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2000 ram tranny questions

9K views 35 replies 6 participants last post by  Mathes79Z 
#1 ·
Hi,

I just recently purchased a 2000 Dodge ram 1500 4X4 std. cab long bed with the 5.2L (318ci) engine and the 4-speed with overdrive auto trans. and 3.55 rear gears, weights 7600 lbs
Is this trans called the 46RE for electronic shift?

I asked dodge about a shift kit for it, they said you cant do that because its computer controlled shifts and you would have to reprogram the computer, so i said reprogram it, they said it cant be done (at least, they wont do it).

What can i do, i hate how it shifts, if im hard on the throttle its half decent, but when lightly shifting at say 1/4 throttle, it shifts waaay too early, im never over 2000-2500 rpms, mostly always in the 1500 area.
When it does shift, it will release the gear its in, rev about 200 rpms and then shift into the next gear, all taking about 0.5 - 1.0 seconds, too much time.

another problem is when i use the overdrive off button, if im starting up a grade and its bogging down to 1500 rpms (right before the torque converter unlocks at 50mph) and i hit the button to shift out of overdrive, it will release from 4th gear and the lock up converter, the engine will rev about 300 rpms and then shift into 3rd, if i hit the button again at say 65mph, it will release 3rd and rev about 300 rpms and shift to 4th and right after the 4th gear shift (if my foot is less than half way down on the throttle) it will lock up the converter right as soon as 4th gear shift is complete.


what can i do? too much shifting.
i was comming home from work the other night and pulling up a mountain, not too steep, but enough that i was only going about 40-45mph, all it wanted to do was shift from 2nd to 3rd to 2nd to 3rd, every 5 feet i went it would shift, so i dropped it down into 2nd and hammered it up the mountain.

next, i want to install an auxilery cooler for the trans while still running it through the radiator for quick warmups during the winter.
If i buy an aftermarket cooler, say in the 20,000 GVW range (plan on towing a trailer often), how can i hook it up so it looks stock?
i dont want to cut my tranny lines and splice in rubber lines from the cooler and use screw clamps to hold it on.


3rd, anyone else running Amsoil ATF in their 2000-up ram?
Dont want to dump the stuff in and have the trans start slipping, but i would really like to run synthetic ATF.


oh, and i have a recent fluid change on the fluid.
for regular ATF+3 or +4 i usually change my auto tranny fluid every 9,000 miles.
You have to be a total idiot to think a measly 10 weight oil is going to last 125,000 miles worry free, let alone forever!
ESPECIALLY when its an overdrive transmission, the old school trannies like the 727 or the 949 (or whatever that lil weak POS was) didnt have overdrive, so they didnt have gears spinning at differant speeds, it was direct drive most of the time in 3rd gear.
now with overdrives, you have gears making loads of heat and its tearing up fluids. so yea, a lot of guys will cry and whine that they want their tranny fluid to last 125,000 miles or forever, but reality is that its still just at very thin oil, has a filter that clogs over time, still gets outside dirt in from the vents. $10 every 10,000 miles isnt that big of a deal!
i even see people whining about the 30,000 mile change, $10 every 30,000 miles, that means you spend what? $60 if you car makes it 180,000 miles?!
i mean, money is tight and all but COME ON!
if it looks dirty or passes the 10K mark, i change it.
last truck i had, the only life it knew was throttle to the floor and over 3,000 rpms 90% of its life, used mobil 10W40 for about 100,000 miles, switched to mobil 1 for the next 100,000 miles. darn thing STILL runs like it did the day i bought it, at 200K the injectors were getting plugged a bit, but still ran, had to run it harder to make the thing go though, never used a drop of oil, held the same pressure hot and cold, idle and reving, as it did the day i bought it.
Changed oil in that religiously every 3000 miles on the dino oil, 30000-5000 with the mobil 1 in it, purolator filters.
i mean, i pounded that thing hard too, 1/4 ton truck, for ranger, 2.9L at that!!, it was nothing for me to haul 2 tons of wet sand or steel on it, and here in PA, its all mountains!
i recently retired it for this ram because the rear end was starting to go out from all the hard pulls it had to do (untill i switched to synthetic in the rear, it used to heat up so bad that it would bog the truck down! went to synthetic gear oil, never had a problems since, bet it will still go another 100K) stripped almost all the syncros out of the 5-speed manual trans by racing people ;) and hauling loads harshly, its pulled many 3/4 ton fords and 1-ton trucks up hills and mountains long distances, mostly in low range spinning around 3000 rpms or more, but did ti ;)

