Looking for some advice on what might need to be fixed or replaced on my 03 dw3500 crew 5.9L. 320000kms. Driving down the road with an empty 18' flatdeck equipment trailer going up a slight hill, ecelerated slightly speed limite is 60km I was going 70km, and 3/4 up the hill it just popped out of gear and I had nothing was able to roll over the hill and pull off. I've had the tranny done already with a heavier duty steel billet torque converter put in but this one seams different then the last one. Any ideas on what it could be. Thanks in advance

 

Very confusing post. "Popped out of gear" has no meaning. Was it the selector lever popping out of drive? Was the selector in drive and the gearbox started slipping? Torque converters cannot be billet. They are simply an oil tank with bits inside. Are you referring to the flex plate, the wheel that bolts to the crank and torque converter which carries the starter ring gear? Or perhaps it is not an automatic at all and simply a manual gearbox. In which case there will be no torque converter or flex plate, just a flywheel and clutch.

 

I think he means billet cover on the TQ.

Is it 4WD? Perhaps popped the TC out?

If it is the trans, likely a shaft snapped....... Does it hold in park?

 

Hi sorry for any confusion, obviously I'm not a mechanic.... When the tranny was rebuilt they ask me if I wanted a heavier duty torque converter ( pretty sure the guy said it was a billet torque converter). Thought it would be smart of me to upgraded it with a more expensive heavier duty one... Any way the gear shifter on the column stays in park but when shifted to reverse,drive nothing happens, just clicks through the gears on the column but nothing happens otherwise. My truck is an automatic. It is 4wd but the truck was in two wheel drive when it happened. It was like a pin snapped 'popped out of gear' it was like I was in neutral reving up the truck. Let me know if this makes more sense. Thx
I'm alot better at building houses than working and understanding mechanics!!!

 

Being it is 4wd. I would engage the tcase and try to drive it in 4wd, just to see what happens. I have had the rear output shaft brake on a transfer case before, but was still able to limp home in 4wd. If it moves in 4 then you have a transfer case problem. If it does not move in 4 it could be either trans or tcase.

 

crawl underneath and pull the inspection cover off the bell housing. See if the convertor spins freely by hand. If so you broke your flex plate. If they bolted a stronger convertor to a stock flex plate, that's just asking for trouble.. If the plate is broken, then you'll have to pull the tranny out, replace the flex plate (with a stronger one), and at least have the convertor flushed and inspected, and they usually take out the front pump...

You might have gotten lucky and just lost the bolts between the convertor and flex plate, but if so then the install wasn't correct and more then likely your plate holes are eaten out and the proper fix would be a new flex plate but you might get away with new bolts...

If your truck is holding in park then from you output shaft back (including your t-case) your are good; from there forward you have the problem.

 

Thanks for the reply 's
Hillbilly66 4wd does not engage and doesn't move truck, truck was put on a flat deck tow truck and towed.
Asher pulled inspection cover off and TC doesnt spin freely no bolts were found, was able to get everything but the tranny removed today, thinking it might be the pump? Thoughts? I will update once I know more

 

pulled tranny out today and found once the TC was off the inner (driven) shaft to just spin. Is this part of the pump. Maybe a pump issue?

 

It's been a while since I've monkeyed with an auto, so I'm not sure if the front shaft will spin with the trans in park. The rear shaft is not supposed to spin in park, if it does then you have something broke internally.
Did you drain the oil when you pulled the trans? If you did was there any metal in it?

 

Yes the oil was drained and no metal was found. Going to take to aamco today hope they can find the issue and have it repaired before Christmas holidays...

 

Well you are now beyond my knowlodge of an automatic, good luck to you. Hopefully it's just something simple and they can have it back to you quickly.

 

Pressure check the ports on the transmission case. Potentially a lip seal let go and not allowing pressure to build on the piston. Happened to me but not while driving. Had no forward movement, turns out it was the lip seal on the forward clutch.

 

heres an update. Input drive shaft has a factory pressure pressed disc (casting) on the inside end, this disc has a hair line fracture creating the splines to slip/grind when spun by hand. If any one can let me know how to post a picture I would be happy to show the fractured/failed part. Thx everyone for your posts. Tranny put back in and back down on its feet. Didn't have time tonight to fill with fluid and test. There's always Tomorrow!!