8 speed transmission change kit

Different Drummer said:

I can't believe the censor algorithm used on this site! geeesh!!

Click to expand...

right!!!
Nancy's everywhere!
FML.... can't even be a man anymore without offending...:them"""

EdGs said:

Sounds like you did a fine job.

You are preaching to the choir here, I am a chronic worrier....lol. I will sometimes worry about things that are months away, or have not even, or may never happen.

I take a look underneath from time to time while I'm doing other stuff, checking for evidence of possible leaks, etc.

I am very leery having to have anyone else do work on my truck, even stuff like tires, but sometimes have to let that go, but anything I can do myself, I will if able, for my own piece of mind.

Click to expand...

Same... I've been under the truck twice since I finished and I took it for a second test drive to to be sure it felt normal and no lights turned on on the dash. Coming to a stop I felt it jerk a little bit I'm 99% sure it was just how I was hitting the brakes because I was listening and feeling for the downshift to first and slowing to a stop a lot slower than most normally do.

My wife drove it to work and in the morning I'm sure I'll be under it again looking for wet spots around the pan before I take my daughter to her soccer game. I always make sure I park it over a clean dry area for a while also. I probably need medication.

ramtruckrob said:

Same... I've been under the truck twice since I finished and I took it for a second test drive to to be sure it felt normal and no lights turned on on the dash. Coming to a stop I felt it jerk a little bit I'm 99% sure it was just how I was hitting the brakes because I was listening and feeling for the downshift to first and slowing to a stop a lot slower than most normally do.

My wife drove it to work and in the morning I'm sure I'll be under it again looking for wet spots around the pan before I take my daughter to her soccer game. I always make sure I park it over a clean dry area for a while also. I probably need medication.

Click to expand...

Many of us are the same way. I have a 3.6L V6 truck and I replaced the notorious oil filter housing/cooler almost four months ago. Required draining down the coolant and replacing the oil to do the job. I bled the cooling system twice and used a burp funnel to fill the antifreeze three times. Still not convinced I had it correct I had a buddy use his vacuum filler on the coolant system and it took zero new coolant yet I’m still driving around with the system temps displayed on the evic four months later lol

Atcer2018 said:

Many of us are the same way. I have a 3.6L V6 truck and I replaced the notorious oil filter housing/cooler almost four months ago. Required draining down the coolant and replacing the oil to do the job. I bled the cooling system twice and used a burp funnel to fill the antifreeze three times. Still not convinced I had it correct I had a buddy use his vacuum filler on the coolant system and it took zero new coolant yet I’m still driving around with the system temps displayed on the evic four months later lol

Click to expand...

The system temps screen is displayed continuously in my '15.

I've had the transmission temp displayed too. I took the truck on a 45 minute drive to my kids soccer game and the hottest that temp got was maybe 162 which never passed the centermark on the temp guage. Most of the trip I was between 70 and 80mph on the interstate and I really gunned it one time to get around a car doing strange things in front of me.

When I parked at the soccer field and started walking across the lot I noticed random wet spots that followed the path I just drove and it took everything in me not to climb back under my truck. Only thing that stopped me was all the traffic with my son beside me and my hands full of chairs. I checked when I got home and everything was clean and dry so it was not from my truck.

When I replaced my water pump I think I checked for leaks every time I drove for at least a week and I still check for wet spots underneath now. The gasket for my old pump fell apart and leaked for a while before I realized what was happening. Luckily it was a slow leak and I never overheated.

ramtruckrob said:

I took the truck on a 45 minute drive to my kids soccer game and the hottest that temp got was maybe 162 which never passed the centermark on the temp guage.

Click to expand...

That’s a great temp. Mine usually runs in the upper 170’s.

Atcer2018 said:

That’s a great temp. Mine usually runs in the upper 170’s.

Click to expand...

Mine runs right around 190 once warm.

EdGs said:

Mine runs right around 190 once warm.

Click to expand...

You guys are making me question if I was even looking at the right temp. Wouldn't 190 be on the hot side of the gauge? 162ish was right in the middle for mine.

Digital display on my dash, where it has always ran. I will be doing another service around 200k. Money is tight, though.

ramtruckrob said:

You guys are making me question if I was even looking at the right temp. Wouldn't 190 be on the hot side of the gauge? 162ish was right in the middle for mine.

Click to expand...

It’s normal for the 8 speed transmissions in the Rams to run 180-200F. The EPA mandates for fuel economy push manufacturers to squeeze every mpg out of them they can get. Any transmission tech will tell you heat is the number one enemy of transmissions. The Chargers use the same transmissions and run a lot cooler so cooler is no problem. There are aftermarket solutions available to lower these transmission temps because again heat is the enemy. As far as the correct temperature gauge I use the readout in the picture below as it gives a more accurate temperature than the gauge display.

Atcer2018 said:

It’s normal for the 8 speed transmissions in the Rams to run 180-200F. The EPA mandates for fuel economy push manufacturers to squeeze every mpg out of them they can get. Any transmission tech will tell you heat is the number one enemy of transmissions. The Chargers use the same transmissions and run a lot cooler so cooler is no problem. There are aftermarket solutions available to lower these transmission temps because again heat is the enemy. As far as the correct temperature gauge I use the readout in the picture below as it gives a more accurate temperature than the gauge display.

Click to expand...

The JD power Cost of Ownership (or whatever that stupid thing is) plays into it as well. Plus the OEM doesn't want us to keep the vehicles longer than the loan period anyway (4-8 years) before we replace it with new, and they want the Used market to collapse, as I assume they don't get much for a used sale, so they want the vehicle to be "cheap" to run for a few years, but then have some "reasonable" failure after a few years, so it gets scrapped off...

IE why ZF says the 8HP70 should be serviced on a reasonable frequency, but RAM says it's good for "Life".

PaleFlyer said:

The JD power Cost of Ownership (or whatever that stupid thing is) plays into it as well. Plus the OEM doesn't want us to keep the vehicles longer than the loan period anyway (4-8 years) before we replace it with new, and they want the Used market to collapse, as I assume they don't get much for a used sale, so they want the vehicle to be "cheap" to run for a few years, but then have some "reasonable" failure after a few years, so it gets scrapped off...

IE why ZF says the 8HP70 should be serviced on a reasonable frequency, but RAM says it's good for "Life".

Click to expand...

^^^^This^^^^

When it dies, it's "lifetime" is up.

ramtruckrob said:

I am planning to drain and fill my 8 speed transmission fluid in my 2013 ram 1500 with 110k miles for the first time. Are you guys buying the full kits that come with the new pan, fluids, and bolts together or are you buying everything separately? What's the best deal? I also am not concerned about making it easier to change next time so having a pan with a removable filter is not a big concern of mine.

What do you guys recommend/ have experience with? I'm willing to spend the $300 for the full kits if it is in fact the best option but am always looking to save money.

Click to expand...

I got the Blauparts kit which includes pan/filter, fluid and pump. I just have not had the time to do it. They did advise to make sure you fill plug is loose before you drain it.