AlpineRAM

I spent the last few days installing DTT internals and a Mojave Green towing TC on a friends truck.
The DTT stuff is IMO top notch and it's a pleasure to rebuild a transmission that way.
The Mojave Green TC has a billet cover. It is also much heavier and has more inertia than the stock TC, the inertia can be felt when reving the engine in P and N- but it's in no way inhibiting while driving down the road. The stall point is much lower than stock. The lockup clutch applies a little grabbier than on the stock TC, but this can also be a result of the DTT VB that does raise the line pressure. (Lock up is not harsh, but definite)
The truck is a 98.5 24V with RV275s and an Edge EZ. Without the EZ the TC seems to be a little too tight, it is actually lugging the engine a little so boost won't build quickly enough to get good acceleration empty. With the EZ on this is remedied. We didn't have the opportunity to tow or haul heavy with this setup.
Comparing my DTT 89% with the Mojave Green TC side to side in the trucks I think that the DTT TC offers more torque multiplication, but this could also be the lighter weight or the different injectors..
(I think that the truck as stated above performed about the same as my truck with the stock injectors, DTT TC and an Edge Pulse in EZ mode)
The workmanship on the Mojave Green looks good as far as it can be seen from the outside.(Daniel wouldn't want to let me cut it up and look into it ) The TC seems to be balanced well.
With less than 500 miles on the new setup there's no way to comment on reliability yet.

This post is in no way intended to start a tranny war. I just wanted to report on my findings installing this combo.

AlpineRAM

Mike D

Thanks for the report. You're one of the few people that has had any experience with this torque converter. I've been looking at them for a while now, but never heard anyone use them. Reading about the TC on their site, they list all the right buzz words, torrington bearing, more tq multiplication etc..

Do you think using the same TC without the billet cover would have more or less benefit? Bill K. doesn't seem to like TC with billet covers.

AlpineRAM

Well, I think that a TC is to be considered ONE piece of engineering. If you stay with the stock system that uses the lockup clutch friction as a seal for the lockup clutch you will need to address the problem that the torque of the engine can warp the TC cover and therefore make the lockup clutch leak off the pressure and start to slip. There are different ways to engineer around the problem. One is to take a big hunk of steel and rely on it's stability. That's a billet cover
The other way is a little trickier, it involves some welding on the cover and machine work to get it straight again. This gives you a light but stable TC cover.
A heavy TC will always put more stress on the tranny input bearing, the rear crankshaft bearing and will make the truck shake a little more at idle. (changes in engine revs on the 24V idle program.) On the other hand it will smoothe out the power pulses from the engine more, and the damper in the tranny has less work to do.
Since the internal working of a TC while in fluid coupling depends on the hydrodynamics inside it's an engineers decision as to how he forms the interior of the TC. I don't think it's possible to say that this or that TC would be better with a billet or a stamped cover, it would become a different animal ( Like big, horned, hooved, mooing, milk giving lions could be called cows )

AlpineRAM

SHARPMACHINE

Gteat post, it is good to read about tranny mods that are -out of the box- sort of speak.

Mcmopar

Alpine,

What parts did you put in the tranny? Did you use the billet piston, hub, and input shaft?

AlpineRAM

I used the billet piston, billet 2nd gear servo, accumulator and all new frictions, steels and gaskets. 4.4 apply lever, strut and anchor.
No billet shafts were used. ($$$ being the reason, also really not necessary with only 275s and an EZ if you don't do massive boost launches)

Cool, a civilized tranny thread

AlpineRAM

Mcmopar

I have spoken with Bill and am contemplating the same move myself. Along with some other of his goodies. How was the "appearance" of this stuff? Factory or better quality??

AlpineRAM

Well, I'm partial- running my DTT since more than 190 000 kms
Appearance of the stuff- hmm if you look at, say out of round of his piston or the surface roughness of the 2nd gear servo piston you'll know why that stuff is expensive. Looks like a heck of high quality CNCing.
I'd say that if I had to rebuild a tranny simply for a stock truck without intentions of bombing I'd go DTT master update kit with the updated front clutch- simply because I think it can't be bad to have better seals, and also that the front clutch is the one that leads a darned hard life in those trannies. (Without any extra goodies like TC or VB)
For running a mild box I'd say use a TC and VB with the above said stuff- simply because the stock TC would stall way over max torque, so all the power is useless unless when you're in lockup.
For a major box and major injectors I'd add servo and accum. piston- though they are good in any configuration.
If you want boost launches or really massive hp or love towing-dragracing combos (like hey with that 5th wheel and 2 John Deeres on it I can drive circles around you) I'd go for fully billet shafts etc. (And with a bombed wallet )

AlpineRAM

Mcmopar

Thanks,

I am a do it youself kind of guy, but I know I need to buy the goodies. I have the special tools for the tranny and OD unit. Talking to Bill it is the 727 with OD. I have been lucky and found a few "good" cores, from good running trucks that crashed into something.

AlpineRAM

mcmopar- I think that if you arm yourself with a DC factory manual and some tools, purchase some parts from DTT and take your time while building your tranny (call Bill for the specs that will be off the DC specs in some cases) you can have a ver good tranny.
Having one or more donor trannies is a big advantage- you can take your time while building and don't have the need to get the truck running again in a day or so- best thing to do IMHO is to have a complete tranny + transfer case ready for the swap so the truck will be down only for the swap.

AlpineRAM

dodgeman01

I have always wanted to learn how to rebuild auto trannys. I'm a very fast learner and know my way around engines and stuff but never been into a tranny before. anybody know of any good places to learn how to work on them and where to get the tools?
Thanks
DM01

justinp20012500

Take a look at this thread... I posted some good pics of the internals of a multi disk that will hold all the power you can give, but still have very good street manners to allow for proper turbo spool up to limit smoke.

http://turbodieselregistry.com/forum...ad.php?t=96157

AlpineRAM

dodgeman01:IMO for a basic rebuild of the 47RE you'll need a set of metric wrenches, allens etc, a hydraulic press, bearing pullers of different diameters, if possible one surplus intermediate shaft that can be cut to make an allignment tool for the OD unit, shop air, lots of lint-free rags, a pan to soak the frictions, a feeler gauge, and some other measuring instruments. So aside from the intermediate shaft and the hydraulic press nothing that's not needed while rebuilding an engine.

justin: Looks like something interesting. I assume your TC got much heavier than the stocker, what, if any, effects do you notice from the increased inertia?

AlpineRAM

dodgeman01

Can I get a shop manual from Dodge on the 47RE? would that be good enough to tell me how to rebuild it?
thanks
DM01

justinp20012500

Haven't noticed much change at all. I went from an old single disk suncoast to that multi disk.