allison 545

**iowacummins** · 03-30-2008, 08:20 PM

so i have a chance to buy a rebuilt allison 545 tranny. he said it was rebuilt and a new convertor in it as well. is $750 a good price for it? and i pm'd 1st gen 545 but no reply yet. but i was wondering what all is involved in this swap? thanks

Philip · 03-30-2008, 08:27 PM

The 545 was never offered in 4x4. So you would need a divorced transfer case to start with.

The 545 does not have a over drive. It does not have a lockup converter eather.

If it doesn't have the engine adapter and flywheel and starter with it. I wouldn't give that for a 545 eather rebuilt or not.

wtfd6 · 03-30-2008, 08:30 PM

those things are also pretty big. be a squeeze in a Dodge.

**iowacummins** · 03-30-2008, 08:45 PM

oh i thought it was a lock up converter in them but never mind. well i guess i will just keep looking for a 47 rh. thanks for the facts. is there any other tranny thats a good swap in these trucks?

Begle1 · 03-30-2008, 08:48 PM

You sure they're not lock-up converters, Philip?

I remember somebody saying they were. Are they like A518's and come in non-lock-up as well as lock-up?

Philip · 03-30-2008, 10:13 PM

I do not know if the latest model 545's have a lockup. If they do I have not seen one in person. The newest vehicle I have looked at with one in it was a 2002 model. It was not a lockup converter. The only wiring connection was a backup light switch. It was external mounted connected by a piece of linkage.

A 47 RH would be the easest swap into our year trucks.

wtfd6 · 03-30-2008, 10:51 PM

and the RH will give overdrive as well.

**iowacummins** · 03-31-2008, 12:17 AM

does anyone know where to look for or get a 47 rh?

1stGen545 · 03-31-2008, 01:47 AM

Sorry I have not got back to you yet. Most 545 are non=lockup but there are a few that do. They are all 4spd non-overdrive. They also have no Park thats why it has a brake on the out put or you can use your E-brake. I have the hard to find and $$$$ driver side starter #3SAE flywheel housing pass side starter are easy to find and cheep but get in the way of the exhaust. I rebuilt mine and had most of the parts cryo'ed. I built a Fully manual valve body that was never offered so that I had 100% control over how and when it shifted. I also cut the converter open and reworked it with a diff stater for a very low stall. My setup was built for sled pulling but I guess I was doing to good and beating to many 2nd and 3rd Gen's with way more $$$ in there rigs because the baned the use of any trans that was not offered in a 1ton or smaller. I was the only one running one so I guess it was directed at me. The bolt pattern is the same Diameter as the dodge but the flywheel housing is 5" thick and the stock is 1 1/2". So I had to put a 3" body lift to clear the flywheel housing but other than that I would have fit fine. there is no automotive trans that has clutches, shafts, drums or any thing else that is even close to this thing it is just over 350lbs dry and with my huge cooler, 1/2 ID lines and remote spin on oil filter it held 9gal of oil with the shallow pan I could put another gal in with the deep pan.. I made my own 1410 u-joint out put yoke and ran a divorced 205 with 32spline input and out put's with 1410 u-joints front and rear. That's what the dodge's came with in the rear. The front and rear shafts were the same lengh so I only needed 1 spare and the f&r t-case yokes are the same and the Dana 60&70 also use the same yoke so I only needed 1 of each for spares.

It pulled very well with 295's and would do OK on the high way with the 3.54 gears and 38x15.50's. But with the rule change I went back to a NV4500 like I had and will have to part with all the Allison stuff but It wont go cheep almost every thing is new and or one of a kind custom parts and the trans has been gone threw and put on the shelf till I get what I want.

But here are some pics and vids of it. The good ol days

. In the vids you can here it shift all the way to 4th and here those straight cut gears wine:thumbsup I was starting in 2nd gear most of the time because I didn't need 1st it was a 4:1 (lower than almost any auto)

I hope I did not get to caryed away but i figured this was better that posting 20 times or sending 20 PM's to people. If any one has any other ??? just let me know.

How many people leave a black spot on the ground from there exhaust that is 3ft off the ground and boil 38x15.50s with 3.54's starting in 2nd gear and going up to 4th?

This is no one wheel peel. Locked rear

YouTube - 1stGen 545 sled Pull

YouTube - 1st Dodge Cummins Burnout 2

YouTube - 1st gen burnout

Begle1 · 03-31-2008, 10:32 AM

Gentlemen, I think we found a new resident transmission expert...

Greenleaf · 03-31-2008, 12:02 PM

I have a boat load of 545's here at the school and none are lock-up. That came with my 2000 series.

My 545's run really hot and don't seem to hold up too well. A slightly modded VE pump with 185's will wreck one is a school bus. The tail pipe never stops smoking, so I'd assume a school bus is a pretty heafty load, 30,000 # GVWR

johntf · 03-31-2008, 12:53 PM

I've got a 73 carpenter bus [ Cal. forestry fire crew ] with a Cat 3208 , Alison 545 , it has 5 spds , there is a park position on the shifter .