I doubt the GM trans will work out any better for you, I hear lots of bad things about them as well, but the GM guys don't complain on line when their stuff fails. I think they sort of expect it to fail, so when it does, its expected.

So 6 days before Carlisle I got a new transmission from Chrysler in my 2015 Ram installed at the dealership that sold me the truck new, hooked up the trailer, and headed east. No issues at all going out, driving around while there, and 90 miles back west. That is when it quit working altogether, completely freewheeled no forward gears or reverse. Was going up a long grade near Bedford, PA and had to back off the road and call Chrysler and they sent a wrecker which they paid for. However I had to pay $230 for the trailer to be towed to the dealership in Bedford also. I had to stay the night locally then rent a U-Haul van to bring my parts back home as it was the only vehicle for rent within a 30 mile radius! They would only rent it round trip, so I had to take it back the next Monday. Luckily a good friend came out to Bedford and met me so I could get home. The dealership in Bedford couldn't even look at until last Friday then said it is something internal and they will take the trans out and see if it is fixable. I use my truck as my business and without it I don't have any income, so what should I do with Chrysler about compensation? They had not offered something to drive either. This has cost me over $2000 and lost income as I had to put off some transports and parts sales because of it. I did get the old 2001 Cummins truck up and running but I don't trust it for long transports and it has no HVAC at all, so I need to get a complete dash and all components and take the time to get it all going. Thanks for reading my rant, but I had to borrow a Duramax from a friend to get me trailer back home and finish the two transports I was doing when the Ram broke. I may just go to the dark side...

I don't think there is really any recourse for you, the fine print takes care of those liabilities. Sorry about your luck but you know the saying, poop happens. I still for the life of me can't figure out your inclination to destroy transmissions. You are like a one man trans wrecking ball.

What I didn't mention is that I bought a lifetime powertrain warranty and they replaced the first trans at 281,000 miles and it only cost me my $200 deductible. I was counting my lucky stars until 6 days later, I thought I would get another 280K miles out of the new trans! I then found out it was a reman, not a new trans. They also replaced the torque converter and cooler as it was the torque converter that really failed and put garbage throughout the original trans. The also replaced the left exhaust manifold because it was warped and kept breaking the cheap Chinese studs...

You aren’t going to get far with reman garbage and that’s all they will do for you at the dealer. Take it to Brian’s Truck Shop in Arkansas or some place like that that builds good diesel transmissions. Maybe the guys in Amarillo that do the builds on YouTube would be ok. Precision transmission.

No idea if you have it turned up, but guys that make much over stock power have long trashed the trans on these diesels. My last one I figured it out and just added a cooler and syn fluid and things went well for me.

I've watched your adventures in transmission destruction for years, and have always wondered why you didn't move up to a Medium Duty with an Allison. I wouldn't buy a 2010 or later diesel on a bet, but last I knew (and it has been a few years) you could buy a new Low-Pro Navistar or Freightliner as a glider and have the dealer install a reman driveline. A 5.9 or 8.3 mechanical Cummins or DT 466 with an Allison behind it should be pretty bulletproof for 500-750k miles, and with a Texas-hauler bed and 19.5 rubber, you wouldn't be much different than an F550...

Man that sucks about the transmission. With your luck on transmissions I don't if going to the dark side would be any better. I do agree that maybe a medium duty truck would be a better bet.

Several of us ran FL series about 20 years ago. Medium duties are a different world. If you don't like your local dealer service, you'll hate big truck service departments, at least back then. Half assed and half done seemed to be the order or the day. One of us had a Fuller Spicer FS6406 puke at around 40,000 miles. What I DID like, you can hammer on these things all day long without worrying about breaking stuff. They make one ton components look like light weight toys.

Even the highly vaunted NVG 5600 isn't immune from failures.

https://www.cumminsforum.com/threads/nv5600-to-fso6406a-6-speed-fuller.41978/

That is the only trans I haven't had the pleasure of destroying yet, the NV5600 but might give that a try. I had a CDL for a few years and worked at International as a truck porter, I can even kill Road Rangers...LOL! I am looking at a local International toter with the 444E (7.3 diesel in the Ferds) but haven't found out what trans is in it yet. I am also thinking about retiring...

Several of us ran FL series about 20 years ago. Medium duties are a different world. If you don't like your local dealer service, you'll hate big truck service departments, at least back then. Half assed and half done seemed to be the order or the day. One of us had a Fuller Spicer FS6406 puke at around 40,000 miles. What I DID like, you can hammer on these things all day long without worrying about breaking stuff. They make one ton components look like light weight toys.

