upchurch30

has anyone ever swapped an allison automatic 4 spd into one of there trucks? would this be a good swap? and what problems would i have?

scottsjeeprolet

It's been done, just use the search function to find out more.
I've also heard that's it's just as cheap to build up your 47rh, and it'll be stronger than the Allison. Stock Allison's don't handle high HP well.

blackdiesel

i have a 545 allison behind a 5.9 in a bus. that trans sucks hardcore. i wouldnt swap one into a pickup if it was given to me...

that being said, i have a real good 545 allison for sale

1stGen545

I put one in my 92 and was but I made some hard core mods to it. I converted it to a fully manual valve body ( no one makes one), super low stall converter, all new internals, and all parts Cr yo treated. and then used a divorced 205 with 32 splines input and both out puts and 1410 u-joints every were. Had drawn up plans to machine a married setup but never had the time . It was a hos at the sled pulls but the only down side was no over drive. but in 1st gear low range it would idle up on the trailer. I would still have it in there but they changed the rules after 2 years pf me using it and did like most and baned the use of any trans that did not come in a 1-ton or smaller ( wander why they decided to do that??). So I put a 5 speed manual back in it and am selling the 545. The shafts in this thing are 2X the size of any thing in an automotive trans. A stock 545 has a very sloppy converter and the sifts are to slow. I upped the pressure and some other goodies and now the second you hit the shifter it shifts and hits hard. its nice because you can start in 1st or 2nd and then as you get going you can up shift to keep your ground speed up and then when the weight drops you can down shift to keep your wheel speed up and not lug down. I Got a new #3 SAE flywheel housing and flywheel and starter (the hard to find driver side starter) and had to do a 3" body lift to clear the floorboard over the flywheel housing because it is 5" deep (stock flywheel housing is only about 1 1/2" deep) but the bolt pattern is about the same size as the stock dodge. If not for that the trans would have cleared fine. The other down sides are no over drive on any and no lockup converter on most. If you want to know more let me know.

starting in 2nd gear and shifting up to 4th in both vids with 3.54 gears and 38x15.50 swamper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHCsiQqdz9I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrltrZLAaFM

pulls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH2MyyENiXg

Not bad for a truck with over 500K and original VE injection pump.

blackdiesel

hmmmm..... how much hp do you think that modified allison would hold? could it do 800 maybe?

xGOTPITBULLX

i asked suncoast converter about the allison swap. they said a fully built dodge tranny is way better and with less issues

annabelle

And less money.

97 D-Tec

well ive been an intern for the county down here working on buses and as far as i can tell those allisons blow i mean they might be strong but they never lock up and even though theres no real load on em they still break

1stGen545

A built dodge trans would be a lot easier but since I did almost all the work my self mine cost a lot less. Plus any one with $5-$6K can have a trans built for you but how many have spent many many hours looking at oil galley specs and doing all the math to see what size orifice you need to get the pressure and reaction time right and spring pressures. I also completely removed the governor assembly which is the prob with this series trans 90% of the time. I could not tell you how much time I have in it. but I can say there is only one other like it in the world and it is sitting in the shop of the guy that helped me build mine. So I can say I have the only one like it in the world as far as I know. How many other guys can say that? Yes for most people a Sun coast or DTT would be a better option but I wanted some thing diff. Also how many sun coast guys do you see start in 2nd gear and then shift to 3rd gear then 4th gear while spinning 2 38x15.50's? I'm sure they can do it but I have not seen it.

"well ive been an intern for the county down here working on buses and as far as i can tell those allisons blow i mean they might be strong but they never lock up and even though theres no real load on em they still break"

very few 545's have lockup converters so I guess they would not lock up often. Also last time I checked a 20K+ bus was a pretty good load especially with the stop and go. I would like to see how any other trans would handle it. I see dodge trans that have never had a trailer on it with burnt up TC's all the time (granted they are much higher HP than the buss es but they only weigh 6-7K) But yes Allison's do brake just like any thing else.

With the mods I made the Techs at Allison thought it should be good for 6-700 HP and 14-1600TQ under the load of a sled. If it was just a hot rod they didn't think I could get enough traction to brake it.

upchurch30

hmmm. well i got the allison sitting in my garage that i bought the other night for 500. its been rebuilt with 0 miles on it. but if the converter never locks up then i can tell im not gonna like it already. but i also have a 400 turbo chevy transmission, the adaptor plate, and the tc. how would a built up 400 compare to a 47rh?

randydupree

i have a 545 in my work truck,the low first gear is great,i pull heavy stuff and it takes off like a car.
only problem is that sloppy converter.
i have 3.54 gears,and a 3 speed brownie,if i run overdrive in the brownie the trans runs hot,with two big coolers it will run 300 degrees.
if i run it in direct it runs cooler,so towing in OD is not possible.
i have run it so hot it blew all the fluid out the vent,many times.
funny thing about it is,it will run hot,i slow down,downshift into 3rd and run slow,it cools down, then i shift back into 4th and it may run 200 degrees the rest of the day.
converter slipping?
the cure i have for it is the 3060 6 speed allison,its got a lockup converter.

Ronco95

Upchurch, the Turbo 400 can handle a lot of power. I think the problem is, we make so my torque at a very low RPM. Most gasser trans are set up to make higher internal pressure at higher RPM. We don't turn that RPM, so, the trans can suffer in that manner. Hope that helps.

1stGen545

Randydupree

I think Sun Coast sells a converter for the 545 that should take care of most of your probs.

Slip in the converter is what generates all the heat. On dirt track cars that run a pump drive ( no converter ) do not run a cooler.

randydupree

i'm going to put the 3060 allison in instead of a new converter,6 sppeds,2 overdives,i can remove the brownie then also.
i have run stock cars with the straight drive,no problems with them running hot.
the 3060 has a lockup converter,thats got to help my mileage.