as torque converter goes, Napa finally got back to me and said that they start at $186 depending on the code on the torque converter in it. I'll have the tranny out tomorrow (been putting it off till I got the parts and stuff) and know more then.
By the way, it's still not settled, but we ran into issues getting the manual. We ordered it last Friday and payed for 1-2 days shipping. UPS picked it up Monday and are saying that it won't be here till Friday. We're in talks with someone from the autorepairmanuals.biz and they agree that it should have been here today or at the latest tomorrow and have tried to change it to overnight shipping with UPS and UPS refuses to and said it will be here on Friday, no matter what. I have tomorrow to pull it and start and it has to go back in the van on my next day off, Sunday. Looks like I might be doing it without the manual....Yippie!!!!
alloro
04-09-2008, 04:37 AM
I hate it when things come via UPS. They're slower and cost more than any of the other shippers out there. It's beyond my comprehension as to why so many businesses still use them exclusively.
Given the choice, I'll always go with USPS Priority mail. I've never had anything take more than two days to get to me with it.
B-300
04-10-2008, 02:43 PM
A Transgo TFOD-jr shift kit is just fine and costs ~ $30. The more expensive kit is made to use for racing... Not needed for a van.
As to cheap convertors the lockup clutch will fail.
I bought parts from Bulkparts transmission parts and PATC. Both are good.
Napa Auto parts (online store) lists transmission master kits and rebuild kits also. (I'm not sure of there web address.)