Even the highly vaunted NVG 5600 isn't immune from failures.

https://www.cumminsforum.com/threads/nv5600-to-fso6406a-6-speed-fuller.41978/

you know dam well their is some guy with a mid 80`s dodge with the body falling off hauling a ton of junk daily with the trans fluid has not been checked in 8 yrs

If a gasser is a must I'd be going for the ford 445" (7.3L) - some early ones has plug wire issues but its fixed now, modern pushrod bigblock FTW

Rather then buying a new truck, I would be considering a trans specifically built for what you do. If this last factory trans lasted 280K for you, having one built just for you should last at least as long.
When you get the "new specially built for you" trans installed, you can sell that "rebuilt" unit the dealership installed and recoup some of your money.

I am also thinking about retiring...

Rather then buying a new truck, I would be considering a trans specifically built for what you do. If this last factory trans lasted 280K for you, having one built just for you should last at least as long.
When you get the "new specially built for you" trans installed, you can sell that "rebuilt" unit the dealership installed and recoup some of your money.

G, I know exactly where that picture was taken,, less than 10 miles from me.

Track down a cheap, decent, running when pulled, used tranny from somebody that ya at least 1/2 way trust. Give up a couple square feet in the trailer to carry it with you. Kinda like ya probably do with oil, a/f, a belt or two. I'll bet you'll never need it.

[quote=RWG75]

Start doing periodic oil analysis of ATF, engine lube oil and differential gear oil.
This analysis is an added cost, but not too different than paying $ for a “lifetime powertrain warranty.”

Getting +280,000 miles from a new 66RFE is actually a success, isn’t it?
Trans would have lasted longer if the guts of torque converter had not failed?

Logic would suggest: change the torque converter either at 250,000 miles or when periodic oil analysis shows a rapidly increasing concentration of “wear metals” in the ATF.

Always buy new, unused (never reman) torque converters and transmissions.
(meaning quality control is better at factories than at rebuild shops)

Start doing periodic oil analysis of ATF, engine lube oil and differential gear oil.
This analysis is an added cost, but not too different than paying $ for a “lifetime powertrain warranty.”
Both are a special type of insurance.
Throughout the mining, heavy machinery, transportation and military organizations - oil analysis is accepted as more benefit than cost.

My 46RH transmission died at 187,000 miles when the Torque Converter lockup clutch failed and sent debris through the transmission.
This happened after I changed out Mopar ATF+3 with added “Red Bottle” Lubegard
to straight Mopar ATF+4 with no Lubegard.

Maybe other Moparts members could comment on whether:
torque converter failure is the root cause more than 50% of the time in various model MOPAR automatic transmission failures?

In the late 1970s a company I was a supervisor at bought a Mack Midliner truck to make a 240 mile round trip five days a week.
This “made in France” truck went 1,000,000 miles by 1987 without a major breakdown.
The truck had a very good driver with a great work ethic who respected equipment.
Mack came and gave him a jacket with “million mile” emblems.

When someone said to me:
“So Charlie Babb has done such a good job looking after his truck that now you are going to “reward him” by making him keep driving it until it breaks, perhaps causing a road accident where he might get injured or dies? “

So even though money was extremely tight, I bought Charlie a new Mack Midliner.

I hate mopar reman transmissions, I have pulled apart 48REs with V8 planataries in the OD section and all kinds of weird junk, seems they just grab parts out of a big ole bin and if they physically fit they just throw it in there. I would find someone that knows that specific trans very well and have them build me one, it should still be cheaper than injectors on a duramax.

The vast majority of 4 speed rear wheel drive dodge transmissions I have had to re-build were caused by leaking cooler lines, leaking pan gaskets, lack of maintenance (including filters and periodic band adjustment that almost NEVER happens during service anymore). Almost never saw a bad trans that did not have leaking fluid or improperly adjusted bands.

I hate mopar reman transmissions, I have pulled apart 48REs with V8 planataries in the OD section and all kinds of weird junk, seems they just grab parts out of a big ole bin and if they physically fit they just throw it in there. I would find someone that knows that specific trans very well and have them build me one, it should still be cheaper than injectors on a duramax.

Does the Chrysler Tech Center still get sent computer data from dealerships on when vehicle components fail?

Would some employee at the Chrysler Tech Center be able to tell you
the average number of miles that 90% of torque converters exceed without failure (L90 value)
and the average number of miles that 50% of torque converters exceed without failure (L50 value)

My fuzzy memory is that somewhere in Ebugger’s magazine write up of the then new 4.7 V8 he mentions that the Tech Center assured him the 90% of the 4.7 V8s would live beyond a certain number of vehicle miles or engine hours.