Bookshelf

I have a 93 W250 w/ 315K on it and supposedly the original trans. I don't think the truck was ever worked hard, and has the dealer option under bed trans cooler also. It currently drives and shifts excellent when empty, haven't plowed/towed w/ it yet. Planning on plowing with it next winter, and would like to increase economy/durability. Who has plowed or towed heavy with an upgraded converter, and which one do you have? The engine is currently stock, if it gets modded it won't get much, in the interest of helping the trans live. I'm putting a trans temp guage on it, along w/ a lower temp switch for the trans cooler fan and possibly a deeper trans pan. Those of you who do have converters, how has your fuel mileage been affected? I'm considering a hughes or goerend converter. Thanks

bigbaddiesel416

i have herd alot og good about the goerend converter

Crossy's son

Goerend or DTT on the high end, goerend makes a converter specific to what you do with your truck, its best to call him. he has a $550 and $650 and $950 option, the difference between them is how tight they are, anything is better then stock. they all stall ALOT lower then the stocker and you'll be starting your torque range off of idle with an aftermarket converter. Instead of that crappy stock one waits forever to stall the engine..

I personally prefer Goerend becuase hes an awesome guy with great service.

"MadMax" has a few aftermarket converters in his first gens.

Several other members do too....but not very many. our 93 needs one bad and its bone stock, it has trouble pulling loads.

Its a night and day difference, its like in a gas powered muscle car when you get rid of 2.56 gears and get 4.10's ..thats what a converter is like, It'll be the BEST upgrade you do to your truck.

keep in mind, the good aftermarket converters that are tighter will put stress on your high mileage trans. I'd recommend a stock rebuild and a Transgo shift kit, put in the converter and youll want to die in your now powerful truck. OH YEA, i forgot, it well help ALOT in towing, the trans will be cooler because the converter is not slipping as bad. All converters are gonna slip in a 518 because its a non lockup trans. If your gonna tow over 5k I'd definely get a converter, more power will get to the ground and i can't thing of a negative thing about a converter.

www.goerend.com Dave is a good guy to talk too, give him your budget and what you do with the truck.

Hope this helps

Bookshelf

Anyone with firsthand experience in their truck, which brand and how it was? I understand the principle behind how they are supposed to work, just looking for feedback on fuel mileage, how it towed/plowed compared to stock etc. It is going to be plowing more than towing, but I figured I'd get towing feedback easier here. Not everyone is as lucky as I am to live in the snow/rust belt. I can't get through to Goerend, I'd like to talk to him and see how much stress a tighter converter is going to put on a high mileage or stock rebuilt trans. I'm not going to have a converter swap turn into a $3000 transmission, I'll put a manual in it before I do that.

Crossy's son

maybe he took off easter break.

Jet100

I put a Georend In my 1ton last fall. Night and day differance for towing. When leaving my best friends house you have to stop before you crest a VERY steep hill at a stop sign. Pulling my car trailer with my tractor on it at that stop sign, it would barely move the load with my right foot in the radiator and in 1rst gear with the stock tq converter. Saturday I smoked the tires leaving that same spot,with a load of beams and steel roofing that weighed more than my tractor. My friend was behind me, and called me on my cell cause the load slid back like 4 inches.
I did notice a slight improvement in fuel mileage, not as much as i was hoping for(maybe 1 mpg). But 0 to 80 mph is FAST. Your rpm's will drop around 3-400 at most any speed. when you need the power it's there.
These are real world experiences from a 40 yr old man that spent 550 dollars of my own money for this tq converter, and would spend it again.
I got the single disk converter btw. he sells a triple disk as well, but doesn't recomend it for a work/daily driver truck. Mostly for race/pulling truck

The 550 and 650 options are the same converter, the 550 option comes with a 3 yr warranty, for 100 bucks more you can get a lifetime warranty.

Crossy's son

Hey, Jet. Thats weird you say triple disc. They don't make triple discs for non lockup trans.... i've been told that before when i mentioned it.

Sooo whats the $950 option? tighter? lower stall?

Jet100

the 950- option is the triple disk setup i believe. They do make a triple disk for the 518...just don't recommend it in a daily driver...it's for sled pullers or racing.
If you call Dave he will explain it...He did for me when i ordered mine.
It's tighter, somewhere in the mid-high 90's. Less slip, but real hard on the trans.
Not recommended unless you build the tranny
Dtt makes a triple disk for the 518 as well.I've seen them

Jet100

Here's a double clutch setup
http://dieselpowerproducts.com/catal...e-727-518.html

Jet100

A triple setup...Read the "mega viper"
http://www.transmissioncenter.net/dodge.htm

archer39

I can't see how a triple disk would work without the wider bellhousing adapter of a second gen. If your going to go though the work of putting the 2 gen plate one you might as well put a 47rh in

Jet100

The question was whether or not they made a triple disk converter for the 518...and they do..Whether it's feasable or not is up to the person doing the work.

Bookshelf

Thanks for posting your experience Jet100, thats the kind of real world testimonial I'm looking for.

archer39

just don't want anyone to go onto PATC site and order it and not know what is involved when i comes to installing it

RamW350 dually

Hey Zach, that's true and I agree with you there. Since you'd be getting a triple disc converter for an A518, which would be harder on the trans for your driving, pulling, etc. in the future you may as well put a 47RH in. Given one would most likely have to get an A518 rebuilt before installing the triple disc converter to have it be reliable and not break prematurely you'd be looking at spending close to $2000 already (and end up with a trans that still is a non-lockup unit). Seems as if a single disc converter is the better way to go for an A518 if not wanting to rebuild the trans and still save some money. But spending the money for A518 triple disc converter + A518 stock rebuild or even a heavy rebuild is not as good as a 47RH triple disc converter + 47RH rebuild, given the simple fact you end up with a lock up trans in the latter of the two choices. A lot of options open to upgrading transmission converters and trannies, but does just depend on your budget too.

Sal