Firstgenfanatic

Well, I finally went out and bought a travel trailer to pull behind my 93' Ram. At this time, I kinda feel like I got the cart before the horse (or should I say horsepower)? Yes folks, I'm running a bone stock A518 with 204K+ on the ol' ticker. The trailer I'm pulling is 1998 23ft 5th wheeler (just over 7K empty) This is what I'm seeing:

Pickup is cruising on the Freeway around 50-55mph
EGTs are around 950* pre-turbo
Water temp is slightly above normal "full-loaded range"
Boost is right around 10psi
Trans temp is showing 200-210*F (taken from "hot line")

I do understand the concept of locking out the overdrive to help things out. It's a little disturbing to know that my figures are border-line of overheating/temp issues. The depressing part is that the truck is not climbing steep grades, but merely trying to keep up with freeway traffic at a lumbering 50-55mph. So.............is this basically the "TRUE" symptoms of a stock slushy converter? My transmission shifts smooth and the fluid is fine. I know that a person can wail on the 5.9 12 valve cummins and not hurt a thing, but the transmission will not put up with it. I'm looking for advice on what to do to solve my basic towing dilema. I really want to lower temps all around and get more power to the ground. Towing this small 5th wheeler will be the largest backed behind it. I'm open to ideas, theories, suggestions.

bigbaddiesel416

have a custom built tranny and turn it UP

KRB

Thats similar to what I see pulling 3-7 tons. But our roads are curvy and hilly. My trans temps will get 225*+ spikes on long/steep hills.

My "plan" is to upgrade to a Goerend torque converter and valve body when/if the old girl finally goes. Can't afford to "fix" it until its broke. Haven't decided what % TC yet though...

I don't think I want the trouble/complications of a 2nd gen tranny with manual lock up since I'm not the only driver (wife, brother, etc).

Rafter B

I would consider the lockup conversion. It's not that expensive ($2650) and now I can pull 18-20k and drive it like I stole it. Just an idea that will make your life sweeter!

Crossy's son

The lockup tranny 47RH isn't all that great in it's stock forum.

It takes money to make them tight trannies too.

I would just get a Good converter like Goerend and install something around a 89% converter and go. And add an auxiliary trans cooler, You don't have the one up under the bed on the driver side?? Supercooling package?? hmm.

7k does'nt sound like too much for a 518 with a converter and a shift kit. I think it'll be fine once you do the upgrades.

Billut

From your sig. you have pretty much the same setup I have: 16cm2 exhaust housing, 4" exhaust, some more air... and the truck seems to stay in the mud. I've had the same frustration for the last 6 months.

My solution (and this is just my take here): If you plan on towing often and heavy, ditch that A518 and convert to manual. If you negotiate a donor truck, it'll be (costwise) within getting all this good stuff to make the auto. work better but still under par, when compared to manual. Couple of caveats: find a comprehensive (from rear seal to rear diff.) donor truck in good shape at a good price; G360 will be the easiest, NV4500 requires a little more work.


To me, the bottom line is: towing often is better achieved with manual, and if the cost of conversion is within repair/built-up of auto, then I've covered my bases. But that's just the way I think... sometimes it gets me into funny situations, too... ;-)

Firstgenfanatic

Right now my pickup has the factory super-duty transmission cooling package: 3 coolers total, including the remote mounted one under the bed. I have never heard this fan operate since I've owned the pickup........then again I have not pushed the transmission close to the overheating point. Is there a way I can test the fan on this cooler? I have heard of guys manually rigging a switch to turn it off/on when ever they feel the need to gets the temps down (watching the gauge).

Oh, I forgot to mention......these are some of my guidlines for upgrading (personal preference):

I do not care to convert to a manual transmission

The 47R* transmission is not an option I want to do

With these things said, I am more interested in knowing exactly what a guy can do to improve temps on a A518. I appreciate all the comments and suggestions for alternative methods, but I want to stick with the A518.

