Posted this in the q and a section and apparently nobody knows anything about Dodge automatics, so, I'll give it a go here:


It's a 46re in an '01 Ram that developed a louder-than-usual whine in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The pitch changes on gearshifts. 4th gear seems fine, no noticible noise.

Fluid is darker than normal but still has it's reddish color.

Doesn't do it when the truck is cold.

This just started a couple of days ago. At highway speeds everything is fine and the truck pulls great with no slippage.

If I'm not mistaken, this trans is based off the 727 so hopefully you guys have run into this before.

The only thing out of the ordinary is I'm using an electric fan so there would be zero airflow across the trans cooler with the fan left off which is 95% of the time.

Any suggestions?

Without hearing it I would say it's the torque converter going south. In O/D the converter is locked up so no noise.

The three leading causes of whine in the 518 that I have found & I'll post them from the top
Converter
Pump
Coolant in trans

Like GJ says. If the whine quits in lockup you know what it is

Thanks for the replies, Guys.

It sounds really similar to a power steering pump. I'll see if I can capture a video with some sound for you.

Just hit 200,000 miles with it and I havn't abused or grunted on it. Of course, I've had my Special Friends of a few bad TPS's make life miserable for the old torque converter in the past.

If you suspect the converter is the problem, just shut off the OD; the converter will lock up even with the OD disabled.

I did try that John, and for what I can hear (Flowmaster exhaust drowning everything out ), it goes away.

I stopped in at a local Chrysler dealer, talked to their transmission guy and torque converter was the first thing he said too.

So, I wonder how long it will last?

The trash from it will most likely collect in front of the OD unit starving it for fluid thus causing more damage

I'll take your Guys' advice.

I'm willing to pay more for a brand-new converter from Mopar if it's available. Or, is there something you can recommend? I'm in it for the long haul with this truck and would be reluctant to put any of that aftermarket junk in it.

A quality rebuild will have better clutch material than a mopar converter. Find a local shop that does converters and ask what they use. Kevlar should be the answer you want to hear.

You can't buy a "new" converter from Mopar. All they sell is remans.

Grizzy, Have you ever replaced Hyd trans hose that has the check ball in it? I built one for a customer that did the same as you described. Was quiet when first started driving it. Then would start to whine. He drove it by my house so i could hear it. I checked the fluid and about burned my fingers it was so hot. Felt the metal trans lines and they was stone cold. The hose with the check ball wasn't letting it circulate enough. Pulled hose off and had one made without the check ball. Cured the problem. Here's a pic of the hose i had made. Red circle is where the check ball is. Total cost of having the hose made was $15. Good luck!

I've heard that check ball can be a trouble-maker. I'm not real sure on it's purpose, but I thought they put it in there so you don't get the "have to rev 'er up in gear after it's been sitting a few days to get it moving" syndrome.

Going without it won't affect the truck in cold weather will it?

I'll give it a try, thank-you for the suggestion.

Its there to keep the converter from draining back. Mopars ran without them for years and years. The converter may drain back without it? But all of our older mopars did as well. But a daily driver you won't notice it gone. And for all of our old mopars it's best to start them and put it in neutral for a couple minutes. They don't pump pressure while in park.

The line with the check ball is one of the first things i look at now. Cause if its sticking and having trouble circulating fluid you can and will burn up the next transmission you put in it. Good luck!!

The so-called converter drainback valve actually prevents the high-mounted cooler in the radiator side tank from draining back through the converter. Nothing can prevent the converter from draining back.

Anecdotal tales of lockup converters lasting hundreds of thousands of miles are the exception rather than the rule. If given the choice of a factory or aftermarket lockup converter I wouldn't choose the factory.

Sounds like that shop gave you some good advice you chose to ignore.........Replacing the cooler after a bad failure and or with very high mileage is not a bad thing to do .

They are hard to flush properly and a new trans can easily get F.U.quickly from a dirty cooler.

I would just change out the whole entire radiator , there pretty cheap for those trucks and if it,s never been changed before it,s day are numbered anyways.

I would definitely loose that check ball , you won,t notice it,s gone at all.

sorry to hear that you offended a shop if the couldn't answer you on the clutch the either reuse the factory used clutch or god knows what.

There are several types of clutches available Kevlar is the best one for most applications although carbon fiber is overkill IMHO..

I'm way too far away to deal with but I have been in the trade for 25+ years and my own shop for 17 in same location my shop

I cant get over the shop wanting to charge you $2700 to R&R and rebuild a 46RE. All I can say is wow. They must be counting on the case and everything being un-usable. I need to move where you are to rebuild transmissions.