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Dodge Ram Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • codeman3codeman3 Member Posts: 1
    I have the exact same problem, have you ever figured out what it was?
  • jeardmjeardm Member Posts: 9
    87 dodge half ton 318 dont know what tranny had magnum 318 in it changed it to an older 318 tranny still fit gettin another motor that is older willl it work also it takes forever for tranny to into gear especially reverse it has to warm up a bit then get in an a few secs it will catch drive it set a few yrs i am tryin to fix it as cheap aspossible just for ridin dirt rds an drinkin cold beer i havent turned a wrench in yrs an am a rusty so any inputs woould great
  • jeardmjeardm Member Posts: 9
    on that tranny that takes a while to go into gear for some reason i believe it is a 727 the long tailed tranny not sure though i work out of town an i cant just run an look at it to find out but still would love all inputs an thoughts
    thank you jeardm
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Nineteen Eighty-Seven Dodge truck automatics were either A500 or A518 units, not A727s. They were both three-speeds with overdrive. They are essentially a A999 transmission which is a cross between a A904 and a A727. The A500 was used behind the 3.9 V6 and the A518 behind the 318 and 360 motors. I'm not positive about this, but I don't believe an A727 will be long enough to fit up to your '87 RAM. Mechanically, of course, the A727 will work fine except it won't have an overdrive gear. For your purpose, I guess, it probably doesn't matter to you.

    If the current transmission is displaying a lazy engagement in reverse, it could be any of the following:

    *Low fluid level

    *Partially clogged transmission filter, cooling lines, transmission cooler (in radiator), etc.

    *Rear band out of adjustment

    *Rear clutches badly worn

    *Input Shaft or Rear Clutch Seal Rings worn/damaged

    *Weak pump/low hydraulic pressure

    *Stuck regulator valve/dirty or clogged valve body/valve body filter plugged

    If there is no delayed engagement from neutral to drive, I would more suspect a rear band or rear clutch problem, but a dirty valve body could cause the same symptom.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • tol1tol1 Member Posts: 2
    transmission was rebuilt a little over a year ago. 30k on rebuild- 210k total mileage. coming to a stop on interstate exit ramp the truck jerked hard enough to stall the engine. Restarted ok but noticed i no longer had 2nd gear. if i find a metal wedge in the pan some have said this is off a band adjuster. can these be replaced without teardown? never got into transmissions before. any help would be appreciated. if i am on the wrong track let me know too. can't really afford another 1200
  • jeardmjeardm Member Posts: 9
    it does have hesitatation in goin into drive at first like it needs to warm up u rev it up an it will hit but when it hits u better be holdin on if u are messin with the gas but will bolt up to any 318

    i am sure that as i get into this project i will have many more questions if u dont mind
    oh yea thanks for the input
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Yeah, this is not an uncommon scenario with older RH & RE series transmissions. The Band Lever or Link fell off because it either broke or the band has worn considerably. Yes, the levers can usually be reinstalled, but you'll need to do the band adjustment or it'll fall off again. Most of the time, however, the band has worn so much that there won't be much friction material left on it.

    Unless a vehicle sees exceptionally hard service, regular fluid and filter changes will usually prevent this from happening.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • slimeyboy9slimeyboy9 Member Posts: 2
    My ram has about 200,000 miles on it

    This is a 5.2 liter

    Yes my this was my fathers truck up until about a month ago, he has been working on trucks all of his life. He has done regular maitnence on this truck.
  • jeardmjeardm Member Posts: 9
    back to my main question i can mange the tranny hopefully but will it bolt uo to any 318 it bolted up to the magnum which is not much difference i know the motor i have now is a 318 but i dont know what yr or nottin about it the one i am gettin i am sure is quite older is he bolt the patern the same no matter what or is there a diff i am hopin for a dirty valve train sure would be simpler than some other things
    but if u think of somthin to narrow it down i would appreciate it i am no tranny man
    by no means so like i say i can handle droppin the valve train an a sensor there aint but one i think an i can handle the filter an fluid i try leave the rest alone what is ur thought i have a guy at home to replace just what needs to be replaced but i am tryin to do it myself if possible an the thing with any 318 the one i am gettin i beleive is comin out of a 67 68 69 somthin like that i dont know that it is original bbut it suppost to a 318 single barrel the man drove it home an took the cab off 4 his perssonel project he dont need the motor so he give it to me he is smart with 440s an such big blocks but as far as dodge dont know nottin thats where i come to u with high hopes
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    A defective radiator cap that allows too much pressure can cause coolant to purge, although I've never seen one blow through the water pump weep hole. Every one I've ever seen has blown a hose. But a radiator cap that allows too much pressure wouldn't cause overheating. You really need to pressure test this cooling system.

