Auto Trans - Band Adjustment

[JOHNFAK]

Hey guysThinking of doing a band adjustment - recommended by a smart man/friend on another site.Don't know much about it - seems not too hard - just be careful with torque.Anyone with extra input here ? Personal experience ??I seem to be slipping a little in my transmission - so was going to try this first , get a diagnostic from an auto shop in STL 2nd , then some trans additive (seafoam transtune) 3rd and if all else fails looks like I am up for a new trans :cry:Any advice hugely appreciated.ISX - might even ping you one day and if I can get to you see if you can give me you 2 cents worth after you take her for a drive - even throw in a beer or a pitcher of ice cool lemonade !!!! lmaoTrans Temp never gets too high, fluid looks and smells fine - I do have a leak somewhere (I think its near the Transfer Case tho) ........

[white01]

interested also.

[JOHNFAK]

Here is the link I was going to use for specs. http://dodgeram.org/tech/transmission/automatic/AT_band_adj.htm bump:tongue:

[ISX]

Sorry, I don't click on auto trans threads very often I was in St Louis last weekend though Got bored Sunday after dirt bike races were over and decided to peter on home. I never messed with auto's much, I paid a lot of attention to my Ford's though and even put in a lockup switch. As for what to do when it slips, your guess is as good as mine. My ford's slips like crazy because the torque convertor is a piece of crap, seemed to be even worse after the trans went out and was rebuilt :banghead: I think if your trans is stock and your running a chip, your trans is going to die sooner or later either way, probably just need to be nice to it until you can get enough money to have it rebuilt/built up to handle the chip. I have no idea about band adjustment or any of that stuff, I just locked the TC on my ford all the time so I wouldn't have to put up with the slippage. Let me know if you need help taking it out if that's what you decide to do.

[JOHNFAK]

Hey ISXYeah - main problem is I don't really know if its 'slipping' or how bad etc and this is my first diesel.Best way to describe it is it feels like in 1st its pretty 'sluggish' unless you give it a little throttle and then it kinda 'grips'.Give it too much and it definately slips with the chip - it just 'spins' on level 5 with edge if you go too hard.Now - normal driving - it shifts into 2nd and 3rd - but again - kinda feels like its trying to 'find its way' with rpms and 'grip' ........ its not until the TC locks in in 4th that it really feels efficient.So also makes me wonder if its just the crappy OEM TC. And maybe instead of full trans rebuild - just do the TC and valve bodyI can pickup a 3 disk TC for around $600 *i think* and I guess a valve body will run me $500. Then I need to find someone who can help me do the work for around *hint* hint* No - seriously - I don't know what I am doing just yet ........... I kinda need to find someone that knows transmissions that can just tell me what going on by driving it and feeling ...... and go from there.Else I guess try the band adjustment and other things as mentioned above. Called into a guy in STL today - but typical backyard deal - whole lotta whoola - and not much that made sense ...........

[ISX]

Ahh, now I see what you mean with it all. The stock TC's are crap. I think once you get a chip they just start getting even worse. But yeah, I get what you mean now. If you haven't driven around in one and know how they are supposed to feel then it would be hard to know if it's supposed to be like that Hmm, let me see how much I get done tomorrow and Saturday and maybe I can run down Sunday and we can take a look at it.

[JOHNFAK]

Hey ISXThats real generous but couldn't let you do that. :thumbup2:If you have time some weekend - this or near future - I can come to you - gives me a chance to hand calc some MPG's anyway.I think your about 3 hours away from STL

[ISX]

Eh, I'll PM you lol

[JOHNFAK]

ok - truck goes in for a transmission pressure test tomorrowI am then gonna drop the PAN and change ATF and filter and gaskett.If all looks ok in the pan - ( I think it will) ..... I am going to1) Tighten my bands/adjustment2) Order Upgrade the TC to a RevMax single disk TC 3) Order Upgrade the valvebody with shiftkit and upgraded electronicsI think I can get this done for around $950. I know everyone says goerand/DTT etc ..... but the guy was really helpfull and I have checked people on CF and quite a few guys who have a lot more MODS than me running them and say its doing well.Any thoughts or serious flaws in my thought process - I still think it shifts fine ............ it just doesn't seem to be efficient in the transfer of the power to the tranmisison within gearseg - its revs up without transferring power to the ground in 1 2 and 3 {unless fully floored} - when fully locked it feels pretty good:P

[Wild and Free]

With the symptoms you have I would definately have it pressure tested first but you can definately change filter and fluid and adjust the bands to see if it helps first. you would be wasting your money if you put all the goodies into it just to find out the pump or a seal is bad. You could also have a bad governor solenoid valve but that generally causes different problems than what you have going on.