Rafter B

Work with the under the bed cooler then; that should, I think help with your problem along with a converter. I'll also give you a # to call and ask for advice. His name is Jeremy and he's a Dodge tranny guru. It's 417-830-6578.
Hope this helps.

archer39

with that being stated you only choice is inspect your current tranny pull the pan look for a lot of debris. Flush the lines refill and install a new (high quality) torque converter. A upgraded valve body would be very helpful also.

Your truck sounds just like mine, pulling my 6500K traval trailer i would see the same temps. I opted (in the process) of swapping in a 47rh. The difference for me will end up probally being about 600 dollars more than it would have been to keep the 518.

jesussaves

http://www.suncoastconverters.com/

Depending on how much money you want to spend you could get a built a518 and converter from these guys and you would be good to go

Tuckerdee

I have about the same setup you do. Plus I sometimes pull a trailer behind my 5th wheel for my toys. My experience, through the mountains, is that you have to do lots of nursing and eying the gauges. I pulled this setup for several years with the stock transmission and mild tweaks on fuel. I think it would have continued to work if I hadn't lost my throttle valve cable off the transmission and burnt the third gear clutches all to heck.

You can build a 518 to pull your load. I did. But it's never going to be as ideal as a lockup transmission or a manual. Over the passes I still generate tons of heat with my converter. BUT... As long as I don't keep the go pedal down all the way, and the boost gauge at 25 lbs all the time, things work out. In fact, I've found that if I keep it just under 20 lbs. of boost, my coolant temp stays tolerable, and my EGTs stay below 1200*. On the flats, my set up works great. I can cruise 65 to 70 most of the time with no worries of overheating anything.

All this being said, I'm still not certain my cooling system is working up to snuff. I had the radiator out once to have it worked on, but the shop said it flowed fine great...even though I could see mineral buildup around some of the tubes. They may not have understood there's a difference between flow and heat transfer, although I know they are related.

Expect to pay around $1500 just in parts to build a great towing 518. Even that won't make the ultimate. I had a local guy quote my $3000 for the setup I wanted. I ended up doing it myself. It took me a few months, but saved my lots of cash in the end.

Crossy's son

Thats because you kicked the guy in the shin and stole his 47RH.
Its hard to get a tranny as cheap as you did.

theres a 4x4 47RE in maryland with tcase out of a 97 12v for $850. it has 25,000 miles on it. I don't know if its a good deal or not.

archer39

that would be a good deal if the person buying it had the knowledge to use the parts out of the 518 to make it work and the seller would separate it from the t-case for less$$$. The RE have better internals so it would save money down the road if you were to really build it.

KRB

Not sure when the stock fan is supposed to come on but the OD cut out is way high like 280* or something .

My Derale has, I think, a 180* switch (or 190*?) and comes on automatically. Never having owned a factory underbed cooler, I can't troubleshoot exactly but without a wiring diagram, I'd #1. check the fuse, #2 trace wires to see if there is a thermostat switch and then start seeing where the hot is and where it stops.

I should think you'd hear the fan, especially after towing. Sometimes mine will be on when I pull in to a stop even empty if its a hot day or I've been running hard.

Boatnik

I can't remember when exactly but, (It's been two years I think) I opt'd for a DTT torque converter and shift kit. The torque converter is 89% and performs nicely while towing 11,000 pounds. The shift kit boosted the pump pressure to 75#,s and with the beefer hardware and springs I have enjoyed a trouble free transmission so far. And that is with the same friction material (bands) that were in the truck when I bought it. I have the stock radiator, coolers, fan, water pump and thermostat. I"ve tried running with the "big dogs" on the interstate but the truck just isn't going to do it. Sixty five mph is enough in the winter and I can do that in the summer if I watch my gauges closely. I think the stock radiator is slightly over designed for the stock application, but inadequate when you start dumping 250+ horses into the tranny on a long grade pulling a full load. For the long haul the A518 has served me well. I have been running Amsoil Universal synthetic fluid and Lucas Tranny treatment in it since I had the new torque converter installed and I feel that has helped. The last fluid change I did, I found very little debris in the pan and no metal except on the normal fuzz on the magnet.