my truck is a plow truck, my tranny needs some love

[sloppy2nds000]

91 w250, 104k milels, 2 wire od a518 (i believe) tranny. pretty sure my tc is on its way out. its making a ticking noise that sounds like an exhaust leak, and on occasion it really labors the engine on take off like its stuck and trying to stall the engine. i check the flex plate as best i could for cracks, by sliding the tc back. it looks fit as a fiddle. everythings clean in the bell housing. no oil residue. the tc is just starting to lose its blue paint. it hits all its gears nicely and shuttles properly. just ticks and sticks.
this truck plows snow, is all stock and barely sees 1800rpm while pushing snow. most of the time its just off idle. i do run od between driveways when theyre far enough apart to get to 40mph.


what should i look for as far as a new setup is concerned?
should i just grab a stock replacement tc to get thru the winter and look for a 47 or 48 core to build this summer? what would be the best bet given my application?

thanks, nick

[dazedandconfused]

I'd just beef the 518 up. Are you running any additional coolers? Plowing builds a lot of heat in a hurry. Checkout the thread we have going about converters. I wouldn't run OD with the plow unless your running 50 or faster. You won't see the benefits of a lockup converter plowing. Welcome to the site by the way.
http://www.1stgen.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15370

[sloppy2nds000]

ya bud i read that thread and a bunch more. been trying to find someone talking about using their dodge as a plow truck. but no one makes mention of plowing. just pulling and dragging. i love this truck for plowing because unlike my psd, it always starts. and it really just idles along pushing snow. i usually only have to give it a little peddle when im pushing the up the piles. i was thinking id just build a nice 518 for it this summer. but the issue im seeing is that i cannot get a nice heavy duty tc for a non lock up application. they all have a larger single disc and a torrington bearing, but i was hoping for a better piston assembly even for stock stall speed. but then again im not sure about the stall speed. it seems to me i should be needing stock stall. but ive been know to be wrong once or twice in my life. and thats why i decided to post here with you guys. im looking for some good input from some like minded guys.

ive really been looking at patc just because they carry so many parts and make their own tc's in house, and they have pretty good prices.

[PToombs]

You definitely want a lower stall speed, even a little bit will help. The stock converter is a slippy POS, and was made that way.
There is a guy here in Syracuse NY that makes converters too for a decent price. I don't know where you are, so shipping may be too much to be worth while to get one from him.
I have one in my '97, a billet ultra low stall lock-up, and I paid about $550 for it. I have 25k on it and it still works great.

[dazedandconfused]

I don't know if I would run a PATC converter when there are other proven converters for our trucks. I'm not saying they aren't good but with Goerend, Specrite, SunCoast, DPC and a few others I would stick with one of those. Run a tighter converter, a good VB setup for towing and a large external cooler added into the cooling loop. The tighter converter should help keep temps down I would think too.

[sloppy2nds000]

im in michigan, so ill have to ship a tc from somewhere out of state since i cannot find a builder here in michigan. at least not one listed online.
-why a lower stall? how low should i go? if i am to have a tc built for my needs, which is what everyone will do, so i can get whatever i want with in reason.
-why should i be concerned with lock out? i rarely get to over drive. i was thinking of the 47 or 48 so i could have better upgradeable internals and a billet converter.
-the stock non locking 518 converter doesnt really have billet options and the hd single disc doesnt seem to be much better than stock.
but if i can get a reliable tranny outta the 518 ill set it up and keep it.
-this is my winter bread and butter so im willing to do most anything with in reason to keep it efficient and reliable. but im starving like most so a budget is restricting me. so i cannot afford to waste any money.

[sloppy2nds000]

my understanding of the stall speed and engine power curve is restricted to gas engine drag strip experience. having an 8000 rpm window to deal with is different when stalls are at 4500 with 4k more rpm in the engine. our trucks have a 2800 rev limit with max torque at 1700 and max hp at 2500. if we set the stall traditionally below max torque wed be shooting for 11-1200 but that seems really low.
this is why i ask you guys what i should do. i just want to plow snow and not have to tell my customers that i blew another tranny and that they cant rely on me or my truck.
because this truck is silly reliable compared to all the new gasser guys out there, and i know it. they drive new trucks cause their trucks are garbage. but theyre not broke down

[dazedandconfused]

The looser the converter the more heat you will generate and that's what kills these. Even the aftermarket 518 converters I've seen have a billet steel cover on them. You can upgrade all the internal hard parts as well and be just as strong. BC on here has what he says is essentially a non lockup 48rh. Its all the stronger parts of the 48 on his 518 case. You will never see the benefits of a lockup trans plowing since you never reach speeds for the clutch to lockup.
https://www.suncoastconverters.com/shop ... 1989-1993/

[Sutter1stgen]

You also don't want to go too low. I've been in trucks where they were so absurdly low that the truck couldn't get off the line empty well. I can only imagine how it would be with a load. Low stall also crests heat in stop and go traffic. So try to find a converter that has a stall similar to your desired work rpm. Pay attention to the rpm your engine runs at while grunting and pushing, along with the boost it creates. You don't want the converter to load up the engine right before boost really starts to come on, because you'll really work the engine trying to compensate all day.

[sloppy2nds000]

well ive talked to some of the torque converter builders. havent had much luck with ironing out stall for my application but we have come up with some ideas and theorys. so for now ive got on hand a stock replacement dacco tc and dacco 518 rebuild kit from autozone that cost me 225. if the weather breaks i plan to install them this weekend. however im still no closer to a plan of action for how to set my tranny up for the future. im kinda leaning towards finding a 47/48 tranny and building it up with a hd single disc tc. the only added expense of these trannys seems to be the tc. i like the idea of the stronger internals and the heavier R/L band, given i drive at least half my miles in reverse and fist. as of right now i drive almost 70 miles a snow day. and i spend $70 a day on fuel.

[Tacoclaw]

Correct me if in wrong, but the "discs" you keep referring to in these TCs only applies to lockups. It's counting the friction discs in the lockup portion, so it doesn't really apply to a discussion on our TCs.

I agree with Stutter in that you need to get an estimate on when your turbo starts to spool and just get a TC with a stall a couple hundred RPM higher. Hell, if it's still the stock converter it's probably swelled out anyway which raises the stall above even the stock #. I figure you'd see an RPM drop just going back to a stock stall if that's the case.

[DodgeFreak]

I think.....He's thinking about building a 47 in the future....or is thinking about it now....

[dazedandconfused]

For what you do with the truck the 47 wont be worth it I don't believe. Upgrade the weak pieces and use your 518 you will be cheaper. To do the 47 you will need starter, adapter plate, drive shafts and then build the trans.

[Remps]

If you go the lock up route, having it built so it can lock up in first would be handy for plowing, trans would run much cooler.

[Tacoclaw]

If by handy you mean suicidal, then yeah. My old man's truck can lockup in first and if you hit that switch you better be ready to move. It gets pretty old locking and unlocking it in even medium traffic, I couldn't imagine doing it plowing a parking lot.

Considering you only need to plow on days when it's near freezing, any sort of external, air cooler should put the smack down on any heat. Especially if the liquid heat exchanger on the block has already knocked a big chunk of it down.


No way I'd go through the headache of a lockup trans for something like that, it would be like someone putting a lockup on a forklift.