186K on mine and still shifting firm.

 

Bill I use TDH fluid for the last 70k miles and it has 128k now. I have about 290 or 300 hp
. I drive like an old person. I have been told that the fluid is not a good idea, I like the way it shifts and it is payed for Jim

 

95k transmission was perfect, but converter clutch was completely burned out. Too much hp and rpm (thanks to GSK and #4 plate) for the stock converter.
I got a complete Goerend rebuild as long as the converter was shot. Dave apologized many times for replacing a perfectly good transmission. It was my choice, not Dave's, to go for the rebuild. I figured as long as the transmission was out for the converter it should get freshened.

 

Maybe one of you has some insight to my issue! 97 w/60,000 on rebuild. Od quit working, took it to a shop where he said "electronically everything is working fine" He engaged od with his computer and after doing it multiple times it would finally engage. He also said the warmer the trans got, the better it would engage. Please help if this sounds familiar to anyone. I really don't want to spend $ on a new trans til I need it.
Thanks

 

My truck is on its 3rd tranny at 260K. The TC in this one is slipping bad, this trans has only 30K on it, installed by a dealer. My Dakota smoked 2 transmissions by 80K with the V-6, replacement was dealer installed by PO. I have a 5-speed Spicer for my diesel now, and the Dakota got a 5.7 Hemi and 5-speed auto.

The mileages seen above in the replays aren't typical. For an example, the Dodge dealer I used to work at is quite small, only had 3 Dodge/Jeep techs. One did nothing but auto trans replacements and rebuilds. The lifespan has a lot to do with how they are used, and I'm not just talking about abuse. Most owners on this forum do a lot of highway driving. A trans will live a long time like that. In my area, lots of stop and go, hills, lots of locking and unlocking of the torque converter, and lots of time going slow enough that the TC doesn't lock.

Jim

 

Another good testimony here

My truck has had the tranny replaced once. Reason for it being replaced(or rebuilt) was because it had some front end damage, and they towed it to the shop with the tranny in neutral, and t-case still in gear. Tranny wasnt pumping any fluid because engine wasnt running, and it burnt it up. Im not sure how many miles that was at, but Carfax reported it in 1997(original tranny) with almost 62k miles on it. The tranny was replaced in 99(when the wreck was) but they dont list the mileage. My guess is the original probably didnt have over 90k-100k on it when they burnt it up. So im guessing the tranny in it now has probably about 100k miles on it, since the truck has 198k miles now. Tranny does great. I would have thought it wouldnt last too long when I got the truck, but I changed the fluid, and filter after I got it, and installed the transgo, and that really made a difference. The truck had a fuel plate when I got it(dyno'd 246/635), and the tranny held that pretty good with the transgo. The guy that had it before me is part owner of the local stockyards, and a few people I have talked to that knew the guy said the truck was always hooked to a cattle trailer, so it wasnt babied, and no there is not much open highway around here where I drive. Its mostly stop and go with 20 minutes of open road to the next town. I haul quite a bit of hay/tractors, etc in the summer, I have pulled it 3 times at local fairs(once with a bone stock tranny, second with the transgo, and the last time with the transgo, and triple disc,and got 9th of 20 trucks), I have been to the dragstrip a few times, and made at least 30-35 passes with it. I have gone from plenty of kickdowns with it, and I have had her in some mud a time or two that I had to get out of. I couldnt even begin to tell you how many times i have flipped that lockup switch. It hasnt necesarilly been abused, but it has been worked, and ran hard plenty of times. I love rolling into the throttle in overdrive to feel that low rpm pull the cummins has. If my tranny died tomorrow, I wouldnt be happy, but I could not say a bad word about that transmission. My uncle also has a stock 97 CTD that gets worked, and driven everyday with over 150k on the stock tranny. Say what you will, but my family so far has had more trouble with 5 speed CTD's than the automatics. Not really to day an automatic is better than a stick, but my family has had less problem with the automatics.

I wont dis my automatic

Eric

 

My trans got a BD torque converter, valve body and controler at about 50K to go with the exhaust brake (all done by original owner) I'm now at 172K seems to be OK but I'm planning on a trip to Gorends soon

 

its good fluid in terms of temp control and firm shifts...but it lacks the detergent components to keep the tranny free from deposits etc...but ive heard stories of guys running it for quite a while and no problems so go figure...they did this experiemnt in the DTT website a couple years ago

 

Thanks for the reply, it is the last automatic I will ever buy. I need to pull the pan and change the filter. I have not had any problems except for the tps switch. What I wont is a 6 speed or at least a 5 speed manual.
How did the test come out at DTT website? If I can make the automatic last then maby I can just get rid of it and buy a 98 12 with a 5 speed. Thanks Jim

 

Ditto....but my original trans went 190K.

 

I was able to squeak out 194,000. Then I bought a very large 5er and 200 towing miles later the smoke came out. NV4500 conversion was the fix for me

 

My ol man has 398,000 on his. All stock and hauls 10,000 of hay every so often.

 

97 Ram 1500 w/ 318 made it 180,000miles sold with original tranny
95 Ram 1500 w/ 360 made it 170,000miles on first tranny and was at 232,000 miles when I sold it with the second tranny still working like new.
00 Ram 2500 w/ 360 made it 171,000miles sold with original tranny (yesterday)
96 Ram 2500 w/ 12CTD at 151,000miles bought yesterday however tranny gets "stuck" in 3rd and you have to let off to get into fourth. I am giong to put a new governer assmbly and sensor in it and also a new tc while I am at it. Should make it another 50,000 miles.

 

Hey, just as a heads up. If you are planning on putting a governor spring kit in your truck go ahead and do it. Mine also didnt like to shift from 3rd to 4th, especially under hard throttle. It hasnt done it since I put the governor spring kit it. Plus its a great mod too

Eric

 

My stock tranny made it to 200k or so then the shaft spun in the basket. It was slipping pretty bad in lockup also. I lost all forward motovation so I had to reverse about 25 miles to get back home. My neck was sore.

Then I had a built tranny put in with a heavy duty TC and valve body. The tranny guy said it was good for tractor pulls if I wanted to do so.

About a month after that it broke the main input shaft in half, I was unable to motovate anywhere after that. They towed it and replaced it free of charge but I was without truck for quite ahwile.


Now my only gripe is that occasionally it will come out of lockup in OD when on the throttle a bit. The engine raises about 300 RPM then goes right back into lockup right away. I am concerned that constantly coming in and out of lockup like that would damage the tranny. I havn't solved that problem yet. Another gripe I have is the engine will rev to approx 2200 rpm and hang there for ahwile until the tranny finally shifts, sometimes violently.

I cannot give the truck full throttle or it falls on it's face over-revving and doing nothing. I auctually accellerate faster if I use 1/2 throttle thru the lower gears then power on once it's locked up.