    Here's my list of possibilities:

    *Cooling system corroded or clogged.

    *Coolant loss (leaks)

    *Radiator cooling fins have lost their bond to the cooling tubes.

    *Loose water pump impeller.

    *Clogged catalytic converter

    *Bad head gasket/cylinder head

    Best regards,
    Dusty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    As far as I know the rear apron pattern on 273s, 318s, 340s, 360s are all the same whether they are Magnum or not. I don't think they've ever changed. This means that any truck A727, A999, A500, A518, or RE and RH series should bolt up to the engine.

    Transmission lengths are a different story. Overdrive versions are longer.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    I forgot to mention that the servo that operates the rear band lever will also break. This will require a tear-down in order to replace.

    After re-reading your post it sounds like you were speculating on the problem and hadn't actually found a band lever in the pan (its usually the rear band lever). Your symptoms can be attributed to a bad Kickdown Band or a broken servo, an inoperative 1-2 shift valve piston (valve body), or an electrical problem with the transmission governor or governor circuit.

    Sorry for the follow-up post.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • fuddodgefuddodge Member Posts: 4
    my dodge ram 1500,wont shift out of low sometimes when it pulls out in 2nd gear it shifts fine could someone tell me what the problem is thanks : :confuse:
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    How many miles on this vehicle and what engine do you have?

    Has the transmission ever been serviced (filter, fluid change, any repairs)?

    I need to understand the symptom. You state that the transmission won't shift out of first gear sometimes and that it slips. Does the engine RPM raise considerably when it slips? Do you perceive that the transmission slips when it tries to upshift to second gear?

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • jeardmjeardm Member Posts: 9
    dusty
    the engine i have in their now i put it in an it fired up fine then suddenly got to where it is hard to crank an wont run over 30 35 oon the floor board could the timing of jumped
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Possibly, but I'd suspect a clogged catalytic converter first.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • fuddodgefuddodge Member Posts: 4
    116000 miles no service it does not slip it gets stuck in low gear at times and wont shift out sometimes it pulls out in 2nd gear and does fine thanks
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    This symptom can be caused by the following:

    *Throttle Pressure cable stuck or binding, throttle linkage binding or out of adjustment, Throttle Pressure Pivot stuck, return spring broken or missing.

    *Gearshift linkage binding or out of adjustment.

    *Stuck or binding 1-2 shift valve in the valve body/defective shift solenoid. Both indicate an excessively dirty or clogged valve body.

    *Inoperative Transmission Govenor or governor circuit problem. Remove the transmission electrical connector and check for contaminated or corroded pins. Clean and reseat connector.

    *Front band broken or out of adjustment.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • jeardmjeardm Member Posts: 9
    i am goin to cu the converter out this mornin with a hot batery an a little gas it has set a whil like i mentioned i am sure it need a carb redone or a new one but i know i will be able to tell the diff on how it runs also it has no radiator right now ghope i dont blow it up so wish me the best an any thing else u can think of other timin let me know but i am kinda sure it has the origanal converter under it so i HAVE HIGH HOPES
  • ArazuArazu Member Posts: 8
    I have a similar problem with my Ram 1500 2WD 5.9L. Allow me to describe the probable cause and symptoms:

    Probable cause:
    I was manually using first gear to examine a high RPM engine noise. I brought it to around 3500RPM then went into second, manually. When I parked the vehicle I noticed the lever would not fully engage park. I moved the lever around and it finally engaged in all gears. However the indicator in the dash no longer lines up.

    Symptoms:
    The truck will not shift out of first gear under normal throttle until 3K+RPM. Under extremely light throttle it will hang around 2K RPM then shift. Sometimes, most notable on an uphill onramp, it will slip and spike around 3.5K RPM. It will not shift manually. It will shift if I back off the throttle and let the RPM fall. Second gear seems to hang around 2K RPM a little too long. I also noticed this morning that a shift from neutral to drive produces a jolt (Cold engine, external temp around 36F). I had not noticed the latter before today.

    History:
    I don't believe this truck has seen any significant service, if any at all to the transmission. It's also been used to haul very heavy loads (Read: 1 ton in a 1/2 ton truck).

    Questions:
    Based on your post I would suspect something mechanical failed under the strain of my pushing the RPM then manually demanding a shift. I've checked and reset the linkage. I find no indication of loose parts or excessive play There is play in the lever but it doesn't transfer into the linkage. Inspection inside the column revealed the play was in the mount. This leaves me to believe it's either a broken band or defective valve/solonoid. Would you agree?

    How difficult are these to replace and do I need to pull the transmission to do it. Chilton's is pretty vague on the matter. But for $20 I didn't expect much from it.

