[Ddob]

Hey everybody I have an 03 5.9 With a 47RE transmission according to the vin number... My torque converter bolts backed out some and one backed all the way out and destroyed the threads on the flex plate and the torque converter. I torqued down 5 of the 6 bolts and used the red loctite. The truck is driving around fine right now as it is. But I am seriously looking into rebuilding the entire transmission. I mainly use my truck for towing my travel trailer. This transmission was Rebuilt probably about 10000 miles ago But the shop that did it doesn't do good work so I don't trust it to last very long. I do plan to put an edge or smarty tuner in and probably an upgraded turbo later on. If I plan on having about 500 horsepower What type of transmission rebuild would you do for this transmission? Also should I even waste my time rebuilding A 47RE or should I upgrade to a better transmission? One more thing, When I am towing my trailer up a Hill and have my pedal to the floor when in 3rd gear going to 4th it starts slam shifting up and down like it can't make up its mind on what gear it wants to go to. Let me know what you guys think, thanks

 

[skymasteres]

Ddob, I am almost in the same boat. I have a RWD 03 with a 47RE in it with 300k on it . It's starting to slip while towing so I'm having it rebuilt.

I got a a whole list of goodies and am planning on getting it assembled next week...

48RE picked up from a junk yard to start with.
Valve body goodies (Piston, accumulator etc)
Camaro wide band
4.2 apply lever with anchor and support
Sonnax 35 spline input and stator kit with extended drum
Catapillar overdrive spring
Billet direct drum (for an extra fraction)
Goerend triple disk 900/400 converter and flexplate

Job is going to cost me about $5000, but I figure it should last another 300k miles

 

[Ddob]

Thanks for the reply @skymasteres how much did you pick up the 48RE for?
Is the 48 that much better? Even if I built my 47 to a stage 2? Thanks for the list of parts ill look into them

 

[skymasteres]

Well, I picked up the 48RE for $300. But it turned out to be junk. The previous idiot put a shift kit in it and drilled out a bunch of stuff. Basically rand the pressure so high it ballooned the converter, ripped out the band anchor, and broke a couple piston bores in the valve body. So basically junk.

Yes. Build your 47 to whatever standard you want. Only difference is the stator pump. The 48 has like 20% more output and the stator shaft has a seal to prevent recirculation in the converter. So if you're getting a new converter anyway, get a 48 converter and pump. The 47 will take all the 48 spec clutches and frictions. (Same dimensions, just the 47s had single sided frictions and the 48s got double sided.

Or put another way, I'm building my 47 into a 48 as well.

 

[skymasteres]

Okay, so I'm totally hijacking this thread to show what I'm doing with my 47RE rebuild.

First off, gotta hand it to Goerend, they really delivered with getting me out some new parts after UPS messed the first batch all up. That being said, Sonnax definitely has a processing issue with their big shaft kit. I may be picky, but high end input shafts should not show up to the customer with tool marks on the shaft by the sealing rings and rust on them.

So, I have a Frankenstein collection of parts, but it should result in a hard working transmission that I don't have to worry about.

Working nose to tail:

Goerend billet flexplate. This thing is massive. Thought it was absolute overkill till I lifted the box for the torque converter.

Goerend triple disc billet torque converter with 35 spline stator. This thing is HEAVY. Weighs in at about 72# vs 40# for the stock converter with some fluid in it.

It's the 900/400 so the stall speed is 500-600RPM under stock. Cool thing is it does have a drain plug. Unlike the stock converter.

One Sonnax 35 spline input shaft, stator and piston kit. It allows an extra friction and steel up front.

That 300 Maraging steel is tough stuff. (The first one beat the heck out of the flexplate.)

Now this is where I feel like an idiot, it it the stator that affects the fluid output of the pump on these transmission. i.e, the 48 stator support will flow more than the 47 support?

Wide cast steel kickdown band.

Suncoast billet intermediate drum

TCS billet servo, accumulator, and 4.2 arm/anchor kit.

Looks like I ran out of space.

 

[skymasteres]

The rest of the TCS bits

And not pictured, I guess the core I got had an upgraded aluminum overdrive piston, so that's going in.

But the last piece, the overdrive spring, is freaking huge.

And of course the gratuitous overview shot that shows most of the parts...

Fingers crossed that I don't have to touch it again for another couple hundred thousand miles.

 

[skymasteres]

My main concerns with the build are the subtle fluid control differences between the 47 and 48 valve bodies. Apparently the two main differences between the 47 and 48 are the pump output, and the boost pressure in 3rd and 4th. The 48 has more and higher respectively. I'd be curious to hear from anyone that has a solid understanding about the hydraulics involved and if there's a way to remedy that on a 47 valve body without having to swap a 48 in. (Because my 48 valve body core is cracked, drilled and just junk)

 

[skymasteres]

I was looking at another thread that showed the differences between the 47 and 48 valve bodies. 48RE shift kit

This is mine from when I put the GM governor solenoid in. The connecting channel there means it's a 48 valve body, right?