Anywho, i want to make this ran last that long and work just as hard, should just save up and trade her in eventually on the cummins HO with front and rear Dana 90's and a 6-speed manual
mmmm pulllll.. ;)

Thanks for any info u can help me with.
 
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#2 ·
I'm not sure what problem could be but I wouldn't expect big towing capabilities from the 318. All I can say is my '01 318 didn't do that even pulling my wife's 4 door camry and 1000+ lbs in the bed. Plus I don't think your truck weights that much, try more like around 5000 lbs. Mine has a weight of 5080 with driver and fluids. As for the synthetics in the tranny several people are running it in the newer rams and I haven't heard any complaints about decreased performance. You may want to talk to one of the amsoil dealers on here.
 
#3 ·
Yes, you can put a shift kit in your tranny. It works extremely well.
The best one is the TransGo TFOD-2; couple hours to install it.
Amsoil Synthetic ATF is what I use-I am very pleased with it's performance, and is the ONLY fluid I would use other than Mopar ATF+4.
 
#4 ·
Is there a company i can call to order this kit, i have a transgo kit in my camaro, love every bit of it, would love to have one in the truck.
The 318 seems to do all its power making in the 3000-4500 range, anything below 3000 is just bog territory, not really bad, but you can tell it really kicks in at 3000.
Im also going to try cleaning my TPS and IAC and TB and get a new pcv, it acts like it thinks im only lightly on the throttle, shifts too early.
 
#5 ·
Speak to Chris (owner) at http://www.hdstruckparts.com/
Tell him Chip (ofelas) sent ya, he'll treat you right. Ask him to make sure that the kit is the latest updated TransGo kit.
Once you get the kit, feel free to post in this thread or PM me for settings, tips etc.
 
#6 ·
ESPECIALLY when its an overdrive transmission, the old school trannies like the 727 or the 949 (or whatever that lil weak POS was) didnt have overdrive, so they didnt have gears spinning at differant speeds, it was direct drive most of the time in 3rd gear.
Referring to the 904 trans, used in six cylinder and light duty V-8 applications.
I'm with olfelas on the Amsoil synthetic ATF the only synthetic trans fluid that meets ATF+4 standards and works great, also lowers trans operating temps.
 
#7 ·
#8 ·
Y ea, 904, whatever ;)

Redline also makes a D-4 ATF fully synthetic to replace the ATF+3 and +4 chrysler tranny fluid, $8 a quart.

Ill check about the shift kit asap and let you know how that turns out, anyone have any suggestions on how to get some more low end grunt from the 318 cheap?
I already have the K&N and 3" cat back exaust through a single hooker aero chamber muffler (single pipe from cat back to side exit stock tailpiece).

it will pull up the mountain at about 1700 rpms doing 45-47 mph with 3/4 throttle, pretty steep grade, like what? 12% sound right?
oh, in 3rd gear.

man, i can cruise down the interstate at 90mph at 2100 rpms! thats too highly geared! ;)
 
#10 ·
Redline ATF is not Compatible with dodge transmissions. It must meet the ATF+3 and ATF+4 specs to be safe for use in dodge transmissions

Here are Redline's specs from their website:
Synthetic ATF product is an approved GM Dexron II, Ford Mercon, and Mercedes Benz Automatic Transmission Fluid and is suitable for GM, late model Ford, or any vehicle which recommends Dexron IID or Dexron IIE or Mercon for refill.

