'strokeThis_'07

Anybody have any tricks to help keep an auto alive?? My HTS went out on Tuesday so, once again, Im without a truck...I have maybe 10k miles on it in 5 months, all trouble free until it started doing the shuttle shifting. Finally got the governor pressure sensor and solenoid and was gonna do that, plus filter and fluid change yesterday, but tranny bit it before I got a chance to do it.

So how to keep this thing alive?? I got the full-billet trans so I wouldnt have to worry about it until I got more power. It should hold 430 to the tires easily... So, after its fixed, I guess the Smartys coming out and an Edge Juice/Attitude will be going in. Hate to, because I love the Smarty, but I guess maybe this truck wont be a racer/driver, just a RELIABLE driver, which I need more than going fast...I just cant be going through $7k trannys every 5 months.

Any tips/help?

White97GTVert

Hey sorry to hear about your tranny. What did HTS say when you told them it had failed?

goose2w1

There must have been an issue with the tranny. You normally don't here about this with HTS. It should hold the Smarty more than fine. My tranny is home built and no issues? I'm sure HTS will do you right

Swayse

I had lots of issues with DTTs bullet proof trans too, in my old 97 12 valve dodge. I'm really gun shy about getting any aftermarket bullet proof trans now. Warranties aren't really worth much, you pay one way or the other.

Billy Ram

I am told to change the fluid often. I change mine every year including draining the tq converter and fill with Dextron.

tcr

The Smarty wasn't your problem IMO, leave it on the truck. If it failed that soon it would've failed w/ stock HP just the same. Something failed in the tranny and I'm sure Dusty will take care of you the best he can, he's a stand up guy. Let us know what failed when you find out.

omaharam

I lost a tranny the same way. It has NOTHING to do with the power your truck has. Completely stock it would have went out. It was the governor solenoid that was acting up. You needed to call and talk to Dusty the very minute it started acting up and he would have told you to stop driving it. Mine burned up in a day and a half. I had to learn the hard way as well.

berman2000

well, i know this is hard to beleive but, i have a stock tranny with 60k on it. i am running as you can see from my sig. about 440-450hp. dyno before fuel system, fluidampr, elec. fan, set on 3rd of 4 setting from PPE was 410 hp/740/tq....not bad. i have been running PPE on setting 4 all summer. so, i think 440hp is about what i am running. anyway, i changed my tranny fluid (amsoil) and new filter after 5k. then @ 20k, then 40k, and will be changing in the next 2k.... i am not easy on my truck, but also take pride at my driving ability. so, as i am telling you now, my stocker is still holding up, knock on wood. in the spring paul (@ K&P tranny in ma.) will build me a tranny. he built one for me on my 04' and it was stellar! its about fluid and filter change early on in the tranny's life. that is my opinion, only my opinion.

Townsend600

Call Dave Goerend!

RyeThomas

From all I read HTS will make it right no issue, and NO need to call another vendor. You have to realize all the parts and the complexity of a transmission. So maybe you had a small flaw in a little part that eventually caused a failure, it happens. No need to pull/change anything, or worry about your trans not being able to hold 450 or whatever horsepower. I really wouldnt be to concerned, stuff happens and you got unlucky.

cquestad

Those soleniods stink...I have gone through 3 of them in 155k. It is not the builders fault...it is Dodges. I have had ones fail right out of the box. I have had others last 200 plus k.

Billm2004

Dusty and Marianne are great people, Im 100% sure they will do you right! when i fried my TC dusty and marianne were more than willing to go above and beyond to keep me satisfied!

Thanks Dusty and Marianne!

annabelle

Keep your foot out of it. I have over 200,000 miles on my stock tranny, and I run the Smarty on level 5. Common sense is your best tool.

'strokeThis_'07

Got a chance to talk to HTS today. They said before I drop the trans and ship it to put it on a scanner first, that maybe there was an issue there instead of it being the tranny (I dont think thats the case, Im almost positive its the converter. But Im not the tranny expert so Ill try it.) Sounded like theyd be more than willing to help out. Not sure if its covered under warranty or not...?

I have no plans to try another builder. Stuff happens that really cant be helped much by anybody. I chose HTS for their reputation. Sure Im not one of these well-known, 1000+hp guys in the diesel world, but I highly doubt Ill get the shaft.

Smarty will probably stay on. Ive been more than happy with it. Maybe I wont have it on "kill" as often (although it was only on level 5 when it went out.) I just got a little excited, as its definately a bummer for anything to go wrong with anything on a truck, especially something with some coin in it...

Kinda funny it went out when it did. Im not scared to get on it, and the one time Im just cruisin along it goes out! Haha...

TexasCTD

I agree with your comments about common sense and tranny life. But I thought you ran a Banks set up. You need to update your sig...

Congrats on the Smarty. Hard to beat it.

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