1986 Dodge Ram b350 van
Got it very recently, drove it about 1000 miles across country. Transmission had leaks, I let the fluid get too low, on a hot day, uphill and it boiled over. I cooled it off filled it back up and kept driving. Drove fine but I started to notice weaker acceleration, no more overheats, made it to my destination.
Last 100 ish miles started making a loud click clack sound on low speed, high load. Only happened in gear, sound from the bell housing area. Asked some GRM'ers, got advised it was probably a cracked flex plate or toasted torque converter due to the boil
So, couple weeks later now I've taken out the transmission, this is the first automatic I've owned or worked on so I don't really know anything about the inners. Take the transmission off to find this:
An uncracked flex plate? Nothing obvious with the torque converter either. I don't know how to diagnose anything about a torque converter although
I was also surprised to find this, a freshly-ish rebuilt box? Looks very new, I bought the van with very little information
Now This (<<link here) here might be a dead giveaway or normal, I don't know enough about automatics. But it seems like a lot of play in the shaft to me. Is that normal? Is that the culprit? If not then what should I look for?
Thanks.
Torque converter you have to cut open to see any damage just not visible looking down the snout.
Is that how the fluid looked that I see in the bellhousing? Because that's roaches and that trans needs rebuilt.
In reply to Ranger50 :
That is how the fluid came out, if you're referring to how dark it looks, the picture was taken at night. The fluid isn't so dark in proper lighting and it's pretty free of metal shavings.
Noddaz
PowerDork
9/24/22 3:26 p.m.
No transmission help here, but you do need to take care of the freeze plug on the left side of the back of the engine.
Noddaz said:
No transmission help here, but you do need to take care of the freeze plug on the left side of the back of the engine.
And the oil gallery plug next to the cam.
drop the pan and check the magnet and bottom of the pan for metal.
In reply to Ranger50 :
Not any worse than trans fluid already smells
The pan magnet was free of shavings also
Very hard to tell from just one photo on a screen, but I would be looking at these locations very closely from just what I can tell from my monitor.
Pull the flexplate, and inspect all of the mounting locations, both sides, and check for cracks radiating from the edges and mounting holes. Then thouroughly clean it up and look again. Which engine is in the van- 318 or 360? Does the torque converter have a weight welded to it? (please post a photo of the TC) The 727 can take a pretty good amount of abuse, including boiling over, and still live, but I have no idea how bad this one was overheated or for how long, as I wasn't there. Or for that matter, why it over heated. (I once had an overheat/boil issue with one of my 440 tow rigs that I couldn't figure out until I realized that the new dual exhaust I had installed earlier in the year was run up against my tran cooler lines... the trans faithlfully towed my 24' enclosed trailer for years after without a wimper, then sold the truck to a friend who never had any trans issues either.)
One of the things that can happen with the 727 when overheater is that the bands can and will get damaged by excessive heat.
Which reminds me, did we verify this is indeed a 727? I should be, but my memory is not what it once was.
Your comment of weaker acceleration is interesting. A cracked flexplate doesn't cause that. A failed torque converter will, but breaking a vane or something is not typically caused by overheating.
In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :
I believe that it is indeed a 727
As for the engine size, I haven't determined, what are some distinguishing details of the two?
Here is the torque converter, there are weights welded on
I'll take the flex plate off later today
Yup, that's a (long tailshaft) 727. The converter is correct for a 360.
To find out the engine displacement, check the driver's side of the engine block-