Synthetic D4 ATF is suitable for use where Dexron III, Dexron II, or Mercon fluids are recommended. The D4 ATF is designed to satisfy the improved low-temperature requirements which will be in the new Dexron IV specification, and the improved shear-stability requirements which will be part of the new Mercon specifications. The D4 ATF also provides significantly improved gear protection and will provide a GL-4 level of gear protection, making it a superior product for transmissions and transaxles. The balanced frictional characteristics provides smooth and consistent shifts for extended drain intervals. The superior stability compared to petroleum ATFs allows high-temperature operation without varnishing valves and clutches which leads to transmission failure.



Heres Amsoil's specs:

GM Dexron II, Dexron III
Ford Mercon, Mercon V
Chrysler ATF+, ATF+2, ATF+3, ATF+4
Mitsubishi Diamond SP II & III
Allison C-3 & C-4 and TES-295
Caterpillar Powershift Transmission TO-2 & TO-3
Voith Commercial Transmissions
GM Strasbourg (European Imports) and Opel
Applications requiring Honda Z-1 transmission fluids


Bill,
 
#11 ·
Thanks dano360, ill give that a shot first.
Bill, how do you know that Amsoil didnt just slap in every kind of tranny fluid and say it works in them all just because it works so well they figure it will work in everything?
Im not going to run redline, but i cant be 100% sure that it wont work or will, same with Amsoil, how can u be 100% sure it meets chryslers specs, whats chrysler say about it?
but before this gets into a spreadsheet of data argument, the reason ill take ur word for it is because some guys are running it in their trannys and love it and say it hasnt had any problems since, i havent heard of anyone running redline in a chrysler tranny, so amsoil wins.
plus, everything i have run amsoil in, i have noticed massive improvements, my bike for example, its a SOHC 750 four cylinder honda, ran ok, made some valvetrain noise, chain noises, etc.. what do u want for a 77 bike? dumped amsoil in there, runs cooler (i can lay my hand on the motor after and during a ride without instintly burning, still hot, but not as), i gained HP, i can really feel the differance, on the upper end it really screams hard and my 1/4 mile time improved dramatically. chain noise and valvetrain noise went down to near zero, now all i hear is one slightly loose rocker on the left side of the motor.
doesnt leak it, and i gained about 100 rpms of stall from my torque converter (yes, its the Hondamatic, 2 speed job ;) ).

So, all in all, im trying to score a couple quarts, hey! anyone know how many a fluid change takes??? i usually let the fluid drain for as long as i can, u know these valve bodies, they will drip dry and then all of a sudden dump fluid and then drip dry again, then dump some more ;)
i forget how many i used last time.

Thanks again, ill let u know on the cable adjustment.
 
#12 ·
10 quarts for tranny & transfer case together; drop the pan, remove the filter, loosen the valve body MOUNTING bolts two turns & let 'er drain.
 
#13 ·
Thanks dano360, ill give that a shot first.
Bill, how do you know that Amsoil didnt just slap in every kind of tranny fluid and say it works in them all just because it works so well they figure it will work in everything?
Im not going to run redline, but i cant be 100% sure that it wont work or will, same with Amsoil, how can u be 100% sure it meets chryslers specs, whats chrysler say about it?
You can count on the Amsoil warranty with their ATF. Amsoil wouldn't make a claim that their ATF works in a tranny that they don't warranty it for. Amsoil backs their products.

Bill,
 
#14 ·
Count on Amsoil in my tranny & transfer case? You bet; I wouldn't use anything else, I'm THAT impressed with Amsoil ATF & their products in general.
 
#15 ·
Chip,

Did you put the shift kit in your tranny yet? If so, Are you happy?

Bill,
 
#16 ·
Heck yeah...VERY happy with it; also added a couple other pieces while I was in the tranny...
 
#17 ·
10 quarts! F!
what about just the tranny? might not have enough cash to dump $80 in just fluid right now. also, so you are saying the transfer case takes ATF also? ive owned both dana transfer cases, they type that took ATF and the type that used gear oil/light motor oil.
Bill, thats cool, i wasnt sure if there was a warrenty or not, so what kind of warrenty is it? if the tranny breaks, do i wait 5 years for it to be disassembled and inspected to see if fluid was at fault? just wondering, like you, im a firm believer in Amsoil synthetics, i use mobil 1 in things i cant afford amsoil for, like the camaro drips a quart of oil every 3K, no need for $7 a quart oil to run on the ground when $3 a quart mobil 1 will work fine.

man, just shift kit and oil is gonna smack me for over $200! yikes.. still gotta dump amsoil in the diffs too!

