Is it worth it for me to beef up my stock transmission?

[George4]

So I see people that say to save up for a BTS or a different built up transmission and see others try to change some of the parts on the stock transmission in hopes of making it last longer and hold up better. But I imagine it is high temps with heavy towing that does them in. My situation is a little differant in that I do very little towing and live in the flats of St. Louis. The reason I own a dulley is that I have known the truck since new and could not let a truck this nice go to anyone else when my friend got to the point of not being able to drive any more and it only had 80k highway miles on it with a little towing of a 5th wheel over its life. The thing I like about the dulley is the way it rides with my truck camper on it. The hardest I run the truck is either when I just like to open it up during daily driving or when I take a cross country trip with the camper, my gross is still under 12k lbs fully loaded with water and the family. So what I am trying to get at is, is it worth it for me to do anything to the transmission as I add more power? My SCT livewire does a nice job on adjusting the transmission so it shifts with different amounts of firmness per the tune. Sorry for the long post but I just wanted everyone to know what I expect my transmission to hold up to. I have just see so many post about transmission questions I wonder if I need to do anything. Thanks

~George

 

[under pressure]

I would at minnimum change the converter and valve body.
I did a trans go tugger hd2 for pulling my 5th wheel. Shifting is excelent. Instaliing a billet converter in the next few months as well.
Though depending on mileage, a rebuild may be a good route to take.

 

[Zaairman]

Hi George,

Depending on the shape of the transmission, I would at least want to upgrade the valve body. If the transmission is still shifting great and has been maintained, then go ahead and upgrade the converter. Where are you at in STL?

 

[George4]

Thanks for the input guys. The truck just hit 95k, I only have a 6 mi commute, and is pretty much just always been babied. It shifts great and I am not having any issues at all, just don't want any. The transmission filter and fluid were changed at 40k and 80k by me both times. I am on the IL side of STL, in Highland, its about 30mins from the river.

 

[under pressure]

That's low miles and not much weight. Could just do a good converter.
Not sure on the canned sct tunes on the Trans. That's pretty important.

 

[George4]

That's low miles and not much weight. Could just do a good converter.
Not sure on the canned sct tunes on the Trans. That's pretty important.

I am not using the canned tunes. I had custom tunes made for what I was after with different trans tunes to match the different engine tunes. Maybe I need to look into a converter...

 

[Zaairman]

What shape is the fluid in? I'd hate to see you spend $800 on a converter to have the trans go out and trash the converter shortly after.

 

[under pressure]

What shape is the fluid in? I'd hate to see you spend $800 on a converter to have the trans go out and trash the converter shortly after.

transmission filter and fluid were changed at 40k and 80k by me

 

[George4]

What shape is the fluid in? I'd hate to see you spend $800 on a converter to have the trans go out and trash the converter shortly after.

The fluid is in great shape. It only has 15k on it, looks and smells new still. Hell The truck still looks and drives like its new. It's all highway miles and has got parked inside since new. Not a door ding or a scratch. All I am saying is the truck is super clean all the way, inside and out.

 

[lincolnlocker]

have you done any trans cooler upgrades?

live life full throttle

 

[George4]

have you done any trans cooler upgrades?

live life full throttle

No I have not. At what what temp are you getting into the hot area?

 

[under pressure]

For mine, 180 is hot, twin coolers keep me around 150.
At 210 my dummy lights moves to the yellow....it happend once in Canada in -40 ambient.
Not sure what happened.

 

[George4]

Then I am good on temp. At around 70* I stay right around 130 to 150.

 

[lincolnlocker]

No I have not. At what what temp are you getting into the hot area?

they say the norm is ambient air temp plus 100* not sure if that means towing or not.

For mine, 180 is hot, twin coolers keep me around 150.
At 210 my dummy lights moves to the yellow....it happend once in Canada in -40 ambient.
Not sure what happened.

your trans fluid prolly froze in the cooler and was going through the bypass valve.

Then I am good on temp. At around 70* I stay right around 130 to 150.

thats not bad what so ever. how cool does it stay while towing?

live life full throttle

 

[seeyalater5.9]

If you have the money, it's certainly not a bad idea to do some upgrades. ESP if you plan to keep the truck for most of its life as its not a matter of if but when it will break. Trust me.

As the rest of the crew has said some good things to do would be...
MAINTAIN IT!! Fluids filter etc
VB upgrade
TC upgrade
I like a good set of clutches in mine
Good custom time that tunes the trans
Cooler upgrade
And a gauge to keep tabs on temp

Edit: I didn't read the entire thread so if you already have some of these things pay no mind...just putting ideas out for ya bud

 

[George4]

I really don't do much towing. The last time I had the camper on the truck durring highway driving it was bone stock and I did not have any gauges to check (last feb). I use the camper more for weekend trips that arnt that far away and take back roads. Maybe I will just watch my temps and run it as is until I think the converter is starting to shutter or slip more then I think it should. Then upgrade the converter. Or maybe I will put a VB in when I change the fluid next time. What are the real areas that transmission builders upgrade to call it a built trans besides the converter and valve body?

 

[seeyalater5.9]

I really don't do much towing. The last time I had the camper on the truck durring highway driving it was bone stock and I did not have any gauges to check (last feb). I use the camper more for weekend trips that arnt that far away and take back roads. Maybe I will just run it as is until I thinks the converter is starting to shutter or slip more then I think it should. Then upgrade the converter.

Sometimes if you wait you end up messing up more stuff and having to replace more than you originally planned on..

.02c

 

[TyCorr]

No I have not. At what what temp are you getting into the hot area?

My trans has been up to.280° a.couple times. Change.the.fluid, move on. Mine lasted 250k.

 

[lincolnlocker]

My trans has been up to.280° a.couple times. Change.the.fluid, move on. Mine lasted 250k.

holy chit!!!

live life full throttle

 

[George4]

My trans has been up to.280° a.couple times. Change.the.fluid, move on. Mine lasted 250k.

That makes me feel better about how well it held up. Did you put anouther oem trans in after that? Did you do a lot of towing with it?

At work we have a stock 2000 cab chassis that the dumb asses were pulling around a 30k lbs backhoe on the trailer, it lasted a few weeks of daily use untill the converter and trans was shot. We had the transmission rebuilt and a billet converter put in. I don't do any real towing but I always hear about needing to upgrade the trans when people start adding more power, but it looks like I might just run it with good maintance.