Friend of mine just bought a 02 1 ton 4wd cummins with a automatic transmission in it. The truck is stock but will have some minor things done to it mostly for fuel economy since it already has enough power. I was wanting to know the weak points in the trans and what can be done to fix them? I would also like to know what good add for economy you recommend going with? Thanks for any help.

 

If he leaves it at stock power, it can last a good long while if proper maintenance is done.

That said, some last forever, most don't.

The weaknesses of the stock trans are primarily pressure related. So, good parts with a quality torque converter and a good valve body can cure most minor issues.

If it has any kind of miles on it, I would rebuild before I dumped money into pieces. I prefer the DTT stuff myself.

As far as mileage, the simplest thing is an Edge EZ. Cheap used price, 65HP peak and usually a couple miles per gallon. This WILL stress the stock auto however!

Dave

 

If the trans has low miles or has been taken care of then you could get by with a new Valve Body and Torque Converter. If not then id do a complete rebuild.

 

117,000 miles on it

 

More than likely any added power is going to require a rebuild.

 

If we rebuild the trans stock and install a good torque converter with a valve body what kind of power do you think it can handle so we know what not to go past?

 

It depends.

If you have the right parts and know how to set them up, they can live with lots of power. However, many guys get the parts, do the install and end up roasting it in 20K. Just the way it goes.

Dave

 

what parts would you recomend i was looking at master rebuild kits, but i dont know who makes quality parts as far as clutches, bands, and so on. also what t/c and valvebody i've heard mixed emotions on ats. I want to do 4'' exhaust, cold air, and smarty.
p.s. airdog on the way!!!!

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by the way i'm the 1 2muchjunk was asking about these parts for

 

I'm kind of in the same position as your friend. I have a little work done on my 12V and want to build the tranny a little bit before it kicks out on me. I called DTT and have a call into Goerend and Suncoast. Your best bet is to have your friend call one or all of these places and ask their advice. As long as he is honest about his upgrades, future plans and it's current condition they will suggest an upgrade path. Buying everything from one company will also insure that all of the components will work together properly...

For my situation DTT suggested a complete overhaul with one of their master kits due to mileage and then a triple disc torque converter and valve body.

 

thanks for the idea, thats something i havent thought of yet. Im not ready to build it yet but Im trying to get an idea of how to do it and be cost effective at the same time. Im saving for it right now and from what i have been able to find is that if i buy a whole trans that has already been built souch as dtt or goerend it will be close to the same price as it would be if i bought all the parts and had a local shop build it.