Thanks.
 
#18 ·
Amsoil ATF is rated for up to three times the standard fluid change intervals. With the shift kit you'll reduce the heat build up in your tranny and combined with the Amsoil ATF you'll have a much stronger transmission (not bulletproof). To bulletproof the 46re tranny the costs are in excess of 500 to 1200 dollars.
Your T-case is not an Awd model, it takes 1.5 qts of ATF+3 ATF.

Bill,
 
#19 ·
Spending $175 on your tranny for fluid,filter & shift kit is CHEAP insurance.
A shift kit is one of the very few mods that increase performance AND durability.
 
#20 ·
I was away for about 6 days visiting my brother for his air force graduation from basic so this is a lil delayed i guess ;)
I didnt meant i thought the T-case was an AWD unit, just wanted to verify it took ATF because my owners manual is a piece of crap on fluid changes! doesnt tell you dip crap about how much fluid or of what kind to add!!
anywho, my ranger with a dana t-case manual shift took atf also, others i have had used 75W90 though, eh, no prob.
Im going to try to order the shift kit this week, the fluid i have in the trans now is ATF+3 and has about 2500 miles on it and the new filter, so ill get some synthetic amsoil and a new filter before i put the shift kit in. should i break the new shift kit solionoids in on synthetic though??

On another note, co worker of mine told me last week that mobil 1 synthetic will cause my 318 to blow up, says he has seen it happen a couple times where after the oil change shortly later the engine threw a rod, broke a piston, whatever.. anyone else hear this? i dont believe a word of it, i have it in my ranger and camaro and both get run HARD and dont skip a beat on oil pressure!
just wondering if anyone else heard this load of bull??
 
#21 ·
Mobil 1 (or any other Dex/Mer/Type F ATF) will cause torque converter shudder & your clutches to burn out on Chrysler tranny's; but it is 100% OK to "break in" your trannt/cluches/converter/solenoids on Amsoil 100% Synthetic ATF-U.
Keep us posted.
 
#22 ·
i meant the mobil one for the oil :)
I was told it would cause the chrysler engines to come apart because synthetic oil is such a good lubricater. i think its a load of bull crap :)
 
#23 ·
LOL...nah, synthetic oil does just fine in Chrysler engines; while I personally prefer Amsoil products, I won't get into the merits/demerits of various brands :D
 
#24 ·
oh yea, amsoil rules, but regardless of what they say about change intervals of synthetics compared to dino oil, i still change it religiously every 3-4 thousand and maybe push it to 5k. plus i put 3000 miles on in about 3 weeks to a month, so amsoil is juuuuust a lil too steep for me.

any suggestions on the shift kit settings? i dont want tire chips every time it shifts, maybe at full throttle, but not part throttle, dont wanna make it too hard on it when its snowing out and im in 4 wheel drive and hammer that T-case chain.
plus i dont really want it to slam when going into overdrive, dont wanna tear that out either ;)

i still have to adjust the tv cable too, maybe ill go do that now :)
 
#25 ·
Mathes79Z said:
oh yea, amsoil rules, but regardless of what they say about change intervals of synthetics compared to dino oil, i still change it religiously every 3-4 thousand and maybe push it to 5k. plus i put 3000 miles on in about 3 weeks to a month, so amsoil is juuuuust a lil too steep for me.

Amsoil makes a XL-7500 mile oil that is $3.95 per quart as a preferred customer. The SAE series cost $4.55 per quart and you can change it at whatever intervals you like. amsoil rates the SAE series for oil changes up to 25,000 miles.

Here is an article that might interest you: http://www.amsoil.com/lit/lng_article/index.htm

This is good too!