    Thanks in advance.

    Edit: If you could point me to a good site with instructions and/or diagrams I would also appreciate it. I can google a ton of them but have no way of knowing which are the better ones.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    What year vehicle and how many miles?

    Do you have reverse?

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • ArazuArazu Member Posts: 8
    1998 with 122K. Yes I do have reverse.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Well, the fact that the gear positions do not align with the gear you are in indicates a gearshift cable or Transmission Range Switch problem. The fact that you have reverse immediately eliminates a front servo or kickdown band being at fault.

    I do not believe that manual shifting at a high RPM has cause this problem either. The fact that you were at full throttle might have pushed the Throttle Position Cable into a bind area or the Throttle Pressure Lever is stuck in the wide open throttle position. This would definately cause the exact symptoms you are describing, except for the gearshift alignment problem.

    You may have two problems at once in this case.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • ArazuArazu Member Posts: 8
    I don't have a cable from the shifter to the transmission. It's all solid linkage. I double checked adjustment by placing the vehicle in park, loosening the adjustment bolt, manually moving the transmission range lever (Is that what you mean by range switch?) to park and tightening the bolt. I should note that the lever correctly aligns with the notches on the column. It's just the indicator that is incorrect. Is that adjustable?

    I checked the throttle lever on the transmission and it was in full idle position with the vehicle off and in park. I didn't check for proper sync. between that and the throttle cable. I'll look for a bind tonight.

    Thanks for all of your help. I appreciate that people like you are willing to spend some time to help people like me save a lot of money and learn something in the process.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Maybe I missed it or forgot to ask, but what year is this RAM?

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    I should add that your problem could be a loose/out-of-adjustment, or burned Front Band.

    Dusty
  • ArazuArazu Member Posts: 8
    It's a 1998. I'll look into the band adjustment as well.

    Thanks!

    Edit: How do I tell if the band is burnt?
  • jackson20jackson20 Member Posts: 1
    have a 99 dodge, 1500 pu, 4x4. trans seems to be slipping. pulled out on e-way, going about 55, i trompped it, to get up to speed, and it acted like it was in neutral, and the rpm went up, without corresponding mph, i backed off quickly, and it just went back to the way it was, and i slowly built up the desired speed. a couple of other times, when taking off quickly, it acted simular, with the rpms being higher than the mph, like i was slipping or spinning on ice. are there any vaccum lines, or modules like on the older trucks, someone said these are all electrical. perhaps a bad wire? i have 89,000 miles on truck, and it will see its 10 th birthday in one week.---------jackson20
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Sometimes you can detect a burnt smell in the fluid, but not everybody has a nose for this method. Most people may not be able to notice a weak burnt odor, either. The only real way is at tear down.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • ArazuArazu Member Posts: 8
    Argh. I knew you were going to say tear down.

    After some further research I'm pretty sure it's something to do with the front band. That would explain the bad 1-2 shift and the poor handoff between the front and rear bands during the 2-3 shift. I just hope it's adjustment. I didn't have a chance to look last night.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    For all the hokey, mischaracterizations and just plain bulls*** about Chrysler transmissions, worn clutches and bands are not that prevalent in RH and RE series when compared to Ford, and even more so, GM truck transmissions. It happens, of course, but usually when there's a combination of poor transmission maintenance, high mileage, and stress. This is often most common around here on vehicles that plow snow or landscapers that tow...often beyond the truck's rating...trailers and heavy equipment.

    What is far more common on these is a broken servo or a band lever that's fallen off.

    When a band lever falls off it's usually because the servo is stuck or broken, but I hear techs say that sometimes on high mileage units they'll come off if the transmission's never had a band adjustment. You'll need to pull the pan down in order to see this, of course.

    Then again, at this mileage they are often judged by transmission shops to need a rebuild. Many times when they don't need it. Mopar trannies are about the easiest to work on and the basic architecture hasn't changed since the original A727. Shops don't make as much money on transmission repairs, but they do on rebuilds and they feel more secure about a satisfactory repair by tearing it down and rebuilding one. A lot of independent shops hate Chrysler because they were the first to go electronic, which disabled them for many years in properly diagnosing problems and effectively shutting them out of repair business. This is still quite prevalent in the industry, I'm sorry to say.

    If you take this Dodge to an independent repair place, I'll bet the chances are they'll tell you it needs a rebuild. Be interesting to compare the old bands and clutches with new ones. There have been some upgrades to the 46RE since '98, so I'd advise inquiring about what they will do to modify and install and revisions.

