# ..think my transmission blew



## gotsnow? (Mar 28, 2007)

:crying: So I was hauling a load of firewood through the yard to my out-door wood burner yesterday, and I kept thinking my tires were breaking loose because it felt like I couldn't get traction. Come to find out I think my transmission was slipping. Once I stopped the truck and put it in reverse to back up to my wood pile the engine just revved and didn't even feel like it "dropped" into reverse. The truck just wouldn't move, so I shifted back down to drive and the truck would barely move when I applied a little or a little more gas. I then shifted back to reverse, because at this point I thought I had gotten stuck (ground was a little thawed... it was a valid concern), and touched the gas pedal... As soon as I put my foot on the gas pedal I heard thump and then it sounded like something broke loose in the transmission and was spinning around making a thunking noise. I thought maybe the drive shaft was broken, but I checked, it's still connected at every u joint. 
Trucks a 94 Dodge 1500. What do you guys think? Transmission or just a band?
Thanks, David - got snow?


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## stillen (Dec 7, 2003)

just curious.... does it do this in both 4 wheel drive and in 2 wheel drive? You can easily by process of elimination rule out a rear end. I busted up my diff pretty bad in my jeep one time and it felt like a bad tranny. I threw it in four wheel drive and as soon as the front axle engaged the jeep moved fine, telling my my transfer case and tranny were good..... just quick test.....

how many miles on the tranny?


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## THEGOLDPRO (Jun 18, 2006)

hmmm i dunno they dont usually grenade all at once, most times you lose certain gears. def put it in 4wd and see.


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## gotsnow? (Mar 28, 2007)

didn't work in 2 or 4wd... tranny has 163k, also i changed the fluid about 300 miles ago and found some pieces of metal and tons of shavings on the magnet...


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## sno commander (Oct 16, 2007)

sorry to say but on a high milage trans its common to have problems after you change the fluid. sometimes the old atf holds the cluthces better than fresh atf. id say its shot


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## JDiepstra (Sep 15, 2008)

The shavings are likely from your clutch packs. I am thinking that you likely busted an input shaft or your flexplate. Trans will likely need to be taken down and opened up. These things can break at strange times if they are suffering from stress from prior use.

Check www.htstransmissions.com or www.goerend.com for great Dodge trans builders.


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## DAFFMOBILEWASH (Dec 9, 2006)

When ever you find excessive shavings and clutch material in the magnet then it is safe to say you are driving on borrowed time. As for the new trans you have choices none of the cheap!!


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## JohnnyU (Nov 21, 2002)

THEGOLDPRO;910763 said:


> hmmm i dunno they dont usually grenade all at once, most times you lose certain gears. def put it in 4wd and see.


How many transmissions have you been through? I've had them go out in many different ways, from mild slipping to catastrophic failures.


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## RichG53 (Sep 16, 2008)

How long ago did you change the fluid before 300 miles ago ???????


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## gotsnow? (Mar 28, 2007)

1st off, I cant say when the fluid was changed prior to my fluid change, I bought the truck about 1100 miles ago... After I cooled down I went back out and messed w/ it and got the front diff. to engage in 4wd, so I could at least move it onto a trlr. However,still no reverse... Talked to my tranny shop that I've used on a number of occasions and they gave me a quote between $1200 - 1300. We'll see what they find!


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## gotsnow? (Mar 28, 2007)

Also, I've owned 4 chrysler products throughout the years, the tranny went out on 3 of the 4. And before someone asks, I drive all my vehicles the same.


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## THEGOLDPRO (Jun 18, 2006)

JohnnyU;911158 said:


> How many transmissions have you been through? I've had them go out in many different ways, from mild slipping to catastrophic failures.


i have blown 4 in my life, all 4 times i just lost 1 or 2 gears. never had a total blowout. knock on wood.


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## joe834 (Dec 19, 2009)

I have two dodges a 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton had to both trannys rebuilt.shop told me it is usally from the check valves in the cooling lines,they get pluged up and tranny runs too hot.I had check valves removed and bigger cooler installed.


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## bigmudder77 (Dec 5, 2007)

ya your tranny is shot i have lost 3 trannys out of 20-30 trucks ya i part most but the better ones i drive some harder than others some last longer some dont i never lost a 5 speed tranny even when running it hard and doing burn outs and reverse to 1st slams 

but i did have one lock up on me but that was due to a line rusting out and losing all the fluid on the high way by the time i felt it slipping i hit the brakes to get over and the back tires locked up right as i got over in the sholder thank god but i put it in reverse and got it to break loose then limped it to the next exit about 200ft and got in a gas station and then it was done wouldnt move at all or even shift out of drive 

the other 2 both lost reverse then got parted dont know why reverse goes when you hardly use it well i hardly use it but that seems like the first to go


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## stonewellmark (Feb 1, 2009)

Im no tranny expert but it sounds like the shavings are probably from the planetary gear sets in the tranny; 1 set for low and reverse and 1 set for overdrive. Common to go in dodge trannys' That excess metal shavings probably took out your torque converter, which is why you still had some motion and lost it quickly. If your goin' to keep the truck buy the absolute best HD rebuilt tranny you can possibly afford ie:hd planetaries,kevlar or carbon clutchs and bands, and a billet torque converter-reason being the stock converter front warps with heat then the converter cant lock-up propery and burns itself up. But if your goin' to get rid of the truck put in a cheapo rebuild.


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## stonewellmark (Feb 1, 2009)

Oh yeah JOE834 is rite get rid of the check valve in the cooler lines, just added junk to get stuck. ( I guess its to help proper trans temps in REAL cold conditions)


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## jjmoos (Dec 21, 2009)

I see you are from Indiana. We do alot of truck pulling, heavy trailer pulling and snow plowing. I have gone through a fari amount of transmissions. There is a shop in Gas City called Dan's Transmission that is excellent. I sent at least 9 people there this past year and they were very happy with the results. He is know especially for Dodge trannys. He has built a few for my that held 500 - 600 HP and around 1000 lb-ft of torque doing what we do and they lasted for years. This is my recommendation if you are going to be hard on it and never want to thank about it failing again. Tell him Justin Moos told you about him. He will treat you right. Honest as the day is long. 765.677.0566

Justin


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## gotsnow? (Mar 28, 2007)

Thanks Justin, but Gas City is about 1.5 hour drive from me... Did take it to a local tranny shop that I've dealt w/ a fewe times, they've never let me down.


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