[JOHNFAK]

okSo had it pressure tested.All he really said was that there was leak in the 1 + 3rd gears (pressure) .... 2nd and 4th fine and OD. Said I need a new tranny -> but can't give me price till they tear it all apart. Somewhere between $3000 and $5000k.He did mention something about the governor solenoid - but by that time my head was mush.Then 20 mins later I finally get a call from DTT. Speaking with him and told him I was getting it pressure tested and he said that won't prove anything. Can't remember exactly why but something like the OEM doens't hold pressure properly or something anyway. Explained my symptoms and he said he thinks just TC. As its not slipping (eg revving like its in neutral) at any point ...... and best to just drop the pan and check there. If clean ...... apart from a little clutch dust etc ........ then TC/VB.So - I am kinda in a 505/50 crapshoot ........... and that tends to match with the 50 percent of people on forums saying NEW TRANS and 50% saying TC+VB.blah.Any1 want a 2001 dodge auto good truck except (maybe) the trans :surrender:lmao

[JOHNFAK]

ok - got an answer on the tranny pressure - guys at DTT said"The servo and accumulator on the factory transmission leak like crazy due to a crappy seal design, we make a billet design for both parts ".The also suggested based on my explanation of how it feels that dropping the pan is the best way to determine. IF nothing major - and not slipping in gears - then a shift kit and 3x disk TC will probably be enough.Here are some pics of my pan drop. I have only ever dropped a pan once before on a gas 4 door sedan - and it was a bit cleaner than this - but there are no major metal chunks etc.So thinking of going the 3x disk and either full VB or just a shift kit. Can you guys look at the pics and let me know thoughts.1) Is that about normal - probably 15k miles and 3000 towing. No idea if the filter was replaced last time.2) How hard is a shift kit - anyone got a pdf/instruction they can send me for transgo or DTT or similar (or a link) so I can see whats involved ? ) thanks guys

[Mopar1973Man]

Too me that doesn't look bad for metal dust... But the color of the fluid looks dark and burnt in color... I would consider changing the fluid, TC, and VB and see how it holds up... I really hate like hell to point the the finger at something before trying something simple... Do you have a trans temp gauge?

[Wild and Free]

It all looks normal to me too except for what Mike pointed out about the dark oil.

[JOHNFAK]

It all looks normal to me too except for what Mike pointed out about the dark oil.

So - the clutch dust looks ok - ........ ok well I changed filter and atf4 today ......... Yeah temperature guage sits on the test port and never gets over 180 normalyy nad maybe once hit 210 towing. I am going to put the edge juice temp (second guage) in the pan itself. Was thinking I might just got ahead and do the 3x disc TC and also the valve body or shift kit upgrade. Reckon that will cost me around $1500 .... and "hopefully" that will be enough. If transmission still goes ............. hopefully won't ruin the 3x disk and VB .............. and then I can reuse those parts and get a new basic tranyy with new clutches etc for around $1500 ...................... So still only be somewhere around $3000k - just have to drop tranny 2x .............. but that will be interesting for me. Not sure why it was that dark either - - tranny temp not so high ........ not that much towing ? ....... only thing I could think was maybe of the TC was startung to go out and slip more (or the VB) - could it burn quicker. Not sure if you think my approach (based on everyones thoughts) is pretty ok - appreciate any feedback on this as obviously tranny is something I want to do right :P Just don't wanna spend $3k if I can get away with $1.5k and learn something in the mean time john

[Wild and Free]

You are headed in the right direction. But I would put the temp gauge sender in the tc output cooler line "The front one". If you saw 180-210 in the port you were already deep frying the oil and explains the dark burnt color of it as it is way hotter coming from the converter than you will ever see from the port location.

[JOHNFAK]

ok - I think I might get shot down here - as I think you have already showed/told me this once......and I am going to ask again how do I get the temp guage into that cooler line .......... I think you might have told me about buying a new line with a Y-port fittting you can buy for like $110 or something {am I remembering correct} ................. *sorry* I was going to add a second gauge to the pan as I bought a $10 drain plug that can ALSO be used to put a sensor into the pan http://www.genosgarage.com/prodinfo.asp?number=BM-80250 so 1 isspro sensor in the 'test' port and 1 sensor (edge) in the transmission pan and was gonna average the two temps (or monitor both together) so to speak or am I wasting my time (you know me by now - have to ask same q in 3 diff ways) :P Gonna order the TC + valve body Monday ................ Probably install a week from then ....*cross fingers* - will try and do a write up and some pics and also keep a history

[Wild and Free]

http://forum.mopar1973man.com/showthread.php/1135-Installing-Tranny-temp-gauge?p=7422&highlight=#post7422 http://forum.mopar1973man.com/showthread.php/1552-Edge-Juice-Transmission-Temp-probe-sensor?p=10834&highlight=#post10834

[JOHNFAK]

http://forum.mopar1973man.com/showthread.php/1135-Installing-Tranny-temp-gauge?p=7422&highlight=#post7422

http://forum.mopar1973man.com/showthread.php/1552-Edge-Juice-Transmission-Temp-probe-sensor?p=10834&highlight=#post10834

YOUR A MACHINE !!!!!!

---------- Post added at 09:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:04 PM ----------

small donation made to mopar1973man this evening

just a small thanks for the help from all the guys on here (you know who you are) - its been great help for me

thanks guys - I appreciate the time you spend on my q's (even when I ask 2x)

---------- Post added 05-02-2010 at 08:24 AM ---------- Previous post was 05-01-2010 at 09:17 PM ----------

found this whilst looking up those part numbers

just another option I guess so posting here

trying to get a price on that mopar part

http://www.dieselmanor.com/dm_products/DM-CLG2.asp

[Wild and Free]

The price is about 10 bucks less than what I paid for the OEM line, but having 2 extra fittings and being solid I think makes for more trouble down the stretch for loosening fittings and or cracking due to vibrations ect. Just my opinion:2cents: The Mopar part is around 90 bucks give or take a few depending on where you get it from at least it was a few years ago when I bought mine. DTT also sells the chrysler line with their own update. Click on the steel braided hose picture in the link for info on it. http://www.dieseltrans.com/dodge/accessories.htm