Oil Color, Lubrication Ability and Contamination Level
AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants are designed and engineered for extended drain interval service. The color the AMSOIL on your dipstick (or ANY oil for that matter) has absolutely no bearing on whether or not the oil is suitable for continued use or if it should be drained and replaced. Use the recommended change intervals for both the oil and engine oil filters as specified by AMSOIL.
It is a common misconception that an oil's color is an indication of how dirty it is. This is absolutely NOT TRUE. The color of an oil does not have any bearing on its lubrication ability. Most oil and especially diesel engine oil will turn black in the first few hours of operation due to contaminates generated by the combustion process and soot particles. The ONLY way to accurately determine an oil's lubricating value or contamination level is through (spectrographic) oil analysis. Oil analysis is common practice used regularly in commercial, industrial and fleet operations and can also be used for passenger cars, light trucks or any other application. In addition oil analysis will also determine the exact pars per million (ppm) of wear metals in your oil which provides an indication of any abnormal wear or specific components that need mechanical inspection in addition to checking for any fuel, water or glycol contamination. *At the end of this section you will find a listing of what oil analysis testing checks for.
The useful life of an engine oil is dependent on several factors such as the quality of the oil, type of fuel, equipment condition, type and operating environment of the equipment and, most important, the type of filtration used. The filtration system and the oil are vital tools for preserving engine life. A highly efficient filter is essential to protect an engine by removing both liquid and abrasive contaminants held in suspension by a high quality premium oil such as AMSOIL. When using AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants for extended drain intervals the AMSOIL Super Duty Filter must be changed at 12,500 miles or 6 months for gas engines and 10,000 miles or 6 months for diesel engines, such as the Ford Powerstroke or Dodge Cummins.
If the AMSOIL Dual-Gard or Dual-Remote By-Pass Filtration Systems are used then the AMSOIL Super Duty full flow engine oil filter must be changed at the same intervals as specified above and the by-pass filter(s) changed as indicated by oil analysis results. The oil does not need to be changed when using by-pass filtration unless oil analysis testing indicates it is necessary.
It is not uncommon to get several hundred thousand or more miles on the AMSOIL when using by-pass filtration. A Mack Dealership recently performed a teardown inspection on a 1990 Mack E7-400 diesel engine with 630,000 miles total and 409,000 miles without an oil change and its parts were examined by an engine rater from a major oil additive raw materials manufacturer and supplier. The engine showed light to moderate wear throughout, just as an engine in similar service and lubricated with conventional oil changed at 15,000-20,000- mile intervals (as is common with over-the-road semi-trucks) would show. In fact, according to the engine rater the parts examined- cylinder liners, pistons, rings, bearings, valve train components- could have been put right back in the engine and would have continued to provide the good, dependable service they had provided all along- after 409,000 miles without an oil change! If you would like the full detailed report and photographs of this teardown inspection please e-mail us your address and we will drop it in the mail.
* Oil Analysis Report Items Include:
-sample #, date sampled, date tested, unit #, engine make, model, year, oil brand, viscosity grade, sump capacity, make up oil added, type of filtration, last filter change
- component miles, oil miles, last oil change miles
- % presence of gylcol, water, fuel
- viscosity @40 deg. C. and at 100 deg. C.
- % solids
- soot, oxidation %, NOX %, TBN, TAN
- % iron, chromium, lead, copper, tin, aluminum, nickel, silver, manganese, silicon, boron, sodium, magnesium, calcium, barium, phosphorous, zinc, molybdenum, titanium, vanadium and cadmium
- recommendations and additional test results

Bill,
 
#26 ·
Use the settings for Towing/Heavy Duty; more than likely your factory valve body will already have the 2-3 shift hole at .124", so leave that alone.
1. Use the red spring.
2. Don't do the rear servo upgrade if towing/mild-medium offroading.
3. If you don't drop the tranny, you cannot do the silicone ring upgrade- therefore, don't do the Lockup mod.
4. Drill the 1-2 shift hole to .082".
5. Don't do the manual downshift feature if anyone else drives the truck.
6. Pressure relief valve no more than 2 turns from flush if you have a MP PCM & use the TransGo resistor; if not, leave the spring at flush setting with stock PCM.
7. Adjust bands to factory specs (not TransGo specs).
8. Use Mopar ATF+4 or Amsoil Universal ATF.
9. Reset the PCM.
Check fluid level in 'N' after warm-up, and you're good to go!
 
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