Rumble strip sensation says it all... New trans needed. Converter has worn the bushings and makes the insides of the trans wobble.

 

That's not the answer I wanted to hear

I take your word with weight since I know you are very knowledgeable about these vans. I want to know if there is anything I can check to learn and see for myself that the transmission is shot?

 

You might have some luck with a valve body, but the shudder will remain. It'll get better, but not to the degree you'd feel comfortable to take it on very long trips.

I haven't tried it, but the new TransGo high pressure kit might give it the extra push it needs to hold without shudder... assuming the bushings aren't wrecked too bad already. The trans I'm rebuilding had some bushings that were as thick as pennies worn down to a sheet of paper. Once the converter starts shaking violently, there's enough wear that I really doubt good converter clutch engagement is going to make the difference.

 

Here's a picture of the fluid and magnet inside the transmission pan. There's a lot of material on the magnet. Especially since I changed the fluid and filter a few months ago.

I've gotten the transmission checked from 2 places. Both recommend a rebuild or a reman replacement.

 

did you cut open the filter and look at that?
its normal for the magnet to be "fuzzy", but that looks more like a porcupine than fuzzy.

 

I did not. Yea this is more than I've ever seen.

 

my magnet and filter - first tranmission failure

 

Looks similar to the amount on mine once it started bucking. I had a second magnet in to catch extra, but if it were all lumped on the original magnet it probably would have looked the same. Was your fluid gray during either change?

 

No my fluid looked pretty good for both fluid changes I did. This time, the little fluid that remained in the pan after I dropped it was gray. Not fully, but the metallic glitter was noticeable in the red/pink fluid.

 

With gray fluid, the remainder has significant debris in it still. Something is wearing clutches.

 

When I bought the van, I saw lots of flakes in the transmission. They were not magnetic because they were just floating on the surface of the fluid and not stuck to the magnet.

I'm guessing those flakes were the cause of all these problems. Maybe they restricted a fluid passage and caused things to wear down due to lack of lubrication.

Here's a zoomed in picture of the fluid from the latest pan drop. You'll see a flake circled in blue. Imagine these flakes all over the fluid pan. That's how it was the first time I opened this transmission.

 

Yeah, if you were seeing a pan full of flakes, I doubt anything short of a rebuild will fix it. A fluid change might keep it going for a while so you can hunt for a good deal on one, but anything is a gamble at this point.

 

There are 3 options in this case. Getting a used transmission doesn't make sense because around my area, junkyards want $1500+ for units with over 100k miles. Rebuild is the second option. Getting a reman is the third. I'd rather pay more and have a better transmission.

I will try rebuilding the transmission myself or getting a shop to rebuild it. Parts I'm considering changing: torque converter (found a billet one from Chicago transmissions), OEM valve body and solenoid pack, OEM master rebuild kit, and TransGO shift improvement kit.

I think that should be all the parts needed to make this transmission better than new (let me know if I missed anything). I may get a mopar transmission fluid pump for the safe side. Opinions on replacing the pump, is it required or better to do so?

 

I haven't seen a failed pump yet. Just do the bushing and seals, unless you a see scoring at the pump gears.

I'm doing a similar rebuild, minus the clutches, to one I got from a Pull-A-Part junkyard for $200. After I had already installed the TransGo kit they came out with a high pressure kit which I think is probably a better option.

You will also want to upgrade the compounder drum if you have the old version. If nothing else it will be cutting grooves in the drum at the sealing rings.

Given you found flakes, you might need the fluid bypass valve behind the pump. Manual says to replace if rebuilding a failed trans.

 

Thank you very much for your input, it's always appreciated.

I'll keep this thread posted with updates, which may take time.

 

@Sienile

Do you recommend any brands for the pump bushing (and other bushings)? I can't find mopar bushings anywhere.

I've found some bushing kits on eBay. One is from remco transmission parts (unknown brand but part number k107901). The other is SAP (seal aftermarket products) part number 262030.

 

I got mine from Transmission Parts Unlimited. They have a location right up the road from me. Not sure what brands they use, but their individual bushings are a better fit than their kit.

 

I just got some parts in. I bought a billet torque converter from total transmissions Chicago on ebay. It feels solid but installation and driving will be the true test.

The mopar master rebuild kit has me a little confused. Some pictures show a cooler bypass valve, others don't. Upon opening the box, I didn't find a bypass valve and instead found a letter stating that the valve is no longer included in the kit, letter was dated 2021.

According to moparrepairconnect.com, the cooler bypass valve IS included. I asked mopar customer service about it and they said it is NOT included. Dealerships weren't of much help. Very conflicting information overall.

 

I have torn apart the transmission. Not the subassemblies yet, but the case is empty.

Throughout the teardown, I tried to notice anything that could be wrong. So far the main thing is that the input shaft had so much lateral play. The input shaft splines could be wiggled to touch all sides of the fluid pump shaft. The end play (axial/ in and out) was within spec. I got 0.006" which is within the range of 0.005 to 0.025"

I've been following the ATSG manual and am working on the reassembly but I cannot proceed until I get a tool or make one to compress the Belleville springs. These things don't look as strong as they actually are!

 

Just don't take the input drum apart without the tools. I tried to rig something up and got smacked in the face so hard I was stuttering for a week. Chances are you have worn bushings in that drum. The one that held the center shaft was paper thin on mine that I'm rebuilding (new bushing thicker than a penny). This trans had a converter failure.

 

Absolutely, I purchased a clutch spring compressor on Amazon and it should be here later today (picture attached). I'm really hoping it can get the job done. I don't have a press, so this is my only option.

To press in the bushings, I might buy threaded rod and try using that.

 

Just wanted to give a little update. The spring compressor worked!! Someone on YouTube recommended using the ring gear from the rear planet to compress the spring. That's what I did and it worked. Getting the snap ring into the groove was still a challenge but I got it in using two screwdrivers.

Now I'm trying to replace the bushing in the rear planetary carrier assembly. The location is odd so I can't punch or press it out. I tried a clutch bearing puller from autozone but the jaws are rounded and keep slipping off. Got another tool from Amazon, so let's see how that goes

 

The spring that thinks it's Mike Tyson is in the drum you took out. If installing the TransGo kit, one of the seal rings goes behind the piston it pushes. Because of the location and it being recessed below the center hub, you will need an adapter to grab the face of it. I cut one out of an old wheel bearing race. Where I messed up is I didn't make my cut big enough and could only get the snap ring 80% off. It let go when I removed the tool to reset.

 

I believe you're referencing part 114 in the attached picture, please correct me if I'm wrong.

I'll certainly be careful with it. I saw Gary Ferraro's video and he used a foot press and snap ring pliers IIRC.

 

Yep, that's the one. Everything else can be safely removed without special presses (putting them back in is another matter), but not that one. That's the only potentially deadly thing in the transmission.