 

[MDSWA]

Can't go wrong with Goerend parts. Not sure what part of the country you're in. If you're in the western US and could use some expert advice on a parts kit and a valve body, check out Dynamic Transmission. Forum member Dynamic does a great job with premium parts kits, valve bodies and full transmission builds.

Dynamic Transmission

dynamictransparts.com

 

[skymasteres]

I'm having Mike of Mike's transmissions build it in Albuquerque for me. I'm just kind of freaking out over the model year differences and the significance of that boost pressure difference. Was all good while I thought I had a good valve body core in the 48RE I picked up. But now that I'm using the one out of my 47RE transmission that came with the truck, I'm apprehensive.

 

[rghavana]

Chrysler 48RE Valve Body Identification

 

[skymasteres]

Yes, I saw that. Was just hoping for a method that didn't mean taking the valve body apart. (since I don't have the truck right now)

 

[Ddob]

Well, I picked up the 48RE for $300. But it turned out to be junk. The previous idiot put a shift kit in it and drilled out a bunch of stuff. Basically rand the pressure so high it ballooned the converter, ripped out the band anchor, and broke a couple piston bores in the valve body. So basically junk.

Yes. Build your 47 to whatever standard you want. Only difference is the stator pump. The 48 has like 20% more output and the stator shaft has a seal to prevent recirculation in the converter. So if you're getting a new converter anyway, get a 48 converter and pump. The 47 will take all the 48 spec clutches and frictions. (Same dimensions, just the 47s had single sided frictions and the 48s got double sided.

Or put another way, I'm building my 47 into a 48 as well.

Super late reply but back to getting serious about the rebuild... you seem to know way more about all of this than me. I'm planning on taking my trans to a local trans shop. This is what he does on his builds:

*Billet torque converter single disc
*billet servo
*billet accumulator
*4th gear clutch pack (alto or alco brand)
*2nd gear band pro series
*billet some input shaft
And of course all new gaskets and O rings..

Let me know if he should be doing anything else.. he told me for this he would charge $2800. Thats if I bring him the trans. $1000 more if I just drop off the truck.

 

[Ddob]

sonnex input shaft*

 

[skymasteres]

Well, the job is done and the truck drives great! Basically did all that. Having the 900/400 torque converter is absolutely amazing. The difference it makes over the stock converter is night and day. Now the truck pulls though all the gears at 1500rpm lightly loaded. Can't wait to see how it does hooked up to the heavy trailer. (Used to spin at 2000rpm just getting going)

As for 47RE vs 48RE identification. There is a boost tube visible in the 48RE valve body that the 47RE does not have.

I'll probably just leave the 47RE valve body in there for now. Shift are very pleasant. Slightly firm and much more noticeable than stock, but not hard. (Stock they were almost imperceptible)
There is a little bobble between 2nd and 3rd, but it's getting less pronounced so I won't worry about it unless it stops getting better. (It's a lot less noticeable now that it was driving off the lot)

The guess is that the 47RE I pulled out had "All the miles" based on the bearing and bushing wear, the fact that the intermediate band was down to the rivets, and the torque converter was severely blued on the front.

 

[Ddob]

Super late reply but back to getting serious about the rebuild... you seem to know way more about all of this than me. I'm planning on taking my trans to a local trans shop. This is what he does on his builds:

*Billet torque converter single disc
*billet servo
*billet accumulator
*4th gear clutch pack (alto or alco brand)
*2nd gear band pro series
*billet some input shaft
And of course all new gaskets and O rings..

Let me know if he should be doing anything else.. he told me for this he would charge $2800. Thats if I bring him the trans. $1000 more if I just drop off the truck.

@skymasteres

 

[skymasteres]

@skymasteres
Let me know if he should be doing anything else.. he told me for this he would charge $2800. Thats if I bring him the trans. $1000 more if I just drop off the truck.

Okay, so I am into the transmission for $3450 for parts and $2683 for the build. Grand total $6133. OUCH! But....I did drop off the truck and a donor transmission that had to be torn down as well. If it lasts as long as the original it'll be well worth it.

That being said, depends on what you're going with the truck. I'm going to be using the truck 90% trailer-less and 10% towing heavy. But I'll be adding a VGT, compounds, or both at some point.

So for me the extra expense was the triple disc converter, billet flex plate, shaft and piston, billet intermediate drum, cast extra wide intermediate band, and all the billet pistons/accumulators and other parts to make it go together. Red frictions, kolene steels, etcetera etcetera etcetera. Basically the builder said that aside from a billet intermediate shaft, there really isn't anything else I could put in to make the transmission more stout

Do make sure you get the Borg Warner pressure transducer though.