    Best of luck,
    Dusty
  • ArazuArazu Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for all your help. It's time to take it in. I went to adjust the band and drove the bolt all the way into the case without reaching even 20 in/lbs of torque.

    Thanks again!
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Have you pulled the pan? It sounds like the band lever has possibly fallen off or the band has worn down to the strap..

    Best regards & Merry Christmas!

    Dusty
  • Berry_zikBerry_zik Member Posts: 4
    My 1999 2500 stalls when shifted into reverse when engine is warmed up, and twice has stslled in drive when stopping from highway speed. Any Suggestions?
    Thanks, Berry
  • popieswhippopieswhip Member Posts: 4
    Hi Sometimes when I try to start my 01 2w drive 5.2 litter it would not start because it didn't seam to be in park compleatly so I would tap the shift lever up or slip it down to neutral to get it to turn over the other night I thought the shift lever broke but it is the part the shift lever is connected to. My question is do know if that part can be replaced or do I have to replace the whole steering column
    Thank you Popieswhip
  • popieswhippopieswhip Member Posts: 4
    Maybe putting an aftermarket floor mount shifter would be better than replacing the steering column but I'm not sure what tranny is in my truck and don't know what shifter will work with that tranny. Thank You for any info. you have
    Popieswhip
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    What engine and how many miles on the vehicle?

    Do you experience harsh initial engagements when going from park or neutral to another gear?

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    No, you do not need to replace the entire steering column.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • Berry_zikBerry_zik Member Posts: 4
    It's a 360 Magnum and it has 89300 miles. No it does not make harsh engagements.
    Thanks,
    Berry
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Appraising the symptoms, I'm not sure its really a transmission problem.

    The transmission contribution to stalling would have to be something like a locked torque converter, a stuck front or kickdown band, or excessive hydraulic pressure. Excessive pressure could be caused by a defective Govenor Pressure Sensor or even a dirty valve body. A locked torque converter would cause stalling in a forward gear and probably also present you with some harsh overall shifts. A stuck band (applied mode) could be caused by a stuck servo.

    My apologies, that's all I can think of at the moment.

    Best regards,
    Dusty
  • texmedictexmedic Member Posts: 2
    i have reverse and first gear but no 2nd or 3rd. could my tourque converter be bad or do i need to rebuild any help would be great thanks frank
  • Berry_zikBerry_zik Member Posts: 4
    Thanks. it gives me some ideas anyway.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Frank,

    If the converter was bad you wouldn't have a first or reverse.

    Because of the age of your vehicle, I would first check the electrical connections at the transmission for corrosion. If you loose the circuit to the valve body or electronic governor it will cause this problem. This is very common on older vehicles, especially those in high moisture/snowy environments.

    Beyond that you could have an inoperative front servo (broken or stuck) or a bad kickdown band.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • texmedictexmedic Member Posts: 2
    thanks i will give that a try
    frank
  • mustangrosemustangrose Member Posts: 1
    I have a 97 Dodge ram 1500 4x4 short box. When I put it in 4 wheel drive it sqeaks in the front end and sometimes when it is in 2 wheel drive. Can anyone give suggestions of what the problem may be? Thank you.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Assuming that this noise is never present when in two-wheel drive, turning, or the suspension is loaded and unloaded, I would begin by suspecting the front U-joints.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • drew_bluedrew_blue Member Posts: 2
    I have a 95 dodge ram 1500 4x4 auto trans and 360 engine that has no reverse and will move forward but still tries to move forward in neutral and is under load even in park. I pulled trans out and partially dissasembled, the front band is smoked and the clutch discs I have looked at are burnt and warped. I removed the input shaft and intermediate shaft assem, dissasembled the front clutch with out problem but cant get the rear clutch apart that contains the planetaries and clutch pack, the input shaft and splined hub will wiggle but wont seperate from the planetaries. I have a tech book but doesnt give alot of detail on how that should seperate! Anyone know the answer to this?
    Thanks drew_blue
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    I think what you are trying to remove is the Intermediate Shaft and Planetary Gearsets. Do you have the transmission mounted in a vertical position? That's the recommended disassembly & reassembly position.

    Sometimes trying to work on them laying on a bench horizontally puts side forces on the end of the shaft and makes removal difficult. If need be, make or use a tool to grab onto the Low/Reverse Drum to move it outwards.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • popieswhippopieswhip Member Posts: 4
    Thanks thats good news Do you know if I can get that from a pull-a-part or should I go directly to dodge or do you know a place I can get the part number All your help is appreciated
    Thank You popieswhip
  • drew_bluedrew_blue Member Posts: 2
    I have the input and intermediate shaft out of the case but cant get the input hub to seperate from the intermediate shaft and gear set.

    Thanks drew-blue
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